The present study is an investigation to motivational strategies that are currently applied to motivate teachers in an under-researched area, Myanmar. A variety of motivational theories have been applied in motivating teachers and the majority of them were originated in the Western context. This study has explored the effectiveness of Herzberg’s motivational theory called “two-factor theory” in the context of Myanmar. With the distinction of motivators and hygiene factors in Herzberg’s theories was applied to the practical experiences of teachers’ motivational factors. In addition, many studies have given attention to teachers' perspectives on motivation and how teachers have identified what motivates them in their profession. However, this study has investigated the headteachers’ perspectives on how they initiate and maintain teachers' motivation in Myanmar. The time this research study has focused is the recent time of Myanmar when the country is in political and sociological difficulties which have led th…
Graphic novels are an increasingly popular choice for young readers, sparking debate about whether they are appropriate taught material in the secondary English classroom. Meanwhile, a separate debate has been focused on decolonising the English curriculum to be more representative of different identities, especially races. This interventionist case study examines how graphic novels could sit at the intersection of these two movements, diversifying both the characters and forms taught in the KS3 curriculum. The study reveals that graphic novels support student engagement, as pupils find them interesting, informative and easier to understand than traditional prose texts. Within the case study, students’ analytical writing on the graphic novel was more accurate and detailed than the responses they wrote to the prose text, aided by Moebius’s (1990) picturebook codes. The visual elements of the graphic novel not only supported comprehension, but also provided additional clues about characters and their lives; pup…
The importance of children learning to read well and enjoying reading independently is one of the key aims of primary schooling in England. Beginning with strategies to decode words, and working towards fluency and comprehension, the skills which are required are scaffolded. This empirical research studied how a group of seven newly independent readers selected a book to read. The participant children were given free choice to individually select a book from a selection of roughly 100 books in their school, then were invited to a focus group interview to explain how they chose the book. The data suggests that the children applied a well developed skill set when choosing, using strategies linked to knowledge and to emotion. The children demonstrated the ability to weigh up choices and to make informed decisions based upon the information they had quickly gained from browsing the books. No children made a random choice that they could not explain. All were happy with their selection, indicating a level …
On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, later defined as COVID-19 (WHO, 2021). The pandemic disrupted many aspects of society but greatly impacted how primary school children were educated, with many children needing to learn from home (Chattopadhyay et al., 2022). This study aimed to examine the impact on children in UK primary schools from the perspective of school staff. As previous research often focussed on children, parents, teachers and headteachers, this study aimed at gaining the opinions and viewpoints of all staff working at primary schools, including lunchtime supervisors and administrative managers. To achieve this, an electronic questionnaire was circulated through emails sent directly to schools and distributed online through closed social media groups. The data from this research comes from ninety-three participants and found that children’s personal, social, and emotional development had been most impacted …
The experiences and perceptions of teachers working with primary school students with autism in Lagos State, Nigeria, were investigated in this dissertation. This study fills the literature gap by exploring the challenges, opportunities, attitudes, knowledge, and strategies teachers employ to support the unique learning needs of children with autism, serving as a much-needed response to the evolving global educational landscape for students with autism. The research employed a mixed methods design, where primary school teachers in Lagos were the research participants. Thirty-one participants answered the Google Form, and 5 participants presented for the semi-structured interviews on ZOOM. The quantitative and qualitative results of this research underscore the intricate nature of working with students with autism, reiterating the importance of continuous professional development and readily available resources to improve the quality of education and the overall well-being of children with autism in Nigeria.Th…
Introduction There is a long tradition of school uniform within the UK, yet the topic receives relatively little attention in UK-based research, particularly compared with other parts of the world. In my experiences within FE, I have encountered a prevailing narrative that uniform benefits students’ academic and vocational successes, yet I have not seen robust evidence to support this; whilst some studies explore such correlations, few – perhaps none – are situated within FE; yet this research setting has witnessed diminishing numbers of students adhering to uniform policy, against a backdrop of socioeconomic disruption caused at least in part by Covid-19. Accordingly, this research aims to explore purpose and effects of uniform in FE, with a view to informing future policy design within the setting. Participants and Methods The research was set in a large FE college in South-East England. Following an extensive literature review, which provides both justification and direction for the research, a particular…
The present qualitative study was focused on educational staff in a Swiss Special School setting and aimed to investigate their understanding of the Nurture Approach and attunement, the effectiveness of training in attunement and the impact of this training on their practice. The study followed staff pre and post training over a total period of 9 months. Data from focus group discussions, questionnaires and participant observations were collected. The tools and guidelines by Education Scotland (2023) were recognized as helpful strategies by educational staff. The results of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ) and the Neuroception of Psychological Security Scale (NPSS) suggested an increase in self-awareness of staff for their behaviour and for their environment following the training. The participant observations and the statements pronounced by participants in the focus group discussions revealed discordances. This demonstrates the importance for including data from the natural environments of particip…
The international COVID-19 pandemic produced three national lockdowns in England between 2020 and 2021, two of which involved unprecedented periods of school closures. Widespread school closure is an unheard-of phenomenon in the English school system, resulting in challenges to leadership not previously encountered. Due to the unprecedented nature of the circumstances, leadership research in this context is non-existent in the English school system. This research, which explores leadership in a rural primary school, also addresses another gap in the research literature: rural schools, which are underrepresented in both research and policy in recent history. This interpretative case study investigates one headteacher’s leadership style, role and priorities before, during and after lockdown. The headteacher was interviewed and their Senior Leadership Team completed a questionnaire. The results of both were analysed and comparisons between the three periods were drawn. Research findings illustrate that leade…
This interpretivist case study approach shines light on how Reception teachers can support the development of young children’s writing, a topic that can be complex for teachers within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The aim of this study was a reflection of practice within the teacher-researchers own classroom. This research is beneficial to provide further guidance to develop practice, as well as a tool to explore areas of supporting the development of young children’s writing abilities. Six children from a single Reception class in a primary school were observed during three different role play spaces; a home corner, a vets and a cafe. The main source of data for this research came from observations of the children’s play. Photographs of children’s work were also collected in order to show the impact of this research. A reflective log was used alongside the observations and samples of work to record specific incidences throughout the research. These data collection methods allowed for a triangulati…
This research study addressed mainstream primary teachers' knowledge, understanding and beliefs on inclusive practice. The initial problem was understanding why teachers feel so poorly equipped with the ability to teach children with SEND and embrace an inclusive approach for all learners. To achieve this, we had to look at their beliefs and values on inclusion and identify what training needs arose from them. The data revealed confusion between SEND and inclusion. The research used key readings and tools already in place and tried and tested in the education sector, such as Learning without Limits (Hart et al. 2012) and Universal Design for Living (Carrington et al., 2020), The inclusive practice project in Scotland (Rouse and Florian, 2009), Knowing, Doing and believing (Rouse, 2006)