Students in Saudi Arabia need opportunities to develop higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills, but teachers typically rely upon knowledge transmission in face-to-face teaching. Flipped learning (FL), which integrates the features of online and face-to-face learning, has demonstrated potential for increasing higher-level learning. However, learners may not be able to manage FL activities on their own, such as by watching short videos outside the classroom, and thus might not be well prepared for in-class activities. Therefore, the self-regulated flipped learning (SRFL) approach seeks to address this challenge by integrating self-regulated learning (SRL) into the FL environment.

Lab-on-a-chip devices are changing the way that medical testing is performed by allowing rapid testing with small samples. Optofluidic biosensors are a type of lab-on-a-chip device that use light excitation on a fluid sample. One such application of an optofluidic biosensor is a device that can detect antibiotic resistant bacteria by combining DNA from a sample with fluorescent beads, flowing that sample through a hollow channel, and shining laser light on the channel. If the bacteria tested for is present, the fluorescent beads will give off photons that can be detected as a positive signal. The main method for illumination for these devices has been coupling light through a fiber optic cable to a waveguide on the side of the chip. Though effective, this method is impractical in a real world setting such as a hospital due to the difficulty of aligning to the side of the device. One solution to this problem is the use of illumination from the top of the device. Top-down illumination allows for more alignment flexibility, but also introduces the risk of additional noise or false signal as extra light reflects of the device. This dissertation discusses the viability and development of top-down illumination for optofluidic biosensors. This includes the development of an anti-reflective layer compatible with optofluidic biosensors, comparison of top-down illumination to side illumination, and simulations of various methods of performing top-down illumination. Based on the research and findings discussed in this dissertation, it has been found that top-down illumination is a viable illumination method for optofluidic biosensors. Additionally, the use of a pattern of laser lines combined with a light blocking anti-reflective layer is the recommended method for top-down illumination.

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This qualitative interpretive study explored how five pre-service teachers constructed meaning of reflection, and how these meanings informed their practice. The purpose of this research was to better understand reflective practice in teacher preparation. The theories on reflective practice by Dewey (1933), Schon (1983, 1987), and van Manen (1977) guided this study. This research incorporated the historical and institutional contexts of the study, and applied a symbolic interaction theoretical and analytical framework (Denzin, 1978, Prus, 1996). The interpretations of the pre-service teachers' conceptions and understandings of reflective practice were captured through the transcriptions and analysis of interviews, and through the examination of the pre-service teachers' reflection journals. Participant-observations were recorded in field notes and serve to inform the social context of the study, as well as to provide portraits of the pre-service teachers, and to verify their responses. Themes were derived from the data and categorized within the symbolic interaction social processes of acquiring perspectives, achieving individuality, experiencing relationships, situating the act, and the act of reflection (Prus, 1996). The research questions were answered as I interpreted the meanings that these pre-service teachers attached to reflection, as well as the process, context and content of their reflective practice (Calderhead, 1989). I derived thirteen themes from the data that highlighted how the pre-service teachers interpreted and practiced reflection in this teacher preparation program. The themes were: (1) defining reflection; (2) questioning as reflection; (3) gaining opportunities for reflection; (4) Defining reflection from self and significant others; (5) looking back on action; (6) reflection is based on personal beliefs, and educational theory; (7) encountering professors; (8) encountering mentors; (9) encountering cooperating teachers; (10) self-reflections; (11) verbal reflections; (12) written reflections; and (13) content of reflection. The study resulted in an interpretation of the pre-service teachers' views of reflective practice as they experienced it in the teacher preparation program that they felt gave them many opportunities for reflection. The findings indicated that the pre-service teachers had a general understanding of reflection. They practiced technical and interpretive levels of reflection in different contexts. The findings of the study implied that pre-service teachers understood and learned to reflect through courses and field activities. The findings also raised questions about the necessity of extensive writing requirements in reflection. This study has implications for the ways in which pre-service teachers learn about reflection, and may be useful for teacher educators who prepare reflective practitioners. / Ph. D.

Based on the results of numerous studies, researchers have found that metacognition, or the ability to "think about thinking," plays a significant role in students' design education. Educators are increasingly focused on metacognition in design education, not only with the subject matter, but also with the development of metacognitive skills for self-regulated and lifelong learning. Since the early 2000s, there have been an increasing number of studies on the role of metacognition in education. However, there is a lack of research on the nature of metacognitive processing in design education and how metacognitive strategies develop in design students. This study focuses on the process of learning, in terms of design thinking, and specifically on the role of metacognitive learning. The purpose of the inquiry is to extend metacognitive theory to design learning and uncover the factors and influences of metacognitive thinking and learning during a student's first year in the Design Lab. In this study, the researcher probed the students' metacognitive ability in different design learning-tasks. The research frames metacognitive aspects of students' learning based on evidence obtained from students while they were working in the Design Lab. The evidence is as follows: verbal description (oral or written), experiential (videos or notes about people in action) and artifactual objects of the learning process (sketches and models). The field studies utilized a constructivist paradigm to examine the various forms of thinking in action, and the actions that occur during a learning-task. Verbal protocol analysis of video recordings of students engaged in selected learning design tasks was used to uncover the metacognitive thinking that develops during the execution of the learning-task. The researcher used a thematic data analysis process to develop an understanding of the data and identify common themes that arose from the investigation. Themes were generated through the interpretation of the data in light of the literature reviewed, the research questions, and the researcher's personal knowledge and intuition. The cyclical process of metacognitive thinking for design students was examined based on three main categories: Reflective process knowledge, reflective process monitoring, and reflective process control. The research reveals that metacognitive thinking plays an important role in design idea generation and development, and is an important part of the creative process in design. As one would expect, based on metacognitive theory, the differences between high-performing and low-performing students are well explained. High-performing students focused more on metacognitive thinking, especially monitoring their design process, while low-performance students were more concerned with cognition, or doing the task. The findings have added new knowledge to the fields of metacognition and self-regulated learning by identifying the conscious thinking process that occurs when students engage in design learning in the first year Design Lab. This knowledge will be helpful to design educators in formulating design learning-tasks for students in their labs in tandem with fully utilizing the environment of their school. / Ph. D. / Researchers have indicated that metacognition or the ability to “think about thinking” plays a significant role in the education of design students. Educators are focusing on metacognition in design education not only to improve students’ performance in design education but also to improve students’ metacognitive skills that can be utilized for self-regulated and lifelong learning. Although there have been increasing number of studies on metacognition in the past decade, there is still a need to further investigate metacognition in design education and also how to develop metacognitive strategies in design students. This study focuses on the influence of metacognition on designers thinking and learning process. The purpose of this research is to extend the current metacognition theories to design environment and uncover the factors and influences of metacognitive thinking and learning during a student’s first year in the Design Lab. In this study the researcher used different design learning-tasks to better understand students’ metacognitive abilities, which is done by analyzing the data acquired from students while they were engaged in the Design Lab. The following types if data was acquired: verbal description (oral or written), experiential (videos or notes about people in action) and artifactual objects of the learning process (sketches and models. To better understand students’ metacognitive thinking, they were video/audio taped as they worked on the design learning-tasks. The researcher used a thematic data analysis process to extract the common themes that existed in the data. Themes were generated by interpreting students’ actions in light of the reviewed literature, the research questions, and the personal knowledge and intuition of the researcher. Metacognitive thinking is divided in to three main subcategories: Reflective process knowledge, reflective process monitoring, and reflective process control. Results indicated that the metacognitive thinking plays an important role in the generation and development of design ideas and is an important part of the creative process in design. The metacognitive theory was able to clearly explain the differences between High-performance and Low-performance students. High-performing students focused more on metacognitive thinking, especially monitoring their design process, while low-performance students were more concerned with cognition, or doing the task. The findings have added new knowledge to the fields of metacognition and self-regulated learning by identifying the conscious thinking process that occurs when students engage in design learning in the first year Design Lab. This knowledge will be helpful to design educators in formulating design learning-tasks for students in their labs in tandem with fully utilizing the environment of their school.

No / This paper aims to open a debate about the impact of reflective practice questioning whether reflective frameworks and models argued to facilitate the education of highly skilled reflective practitioners can be oppressive rather than emancipatory in outcome. Contemporary education focuses on evidence based and effective practice with reflection at its core leading to empowerment and ultimately emancipation of the profession as independent and equal to medics and other health care professionals. Models and frameworks have therefore been developed to facilitate the education of highly skilled reflective practitioners; able to recognise the need to draw on evidence based practice in order to challenge out-dated methods and engage in new ways of working. This paper however questions the current focus on reflective practice suggesting that reflection in itself can be oppressive and support the commodification of nursing as a ‘workforce’, the profession at the beck and call of current governmental policy and control.

Yes / in contrast to dominant approaches to therapy research that look at outcomes and focus on large samples, another primary strand of research considers microphenomenal processes and focuses on small samples. This paper contributes to the latter genre in regard to the implicit impact of language. this paper aims to apply relational psychotherapeutic thinking about empathic dialogue, specifically the concepts of reflective-verbal language and reverie, to qualitative interviewing. Methodology: an example from a small-scale study about emotionally-evocative language is reviewed in detail, focusing on the interviewer’s phenomenological experience of her conversation with a participant in a qualitative interview. Findings: the authors argue that the interviewer’s reflexive awareness of her reveries and the reflective-verbal nature of the research dialogue, gave her an alternative perspective on the participant’s (and her own) experience. Implications: the paper highlights the value within research and practice of maintaining awareness of language at a microphenomenal level, using techniques based on the principles of psychological therapy.

In recent decades, reflective practice has become a key driver and an increasingly influential referent in the professional development of student teachers. Yet, the complex, somewhat elusive boundaries of reflective practice make this phenomenon difficult to define. The purpose of this study was to analyse and synthesise existing literature and research in order to better understand the multi-faceted nature of reflective practice. From an informed platform, a new conceptual framework was designed both to capture and investigate nine dimensions of reflective practice in which student teachers could demonstrate capacity and commitment. Eighty year 4 student teachers, who had undertaken action research projects during their final school experience, and thirteen university lecturers, who had guided the student teachers throughout this enterprise, were participants in this study. Data were gathered through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews that incorporated a series of closed and open-ended responses. Quantitative data were analysed to calculate statistical frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations; and, qualitative data via analytic induction methods to identify common themes and to extract narratives of experience. Findings showed that a majority (>90%) of student teachers perceived their capacity and commitment to engage in six dimensions of reflective practice [and most (>80%) in eight] had influenced their professional development. These perceptions were not wholly congruent with those of dissertation supervisors with variance between supervisors also evident. Qualitative distinctions, in the use of three types of reflective conversation, were found between male and female student teachers and within each gender group. Several constraints in the development of student teachers’ reflective practice also emerged. Further research is recommended into: what evidence and criteria shape judgments about reflective practice; how school-based staff might effectively support student teachers’ development of reflective practice; and, how the framework designed for this study might be replicated and refined to enhance reflective practice in personal professional development across disciplines.

The Church of England is living through a time of significant change in attitudes towards local church ministry, congregational participation and pastoral practices. As it seeks to respond with integrity to changes in contemporary society the Church’s dialogue with empirical social research is beginning to develop more fully. This thesis focuses on a pioneer national project to explore the effectiveness of pastoral ministry in contemporary church weddings. The social science research methods used in this project revealed insights into the ministry of contemporary church weddings with the intention of shaping responsive parochial wedding policies. This thesis considers the potential for further local enquiry by individual marrying clergy to understand the ordinary theology (proposed by Astley) of their communities using methods of ordinary research alongside a shared reflective practice. It highlights the socio-theological interface within reflective empirical theology by pastoral practitioners in the Church. A model of participatory action research incorporating online clergy forums and change agent groups is explored to stimulate parochial and institutional change among clergy in partnership with each other. The role of priest researchers is proposed and identified in other pastoral contexts to examine factors that motivate clergy to participate in the development of pastorally responsive national policies. A methodology of personal diaries, focus groups and one to one interviews is used to explore the responses of clergy to participating in reflective praxis. The findings point to key factors in developing pastoral practice and policies involving the place of ministerial development and attitudes towards collaborative working. A typology of pastoral ministry is developed towards identifying priest researchers in the Church. The research affirms the contribution of pastoral practitioners towards the development of pastorally responsive national policies but the nature of parochial deployment and clergy relationships with each other and the Church institutions frequently preclude much of this contribution.