This study describes how the reading demand of a typical statutory key stage 1 mathematics test was investigated for readability for its young audience. About 600 000 six- and seven-year old children in England take the test each year, many of whom are expected to read independently and to know when to ask for support with reading. In the belief that children themselves would be the best judges of readability, data were collected to establish how much help children requested during the key stage 1 2001 mathematics test and how well they could read test questions aloud. In addition, each written question was analysed for readability using word lists and sentence length as the main criteria. The conclusion is that the reading demand is inappropriate for many year 2 readers and that some children did not receive the reading support that they required to access the mathematics. This raises questions about test validity. Any unrecognised reading difficulties are a threat to validity since reading skills are not being assessed. The voices of the children tell a compelling story. Although too few in number to constitute a national sample, it is argued that the children who provided the data were and continue to be typical of the national cohort and comparable year 2 children can be found in schools across the country. This raises issues regarding the appropriateness of a statutory mathematics test for children who are still learning to read. Given the findings, the national policy of testing key stage 1 children in mathematics is queried.

This case study explores the effects of participatory drama on groups of upper primary school students in Cyprus with the intention of enhancing their critical thinking. For the purposes of this research, a series of twenty-four drama workshops based on several drama contexts and stories were designed and carried out in three primary school classes, considered to be the three units of analysis of a collective case study. The research was also informed by elements of ethnography and reflective practice and explored the students’ voices, choices, actions and general responses to the drama contexts and issues they were presented with. At the same time, this project looks at the students’ and their teachers’ considerations and reflections on the learning experiences and explores the students’ stances and group decisions and how they related these to their real-life experiences and actions. The discussion of the findings focuses on what the research tells us about how drama might be considered important for children’s critical thinking. The constraints which hindered this research are also presented while questions related to the potential of drama to achieve similar goals are proposed for further exploration.

The structure of this critical commentary is that required for higher doctorates as outlined in the Keele University: Code of Practice on Postgraduate Research Degrees. The submission focuses on: 74 items in refereed journal articles; 7 Press items, commissioned journal articles and other publications; 18 books; and, 12 book chapters. Special reference is placed on the period since 2003, during which the bulk of the material has been produced. The commentary outlines that the publications that make up this submission encapsulate a career of thirty-five years during which the writer has been a school-teacher, head-teacher, Lecturer, and Professor of Education. It is explained that this body of work encompasses two interconnected themes, including the development and practice of leadership in education and the primary curriculum. Overall, this submission, totaling 750,000 words of material where the writer was sole author, within an overall submission totalling approximately two million words, has contributed to the ongoing discourse on educational leadership and the primary curriculum through a sustained programme of original research and publications. It is stated that the range of influence of this material has been broadened to international status through comparative research that has included work on leadership training in North America, Australasia and Europe. Centrally, it is claimed that this work has contributed to the movement towards a more complex conceptualisation of pedagogy and andragogy that seeks to encourage a more reflexive, research-led and praxis-based approach to teaching and learning. It is argued that the writer has thus made a long-term contribution to the development of knowledge within the discipline of Education.

The National Minimum Curriculum (NMC) of Malta recommends the use of the country’s second language, English, for the teaching of mathematics. The aim of my study was to enhance the local medium-of-instruction debate by focusing on the use and development of a mathematics register, and distinguishing between issues relevant to second-language classrooms and ones more generally applicable Assuming a social perspective of learning, I used a grounded methodology, thus generally allowing my reflections to develop out of the data I collected. The research design consisted of lesson observations in two primary classrooms and interviews with the teachers and pupils. I concluded that the use of English in class created tensions with other NMC principles; I also noted variations in the way some mathematical words were used when compared to what I might expect as part of an English mathematics register. On the other hand, the frequency of pupils’ use of mathematical vocabulary during lessons seemed to depend on the teacher’s pedagogic approach. Also applicable to general mathematics classrooms appeared to be three conditions I identified as important for word meanings to be effectively shared with pupils: frequency of use, clarity, and significance, that is, how crucial a word appeared to be when used.

Although there is limited research into the success of primary school networking initiatives in the UK, there seems to be an unquestioning faith displayed at national Government level for school collaborative working arrangements as a key means for driving forward whole school improvement. This research considers the possible benefits and challenges of one such initiative – Primary Strategy Learning Networks (DfES, 2004a). The research focuses on a reliance on school networks as power bases for promoting a national standards agenda. It considers the impact of an imposed model of school collaboration on the fluid nature of networking. It also acknowledges the benefits of a ‘network balance’ between the positive and negative features that impact on a network’s success and sustainability. Furthermore, the research explores the impact of power, authority and influence on the sustainability of networks. This is a qualitative study and data is gathered through interviews with network headteacher participants in two Primary Strategy Learning Networks over the course of an academic year. The research is also informed by an initial study of a Networked Learning Community (Hopkins and Jackson, 2002). Following an analysis of the findings, a number of recommendations are made. A suggested ‘ideal’ model for productive networking relationships among key stakeholders is offered for consideration and a Realistic Approach (Pawson, 2006) to evaluating such initiatives is argued to ensure a higher degree of success in implementing collaborative working practices for school improvement

This research explores professional contributions and learning in a multidisciplinary team whose purpose is to promote mental health and psychological well being in children within family and community settings. It brings together three current priorities of policy and practice, namely, promoting mental health and psychological wellbeing in children and young people, multidisciplinary teamwork, and professional learning and development. The study examined a multidisciplinary child behaviour team of educational psychologists, family support workers and primary mental health workers working within a culturally diverse urban community. Activity theory was used as a theoretical framework and methodology to examine the sociocultural processes involved in multidisciplinary work. Individual interviews, focus group discussion and developmental work research were employed to identify and compare activity systems, and to surface and then work on contradictions. The exploratory findings arising from the analysis of the activity systems are discussed against the cultural and historical background of professional and multidisciplinary work. The implications for professional practice, multidisciplinary work and future research are also considered. Conclusions drawn emphasise the complex multilayered nature of professionals’ work within multidisciplinary teams and the value of sociocultural activity theory as a method for analysing work and promoting learning in multidisciplinary teams.

Children's imaginary companions are a very common yet surprisingly under-researched phenomenon. This qualitative study investigates children's perceptions of their imaginary companion(s) and uncovers the functions they serve for the children, especially in relation to academic demands made by school. The research process is explored in detail and some particular considerations involved when conducting research with children are outlined. Seven children aged between seven and ten (primaryaged pupils), who had a current imaginary companion, participated in semi-structured interviews and themes were identified from interview transcripts. Findings derived from a thematic analysis reveal two over-arching themes, namely 'the child's relationship with their imaginary companion(s)' and 'problem-solving'. Several separate sub-themes contributed to these two over-arching themes. The findings are discussed in relation to children's cognitive, social and emotional development. Although only two boys reported their imaginary companions being at school, others helped with homework; therefore most of the imaginary companions in this study help with school work. They provide answers, offer reassurance that answers are correct, embody self-talk techniques, suggest approaches/strategies, provide visual cues and offer ready-made characters for stories. Implications of the findings for educational psychologists and practitioners are highlighted and areas for future research into imaginary companions are suggested.

Since the year 2000 there has been a statistically high proportion of head teachers’ leaving the profession. There have been studies conducted to predict when this exodus would conclude, but not the actual reasons for why senior people are leaving. Schools have found replacing head teachers’ increasingly difficult and the inevitable leadership crisis has been well documented by authors, such as Dorman and D’ Arbon (2003) and Harris (2007) alongside many articles in the media. The leadership crisis has been most noticeable within the Catholic Primary School sector. This thesis identifies the leadership crisis from the negativity of the education system with possible supporting solutions, such as the value of acting headship, succession planning and talent spotting. This research journey started with a questionnaire with eighty senior leadership teams within Catholic Primary schools (English West Midlands) and progressed to interviewing fifteen senior leaders, pooled from five head teachers; four deputy heads, three assistant heads and three middle leaders. The research was conducted from September 2011 to June 2014. This study captures the importance of succession planning and expectations on faith school head teachers having many aspects adding to the working week. Accountability and workload issues are adding increasing pressure on a heads’ shoulders which is putting many senior leaders off. The research concluded that any future succession planning should include opportunities for acting headship. The other emerging theme was the impact of OFSTED, especially in relation to the workload levels and the accountability of senior leader.

The main aim of this thesis is to further understanding of primary science teaching through the analysis of a constructivist research project and its evolution into curriculum materia's. My analysis is underpinned with views on the nature of constructivism, the nature of primary science and research into effective teaching. In particular, I seek to locate the Primary SPACE (Science Processes and Concept Exploration) Project within the paradigm of constructivism; to explore notions of children's ideas as either theories or everyday ways of knowing; to chart the influence of constructivism in the Nuffield Primaa'y Science (NPS) curriculum materials and to observe case studies of classroom practice linked to both SPACE and NPS. My analysis locates SPACE in a form of constructivism particular to primary science (Harlen and Osborne, 1985) which has more in common with "good primary practice" than with other approaches to constructivism. The messages from the NPS Science Co-ordinator's Handbook are very similar to this, while the practice modelled in the Teachers' Guides relates more closely to "guided discovery". Observation of a teacher using NPS for the first time reveals practice very similar to that modelled in the Teachers' Guides in which the teacher is in control of the right answer. This is more successful than a SPACE teacher who tries to change the social dimension of classroom teaching and learning to give the children more ownership, according to constructivist principles. "Guided discovery" is acknowledged to be unprofitable for learning (Hodson, 1993) yet the children being taught using NPS had learning outcomes exceeding the teacher's expectations. I suggest reasons for the success of NPS based on research into effective teaching: that repetition of clearly stated key ideas leads to focused teaching in which learning activities are matched to intended learning outcomes. This approach does not view children's ideas as theories to be developed and is therefore not related to constructivism. I suggest that the way forward for primary science teaching is to embrace socio-cultural approaches so that the teacher's role corresponds more closely to society's norms for education in science, that children learn the accepted science view through supported negotiation, with their ideas viewed only as everyday ways of knowing.

This research set out to explore ways in which children’s independence can be promoted and measured in the primary classroom – to highlight strategies and skills that enable children to operate independently, and to identify tools that might be used to measure levels of independence. As an integral part of this process it was necessary to consider the role of both the teacher and child - to identify characteristics of more-independent and less-independent children, including attitude and motivation, and to undertake an analysis of classroom organization, teaching style and teacher-expectation and the implications of these upon the child. In order to answer my research questions I undertook an action research project, both ethnographic and naturalistic in nature, in my own classroom with myself acting as complete participant immersed in the production of grounded theory – theory that was particular to me and the children I was teaching but which may help to enlighten other teachers engaged in reflexive activity. Data collected was largely qualitative, but quantitative data was also used particularly towards the end of my research when I had a firmer idea of what I was looking at and for. This research identifies a typology related to the characteristics of children exhibiting varying degrees of independence. Within this typology there are children whom I have called Hiders, Seekers and Props – children who hide (or keep a low profile), children who seek out attention, help or reassurance, and children who manage themselves, their work and their environment, not overly reliant upon the help or reassurance of others, and perhaps offering assistance to others on occasion. The research, in identifying characteristics of more- and less-independent children, also seeks to clarify what is meant by independence. My definition of independence views it as a multi-dimensional state, the dimensions including physical, social, intellectual, organizational and attitudinal independence. Children may display varying degrees of independence in each of these dimensions – because they may be considered relatively independent in one dimension does not mean that they will necessarily be independent in another, they may be Hider as regards intellectual independence but a Prop organizationally. For some children, especially the Hiders, a first step towards independence may be in identifying appropriate moments to seek help, whereas for other children such as the Seekers it may be necessary to help them distinguish between when it is appropriate or inappropriate to seek help, and perhaps to channel a possible need for attention into supporting other children. Whilst it may not be possible (or desirable) to make children entirely independent, it is possible to teach them strategies that might increase their independence. In considering how to promote children’s independence, high teacher-expectations are crucial. Despite identifying the importance of high expectations of independence, however, teachers who responded to my questionnaire tended to give priority to the development of social, organizational and physical independence rather than intellectual independence regarding the latter as difficult to achieve within the constraints of the National Curriculum. This lower priority may feed lower expectations resulting in children being kept intellectually dependent upon the teachers responsible for their education. Another factor, however, is the current testing and reporting arrangements – the need to be seen to have done well in the eyes of the general public, and the erroneous impression that intellectual independence equates with lower standards. Of course, if children are not being spoon-fed the apparent standard of work may drop initially, but with a long-term view standards will increase because children will have the knowledge and skills to achieve away from the spoon. It is vital that we take this long-term view. This thesis includes a range of practical recommendations for other teachers interested in promoting children’s independence.