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Objective: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic viral disease that affects humans and ruminants in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Efforts to develop effective vaccines have had limited success. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of RVF MP-12, and arMP-12ΔNSm21/384 vaccine candidates in sheep. Methods: One group of 6 sheep was vaccinated intramuscularly (IM) each with one ml of 1×105 PFU/ml of the RVF MP-12 and 9 sheep were inoculated IM each with one ml of the arMP-12ΔNSm21/384 vaccine candidate, and two control sheep received one ml each of only Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium. Blood samples obtained on days 14 and 0 before vaccination and on days 3, 4, and 5 post vaccination (PV) were tested for RVFV in Vero cells and by RT PCR assay, and samples collected at interval PV through day 87 and on days 7, 14 and 21 following revaccination on day 87 PV to test for RVFV neutralizing antibody response by the plaque reduction neutralization test. Results: All animals, including the controls remained in good health during the PV period as supported by normal body temperature, and the absence of clinical manifestations throughout this study. A viremia was not detected in any of the animals. Six of 6 animals that received the RVF MP-12 and 8 of 9 animals that received the arMP-12ΔNSm21/384 had antibody titers that ranged from 1:10 on day 5 PV to as high as 1:40 to 1:160 through day 87 PV. The antibody titers for these 15 animals following revaccination on day 87 PV with 1×104 PFU/ml of the MP-12 vaccine increased rapidly and by day 21 PV the titers for most animals ranged from 1:160 to 1:640. Conclusion: Overall, these findings based on a limited number of sheep indicated that both the MP-12 and the arMP-12ΔNSm21/384 are promising vaccine candidates for the prevention of RVF in sheep in Africa.

Through a systematic review of the literature we indicate how the affective domain has been consistently overlooked by current frameworks for integrating technology in the teaching and learning of Science. We argue that presently technology is overwhelmingly employed in education in Mauritius as a source of information rather than a process-based means of knowledge construction which is the premise for conceptual understanding. In this theoretical paper we propose a framework, pedagogical technological integrated medium (PTIM), that builds on the existing premises of pedagogy, content/contextual knowledge and technology to include the affective domain at the common intersection of these three premises. The affective dimension is further explored as a space for interaction between learners, teachers, parents and the social dimension in a series of stages encapsulating, home tasks based on prior knowledge with the lesson delivery at school. We posit that a succinct synchronisation of these various elements would ensure successful implementation of the framework.

In October 2014, the International Safeguards for Children in Sport were launched. These Safeguards were developed, implemented, and evaluated based on a pilot process which took place over the preceding 2 years. Throughout this piloting phase, a range of qualitative techniques were employed to capture the experiences of people within 32 of the organizations that were working toward the International Safeguards. The participant organizations varied based on their geographical focus (e.g., local, national, and international) as well as their mission (e.g., participation, competition, and sport for development). Based on a thematic analysis, eight key pillars were identified on which systems which safeguard children can be built. These are known as the CHILDREN pillars: Cultural sensitivity, Holistic, Incentives, Leadership, Dynamic, Resources, Engagement, and Networks. Illustrative examples are provided and the future directions of this project will be discussed

The research-funded project we describe here has been conducted over the extensive period 2001–15. The research problem relates to the institutional and professional changes required to promote and encourage greater teacher and student engagement in learning across undergraduate studies. The emphasis in this paper is upon impact. Research can be seen as systematic inquiry for the creation and development of knowledge, and the process of measuring and describing the impact of academic research is becoming increasingly important in Europe and around the world. To measure impact requires some measure of both the generation of knowledge and the value of the knowledge generated. Knowledge itself is immeasurable, at best it is observed through expressions of knowledge such as publications, papers, patents, and students’ and, in this case, teachers’ perceptions. Project funding: has been awarded through the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, Project: PTDC/CPE-CED/117516/2010

Reflective self-questioning arises within the work-place when people are confronted with professional problems and situations. This paper focuses on reflective and ‘situated reflective’ questions in terms of self-questioning and professional workplace problem solving. In our view, the situational context, entailed by the setting, social and personal/individual perspectives, is interactional. The supporting empirical data is drawn from our work with two groups in their tertiary phase of education: professional trainers within a large corporate organisation and para-professionals within a large college system; each embraces phenomenological principles. The discussions of situated reflective practice (SRP) entail those circumstances where change is visited upon the individual by forces outside their immediate control. The positive sense of SRP is that it can prepare an individual for anticipated change, and is therefore considered a method of change management. The situation acts as a catalyst for the thought.

The research-funded project we describe here has been conducted over the extensive period 2001–15. The research problem relates to the institutional and professional changes required to promote and encourage greater teacher and student engagement in learning across undergraduate studies. The emphasis in this paper is upon impact. Research can be seen as systematic inquiry for the creation and development of knowledge, and the process of measuring and describing the impact of academic research is becoming increasingly important in Europe and around the world. To measure impact requires some measure of both the generation of knowledge and the value of the knowledge generated. Knowledge itself is immeasurable, at best it is observed through expressions of knowledge such as publications, papers, patents, and students’ and, in this case, teachers’ perceptions. This research was financed by European Founds “FEDER através do Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE” and by National Founds through “FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia” project «PTDC/CPE-CED/117516/2010»

Many changes in higher education derived from Europe-wide initiatives such as the Bologna process have given increasing attention to student-centred teaching approaches, allied to growth in teachers’ academic development (Clarke & Reid, 2013; HE Academy, 2011). Our study is one component of a long-standing project focused on ways to promote academic development in the context of higher education. Work since 2001 has provided a strong understanding of the dynamics of student-generated questioning, inquiry-based learning and academic practices (Pedrosa de Jesus, Lopes, Moreira & Watts, 2012).

Formative feedback in higher education has positive effects when it facilitates the development of students’ reflection and self-assessment in learning. That said, the increasing pressures of workload on university teachers make the design of formative feedback strategies more difficult to implement). This study explores innovative ways for promoting teachers’ written formative feedback in the context of undergraduate studies and for assessing their effectiveness. The investigation entails close collaboration with one teacher of Biology at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, in the context of teaching ‘evolution’ over a semester (2012/2013). One of the particular challenges was to encourage 88 first-year biology undergraduates to produce critical analyses of a selected press note related to the topic of evolution (i.e., the advent of genetic diseases). The research approach we use is based on a critical social paradigm, assuming principles of action-research. Data were collected through naturalistic non-participant classroom observation and semi-structured interviews (conducted at the end of the semester). All written documents produced by participants were used as part of this analysis. Considering the nature of the data, we use content analysis. Preliminary results show that the teacher’s written comments increased opportunities for students to search for further information, to negotiate and take decisions within their group, to auto- and hetero-reflect before sending their critical analyses to the teacher. Group work allowed the development of critical thinking, collaboration and argumentation. This research was financed by European Founds “FEDER através do Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE” and by National Founds through “FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia” project «PTDC/CPE-CED/117516/2010»

The aim of this paper is to discuss a reflective validation framework related with the study of teaching approaches, teaching styles or teaching orientations of university academics. In the recent years, and particularly since the eighties, there have been a growing number of investigations linking teaching conceptions with teaching practices. The majority of investigations dealing with university teachers’ conceptions and practices draw their conclusions based on indirect observation, since data gathering involves mainly semi-structured interviews or the application of questionnaires and inventories. Therefore ‘only-half-the-story’ has been reported. The presented validation framework has a five-part three-stage structure and was built upon earlier work (Selvaruby, O’Sullivan, & Watts, 2007). In this model validity is conceptualized as an ‘iterative-interactive-process’, therefore integrating a set of specific strategies envisaging the maximization of scientific quality. The application of the model is illustrated by using it for the discussion of a longitudinal study involving the investigation of the relationship between questioning practices and Trigwell and co-workers’ concept of preferential teaching approaches (Trigwell, Prosser & Taylor, 1994). Field work of this naturalistic-interpretative research was conducted during two academic years (2009/2010 and 2010/2011) and implied close collaboration with a group of four university teachers lecturing biology to undergraduates. This work was financed by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/44611/2008) and by Fundos FEDER através do Programa Operacional Fatores de Competitividade – COMPETE e por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT (PTDC/CPE-CED/117516/2010).

Recurring outbreaks of acute hepatitis have been a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among Peruvian military personnel stationed in the Amazon Basin region of Peru. The role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection was investigated as the possible cause of acute hepatitis among 88 military patients stationed at four different jungle outposts during 1992-1993. Analysis of serum markers indicated that 95% (84/88) had evidence of acute HBV infection ; 64% (54/84) were also infected with HDV. Genetic analysis of PCR-amplified HDV and HBV fragments showed exclusively HDV genotype III and HBV genotype F. Furthermore, HDV RNA sequences were similar among patients from the same outpost but different from those at other jungle locations. The data suggested focal sources of HDV infection in the jungle environment of the outposts and, further, confirmed the unique association of HDV genotype III with severe cases of human disease in northern South America.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London This study draws on a black feminist theoretical perspective, to develop an understanding of the cultural identities and experiences of twelve, academically 'successful', British South-Asian girls. The girls are aged between 16-18 years, and from Hindu, Sikh and Muslim religious backgrounds, selected across two West London secondary schools. A narrative interview approach is used to explore how these girls configure and invest in 'culture' and their cultural identities, during a critical stage in their academic lives before entering university. A series of unstructured interviews have been held with each girl, and these were complemented with reflective journals. The girls' narratives reveal how 'culture' (a contested term) is discussed with high weighting in relation to the importance of education, which they all narrated as an important key to unlocking 'success' in their future lives. The girls' identities move beyond media discourses that stereotype them as ‘passive’ and lacking a voice. These girls demonstrate agency and high aspirations for 'having it all', narrated through discourses of hard work, meritocracy and aspiration. This study reveals the complex interaction of experiences that influence South-Asian girls' cultural identities, and the interplay of structure and agency in their journeys towards becoming 'successful', irrespective of their largely working-class backgrounds. Whilst I recognise that all adolescents will face challenges of some kind, being a South-Asian girl embodies its own particularities, linked to markers of difference in 'culture', religion, gender, ethnicity, 'race', class, language, dress, amongst other historical influences. These differences are not necessarily embodied as negative forces by these girls, but rather, used as a catalyst for personal growth, where they draw on their psychological strength, aspirations and desires, to become 'successful' young women. This thesis makes a unique contribution to black feminist theory, girlhood studies, as well as narrative and educational literature. It acknowledges the uniqueness of South-Asian girls' cultural experiences and backgrounds, and challenges some of the cultural discourses in the media that pathologise them. It is written in a critically reflexive style, from the perspective of a second-generation, British-born, South-Asian academic, who, at the time of writing this thesis, was also raising two academically 'successful' daughters of her own. The inspiration for this research is rooted in the researcher's narratives of girlhood and early womanhood. Abstract This study draws on a black feminist theoretical perspective, to develop an understanding of the cultural identities and experiences of twelve, academically 'successful', British South-Asian girls. The girls are aged between 16-18 years, and from Hindu, Sikh and Muslim religious backgrounds, selected across two West London secondary schools. A narrative interview approach is used to explore how these girls configure and invest in 'culture' and their cultural identities, during a critical stage in their academic lives before entering university. A series of unstructured interviews have been held with each girl, and these were complemented with reflective journals. The girls' narratives reveal how 'culture' (a contested term) is discussed with high weighting in relation to the importance of education, which they all narrated as an important key to unlocking 'success' in their future lives. The girls' identities move beyond media discourses that stereotype them as ‘passive’ and lacking a voice. These girls demonstrate agency and high aspirations for 'having it all', narrated through discourses of hard work, meritocracy and aspiration. This study reveals the complex interaction of experiences that influence South-Asian girls' cultural identities, and the interplay of structure and agency in their journeys towards becoming 'successful', irrespective of their largely working-class backgrounds. Whilst I recognise that all adolescents will face challenges of some kind, being a South-Asian girl embodies its own particularities, linked to markers of difference in 'culture', religion, gender, ethnicity, 'race', class, language, dress, amongst other historical influences. These differences are not necessarily embodied as negative forces by these girls, but rather, used as a catalyst for personal growth, where they draw on their psychological strength, aspirations and desires, to become 'successful' young women. This thesis makes a unique contribution to black feminist theory, girlhood studies, as well as narrative and educational literature. It acknowledges the uniqueness of South-Asian girls' cultural experiences and backgrounds, and challenges some of the cultural discourses in the media that pathologise them. It is written in a critically reflexive style, from the perspective of a second-generation, British-born, South-Asian academic, who, at the time of writing this thesis, was also raising two academically 'successful' daughters of her own. The inspiration for this research is rooted in the researcher's narratives of girlhood and early womanhood.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University This thesis charts the outcomes of family play-learning through make-and-play activities with traditional Thai toys activities (TTTA). Family learning is a component of inter-generational learning, and the research explores this through ‘edutainment’ activities within the informal educational system of a science museum. The thesis also identifies key factors that influence family play-learning through TTTA and explores the nature and impact of traditional Thai culture, local wisdom and Western modern science after participation with the TTTA. Participants in the toy-making activities at the National Science Museum, Thailand are members of the general public, day visitors to the museum who volunteer to join the activities, and represent all age groups. They also have varied levels of educational achievement, backgrounds in science and dispositions towards play. The research follows 93 families, including children, teenagers and adults, a total of 179 participants. Participants’ dispositions towards play are collected through self-reporting questionnaires based upon Barnett's (2006) work on playfulness; data on their individual and group actions have been collected in terms of their levels of enjoyment and engagement with the tasks, and learning outcomes. The data from structured routine observation indicates that, within the make-and-play activities, there is a two-way transfer of learning from older to younger, and from younger to older. The analysis of family learning is based upon Bandura’s (2005) social cognitive theories, used here in relation to informal museum education. Family play-learning is seen as significant, where more experienced members of the family transfer their knowledge and role-model skills to their children or younger members of the family. There is also an upward transfer where discerning youth model the fun and creativity they bring to the tasks. The Toy Learning Outcomes Questionnaire (TLOQ) has been used to study families’ learning outcomes from the TTTA with 51 families composed of 125 participants in total. The TLOQ is based upon work of the Research Centre of Museums and Galleries at the University of Leicester (Hooper-Greenhill, 2007), and uses a four-point Likert-style scale to explore seven areas of interest: (i) knowledge and understanding; (ii) skills; (iii) attitudes and values; (vi) enjoyment, inspiration and creativity; (v) action, behaviour and progression; (vi) scientific learning, and (vii) attitude towards Thai local wisdom. The findings show that families appear to have learned most in relation to two of these areas, ‘scientific knowledge’ and ‘Thai local wisdom’, when compared with the other areas. Data from semi-structured ‘exit interviews’ at the end of the activities, explore this clash of cultures, between Western modern science (WMS) and Thai local wisdom (TLW). This allows for a discussion of the integration of knowledge systems versus distinctive and separate fields. Findings from the interview data indicate that participants treat the TTTA, and work of the museum generally, bi-gnosically: they had positive yet parallel attitudes towards both domains of knowledge. The overall outcomes of this body of work indicate two main factors that encourage family play-learning: (i) the context of the play, which emphasises participants’ personal engagement, social relationships, and the physical setting (the environment and resources in the TTTA); and (ii) the conditions to play, playfulness of the participants and the opportunities they take to learn together through play. The thesis concludes with the implications of this work and recommendations for further research. Thai government, the National Science Museum, Thailand (NSM), Mr. Suchin Kanhadilok and Mrs Pim Kanhadilok, who have sponsored me to study for my doctoral degree at Brunel University

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. This research focuses on Special Needs Education (SNE) in Kenyan Public Primary Schools: Exploring Government Policy and Teachers’ understandings. At a time when Kenya is introducing reforms with a view to addressing broad national objectives and providing universal primary education (UPE) after the massive enrolment increases arising from the free primary education declaration (FPE), it was important to establish teachers’ understandings on SEN. The study was undertaken in 27 primary schools in urban, municipal and rural parts of Kenya. A phenomenological qualitative approach was mainly used and data were collected from teachers through a survey comprising: (i) 159 self-administered questionnaires ii) Nine in-depth interviews. From the results of a pilot study, necessary adaptations were made for the main study. The data provided insights to teachers’ teaching strategies, impacts of mainstreaming, factors that prevent the participation of children said to have SEN, challenges in meeting the diverse needs in the classroom and the support they may require in providing more engaging and effective learning instructions. The findings show that many teachers lack a repertoire of learning and teaching strategies appropriate for addressing barriers to learning and providing individualized approaches in the classrooms. Some teachers were positive about teaching children said to have SEN but lacked the infrastructure of support and guidance, were confused by different terminologies and found the concept of SEN not to be enabling. What teachers are calling for is more training to help them develop strategies which are responsive to the identified learning difficulties. Through Documentary Analysis of the Kenya National Special Needs Education (SNE) Policy Framework, Ministry of Education (MoE, 2009), it was identified that the policy is difficult and ambiguous for teachers to implement. The policy fails to include salient definitions to facilitate a common way of addressing children said to have SEN which results in them being labelled. The recommendations of the research indicate that children’s unique needs be made transparent and addressed using effective individualized education plans to influence and maintain high expectations, positive and enriched ways of teaching in order to improve the children’s learning opportunities as well as other extracurricular activities. The national policy should be revised to include feasible targets in order to facilitate on-going evaluation and embed definitions of key words which are pivotal to planning, assessment, identification, provision and placement of children said to have SEN. Suggestions for further research have also been included.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. This study aims to identify the effect of using the blended learning method on students' academic achievement and satisfaction level in a university course for female student teachers who follow the General Teaching Method Course (304) at the College of Basic Education in Kuwait. The content of the course (304) was based on the five stages of the ADDIE instructional design model, comprising five phases: (1) Analysis, (2) Design, (3) Development, (4) Implementation, and (5) Evaluation. The research questions of the study can be summarised in two main questions: 1. What is the effect of using the method of blended learning in the General Teaching Method Course (304) on students’ academic achievement, compared to using face–to–face approaches to learning alone? 2. What is the effect of using the method of blended learning in the General Teaching Method Course (304) on students’ satisfaction, compared to using face–to-face approaches to learning alone? The researcher answered these questions through a mixed method research approach using the Explanatory Sequential Design, in order to determine the nature and objectives of the study. In this, the researcher started with the collection and analysis of quantitative data (using a quasi-experimental approach), which has priority for addressing the two research questions, and then followed this with the collection and analysis of qualitative data (using group interviews) to help explain the quantitative results. The researcher identified the study sample as 96 female students’ teachers at the College of Basic Education in Kuwait. The sample consisted of a first experimental group (n= 39)who followed the General Teaching Method Course (304) by blended learning using virtual learning environment (VLE) of Blackboard, a second experimental group (n=31) who followed the course (304) by blended learning using personal learning environment (PLE) of Facebook, and the control group (n= 26) who followed the course (304) using face-to-face approaches to learning alone. The dependent variables were academic achievement (as assessed in the course’s midterm, final and practical exams) and students’ satisfaction (as assessed by the questionnaire, giving a total mark and 3 sub-marks in reference to the students’ satisfaction about the teaching method of the course, the content of the course, and the instructor's support during the course). When answering the first question of the research, the study found that there was a significant difference in both mid-term and final tests between the first experimental group (studying through the blended learning method using VLE of Blackboard) and the control group (studying through face-to-face learning alone). However, there was no significant difference in both mid-term and final tests between the second experimental group (studying through the blended learning method using PLE of Facebook) and the control group. And there was also no significant difference in the practical test between the two experimental groups (each separately) and the control group. When answering the second question of the research, the study found that there was a significant difference in the teaching method dimension of the satisfaction questionnaire between the two experimental groups (each separately) and the control group. And there was also a significant difference in the instructor’s support dimension of the satisfaction questionnaire between the first experimental group and the control group, but no significant difference was found between the second experimental group and the control group. There was also no significant difference in the course content dimension of the satisfaction questionnaire between the two experimental groups (each separately) and the control group.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Education and awarded by Brunel University. Many cognitive resources contribute towards the appraisal of stressors. Of these, self-efficacy (SE) is widely acknowledged to play a significant role in protecting adolescents from the effects of stress (Bandura, 1997). This study investigated that relationship through the use of a quasi-experimental methodology (Cook & Campbell, 1979) utilising an untreated Control group of 44 adolescent, female participants and an Experimental group of 70 additional participants, all of whom were volunteers drawn from the Sixth Form of a single participating school. The members of both participant groups took part in two rounds of testing, between which the members of the Experimental group were exposed to a significant academic stressor (one or more public A-level examinations). During both test phases, all participants completed the 10- item Perceived Stress Scale self-report (Cohen & Williamson, 1988), the Examination Self-Efficacy Scale instrument (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995) and a bespoke Implicit Association Test (Greenwald et al., 1998) designed to measure implicit stressor appraisal. Significant trends were identified by means of ANCOVA, correlation and regression analyses, and the resulting data were interpreted in terms of a dual process model of stress (Compas, 2004). Results not only concurred with those of previous studies (e.g. Betoret, 2006; Vaezi & Fallah, 2011) by demonstrating a strongly negative correlation between acute academic stress and academic SE, but provided new evidence to suggest that the ‘protective’ effect of SE occurs via a buffering mechanism at the level of preconscious stressor appraisals (Bargh, 1990), which limits the effect of acute stress exposure on preconscious stressor appraisals (e.g. Luecken & Appelhans, 2005).

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. This naturalistic study of cases explores the interrelationship between children’s awareness of their own thought processes, their ability to understand key concepts and concept vocabulary and integrate new ideas into their existing knowledge base when engaged in specific genre writing tasks. An adaptation of the framework, originally devised by Swartz and Perkins (1989), was used to identify the levels of awareness in thinking displayed by eight Year 3 children, when engaged in genre writing tasks during one academic year. The addition of ‘collaborative use’ to this framework highlights ways in which collaborative thinking can act as a support for young writers. When children co-construct ideas they endeavour to make their thinking explicit thus enabling teachers to assess levels of conceptual understanding whilst the children are engaged in a writing task. Evidence also suggests that young writers move in and out of the suggested levels of thinking depending on the complexity of the task, their prior knowledge and understanding of key concepts and awareness of the working strategies and thought processes they employ. This study not only contributes to current research on genre writing within school based contexts but makes a unique contribution by highlighting the need for pedagogical strategies to focus on the way young writers think about and understand the underlying concepts and principles related to genre writing tasks. Evidence also suggests that learning objectives presented to this age group often focus on the factual and procedural aspects of a writing task. However, when factual, procedural and conceptual aspects are made explicit through clear, thought-provoking learning objectives then children are able to develop their own creative responses within the linguistic and textual structures of the given genre without being confined by them.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. The study aimed at identify the aspects associated with teaching mathematics and students’ learning through The framework for the scientific and theoretical features and properties related to: a) teaching mathematics in primary school, b) mathematics students' achievement and educational environment attributes, schools and teachers, c) nature of primary education in private and governmental schools, d) The differences between them in Kuwait in light of fifth primary class teaching methods and skills, and student learning and factors that affect it. Study sample included (20) mathematics teachers, all of whom taught fifth grade pupils from three primary schools in Kuwait (one private and two public; one for boys and the other for girls). Of these twenty, (10) were mathematics teachers in public primary schools and the other (10) were in the private primary school. Also, a sample of (80) pupils were chosen from fifth grade primary consisting of (50) pupils from the public schools (25 boys and 25 girls) and the remaining (30) pupils from the private schools (15 boys and 15 girls). Many tools were administered: a) a pilot study to define the problem and confirm the validity of the research questions ;b) questionnaire for teachers to elicit information concerning the teaching methods employed; c) Collation of pupils’ achievement data to define and discover the differences between pupils’ achievement. A number of statistical tools from the SPSS package for analysing social research data were used, the most important of which were: Cronbach's Alpha; Frequencies and percentages; and T test. Result showed that there are statistical differences between the government and private schools concerning: the attributes and characteristics of the methods of teaching mathematics; the mathematics curriculum; the components of the educational and scholastic environment; and the students' achievement. there are no statistical differences between the government and private schools concerning: the teacher's perception of student's achievement; and the teacher's skills.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of using a suggested mathematical word-problem training programme on Primary 4 pupils' performance in mathematical word-problems. The study had a pre-post control group design. A treatment and a no-treatment group were exposed to pre-post methods of gathering data (a mathematical word-problem achievement test and a mathematical word-problem attitude scale). The treatment group was given direct and explicit training on how to solve mathematical word-problems, while the pupils of the no-treatment group received no such training; they were taught the same material they study at school. A "t" test was used to compare the means of scores of the control group pupils and those of the experimental group in the pre-post measurements. Results of the study revealed a significant improvement in the experimental group pupils’ performance in mathematical word-problems because they had attended the suggested programme. Results also revealed that experimental group subjects' attitudes towards mathematical word-problems underwent an exceptional change because they had attended the suggested programme. Their attitudes towards mathematical word-problems became more positive than before. In the light of the results of the study, some recommendations were made for improving mathematics teacher training programmes, for mathematics teaching, and for further research.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Education Doctorate and awarded by Brunel University. This research considered the perceptions of policing students who attended a Preparing to Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) course at a Central London College for Further Education, in relation to their study needs, motivation levels, relevant support and reflective practice. This phenomenological study considered 15 students from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) employing the use of semi-structured interviews to gather data. The findings were that the students‟ perception in relation to the support offered by the MPS was insufficient and this may be due to the pedagogical approach to learning favoured by many students. Several appeared to require support with learning and writing level at three or four. The college did very well in respect of the perception of the students in relation to the support they experienced. The scarcity of time and the intensity of the course was a prominent factor, where some had underestimated how much time they would need to allocate to study. Overwhelmingly the students required support when engaging in study at level three or four and there appeared to exist very little knowledge in how to write an assignment. Some of the students appeared to favour a more pedagogical approach to study and in some cases reacted against the andragogical style employed by the college. Support from the mentor was valued considerably by most of the students and this appears to be a contributory factor in easing the students back into study. In relation to students‟ perceptions of Reflective Practice (RP) there existed three distinct groups, namely those who considered that they used reflective practice, those who considered they did on certain occasions and one who did not. In general there existed a positive attitude towards the concept of RP although none of the students kept a record of their subsequent RP following the PTLLS course. The phenomenon of Situational Reflective Practice was observed which took the form of Reflection-re-Action and Reflection-re-Inaction. This is concerned with the way in which a social group or an organisation is behaving and the impact this has upon an individual. Further research in relation to the idea of Situational Reflective Practice is called for.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. The educational system in Kuwait is intended to provide primary and secondary students with required skills in order to operate in the technical careers commonly undertaken. However, mathematics education lags significantly behind other countries in Kuwait. In the 1997 and 2008 TIMMS international studies of primary and secondary mathematics achievement, Kuwait ranked near the bottom on almost all scores. Thus, improving mathematics education in Kuwait is an issue of serious concern. This research focuses on the question of whether mathematics teaching and learning in Kuwaiti primary schools (grade 4) can be improved through the use of computer-based tools for practice drills and constructive mathematics play. An observational intervention was used in a classroom of 24 children, where students took a pre-test for mathematics achievement, then engaged in a series of exercises through the term and were retested at the end of the term. This was accompanied by a series of in-services and teacher interviews that were conducted within the school, in order to discover attitudes about mathematics teaching and learning and to train teachers in the suggested approaches and techniques. A combined qualitative and quantitative approach included analysis of test scores and interviews with teachers and students. The overall outcomes of the study did show a slight increase in mathematics achievement scores. However, more importantly it showed an improvement in children’s and teacher’s attitudes to mathematics learning related to the introduction of constructive play activities (derived from the Cambridge University N-RICH program and selected for students based on level of achievement) Overall, the importance of this study is that it provides pragmatic information for Kuwaiti teachers and curriculum designers on improving mathematics teaching and learning.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Education and awarded by Brunel University. This study investigates why African-Caribbean boys continue to underachieve in schools. It is based on an extensive study of one Inner London school and has also involved a thorough review of the existing literature about why this particular group of students do not fulfil their potential. The inspiration for this study has been the work of Bernard Coard (1971) who wrote influentially about how the first generation of West Indian children was branded as ‘Educationally Subnormal’ by the British school system. Over thirty years later, the failure of African-Caribbean boys continues to be an alarming phenomenon, despite years of multi-culturalism and education for ‘diversity’. One of the arguments of my study is that African-Caribbean boys can even become ‘hidden’ amongst much larger groups of students who have English as an Additional Language (EAL) and who as a result, often receive extensive additional support. British schools have changed since the time that Coard (1971) was writing, but as my study demonstrates African-Caribbean boys are still likely to be over represented in the various Behaviour or Learning Support Units. I have also discovered that, far fewer African-Caribbean boys in the school investigated are likely to go on to the sixth form in comparison to students from other backgrounds. Even though there have been many studies about race and education, far fewer researchers have tried to ‘hear it from the boys’. I have carried out extensive research at school level amongst the boys and their teachers. As well as conducting an Institutional Focus Study of the school in question. I have argued that, whilst other groups such as white working class boys have been hostile to school, on the contrary, most of the boys in my study wanted to learn or saw the importance of obtaining qualifications in order to improve their chances in life. African-Caribbean boys are not ‘their own worst enemies’, but the reasons for their underachievement are complex, being the result of a range of factors. As I am a practitioner, I have concluded my study with some practical proposals for change which I hope will make a difference to the lives of these boys.

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. This research attempts to identify the factors which influence the choice of science subjects in Mauritius among girls at the end of the third year of secondary education, the level up to which science is a compulsory subject. This low uptake of science subjects by girls beyond the compulsory level is a matter of concern. The study was undertaken in four purposely selected schools in Mauritius, two mixed-sex and two girls’ schools. Using mainly a qualitative approach, data were collected through: (i) non-participant observations of 60 science and 20 non-science lessons, (ii) 16 semi-structured face-to-face interviews of teachers, and six group interviews with pupils and (iii) 135 questionnaires administered to the parents of the pupils in the classes observed in the four schools. Based on the results of a pilot study, modifications were made for the main study. The data provided insights into teachers’ teaching approaches, the behaviour and interest of pupils in the lessons and other factors such as pupils’ perceptions of science, their self-identity and role models, and the extent to which parents and peers influence the choice of subjects among girls. The findings show that teaching approaches were mainly traditional and that both girls and boys prefer hands-on activities and contextual examples reflecting real-life situations. The majority of the girls’ experiences of science were negative and this deterred them from taking science beyond the compulsory level although they were aware of its importance. Teachers had positive opinions about girls’ ability to do science but stated that lack of infrastructure facilities did not allow them to involve the pupils in practical work as much as they would wish. However, brighter girls’ decisions to study sciences were not outweighed by these factors. Parents felt that they did not influence their daughters in the choice of subjects or eventual careers though they held science in high esteem.