This study was conducted to establish patterns of Primary Head Teacher behaviour over a complete school year, including weekends and holidays. Certain aspects of the role of the Primary Headteacher were also investigated. Two Head Teachers kept diaries, recording daily the nature of activities being undertaken and the length and frequency of them. A group of 25 Head Teachers also participated by completing diaries for periods of 2 weeks each - at different times of the year. The diaries were analysed by classifying recorded activities against category criteria, which had been agreed and devised with the Head Teachers prior to the commencement of the project. The evidence, once interpreted and collated, was brought to the attention of the two principal respondents one year after their diaries had been completed to assess their response and seek their views. This was repeated after a further period of twelve months had elapsed. The study shows that Primary Head Teachers' behaviour is characterised by long hours spent on multifarious tasks and activities of varying importance, with frequent interruptions and often brief duration. One of the main diary keepers was an experienced Head Teacher, the other was beginning her first Headship, whilst the remaining Head Teachers had a range of experience. The total amounts of time devoted to school-related issues, the range of activities being undertaken and the frequency of activity change were remarkably similar for all Head Teachers. Head Teachers bring experience, knowledge, skills, beliefs, attitudes and values to their schools and attempt to recreate these in the hearts and minds of those associated with their schools.

Student motivation is a significant concept as school teachers need to be able to mobilise students to work towards success in examinations. This thesis investigated the impact of teachers' behaviours on students' motivation and examination performance and how these behaviours could be adapted to suit the needs of students. A systematic review of the literature examined how secondary school teachers use motivational strategies in respect of student academic assessment, performance and attainment. Six studies were included in the review and showed both the positive and negative impacts of teacher behaviour on students' academic performance. The review highlighted a need for further research on teachers' knowledge of the impact of their behaviours on student motivation. An empirical study was completed which engaged high school teachers as participants, affording the opportunity to reflect on their current practice from feedback from their students. The research progressed through 3 phases: focus group of six teachers teaching high stakes examination programmes to students age 14-16 (English GCSEs); 10 interviews with students selected from each teacher's classes; and a second focus group re-convening the teachers. The research found a link between what students perceived to be motivational and the changes that teachers were able to envisage for future practice, indicating that teachers were able to learn from their students. The implications for educational psychologist practice and future research are discussed. Finally, the thesis concludes with a reflection of the dissemination of the above pieces of research. Dissemination focussed on offering the findings to schools and using methods of consultation and collaboration to integrate findings in to school practice.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate classroom interaction. Of central importance are the following questions; Does gender of pupil, gender of teacher, age of pupils, subject taught and class size have any importance for the classroom interaction? What conceptions of interaction with pupils do teachers have? Data have been collected by two different methods – structured classroom observations and focus groups. The results from the observations study disclose that the gender of the teacher as well as the gender of the pupil has an impact on classroom interaction. The interaction also differs regarding the pupil’s age. The variables pupil gender, teacher gender and pupil’s age together gives an opposite pattern of interaction. Female teachers interact to the same extent with boys and girls when they are young (lower level). When pupils grow older (inter­mediate and upper levels) they interact more with boys than girls. The pattern of interaction for male teachers goes in the opposite direction. When the pupils are young, they interact more with boys compared to girls. The same pattern is true at the intermediate level. At the upper level male teachers interact to the same extent with boys and girls. School subject and class size proved to have a limited impact on classroom interaction. Through categorization of data collected in focus groups, eight different themes were identified. These describe teachers’ conceptions of their interaction with pupils. The themes were large classes, catch individual pupils, boys dominate the classroom on expense of girls, pupils’ needs of interaction with adults, the joy of interacting with pupils, do we use the same language, conflicts between pupils, and to meet pupils with another cultural background. The results from the observations and the focus groups have shown, to some extent different but all-important aspects of classroom interaction. In this thesis two phenomena or questions have been of central importance – gender differences and class size.