Learners approach learning tasks with varying degrees of confidence and their confidence may influence the prospects of progress and success. The main purpose of the investigations reported in this thesis was to explore confidence in relation to learning, in the context of education in Saudi Arabia, focussing mainly on early university experiences. Because of access to students in Saudi Arabia, most of the sample of over 1400 students were female. Confidence is an elusive concept but it can affect many areas of life. This study seeks to explore academic confidence, to see how it relates to other aspects of confidence and to see whether any aspects of learning or the nature of learning situations relates particularly to the enhancement of confidence with learners. The study starts by exploring what is meant by confidence, specifically in an educational setting, and then moves on to consider how experiences held in memory relate to the formation and development of confidence. In thinking of confidence, it is suggested that confidence can be seen, at least in part, as an attitude towards oneself. It is how a person sees himself in the context of a task or opportunity. This study starts by an attempt to explore several aspects of confidence to see to what extent confidence is a generic characteristic and how academic confidence might relate to that. Academic confidence might be related to specific cognitive characteristics or to views of learning or to specific kinds of learning situations. Questionnaires and interviews were the approach adopted in this study. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to establish some kind of measure of the validity of the questionnaires. Working memory capacity was measured using the digits span backwards test while examination and test data were also obtained. In every case, large samples were used in the data collection. The overall aim was to obtain a picture of the nature of confidence and to see how this was related to other attributes (which were also measured by survey) and to performance (as measured by formal examinations). The key observation is that academic performance tends only to be correlated with academic confidence. Thus, confidence is probably not a general attribute. Interviews tend to confirm the outcomes from the survey. In that working memory is a well established rate determining factor in much learning, it might be thought that that working memory capacity might be a factor in enhancing confidence but, in the context of the sample of female students used in this study, this was not found to be so. Students were asked to look at themselves in the learning process, to indicate their preferred styles of learning and assessment but, in general, few aspects seem to show any strong relationship with the development of academic confidence. However, those who expressed specific confidence in their abilities related to studying tended to be those who were, in fact, better performers as measured by examinations. Thus, students seem to be appropriately self-aware. Also, the importance of tests and examinations was seen and it did appear that results from these were a major feature of confidence growth. Attitudes to learning (following the Perry model, 1999) also tend not to correlate significantly with academic performance although there is a hint that assessment might be important. Aspects of learning style, purposes of learning, evaluation in examinations, group-working skills and academic self-perception showed few clear patterns in relation to confidence. The strong. overall impression is that preferred curriculum approaches are not very important in developing confidence although the influence of the subject teacher may be very important. Also it seems to be an innate human characteristic to seek for meaning. Memorisation is not, perhaps, the natural way forward. All of this tends to give a kind of picture of characteristics that might describe some confident students rather than give a set of criteria for developing a confident person. Although not the main purpose of the study, the patterns of results from the many questionnaires revealed major deficiencies in the Saudi education system as seen by the learners and offers an agenda for change for the future. There seemed to be an expressed interest in more opportunities for thinking (rather than memorising), for questioning, creativity and working in groups. From all of this, it might be deduced that the key feature underpinning confidence lies in simple success (reflected in speed of learning, understanding, and examination success). Thus, confidence makes it possible for students to enjoy the challenges of further learning, to take risks and to take risks in a social learning situation like group work. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is the lack of features which correlate with measures of academic confidence. Any attempt to find some kind of insight into a way of teaching and learning which generates increased confidence is not easy from the data. There are two possible reasons for this. Perhaps, different students prefer different ways and this hides any significant correlations overall. Perhaps, also, the students are so accustomed to a system which offers information in quantity and provides rewards only to those who can recall it accurately that this hides other possibilities for these students. The one thing that stands out is that success seems to lead to confidence. These students are among those who have been more successful at school in terms of examinations. The fundamental question is how to offer success to those who are not so good at formal examinations based on recall. If success is so dependent on this and confidence is not related much to other aspects, then there is a real danger that the examination system will generate a population where many are unsuccessful. The system might be leading to a destruction of confidence. It does not seem to be the style of examination but the fact of success in examinations which is an important determinant of confidence. The samples considered were drawn from those who had been successful at school. Further studies might focus on those, who were not so successful.

This study reports research into the role and deployment of teaching assistants who were implementing a literacy intervention - the Fischer Family Trust Wave 3 (FFTW3). A conceptual framework was devised to inform and support the creation, progression and interpretation of the research, drawing upon a postmodern perspective and principles associated with pragmatism and phronesis or practical wisdom. A multiple-case study approach was adopted, using interviews and observations, focusing on six teaching assistants across two local authorities, with the aim of exploring the teaching assistants' implementation of the FFTW3 programme. Analysis was informed by a grounded theory approach where a constant comparison of data was used to create themes. The findings are presented as case reports for each teaching assistant, followed by a cross-case analysis. Findings revealed that the FFTW3 programme provided unique opportunities for sustainable intervention practices which, it is argued, have implications beyond the boundaries of this research. Furthermore, there was considerable evidence that despite supportive structures for the implementation of the programme, barriers to effective deployment persisted in most contexts. The findings raise questions in relation to policy agendas which have not sufficiently clarified the ways in which teaching assistants should be deployed or supported. The implications from this study have relevance for both school systems and educational policy.

This research investigates the primary student teachers' music education in England and Turkey. It is aimed to determine the generalist PGCE and specialist B.Ed students' attitudes and confidence towards primary music teaching before and after their teacher education courses. Similarly it investigated the 3(^rd) and 4(^th) year generalist student teachers' attitudes and confidence towards primary music teaching. Pre and post course questionnaires, interviews and informal observations were used for the study in England and a single questionnaire was applied to Turkish students. Factor analysis was used to construct a valid post-course questionnaire, which was also used to interpret some of the findings. English students' attitudes towards music teaching are based on three factors: (I) confidence in pedagogical content knowledge, (II) beliefs about value of music, (III) enjoyment of teaching music. Turkish students' responses on attitude statements created four factors: (I) confidence in content of music, (II) teaching role and beliefs to the value of music, (III) confidence in pedagogy, (IV) enthusiasm for music teaching. Turkish students tended to separate their pedagogical confidence from their subject knowledge confidence, whereas these aspects were merged for English students. In contrast to the Turkish teacher education course, the PGCE course increased students' confidence in their pedagogical knowledge and in creative activities at the end of their course. 3(^rd) year Turkish students were more confident in their musical and teaching knowledge and had more positive beliefs about the value of music education than the 4(^th) year students. Lack of time for music teaching practice and class management problems were shown as the main obstacles to the development of students' confidence to teach music further. The main implication for Turkish courses is to give more emphasis on pedagogy and creative activities for the education of students and English students should be given more chance to teach music during their teaching practice. Key Words: primary music education, specialist-generalist student teachers, attitude, confidence, and teaching practice.

Therapists are continuously entering the private counselling sector, and as a result extending their occupational roles, becoming business owners and evolving in their professional identity. The purpose of this study is to understand the process of establishing a private practice while examining the development of the professional identity of private practice therapists. Specifically, the decision to enter private practice, the process of opening a business, and ethical and supervisory concerns within this field. Using systematic grounded theory, 10 female counsellors in private practice in Manitoba were interviewed. This inquiry led to the development of Professional Development in Private Practice: A Phase Model, providing an overview of therapists’ professional development in their roles as private practitioners. The five phases are seeking autonomy, logistics, transition and attitude, embracing the business and authenticity. The implications of this study are multi-faceted, influencing institutions, professional groups and therapists. / May 2016

It is widely assumed that the Private Health Sector in South Africa caters only for the 16% of the population who can afford to belong to a Medical Aid. However, a number of patients who consult private general practitioners self-fund their health expenses because they do not belong to a Medical Aid. This study measured the proportion of Medical Aid as compared to the Non-Medical Aid encounters in private general practice and the nature and cost of the encounters and medical management differences between these two groups.

This thesis focuses on the barriers that women principals face in Cypriot primary schools. This research had six aims including the overarching aim. The overarching aim of this research is to examine the career progress of female principals in Cyprus primary schools and to address the apparent under-representation of women in leadership positions. The research also aimed to establish the barriers that female leaders face in order to be promoted as principals, and how they can be overcome. Another aim was to establish how gender issues play a part in creating barriers to promotion as a school principal and how these may subsequently affect them in leading the school. A third consideration was to comprehend what barriers women may have faced in their childhood years and to establish whether, and to what extent, female leaders face internal and external barriers in Cyprus schools. The research also sought to identify the support or enablers that may facilitate women’s career progression. The enquiry was conducted using mixed method approaches, including both surveys and interviews. These quantitative and qualitative methods were combined to facilitate methodological triangulation. The data were collected sequentially, with the surveys preceding the interviews. This sequence was planned to obtain generalisable data first and to secure self-selected participants for the interviews. The quantitative data were collected through a whole population questionnaire survey administered to all women principals (C.187) in Cyprus primary schools, using Survey Monkey. Qualitative data were collected, from all twenty women principals who agreed to be interviewed. The findings show that societal culture and discrimination, the influence of the patriarchal family, family and domestic responsibilities, the intersection between women’s age, sex and the location of schools and professional development, were powerful influences on the career trajectory of these women primary school principals. These themes recur in several places, showing the pervasive nature of these influences on women principals in Cyprus. The thesis reports these findings and connects them to other literature on women principals. The present work is informed by contemporary feminist and gender theories.

No description available.

The study takes a qualitative approach to the study of lecturers’ practice in FE colleges. The meanings and ideas that individuals hold about their practice and their narratives about work experiences are captured through an exploratory methodology. The study is based in four FE colleges and offers a comparison of experienced lecturers, novice lecturers and managers to discuss dimensions of lecturers’ practice, namely their autonomy, responsibility and knowledge. Macro policies are introduced to FE colleges by external players and are driven top - down in FE colleges. Here, colleges are defined as the meso level of the Learning and Skills Sector. Within each college’s unique context lecturers have to negotiate their daily work routines and practices, that is, forming the micro arena. At the micro level, termed ‘the lecturer’s space’ the ongoing reconciliation by lecturers of the outside-in vectors (factors in the work environment that impinge on lecturers) with the insideout vectors (factors that emerge from their personal orientations and understandings) is examined to gain an understanding of practice. Degraded practice found in two of the three case-study colleges is compared with the third which emerged as having less degradation. Drawing on the evidence for nondegraded practice in this latter college, recommendations are made with regards to improving learning opportunities and the workplace, so that lecturers can realise their potential for flourishing in their teaching. In conclusion, the position of the colleges in the structured field of post compulsory education and training was explored in an attempt to explain the pattern of degraded practice amongst the case-study colleges. It was proposed that those colleges with weaker reserves of academic capital were more subject to the macro level discourses that advocated treating lecturers’ practice as a form of delivery. Moreover, the casestudy college with more extensive reserves of academic capital was less dependent on external stakeholders’ priorities and as a consequence was able to develop its own approach with regards to forming a community of practice.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the process of creativity in advertising from a practice-based perspective and illustrate the dynamics and relations between practices that can constitute this phenomenon. A nine month long ethnographic study was conducted in the context of an international advertising agency in Iran, where the organisational aim of doing being creative is in contradiction with the broader social system of the country which largely promotes conservative thinking. Such tension makes practitioners aware of their intertwinement with the practices involved in the creativity process and thus it is easier for them to reflect on what they are doing (Sandberg and Tsoukas 2011). This setting thus provides a good platform to capture the logic of practices. By drawing on Schatzki’s (1996) theories of practice, the everyday practices of creatives, their interaction with other members of their advertising agency, their clients and audiences as well as with existing advertising and ideas within the social and situational milieux from the start of a campaign until receiving approval are examined. The findings indicate various stakeholders participate in the process of creativity in advertising, such as creatives, other ad agency members, the client, the campaign’s audience, and the governmental officers, all of whom can have different requirements and preferences. While prior literature makes valuable contributions to our understanding of creativity in advertising agencies, in particular related to the important features of the creative outcome, the environmental factors that hinder or foster creativity and the people involved, particularly those individuals that are responsible for delivering creativity, their traits and personalities, we lack an understanding of its process and the recursive roles of environmental and structural factors that can shape and be shaped by the process of creativity in advertising. The present study contributes to this literature by adopting a practice lens revealing the process of creativity in advertising to be entwined in relational/socio-material practice, be the alignment of different preferences of various stakeholders, and be a cumulative process. In addition, techniques for pursuing different end tasks are explored and practices are found to be carriers of culture, and the internal and external rewards in practices are found to be the perceived competences of a practice and the embracing of the identity of a practice respectively. Finally, some managerial implications based on the outcomes of this research are proposed. These cover the establishment of practice-based guidelines with a corresponding reward system for evaluating creativity in advertising, introducing an appropriate physical layout and structures for ad agencies that can enable the alignment of various objectives and avoid potential tensions, providing a comprehensive induction and training for staff, ensuring an organisational flat structure as well as deploying collaboration as the most appropriate type of leadership for controlling creatives.

This study described UK trainee teachers’ understandings of and attitudes to radioactivity and ionising radiation, in one School of Education. The investigation addressed three research questions. The first focussed on the understanding of alpha, beta and gamma radiations. The second looked at risk assessments involving alpha, beta and gamma radiations and, the third, explored attitudes to alpha, beta and gamma radiations. An innovative tool called ‘interviews about experimental scenarios’ (IAES) and survey questionnaires were administered to physics, chemistry, biology and history specialists. The collected evidence supported the hypothesis that increased time spent in formal science education correlates with a better understanding and more positive and rational attitudes. The trainee teachers were considered to be well-educated members of the public and, therefore, the findings to offer a reasonable ‘best-case scenario’ of the public understanding of science. However, understanding was incomplete and misconceptions existed. Unique to this research were the misconceptions that alpha, beta and gamma radiations reflect back from shiny surfaces similar to light and also refract in water. The study identified implications arising from its findings and made specific recommendations for communicators of science to the public, Initial Teacher Training and Continuing Professional Development for teachers.