This study utilises Tinto’s (1993) theoretical framework, known as the Model of Longitudinal Departure, to investigate success and failure in Foundation Year medical school in a Middle Eastern transnational location, through considering student background, cultural influence and academic transition. This case study is framed within a social constructivist epistemology utilising mixed methods, including quantitative pre-entry and academic attainment data, and qualitative student and staff interview data. Lack of contextual research combined with high failure rates, which negatively impact on students, institutions, sponsors and governments in this transnational first-year medical school experience, have led to the need to better understand the first-year medical school experience in this Bahraini context. The research questions investigate the student and staff perspectives of academic success and failure, together with the role of previous learning and the resulting implications for programme design. The research constructs a notion termed the ‘state of realisation’, this is the point at which students recognise and implement learning strategies associated with third level learning success. Additional findings include that English language competency measured by the IELTS and previous educational experience and achievement are pre-indicators of academic success. Within this transnational context culture is found to contextualize, frame and influence the students. Academic integration is found to be multi-faceted and complex, whereas social integration appears to be less challenging, seemingly facilitated by a strong culture of belonging. The research refines Tinto’s 1993 model into an appropriate framework for this transnational setting named the Model of Academic Success and Failure in a Transnational Context. It is within this framework that the constructed notion of the ‘state of realisation’ is situated. Findings on gender and academic success are unexpected, showing that males performed better than females in Foundation Year medical school in this transnational context. Further research is recommended to investigate this aspect in-depth.

The aim of the research was to investigate the professional development and support needs of new and experienced teacher educators in the FE system in the South of England. This thesis explored the ways in which teacher educators were recruited, inducted and supported, in order to gain insights into how these aspects of practice could be strengthened or improved in future. The first chapter introduces the purpose and themes of the thesis and subsequent chapters describe the culture, policy and context of the FE system; the identity and role of teacher educators; the methodology used in the research; followed by data analysis and discussion of findings. Ten experienced teacher educators were interviewed and their comments analysed. This was followed by an online survey to 270 teacher educators, 70 of whom responded. A focus group was held with 15 teacher educators in order to elicit further perspectives and to help triangulate the data. A further link between interviews and survey was made when some of the views, which the interviewees held in common, were used as statements in the survey. The survey participants were then asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the interviewees’ statements. This thesis argues that teacher educators in FE are a little known group whose professional needs are not considered systematically and for whom there are no substantive professional standards - despite teacher educators’ central role in the education of new teachers. Certain essential characteristics are required in order to become a ‘good’ teacher educator, as well as opportunities for professional development, including scholarship and research. However, the learning cultures and work contexts of the FE system, which shape the identity and role of teacher educators, also make their work more challenging due to the differing - or absent - support that teacher educators receive.

The Mauritian Education system is a highly elitist and examination-oriented system where teachers in state secondary schools enjoy complete autonomy in the selection of their teaching methods. Despite education policies recommending learner-centred teaching (LCT) for a more inclusive, integrated and holistic approach to education (NCF, 2009, p. 7), most secondary education teachers generally use teacher-centred teaching (TCT) methods even after having learned LCT in professional teaching courses. In this study I examine how 30 professionally trained teachers from eight state secondary schools in Mauritius understand LCT and how they implement it in class. I also explore why those teachers choose this approach and which skills they think are necessary for effective LCT. This qualitative study uses a social-constructivist approach. It was carried out in two phases. In the first phase I looked into teachers’ understandings of LCT and in the second phase I observed teachers enactment of LCT in their classrooms. Data gathering tools were questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, class observations and debriefing sessions. The findings point towards two perspectives of LCT: the first perspective is a cognitive perspective, which is more achievement-oriented, and the second one is an emancipatory perspective, which focuses on re-engaging learners with their studies. The study also shows that their work contexts, their beliefs and the pressure of an exams-oriented system shape teachers’ understanding of LCT and in its actual form LCT in Mauritian schools is only partially learner-centred with a mix of LCT and TCT. The main contribution of this thesis is the acknowledgment of the kind of LCT that teachers can achieve without any form of support and the potential of our teachers in transforming our classrooms with authentic and effective forms of LCT provided continuing professional development and school support become regular features of our education system.

For 25 years, the New Horizons International Music Association has grown to become a large network of organizations in service of older adults seeking a musical and social experience. According to Self-Determination Theory (SDT: Ryan and Deci, 2002), people seek out social environments that allow for the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs, that of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This study examines the choices of six older adults to participate in a New England New Horizons ensemble and the extent to which various facets of participation serve to satisfy or thwart their basic needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Field observations for this study were analyzed though dramaturgical coding as a means of providing a theatrical structure to the data. Six participants in the ensemble were selected as representative of the gender and experiential distribution of the musicians. Transcriptions of the interviews were adapted to become theatrical monologues as a means of telling the stories of these individuals. The monologues were analyzed with a focus on how participation in the New Horizons ensemble served to fulfill or thwart these musicians’ basic psychological needs. Findings indicate that fulfillment of relatedness though peers, conductors, community members, and family were mentioned most frequently. Fulfillment of the need for autonomy was not only evident in intrinsically motivated behaviors, but in autonomous forms of extrinsic motivation as well. The participants tended to define their sense of competence as New Horizons members and musicians in general, by their experiences of lacking competence. However, they willingly embraced the New Horizons motto of your best is good enough. It is hoped that this study will lead to further examination of basic psychological needs satisfaction in New Horizons members.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the lifelong meaning and influence of participation in a high school choral music program. This study described and analyzed the reflections of adults who participated in one high school choral program selected by the researcher as meeting high standards of practice in choral music. The eight participants, who were involved in the choral program for at least three years and pursued careers in fields other than music, were selected via criterion sampling and interviewed regarding their experiences in chorus and how those experiences may have influenced their lives. Semi-structured interviews were the primary method of investigation in this case study. The first interview began with a broad-scope, grand-tour question. Prior to the second interview, former-student participants reviewed transcriptions of the first interview. The second interview consisted of specific questioning around the possible lifelong influence of their choral experience. During the second interview, each former-student participant was asked to complete an evaluation survey of effective teaching strategies/dimensions based on their memories of their choral director. The data collection process took place over a period of approximately five months. The school’s choral director was observed to verify teaching strategies consistent with criteria established by the researcher and to provide contextual data for triangulation of former-student participant data. Interview data, field notes, and archival information were coded for analysis by relevant themes and narratives were crafted. Findings suggested that the lifelong influence of this high school choral program was related to multiple social aspects, including a sense of pride and achievement, as well as to the learned ability to critique and evaluate. Participants valued the high expectations of the choral director and the exposure to many genres of music. Data revealed that some self-perceived outcomes of the program, such as critical thinking and self-confidence, were influential in the development of lifelong learning skills. Findings implied that traditional performing ensembles in secondary schools may not provide the greatest opportunity for engaging school musical experiences that encourage lifelong involvement in music. Additionally, the findings revealed that extra-musical benefits of the program outweighed the musical influence in adulthood.

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Lifelong Learning is the development of human potential through a continuously supportive process which stimulates individuals to acquire knowledge and skills throughout their lifetimes (Dewey, 1910; Leicester & Field, 2000). It is significant both for the individual and the society in the 21st century, especially for China. Inspired by the Lisbon Key Competences (Cziboly, 2010) and Capability Approach, the author defined five core capabilities for lifelong learning related to this educational research: language capability, learning capability, creative capability, aesthetic and cultural capabilities, and social and civic capabilities. Drama in educational settings is the focus on the educational function to define drama as a teaching and learning method (DfES, 2003). It incorporates elements of an actor's training to facilitate students' physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Drama used as a pedagogy in education is seen as a valuable tool for learning in many aspects related to language learning and lifelong learning (Cziboly, 2010). However, influenced by culture and history, drama pedagogy is less well developed in China compared to the West, in terms of both theory and practice. In this research, the author conducted a case study using drama pedagogy to design a drama program through "College Chinese" teaching in the Communication University of China. The two main research questions were 1) to explore the relationship between drama pedagogy and lifelong learning and 2) to discover the positive and negative effects of using drama pedagogy in the Chinese context. For the second question, the author used the concept of "localisation", which is the process of adapting a product or content to a specific locale or market. Although it is a term that is more often used in business and economics, the author used it in this research because it is closely related to the idea of adapting a teaching strategy from one distinct cultural area (e.g. the West) to another (e.g. China). This research contributes to the theory of the relationship between drama pedagogy and lifelong learning. It also has implications for the localisation of liberal pedagogy in indigenous contexts and the future educational reform in China.

Coaches learn from a number of different situations and their past experiences influence what they choose to pay attention to and learn (Werthner & Trudel, 2009). Understanding the process of learning to coach can be explored holistically over the course of an individual’s lifespan. This thesis is guided by Jarvis’ (2006, 2007, 2009) theory of human learning, which takes a psychosocial perspective to understanding the way that individuals perceive their social situations, change their biographies, and become who they are over the course of their lives. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the biographies of five Canadian women coaches to understand how the multitude of experiences throughout their lives have contributed to their learning and coaching development. Four in-depth interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim with each coach. From these interviews a biographical narrative analysis was created to document how each coach learned throughout her life. The transcripts and narrative analyses were member checked to augment trustworthiness. Four articles and one research note comprise the results section. The main points in this dissertation are as follows: (a) experiences in primary and secondary socialization influenced the coaches’ approaches to coaching; (b) specific meaningful learning experiences helped the coaches develop and become experienced as coaches; (c) values develop throughout life experiences and influence coaching actions; (d) Jarvis’ theory is used to explore my own process of learning throughout the PhD degree, and how this learning was influenced by my lifetime of experiences to date; and (e) a brief research note highlights how the research process was a co-creation between the researcher and the participants. These findings add to the emerging body of literature on female coaches and coach learning by further understanding how the coaches’ biographies determined what kinds of learning opportunities they each found meaningful; the importance of social connections in learning to coach; and the importance of reflection in understanding the interconnections of learning from life experiences. The study may motivate women coaches in understanding how lifelong learning influences their career paths and it informs coach education programs about the muddled reality of coaches’ learning and development.

Coaches learn from a number of different situations and their past experiences influence what they choose to pay attention to and learn (Werthner & Trudel, 2009). Understanding the process of learning to coach can be explored holistically over the course of an individual’s lifespan. This thesis is guided by Jarvis’ (2006, 2007, 2009) theory of human learning, which takes a psychosocial perspective to understanding the way that individuals perceive their social situations, change their biographies, and become who they are over the course of their lives. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the biographies of five Canadian women coaches to understand how the multitude of experiences throughout their lives have contributed to their learning and coaching development. Four in-depth interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim with each coach. From these interviews a biographical narrative analysis was created to document how each coach learned throughout her life. The transcripts and narrative analyses were member checked to augment trustworthiness. Four articles and one research note comprise the results section. The main points in this dissertation are as follows: (a) experiences in primary and secondary socialization influenced the coaches’ approaches to coaching; (b) specific meaningful learning experiences helped the coaches develop and become experienced as coaches; (c) values develop throughout life experiences and influence coaching actions; (d) Jarvis’ theory is used to explore my own process of learning throughout the PhD degree, and how this learning was influenced by my lifetime of experiences to date; and (e) a brief research note highlights how the research process was a co-creation between the researcher and the participants. These findings add to the emerging body of literature on female coaches and coach learning by further understanding how the coaches’ biographies determined what kinds of learning opportunities they each found meaningful; the importance of social connections in learning to coach; and the importance of reflection in understanding the interconnections of learning from life experiences. The study may motivate women coaches in understanding how lifelong learning influences their career paths and it informs coach education programs about the muddled reality of coaches’ learning and development.

Coaches learn from a number of different situations and their past experiences influence what they choose to pay attention to and learn (Werthner & Trudel, 2009). Understanding the process of learning to coach can be explored holistically over the course of an individual’s lifespan. This thesis is guided by Jarvis’ (2006, 2007, 2009) theory of human learning, which takes a psychosocial perspective to understanding the way that individuals perceive their social situations, change their biographies, and become who they are over the course of their lives. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the biographies of five Canadian women coaches to understand how the multitude of experiences throughout their lives have contributed to their learning and coaching development. Four in-depth interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim with each coach. From these interviews a biographical narrative analysis was created to document how each coach learned throughout her life. The transcripts and narrative analyses were member checked to augment trustworthiness. Four articles and one research note comprise the results section. The main points in this dissertation are as follows: (a) experiences in primary and secondary socialization influenced the coaches’ approaches to coaching; (b) specific meaningful learning experiences helped the coaches develop and become experienced as coaches; (c) values develop throughout life experiences and influence coaching actions; (d) Jarvis’ theory is used to explore my own process of learning throughout the PhD degree, and how this learning was influenced by my lifetime of experiences to date; and (e) a brief research note highlights how the research process was a co-creation between the researcher and the participants. These findings add to the emerging body of literature on female coaches and coach learning by further understanding how the coaches’ biographies determined what kinds of learning opportunities they each found meaningful; the importance of social connections in learning to coach; and the importance of reflection in understanding the interconnections of learning from life experiences. The study may motivate women coaches in understanding how lifelong learning influences their career paths and it informs coach education programs about the muddled reality of coaches’ learning and development.