This research explores inter-professional supervision involving an educational psychologist supervising another professional and complements the recent guidelines on professional supervision produced by The Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP) (Dunsmuir and Leadbetter, 2010). The factors explored were purposes and boundaries of supervision; models of supervision; skills of the supervisor, including those that are distinctive to the profession of educational psychology; benefits and problems associated with supervision including the process of evaluation and ethical and legal issues pertaining to supervision. An interpretative epistemological stance was adopted. Ten semi-structured interviews were carried out with educational psychologists (supervisors) and other professionals (supervisees) recruited through purposive sampling. Interviews were transcribed orthographically and coded using thematic analysis. Findings suggest that inter-professional supervision was viewed positively. Supervision skills were recognised as a necessary pre-requisite but not necessarily distinctive to the profession of educational psychology. This research highlights the conflicting conceptualisations of supervision and the importance of contracting for increasing understanding of the supervision process, alerting stakeholders to important ethical and legal implications, and reconciling differences in expectations concerning the aims and functions of supervision.

This thesis documents an ethnographic study of teaching Mandarin in three educational contexts in the United Kingdom. The first context is a complementary school where the language is taught as a heritage language. The second context is an evening class which took place in a community centre in Birmingham where Mandarin is taught and learnt as a foreign language. The third context is a secondary school in London where students are learning Mandarin as a foreign language in order to obtain a GCSE. This thesis makes an original contribution by bringing together, within the same research agenda, three different contexts for teaching and learning of Mandarin. Although not a comparative study, this research highlights how context shapes learning for three very different groups of students. The analytical chapters describe how the different environments each sustain a variety of practices, beliefs and values in and around learning Mandarin which shape identity and pedagogy. The thesis is organised around the following themes: culture and intercultural understandings; multilingual identities; language ecology; and multilingual practices. Findings show the political and economic rise of China is imperative in understanding the local ecological order of classroom practices. Evidence shows the importance of establishing ‘small cultures’ in classrooms to engage students in intercultural questioning and understanding. The socially imposed identities of ethnicity along with affiliation to heritage language are investigated. The importance of negotiation is highlighted across the three contexts as young people are shown transforming identities which are presupposed by teachers. The researcher’s role is also investigated in this regard. Finally the use of multilingual pedagogies for teaching Mandarin are described with proficiency as an important element in determining the use of code-switching in the teaching of Mandarin. Several suggestions and recommendations for policies and practices are formulated at the end of the study which argue for pedagogic and linguistic flexibility.

There has been a significant increase in interest in distributed leadership among policy-makers, practitioners and researchers in educational leadership over the past decade. Most of the literature has focused on distributed leadership as a leadership approach and has paid little attention to its effects on student learning outcomes. This study explores the perceptions of headteachers, middle leaders and teachers about the effects of distributed leadership on teaching and learning. The study uses semi-structured interviews with four headteachers, six middle leaders and eight teachers from two primary and two secondary schools in the West Midlands region of England. From these semi-structured interviews with eighteen participants, the study captures their perceptions of distributed leadership: what it means to them, how it is practised in schools and the perceived effects on teaching and learning. The findings show that distributed leadership has the support of leaders and teachers. They perceived it to have a positive effect on teaching and learning and the majority of practitioners believe that distributed leadership contributes to improvement in student learning outcomes. The participants’ responses also reveal that distributed leadership is believed to contribute to effective school leadership and involvement in decision making. The study identifies two interrelated yet competing principal approaches to the practice of distributed leadership. First, responsibilities are devolved across the school through formal mechanisms in a top-down manner. Second, was the emergent approach where bottom up influences were operational. Whilst the majority of the literature on distributed leadership promotes the latter approach, findings from this study reveal that the former is predominant in terms of how distributed leadership is practised in schools.

The Institute of Public Administration (IPA) is the Irish national centre for development of best practice in public administration and management. The setting for this study is the information systems (IS) department of the IPA. In the time frame of this study the IPA undertook an Institute-wide re-appraisal of teaching and learning, including higher order thinking skills and the use of e-learning. The aim was to investigate the relationship between critical thinking and technology and the extent to which computer based tasks could support the development of higher order thinking skills. The research is best described as a small-scale case study in which 17 computer science student subjects participated. The two principal data collection methods used were authentic computer-based critical thinking tasks (COGITASKs) and online discussions (OLD). The COGITASK requires student teams to construct an artefact using authentic general purpose Hypermedia and Modelling tools. On completion of each COGITASK, each individual student records in an OnLine Discussion forum (OLD) a narrative account of their impressions of what they have learned. The COGITASK generates quantitative data on critical thinking performance, the OLD generates qualitative data about student perceptions of their performance on tasks. The data is analysed using exploratory data analysis and content analysis. The analysis is conducted within a theoretical framework that describes critical thinking as constructive, cognitive, metacognitive and knowledgebased. The research is situated in the natural, authentic context of the IPA classroom, since these tasks are an integral part of instruction on the computer science course. Findings indicated that although, overall, students performed well, across tasks they performed less well on some planning, analysis and application aspects requiring deep understanding and metacognition. However, by triangulating performance and perception data, tools did seem to enable development of skills by making visible certain effects. Eight such effects are discussed. Reflecting, the aim throughout to relate theory to practice the study concludes by translating findings into non-prescriptive, practical guidelines for (IPA) teachers.

In both developed and developing countries poor performance of head teachers is detrimental to school effectiveness, with consequent economic costs amounting to billions of dollars every year. These costs are perhaps particularly keenly felt in developing countries, where demand for a workforce that is proficient in globally relevant competencies is especially acute, but where the effective school leadership that can help to deliver this educated workforce is especially patchy. One of the contributing factors to this poor performance is a lack of structured leadership development programmes. This study, therefore, explores the factors pertinent to effective school leadership development programmes in a resource poor education system, taking Cameroon as its example. The study combines a review of the academic literature with field document analysis evidence, structured interviews with head teachers and teachers, and a Leadership and Management Development Questionnaire (LMDQ) study. The results in particular indicate that the central educational agencies, schools and school leaders recognized the importance of ensuring that central policies and support, schools’ internal policies, and their in-service development opportunities for aspiring head teachers, are closely aligned with international best practice, particularly through the establishment of a structured leadership development programme targeted at aspiring head teachers, and aimed at combining governance skills with a more global outlook.

GPS-enabled wayfinding interfaces (i.e. digital maps) are now commonly used as wayfinding devices in urban locations. While these wayfinding interfaces provide increasingly accurate geographic and routing information, little attention has been paid to how novel information design approaches may support particular user-experiences within particular use-contexts. This practice-based research focuses on the design of GPS-enabled wayfinding interfaces within the use-context of urban recreational walking/wandering. In particular, it investigates how these interfaces could be designed to visually support situation awarenessin use. That is, awareness of one’s embodied involvement in the surrounding environment while using the interface. The enquiry progresses through two phases. In the first phase, a programme of semi-structured interviews are conducted with urban recreational walkers/wanderers. Analysis of the data reveals participants’ motivations to walk, their experience of exploratory wayfinding, as well as their use of wayfinding materials in general and GPS-enabled technology in particular. With regard to the latter,attention is paid to ways in which these wayfinding interfaces are negatively perceived. Here, it is identified that, amongst the group as a whole, the undermining of situation awareness (SA) and the negation of exploratory wayfinding practices are seen as significant issues. Having made this identification, an area for experimentation is framed and, within this, a design hypothesis is formulated. Next, in the enquiry’s second phase, a series of design experiments are undertaken in order to develop a novel wayfinding interface in response to this hypothesis. Here, an iterative development cycle leads to the design and testing of a mixed-fidelity working prototype interface through the application of qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. By integrating and assessing the results, it is possible to assert that,for the majority of participants, SA-in-use was supported, thus verifying the hypothesis. Thereafter, the interface is presented as a practical response to the primary research question of the enquiry and, as such, is positioned as an artefactual contribution to knowledge. Then, through a graphic syntax analysis (Engelhardt 2002) of this artefact, a contextualised graphic syntax for design is generated. In setting out a series of principles, it provides an outline for the design of a GPS-enabled WI to visually support an urban recreational walker’s/wanderer’s situation awareness in use and, so, may guide/inform future designs. Further to this, in graphic syntax analysis, a reflection on the dynamic and interactive aspects of the interface leads to an extension of Engelhardt’s graphic syntax framework(2002) being proposed. Here, by expanding the framework’s scope, the description of the dynamic and interactive aspects of graphic representations is now made possible. It is held that this, in turn, may support the development of an expanded theory of graphic syntax.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

This study is an example of design and development research involving the design and development of learning material using the Ten Steps to Complex Learning model or TSM. It seeks to answer the key question, what is the value of the TSM? It does this by asking: What is TSM?; How does TSM work?; Is TSM useful?; and What are the contexts that need to be considered in adapting TSM?. TSM is a prescriptive instructional design model comprises of ten design steps needed in designing instruction. The ten steps are the expansion from four design components; learning task; supportive information; procedural information; and part-task practice; that derived from the 4C/ID model. TSM emphasises designing instruction for complex learning that promotes transfer of learning. In order to explore TSM, the model was used in developing learning material for three different topics using computer-based instruction as a medium of instruction. The study involved three different contexts, meaning that a multiple case study approach was adopted. The cases covered different higher education institutions in Malaysia and involved Interface Design, Injection Moulding, and Web Programming. The three cases enabled an exploration of the value of TSM by reflecting on the experience of design and by the gathering of the perspectives of learners and lecturers on the learning materials. Each case involved a mixed method data collection procedure that comprises of interview with the lecturer who taught the subject; online survey (Case 1: 16 items, n=17 and 18 items, n=6; Case 2: 17 items, n=21; Case 3: 18 items, n=15); Facebook feedback (in Case 1), open-ended questions (in all cases); observation, and document analysis. Each case study was examined with direct reference to the TSM whereby the process of reflecting on action that build up the knowledge about TSM and how it works in practice were recorded in a design log. The mixed methods enabled data triangulation and provide an in-depth exploration of TSM. From the reflection on the three cases studies, it was found that, TSM is a procedural model and could be categorized as product-oriented model. TSM works by breaking down the competencies or complex skills into learning task and structuring the content of the subject matter. TSM also was found useful in terms of focusing on content and learning task but was weak in considering context. The study suggested TSM should be used flexibly and designers should consider the content and curriculum, placement of media and learner readiness, they should also be aware that design takes place in a wider ecological context. These findings provide the basis for a model of design. This study not just brings value to the field by describing the use of TSM but also raises wider issues about design in general. Design is not solely about following procedures but is shaped by social cultural context. Designers need to ask the right key questions of where and how the learning takes place as well as who the learners are.

This research examines adolescents’ perceptions of digital reading in the UK and China on the basis of their print and digital literacy practices in school and in out-of-school settings. The comparative perspective employed in this research helps to provide deep insights into the nature of reading literacy and literacy in the changing social and cultural contexts. A mixed methodological approach was employed to investigate how the students interpret digital reading. Multiple methods were chosen, including focus groups, a survey and in-depth individual interviews. Eight focus groups were conducted as a preliminary stage. The result of focus groups and the existing literature review helped to lay the foundation for the design of the subsequent questionnaire. 798 valid questionnaires in total were collected. Deeper insights into students’ perceptions were gleaned through the individual interviews. The three data collection methods therefore enabled both a breadth of evidence to be collected, in addition to an in-depth analysis of the views of a smaller number of students. The findings suggest that both the UK and Chinese students shared similar expanded notions of reading, which confirmed that reading is more than the ability to decode printed texts in relatively fixed space. All the students in this study claimed to use both printed and digital texts. However, the Chinese students were found to be in a more paper-based reading environment and they had more subject-based practices of reading. The students’ preferences for certain text formats were influenced by various factors and their choices of text formats were dependent on the nature of certain texts and reading purposes. The gender gaps of reading among the UK students were found to be larger than among their Chinese counterparts. Meanwhile, this study suggests that reading online is more complicated than print reading. A range of strategies that are unique to online reading comprehension are expected to deal with various challenges in order to have successful online reading comprehension. However, the findings suggest that the UK students might be more skilled in online reading than the Chinese students. According to the students’ claims, differences between the UK and Chinese students in terms of literacy practices, preferences for text formats, gender differences and online reading comprehension could be associated with the social and cultural situations. This research, as the first exploratory study which investigates adolescents’ perceptions of digital reading across the UK and China, has contributed substantial knowledge in an under-researched field. It enriches our understanding of the nature of literacy in different social and cultural contexts.

Note taking is one of the most widely-practised and commonly used activities among students in the classroom. However, despite the massive advancement of technology in education, pen and paper still seem to be the (most) favoured note taking approach among students. This, however, could be the result of not having note taking technology that provides students with relative advantages and substantial value in comparison to pen and paper. On the other hand, social media has been growing in popularity. Short messages can be easily conveyed via microblogging applications, such as Twitter. Therefore, the research aims to investigate the effect of using the short content creation feature of microblogging (140 characters) as a note capturing approach in the classroom. This research adopted a design science research methodology consisting of three phases. The first phase, investigation, reviewed the literature and conducted an exploratory study. The literature review showed that there is an increased interest in using technology for learning activities. However, the existent technological support for note taking, in particular, is not popular. In addition, an exploratory study was conducted with 254 undergraduate students at the University of Warwick. The study showed that students had a lack of interest in taking notes using current note taking application on their mobile devices. Hence, to tackle this issue, the development phase proposed a micro note taking mobile application to support students’ note taking at university-level. In addition, this phase included the development and implementation of the mobile micro note taking application (M2NT) based on microblogging technology for data collection purposes. Finally, the evaluation phase included a main experiment conducted with 42 students using three types of note taking approach (i.e. pen and paper, word processor, and the micro note taking application). This was followed up with questionnaires distributed to students after experiencing each note taking approach. In addition, the experiment ended with a final comparison questionnaire and focus group discussions. Furthermore, the students’ micro notes and their feedback were analysed to investigate the implications of mobile micro note taking. Analysis of the data provided insight into issues related to students’ note taking activity, as well as an evaluation of students’ experiences and the perceived usefulness of note taking using a micro note taking mobile application. Additionally, the research findings showed that using the developed mobile micro note taking positively supported the students’ experience and perceived usefulness of the practice of note taking. Future research directions and recommendations are discussed at the end of this research.