This thesis explores the nature of teacher collaboration for professional learning, key enabling and inhibiting factors, and their implication for the development of a culture of collaboration for professional learning in Kazakhstani schools. The current teacher professional development reform initiative in Kazakhstani secondary education has incorporated teacher collaboration as a strategy to encourage teachers to take ownership of innovations and changes. The underlying assumption for it is that when teachers engage in professional collaboration, there is both an individual and collective benefit. However, an increasing scepticism that followed the initial enthusiasm about the benefits of teacher collaboration in Western countries, where a second look at collaboration from a cultural and micropolitical perspective identified the contradictions between human agency and power, voluntarism and determinism, action and settings. Against this background, this study was undertaken to examine the Kazakhstani teachers’ beliefs, values and attitudes towards collaboration and interdependence. The study draws upon case study data gathered in three purposefully selected Kazakhstani schools. The first two schools represent Kazakhstani schools established during the Soviet communist era. One of them is selected from among the comprehensive rural schools and the second is a gymnasium located in a district town. The third one is an autonomous school tasked to serve as a platform to pilot a new reform initiative before its dissemination to all the mainstream schools of the country. Each case-study was covered during a six-to-seven week period, which corresponds to a term in a school year in Kazakhstan. The findings demonstrate the dependence of teachers’ personal beliefs and values about teacher collaboration on micropolitical, school organisational culture, and socio-political factors, mainly inherited as a legacy of the Soviet education system, as well as ambiguities in the understanding and implementation of reform initiatives dictated from the top. The study suggests that Kazakhstani school history and the culture of the teaching profession possess the potential to overcome these barriers, for there is a tradition of peer evaluation and peer observation in the system with teachers expected to observe and be observed by other teachers on a frequent basis within an appropriately defined school organisational structure, which historically is seen by the authorities as a means of control. The study concludes that it is of particular importance to build on the momentum of the recent reform initiatives and help teachers to develop agency by providing the support and conditions conducive to the continued development of professional learning communities based on teacher collaboration for learning.

The advent of the Scottish ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ created a new paradigm of outdoor education. The term ‘outdoor learning’ found more common parlance as a reflection of contemporary discourse with renewed focus on curricular breadth and progression in outdoor education. This thesis examines these changes through the lens of educational policy analysis. The study bridges the gaps between literature in the fields of outdoor education, public policy making and curriculum theory to present a broad and historical analysis of the processes for the policy development of outdoor learning in Scotland. The methodological approach is grounded in the philosophy of pragmatism, and combines desk based research with data analysis of thirteen interviews with key policy actors. The findings identify health as an early policy driver and a prelude to later policy agendas including ‘character training’, work and employment. The processes for change in outdoor education policy are influenced by ‘galvanising events’ and via a ‘policy corridor’ of outdoor education advocates. Post Scottish devolution, the work of advisory groups has been a key influence in resolving what is identified as a ‘policy squeeze’ on outdoor learning. The research has implications for effective lobbying and understanding the processes for policy growth in outdoor learning.

This study explores the extent to which government policies for higher education impact upon the ways in which higher education institutions (HEIs) implement these and the students themselves experience their studies. The focus is accredited volunteering in higher education. A case study approach has been undertaken to scrutinise the impact of policy directives on several stakeholders within one post-1992 HEI, the University of Wrottesley (a pseudonym). The methodological approach is qualitative. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with senior university staff and Students Union personnel, and a detailed on-line survey was conducted with three cohorts of students undertaking the Volunteering in the Curriculum (ViC) programme. What emerges is the extent to which the dominant discourse of 'employability' is foregrounded in government policy directives, and the pressures thus placed on the university management of Wrottesley to respond effectively to first destination scores (DHLE). 'Employability' in this sense is understood as a graduate student obtaining employment, rather than a broader sense of good learning which embraces both learning (cognitive, theoretical and practical) and employability (Knight & Yorke, 2004). The findings expose the ways in which volunteering has been drawn into the dominant discourse of 'employability', yet what emerges from the student survey of their participation in the ViC programme is a broader, more nuanced learning experience which draws on both experiential and theoretical learning that encompasses academic studies, personal development, social action and graduate employment. The evidence validates the theoretical and pedagogic practice of ViC whereby students experience holistic learning. Universities such as Wrottesley are missing an opportunity in not embracing wider objectives of initiatives such as ViC which enable enhancement of graduate employability and also learning gain with the development of well rounded critical citizens and institutional permeability between community and the academy.

Process development of new complex reactions in the pharmaceutical and fine chemicals industries is challenging, and expensive. The field is beginning to see a bridging between fundamental first-principles investigations, and utilisation of data-driven statistical methods, such as machine learning. Nonetheless, process development and optimisation in these industries is mostly driven by trial-and-error, and experience. Approaches that move beyond these are limited to the well-developed optimisation of continuous variables, and often do not yield physical insights. This thesis describes several new methods developed to address research questions related to this challenge. First, we investigated whether utilising physical knowledge could aid statistics-guided self-optimisation of a C-H activation reaction, in which the optimisation variables were continuous. We then considered algorithmic treatment of the more challenging discrete variables, focussing on solvents. We parametrised a library of 459 solvents with physically meaningful molecular descriptors. Our case study was a homogeneous Rh-catalysed asymmetric hydrogenation to produce a chiral γ-lactam, with conversion and diastereoselectivity as objectives. We adapted a state-of-the-art multi-objective machine learning algorithm, based on Gaussian processes, to utilise the descriptors as inputs, and to create a surrogate model for each objective. The aim of the algorithm was to determine a set of Pareto solutions with a minimum experimental budget, whilst simultaneously addressing model uncertainty. We found that descriptors are a valuable tool for Design of Experiments, and can produce predictive and interpretable surrogate models. Subsequently, a physical investigation of this reaction led to the discovery of an efficient catalyst-ligand system, which we studied by operando NMR, and identified a parametrised kinetic model. Turning the focus then to ligands for asymmetric hydrogenation, we calculated versatile empirical descriptors based on the similarity of atomic environments, for 102 chiral ligands, to predict diastereoselectivity. Whilst the model fit was good, it failed to accurately predict the performance of an unseen ligand family, due to analogue bias. Physical knowledge has then guided the selection of symmetrised physico-chemical descriptors. This produced more accurate predictive models for diastereoselectivity, including for an unseen ligand family. The contribution of this thesis is a development of novel and effective workflows and methodologies for process development. These open the door for process chemists to save time and resources, freeing them up from routine work, to focus instead on creatively designing new chemistry for future real-world applications.

This thesis presents a biologically inspired model of learning and development. This model decomposes the lifetime of a single learning system into a number of stages, analogous to the infant, juvenile, adolescent and adult stages of development in a biological system. This model is then applied to Kohonen's SOM algorithm.In order to better understand the operation of Kohonen's SOM algorithm, a theoretical analysis of self-organisation is performed. This analysis establishes the role played by lateral connections in organisation, and the significance of the Laplacian lateral connections common to many SOM architectures.This analysis of neighbourhood interactions is then used to develop three key variations on Kohonen's SOM algorithm. Firstly, a new scheme for parameter decay, known as Butterworth Step Decay, is presented. This decay scheme provides training times comparable to the best training times possible using traditional linear decay, but precludes the need for a priori knowledge of likely training times. In addition, this decay scheme allows Kohonen's SOM to learn in a continuous manner.Secondly, a method is presented for establishing core knowledge in the fundamental representation of a SOM. This technique is known as Syllabus Presentation. This technique involves using a selected training syllabus to reinforce knowledge known to be significant. A method for developing a training syllabus, known as Percept Masking, is also presented.Thirdly, a method is presented for preventing the loss of trained representations in a continuously learning SOM. This technique, known as Arbor Pruning, involves restricting the weight update process to prevent the loss of significant representations. This technique can be used if the data domain varies within a known set of dimensions. However, it cannot be used to control forgetfulness if dimensions are added to or removed from ++ / the data domain.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the attitude of four teachers to leadership in the classroom. The main research questions asked were: What are the teachers` views on leadership in the classroom? What does good versus  bad leadership mean to the teachers? What factors influence the teachers' leadership in the classroom, according to themselves? The method used is the qualitative method and interviews, which is my empirical material, I relate to different theories and previous research of leadership. The curriculum for the compulsory school system, the pre-school class and the leisure-time centre, Lpo 94, says a lot about how both the school and the teacher must pursue a democratic activity; the teacher must have a democratic leadership in the classroom (Lpo 94, s. 5). At school, the pupils should be met with respect, they should feel safe and be motivated to learn. They must constantly develop and have lots of opportunities to experience the joy of making progress (Lpo 94, s. 7). A teacher's leadership is all about control and leading students to the goals that are set up and that pupils should achieve. Knowledge and development are the most important factors in school and therefore it is important to find out what different leadership styles that are most successful.

This thesis explores the revolutionary adult education learning dimensions in a Canadian Black anti-racist organization, which continues to be under-represented in the Canadian Adult Education literature on social movement learning. This case study draws on detailed reflection based on my own personal experience as a leader and member of the Black Action Defense Committee (BADC). The analysis demonstrates the limitations to the application of the Gramscian approach to radical adult education in the non-profit sector, I will refer to as the Non-Profit Industrial Complex (NPIC) drawing on recent research by INCITE Women of Colour! (2007). This study fills important gaps in the new fields of studies on the NPIC and its role in the cooptation of dissent, by offering the first Canadian study of a radical Black anti-racist organization currently experiencing this. This study fills an important gap in the social movement and adult education literature related to the legacy of Canadian Black Communism specifically on the Canadian left.

Children born prematurely are at higher risk for medical, learning and developmental concerns than children born full term. This study analysed the files of 73 pre-term children who completed an Assessment and Monitoring programme in New Zealand between 1998 and 2007. The participants were 39 boys and 34 girls with gestational ages ranging from 23 weeks to 32 weeks at birth and who attended the programme until they were 4 years chronological age. Analysis of the reports sent to paediatricians following the children’s monitoring visits at 8 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months and 36 months (corrected age) and at 48 months, chronological age indicated delays in achieving the expected developmental milestones in expressive language, cognition and gross motor skills for up to half of the cohort. Moreover, the findings further suggest that a ‘sleeper effect’ or ‘invisible prematurity’ emerged for up to half of the cohort at age 36 months. This ‘invisible prematurity’ and the developmental delay in cognition, expressive language and gross motor skills have implications for early childhood teachers as teachers need to develop an awareness of, and skills to identify and work effectively with these young children and their families. Practical teaching and learning strategies are presented for teachers.

This inquiry sought to answer the question: How can the University of Winnipeg (UW) design a learning and development strategy for its nonacademic leaders that will benefit both the leaders and the university? As higher education institutions experience increased competition and rising demands, senior leaders need to find new ways of developing one of their most important assets, their employees. Using an action research approach, this inquiry sought participants' perspectives through an online survey and a world café. This inquiry puts forward the following three recommendations: develop and communicate a formalized learning and development strategy that is supported by senior leadership, aligned with organizational goals, customized to the unique university environment, and values learner needs; provide diverse professional development opportunities for leaders; and create an environment that improves communication, fosters collaboration, develops competence, and values community. This inquiry adhered to all ethical requirements set by Royal Roads University and UW.

This thesis explores the revolutionary adult education learning dimensions in a Canadian Black anti-racist organization, which continues to be under-represented in the Canadian Adult Education literature on social movement learning. This case study draws on detailed reflection based on my own personal experience as a leader and member of the Black Action Defense Committee (BADC). The analysis demonstrates the limitations to the application of the Gramscian approach to radical adult education in the non-profit sector, I will refer to as the Non-Profit Industrial Complex (NPIC) drawing on recent research by INCITE Women of Colour! (2007). This study fills important gaps in the new fields of studies on the NPIC and its role in the cooptation of dissent, by offering the first Canadian study of a radical Black anti-racist organization currently experiencing this. This study fills an important gap in the social movement and adult education literature related to the legacy of Canadian Black Communism specifically on the Canadian left.