Sharing Student Projects

There has been a concern from professionals about the rising numbers of school exclusions over the past decade, with permanent primary school exclusions having risen by seventy percent in the last year alone. Alarmingly, primary school children eligible for Free School Meals are six times more likely to be permanently excluded from school compared with their non-eligible peers. This dissertation examines the literature on what this means for pupils in their future life - in terms of academic attainment, health and life beyond school – to demonstrate that strategies need to be found to curtail these figures. By using a mixed-methods approach of interviewing six teachers and one room leader at a Pupil Referral Unit, and a desk-based literature review, it was able to conclude on, and recommend, a number of strategies that primary school practitioners can effectively use to limit the rate of school exclusions amongst disadvantaged children. Namely, these are: reviewing school policy and its day-to-day enactment; the use of behaviour-specific praise; utilising counselling, communication and language programmes and nurture groups; and providing staff with bespoke training which is tailored to individual school’s needs. Moreover, it is also recommended that the Department for Education review their funding that they allocate schools; particularly considering support packages for schools so that they have the resourcing and staffing to effectively implement evidence-informed strategies, which have the potential to limit school exclusions. These findings suggest that the levels of school exclusions in primary schools in England can decrease, with effective implementation of the aforementioned strategies.

Visual depiction of impact is provided:

The early career framework (ECF) was introduced as the new teacher induction programme in England in 2021. This dissertation aims to evaluate how career changers have engaged with the ECF since its inception. There are challenges of recruitment and retention facing teaching in England currently, and ensuring high-quality and well-trained teachers join the profession and stay in teaching is a major focus in education. The ECF takes two years to complete, therefore the current cohort are the first to complete their training as part of the ECF. It is now time to evaluate the effectiveness of the ECF and begin to make recommendations on the positive and negative aspects of the ECF. There has been initial research on the ECF, taking the opinions of early career teachers (ECTs). This dissertation looks to add to that discourse through the unique perspective of career changers. As career changers make up an important part of trainee teachers, their views are valuable. Career changers have specific expectations and skills which they can bring to teaching. This dissertation took the views of four career changer ECTs and found that they have strong opinions on the ECF. This dissertation discusses those views and makes recommendations for future developments of the ECF from the perspective of career changers. This dissertation should add to the literature surrounding the ECF and be built upon by further research to continue to refine and develop the ECF to benefit trainee teachers.

Visual depiction of impact is provided:

The aim of this project was to understand the experience of TAs in supporting the mental health and psychological wellbeing of UK primary children. The role of TAs in this area is not well understood and there is a lack of prior research on TAs. This dissertation examined both general support and structured support for mental health and emotional wellbeing. The voice of TAs is central to this dissertation, and TAs’ experiences provided insight into school mental health and wellbeing provision and the current state of child mental health. Ten online interviews were conducted with TAs employed in English schools with an average of 12 years’ experience. Data were analysed using the qualitative method of reflexive thematic analysis. This 6-step method allowed the researcher to identify patterns across the data and create four themes which best fitted the participant’s meanings. 1) Changing demands and responsibilities: with increasing demand, TAs are taking on more mental health and wellbeing support in their general duties or in interventions. 2) Emotional engagement: TAs are supporters of wellbeing, providing emotional labour to nurture and comfort CYP and are more emotionally engaged than teachers. 3) Creativity and conformity: TAs brought creativity or their own strengths/ interests to delivering interventions or adopted established best practice which led to positive intervention outcomes. 4) Every cloud has a silver lining: TAs experienced the storm cloud of COVID-19 disruption, observing declines in child mental health and ineffective mental health support. The silver lining was that some pupils experienced improved wellbeing and mental health because of smaller classes and improved family relationships. These findings reflect recent trends described in prior literature of worsening UK child mental health issues. Some TAs are taking on specialist roles, or are finding themselves picking up mental health support around their academic duties as mental health support is becoming schools’ responsibility. TAs support mental health and wellbeing in interventions, and in everyday practice, e.g. in check-ins or consoling an upset child. TAs are closer to pupils and are viewed by children as more nurturing than teachers. TAs are more trusted than external staff and their role as ‘natural supporters’ for SEMH could be further built upon. Research on the COVID-19 pandemic suggested negative impacts on mental health. This was confirmed by the experience of TAs in school. This dissertation demonstrated that delivering mental health and wellbeing support remotely proved difficult, and that children’s mental health was better supported in smaller classes. Recommendations of this dissertation include that TAs can effectively support SEMH if they have sufficient interest and training, but training and supervision should be improved. At a time when education budgets are under pressure, TAs are an easy target, so it is crucial their contribution to the school community is better understood– this small project could be inspire more research into, and promote better understanding of, TAs and their support for CYP mental health and wellbeing.

This dissertation has potential impact for government policy, in the context of devolving mental health support to schools. It could benefit educational practitioners such as senior leaders and teachers’ understanding of current TA practice and TAs’ potential role in SEMH support. Parents and members of the public could be better informed of the work TAs do in the classroom, as there are common misconceptions about TAs. TAs are suitable candidates to take on a more active role in SEMH support and intervention work as children trust them and they are embedded within school. This is especially true if TAs have relevant experience. TAs provide value for money as they support the whole-state mental health and wellbeing of pupils, something which indirectly benefits achievement. Whole school approaches to SEMH should be better coordinated and PSHE better embedded into the school day. TAs can deliver self-developed interventions, based on experience, but it might be better to have a coherent programme of evidence-based interventions with the scope for TAs to tailor the delivery. One concerning aspect of this research is the variability in training and support for TAs. This should be improved to foster better outcomes for CYP mental health and wellbeing. Government policy should reduce risk factors for children and family mental health through ameliorating wider social issues, such as reducing poverty, food insecurity, substandard housing and academic pressures on children. Support staff roles are poorly understood in the public domain and in political discourse, so their vital work needs to be more well-known and better disseminated.

This dissertation aim to explore the factors contributing to the sense of belonging among South Asian girls in secondary schools in Greater Manchester, with an emphasis on the intersectionality of their identities and the role of autonomy, competent competence, and relatedness within the self-determination theory framework. By examining the complex interplay of cultural, social, and academic factors, this study provides a deeper understanding of how South Asian women experience belonging in secondary schools and the unique challenges they face due to intersection factors. The target population were South Asian women aged 18 to 25 as this was a retrospective study to mitigate ethical concerns, the study has 6 participants from different South Asian backgrounds who attended secondary school in Greater Manchester. The first research question, which sought to identify the factors contributing to South Asian women sense of belonging, revealed that the most significant factors were cultural recognition, meaningful relationships with peers and teachers, and a supportive S school environment. The second research question, which examined the visibility of experiences among South Asian women, demonstrated her intersectionality plays a crucial role in shaping students sense of belonging. The study found that individual experiences were influenced by various intersecting factors such as social economic background, level of cultural identification, and personal resilience. This highlights the importance of considering intersectionality in understanding the diverse experiences of South Asian women, as their sense of belonging is not solely shaped by their ethnic identity, but by the complex interaction of multiple social and personal factors. The third research question explores how South Asian women believe schools can enhance the sense of belonging for future generations, the findings reveal several important themes that align with current literature while offering new insights. Participants emphasised the need for schools to validate ethnic minority, experiences encourage cultural expression, and diversify their curriculum. Applying SDT within an intersectional framework revealed how South Asian woman's sense of belonging is tide to intrinsic motivation and engagement. When their needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met through culturally responsive teaching, peer support, and positive teacher student interactions, they show greater academic resilience and a stronger sense of belonging this highlights the need for educational practises that support both academic success and psychological well-being by nurturing intrinsic motivations. The findings of my study extend existing research and meaningful ways, offering clarity on aspects that were previously underexplored or ambiguous with the literature. For instance, while some studies acknowledged the role of cultural factors, they often failed to explore these in relation to school belonging. These studies treated cultural influences in isolation, rather than considering how they intersect with other key factors affecting students sense of belonging. My research, therefore, bridges this gap by highlighting the interconnectedness of cultural identity with broader educational experiences, offering a more nuanced understanding of how multiple influences shape students sense of inclusion and belonging.

This research has several real-world applications, particularly in the educational sector. Schools, educators, and policy-makers can benefit from the findings by using the insights to better support South Asian women in secondary schools. The study highlights the importance of understanding the intersectionality of students’ identifies and how cultural recognition, peer relationships, and a supportive environment impact their sense of belonging. Educators can apply the findings of this research to implement culturally responsive teaching strategies tailored to the unique needs of South Asian students. By cultivating an environment that acknowledges and values diverse cultural identifies, schools can enhance students’ academic performance, emotional well-being, and overall engagement with their educational experience. The findings may also be useful for parents and community organisations that support South Asian students, as they offer guidance on how to better advocate for their children’s needs within the school system. At a broader level, the research contributes to the ongoing conversation around educational equity, promoting inclusive practices that can reduce the barriers faced by marginalised groups in the education system to increase belonging.

This dissertation set out to explore the lived experiences of sustainability educators: teachers who alongside their regular teaching duties are trying to embed sustainability into schools and create wider institutional change. Although there is a growing body of research on what sustainability education should look like, much less has been written about the actual people who are doing this work on the ground, and how they experience both the possibilities and challenges of it. The project involved three sustainability educators, including myself, who co-composed the inquiry. Each of us created an autoethnographic visual reflection journal, using the metaphor of longshore drift (the movement of sand along a coastline) to think about our journeys in sustainability education. This metaphor allowed us to visualise moments of progress (swash), setbacks (backwash), the underlying influences shaping our work, and the directions we move toward. We then came together for a warm conversation, where we shared stories and reflected collectively on our experiences. The analysis was conducted using a posthuman diffractive approach, an experimental methodology that resists searching for neat themes or fixed conclusions. Instead, it traces the entangled and relational aspects of our stories, recognising that experiences do not exist in isolation but are shaped by contexts, systems, emotions, and relationships. Posthumanism challenges human-centred and linear ways of knowing and being, and instead emphasises relationality and emergence. In this project, it meant treating the visual journals, the warm conversation, and even my own reflections not as separate data points but as intra-acting parts of a dynamic process of knowledge-making. Key findings revealed both enabling and challenging phenomena in our journeys. Positive swash moments included trust and autonomy from school leaders, recognition and encouragement, and the support of communities of practice, which included networks of like-minded educators who provide both practical advice and emotional support. Backwash moments were dominated by the lack of time available to do sustainability work meaningfully, feelings of burnout and imposter syndrome, and the challenges of navigating school systems where powerful individuals can either block or enable change. Another insight was the evolving sense of teacher identity, in terms of how our worldviews of sustainability developed over time, often shaped by personal experiences and professional encounters.This dissertation does not end with fixed conclusions but with an “unending,” opening space for ongoing reflection and becoming. By adopting a posthuman diffractive approach, it offered a more responsive way of tracing sustainability educators’ journeys, highlighting how swash and backwash moments are entangled with wider systems, as well as acknowledging the emotional struggles that come with the work. Unlike studies that emphasise barriers or enablers at policy level, this work recentres the lived realities of educators themselves, reminding us that their becoming is always in motion, never complete.

This research has potential impact across multiple audiences involved in sustainability education, both in practice and in research. For teachers and sustainability educators, the findings emphasise that they are not alone in their struggles. By sharing stories of burnout, identity challenges, and systemic barriers, the research offers validation and solidarity. It may also encourage educators to actively seek out or build supportive communities of practice where they can share frustrations and successes. For schools and educational leaders, the research shows that trust, encouragement, and teacher autonomy are key enablers of sustainability work. Creating space and support for sustainability educators is not only beneficial for creating a more flourishing world for humans and more-than-humans, but is also vital for teacher wellbeing and retention. Finally, the research contributes to academia by offering an alternative methodology, analysis, and writing style. Through a posthuman diffractive approach, drawing on creative methods such as visual journals and storytelling, it demonstrates how non-traditional approaches can generate richer, more nuanced insights into complex educational phenomena. It also highlights the potential of experimental, non-linear writing styles that resist closure, instead inviting ongoing dialogue and reflection. In this way, the study contributes to sustainability education research while also encouraging researchers to explore posthuman methodologies as generative and transformative tools.

Data privacy has become a critical concern among internet users in the digital era due to emerging threats like cyberbullying and data breaches. Notably, children are vulnerable targets in the online world due to their limited consent understanding and media literacy. However, the adequacy of data protection policies for children remains uncertain. This research examines the implementation of children's data protection policies in specific countries and organizations with the aim of providing recommendation about children’s data privacy and privacy notices. The selected countries are Indonesia and the UK, known for having a significant number of internet users. The main focus is on two prominent online learning platforms for children: Ruangguru in Indonesia and BBC Bitesize in the UK. Afterwards, document analysis of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)/Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) in the UK and the Personal Data Protection (PDP) in Indonesia serves as the primary data source. Privacy notices from the respective companies are analysed to gain insights into their data protection practices. The findings reveal that the GDPR/DPA 2018 appropriately facilitates data protection for children, while the PDP exhibits several gaps. In the case of BBC Bitesize, concerns regarding children's privacy are evident in its privacy notice, while Ruangguru's notice lacks specificity.

Based on the findings, this research presents recommendations to address the identified gaps and enhance data protection for children on online learning platforms.

Digital technology has revolutionised how information is accessed, contested, and discussed among religious communities. While offering considerable flexibility, it also presents a new challenge: navigating the most authoritative figures. This study uses an Islamic learning community in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, as a case study to explore how they negotiate online religious authorities, which emerge as a literacy framework. The community was chosen for its efforts to balance traditional religious beliefs with modern discourse through critical engagement. Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the study employs two main methods: narrative (episodic) interviews and retrospective observation. The interviews involved six participants from different roles in the community, and the observation was based on the writer’s experience as a former member. However, unlike any other approach, ANT demands special treatment of the data as it promotes general symmetry between human and non-human actors in creating social phenomena. Rather than focussing solely on members’ perspectives, this research maps their interactions with diverse entities (e.g. technology, ideas, environments, etc.) to define “online religious authority”. The literacy framework emerges as a temporal network where various actors are interconnected through translation processes. The findings reveal its literacy framework, which views the community as an intersection of heterogeneous actors, nurturing situated judgements based on each member’s associations while providing interventions to examine them. This approach affects their conceptions and practices on “online religious authority”. (1) As a hybrid entity reliant on various non-human actors, “online religious authority” is perceived as a science communicator or connector. (2) This role spans from intellectual public to digital influencer, introducing the public to knowledge in understandable ways while directing them to higher authorities. (3) The negotiation process involves members recognising their associations, from religious affiliations to personal interests, which may vary. (4) The community serves as an open space where members can bring their different articulations on religious authority to be challenged and discussed. At least there are two aspects that can be highlighted from this study. Firstly, it provides a different methodological approach by redefining community and its critical literacy. Secondly, it reveals the subtler literacy practices of the community as a case study. In the ANT, community is an intersection of heterogeneous actors making literacy practices as continuous negotiation works. Consequently, there is no stable categorisation of religious authority because it is constantly scrutinised by various members, each with varying levels of relevance. Related to the subtler practices, the negotiation process not only involves transferring religious authority preferences into the online space, but also actively adjusting to the diverse non-human agencies. In this community, they develop a specific role for online religious authority and design infrastructures to challenge it.

In general, this study inspires an alternative theoretical base and practical approach to critical literacy. While many critical literacy studies usually focus on exposing power inequalities, dominations, or manipulations at a macro level, this study reveals the complex processes of literacy at a micro level. By tracing the messiness of local formation, it calls into question any established social entities or theories intended to be shortcuts for analysis (e.g. class struggles in capitalism). As a result, we will become more aware of the importance of the ever-changing socio-material foundation in every social category. Some dichotomous concepts from the critical theory (subject-object, agency-alienation, oppressed-empowered) also are translated into more hybrid ones (distributed agency, temporal network condition, actors’ translations) with ANT. It anticipates conspirative social structures with more organic ones when talking about social change. With this theoretical underpinning, it might impact the practices of various roles from stakeholders to online religious learners. In the stakeholders’ side (e.g. governments, educational institutions, NGOs), they need to consider the complexity of literacy processes. They cannot generalise its approach as different contexts require different strategies. It reflects the relational nature of information derived from specific communities where the meaning-making processes take place. Some ideas like fact-checking hubs, standardised judgements, are less sensitive to the diversity of information contexts. If not carefully implemented, it will create an absolute (monologue) authority, sacrificing truth for order. Here, stakeholders should create an environment where religious authority emerges in the most democratic ways, opening for continuous scrutiny of diverse members. In the learners’ side, the research findings might strengthen their understanding of agency. Instead of limiting their agency in certain communities, they can embrace their multivocedness (multiple associations) and nurture their situated judgements. It is important to avoid such black-and-white categories in negotiating religious authority.

Upper secondary education (USE) distinctively prepares students for the future through specialised and extended social-intrapersonal learning. Despite significance, USE research has often been subject-specific, student-centred, and outcome-based. To address these gaps, the present study compared teachers’ curriculum implementation experiences in two differing USE contexts: Senior High School (SHS) in the Philippines and A-Levels in the United Kingdom. Foregrounding the social cognitive theory’s agency framework and the ecological systems theory, the study explored how teachers navigate structural-cultural factors. Ten teachers were recruited (five from each context) and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse data from semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that, considering their environments, teachers from both contexts enacted agency through student-centred principles. For SHS teachers, limited resources, heavy workloads, and ambitious curriculum standards urged personal agency—rooted in resourcefulness, moral duty, sensitivity to students’ needs, and Filipino identity. In contrast, A-Level teachers drew on organisational trust and collaboration, which supported collective agency despite pressures from the exam-oriented target culture and the limited staff and resources. Findings suggest that there remains a need to improve teachers’ experiences by bolstering structural supports shaping their practice, enabling deeper educational change across both systems. Demonstrating the importance of comprehensively inspecting USE contexts, this study informs curriculum design and implementation from USE systems’ context-specific understandings and cautious cross-system learning.

This study demonstrated how SHS and A-Level teachers navigate curriculum implementation through agency and external support. Although both contexts exhibited adaptability and resilience, pressures nevertheless arose from the conflicts between national objectives and classroom realities. Thus, the findings have implications for how the SHS and A-Levels systems can strengthen existing practices, improve on shortcomings, and learn from one another's approaches. Importantly, while cross-system learning is valuable, caution must be taken to prevent policy grafting by reciprocally adopting practices with contextual sensitivity based on a country’s culture, structure, and policies. Further research could investigate how cultural values can be systematically embedded into curriculum reform as needed in enriching students’ learning, probing how structural factors, particularly cases of SHS’s compliance with policy demands leading to “passed around students”, affect students’ transition and performance across education and SHS’s consequent programme success over time. For A-Levels, more studies could explore how collaborative and trust-based cultures are sufficient in mitigating exam pressure, or whether additional resource provision is needed, building on the difference noted between this study and Redmond et al. (2020). Moreover, comparative studies could examine whether incorporating societal values (i.e., SHS) and collaborative organisational cultures (i.e., A-Levels) yield similar benefits in other contexts or whether these strategies are deeply context-specific. Since this study employed inductive RTA, future research could expand with mixed methods research or larger samples in other school types (i.e., rural settings) and geographic settings.

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate what UK primary school teachers think would make schools happier places, both for themselves and students. The aim was to establish significant recurring ideas, so that these factors might contribute to the development of a happy school atmosphere in the future. The target population for the research was teachers and TA’s who are currently teaching or left the profession within the last five years. The research included eleven participants, including three TA’s and one male teacher – the remainder were female teachers. This sample included those with experience teaching all the way from EYFS through to Year 6. These eleven participants were interviewed online over Teams, lasting an average of 25 minutes. This papers findings largely align with past research, although they offer new insights and starting points for future investigation too. The main background paper used was UNESCO’s report, ‘Happy Schools: a framework for learner well-being in the Asia-Pacific’ (Meleisea & UNESCO, 2016). This paper also used a qualitative research approach and identified three main categories that created a happy primary school: people, place, and policy. Background research also revealed a number of other significant factors when thinking about the creation of a happy primary school. These included the significant role of friendships, the need for support but not micromanagement, the value of green and outdoor space, a creative curriculum, and enough room in the classroom. Some factors are also to be found in background research that did not emerge within this paper, for example, the role of parents in creating a happy school and more flexible ways of examining ability and progress. These findings created a starting point for this paper to build on. In order to investigate these ideas further, a positive psychology approach was taken which aims to look at what is currently working and what can make things more positive in the future. A socio-constructivist approach was used, as this acknowledges the value of different people’s perspectives, that language facilitates understanding and that there is not a single reality. Therefore, semistructured interviews were used to gain a rich contextual understanding of participants thoughts and experiences. These participants were recruited through convenience sampling (those already known to the researcher) and subsequently through snowball sampling (asking participants to refer others on.) The inclusion criteria was that participants needed to be currently working at a UK primary school, or to have done so within the last five years. The exclusion criteria included anyone not able to conduct the interview in English, as the aim was to gather as much data as possible from participants. Their answers were analysed using thematic analysis to identify what ideas recurred within the transcripts and to orgainse them into themes. That process revealed several significant findings, organised into three categories: people, place & learning environment and policies & procedures. From within this, key subthemes emerged – including the value placed on teamwork, leadership and friendships within the theme of people. Within the theme of ‘place’ the subthemes of safety, wellbeing, nature and the classroom all emerged as being important. Finally, within the theme of ‘policies and processes’ teachers identified play, curriculum and the importance of trust. Many of these findings interconnected, for example the subtheme of wellbeing, which highlights the importance of holistic change and listening to teachers experiences of what makes schools happy places

This research may have an impact on teachers, students and those responsible for policy decisions that shape UK primary schools. These findings include a range of suggestions as to how primary schools could be positively adapted – including the need for a more creative curriculum that incorporates play time, green spaces around schools and a change in school culture that places greater trust on teachers abilities. This cultural shift towards respecting teachers as educational professionals, was consistently referenced as an important factor in promoting their wellbeing and enabling them to do their jobs more effectively. If such findings were to be implanted, it is to be hoped they would yield positive results – primarily for teachers, but also for students. Many participants in this research voiced the need for societal change in educational settings but felt that this needed to come from the top down through government policies and then the support of senior management. For example, OFSTED was referenced across multiple interviews as a source of tension – perceived as coming from government and implemented by senior managers. Shifting the focus of success from purely academic measures to a more holistic understanding, including measures for wellbeing and happiness, would benefit teachers and students according to this papers findings. Schools would benefit from examining the subthemes in this paper to create a happier school environment. This research includes important findings about what creates happiness in schools, from the value of friendships to the importance of having enough space, and the significance of teamwork through to the role of creativity and independence

Climate change, biodiversity loss and wider environmental challenges are increasingly shaping how we live and work. Education has a vital role to play in responding to these challenges, not only by raising awareness, but by equipping people with the skills, values and confidence needed to create a more sustainable future.

Further Education (FE) occupies a particularly important position in this landscape. FE colleges work with diverse learners, including young people, adults returning to education, and those training for vocational careers in industries such as construction, engineering, catering, agriculture and transport. These industries are already being reshaped by environmental legislation and the transition to a greener economy.

Despite this, sustainability education in FE has received far less attention than in schools or universities. Many FE practitioners want to embed sustainability into their teaching, but feel under-supported in doing so. This study set out to explore a simple but important question: What do FE practitioners perceive as the most helpful forms of professional development for embedding sustainability into their practice?

Rather than starting from policy documents or theoretical models, this research centred the voices of FE practitioners themselves.

How the research was carried out

The study used a qualitative approach, focusing on practitioners’ experiences and perspectives. A focus group was held with ten FE practitioners working across different institutions, subject areas and roles. Participants included classroom teachers, advanced practitioners and those with leadership responsibilities, all with some interest or involvement in sustainability education.

The focus group discussion explored participants’ experiences of sustainability-related professional learning, what had helped them most, and what barriers they had encountered. The discussion was recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

Five key themes emerged:

1. Networking
2. Feelings
3. Personal needs
4. Systemic needs
5. Subject-specific needs

Together, these themes paint a detailed picture of how FE practitioners experience professional learning for sustainability.

Key findings

1. Networking: learning together matters

The most prominent theme in the study was networking. Participants consistently described professional networks, communities of practice and informal peer connections as the most helpful form of professional learning.

These networks provided more than just information. They offered:

• Moral support and encouragement
• A sense of belonging
• Reassurance that others were facing similar challenges
• Practical examples of how sustainability could be embedded in real teaching contexts

Many participants described sustainability networks as “anti-competitive” spaces, where ideas were shared openly rather than guarded. Learning from peers often felt more relevant and motivating than formal training sessions, especially when participants could see how sustainability was being embedded in different subject areas.

However, access to these networks was uneven. Some practitioners found them through chance or existing contacts, while others did not know where to start. This raised concerns about how inclusive and visible such opportunities are, particularly for newer staff or those outside sustainability-focused roles.

1. Feelings: confidence, fear and legitimacy

A second major finding was the importance of emotions. Practitioners spoke openly about feelings of confidence, motivation, uncertainty and imposter syndrome.

Many felt unsure whether sustainability was “their place” to teach, especially if they were not environmental specialists. Others worried about being judged by colleagues, saying the “wrong thing”, or lacking sufficient expertise.

At the same time, emotional connection was a powerful motivator. Personal values, concern for the future, and connection with nature helped sustain engagement, even when institutional support was limited.

Supportive networks played a key role in building confidence. When practitioners felt safe to admit uncertainty and learn alongside others, they were more willing to take risks and embed sustainability into their teaching.

These findings challenge the assumption that the main barrier to sustainability education is lack of knowledge. For many FE practitioners, emotional safety and professional legitimacy were just as important.

1. Personal needs: flexibility, choice and time

Participants strongly rejected a “one-size-fits-all” approach to professional development. FE practitioners come from varied backgrounds and start from different levels of confidence and knowledge.

Helpful CPD was described as:

• Flexible in format and level
• Allowing choice and autonomy
• Relevant to individual roles and interests
• Allowing time for reflection and experimentation

Some practitioners gained confidence through formal qualifications or structured courses, while others preferred informal learning, peer discussion or learning through teaching with students. For some, spending time in nature helped deepen their commitment to sustainability.

Across the group, lack of time was a major challenge. Heavy workloads meant reflective space was rare, even though it was seen as essential for meaningful learning and change.

1. Systemic needs: leadership, policy and resources

While personal motivation and networks were important, participants were clear that systemic factors had a major influence on what was possible in practice.

Key issues included:

• Leadership priorities
• Funding and time pressures
• Policy volatility in the FE sector
• Inspection and accountability frameworks

Where leaders visibly valued sustainability, practitioners found it easier to embed it into teaching. Where sustainability was peripheral, it could feel risky or “rebellious” to address.

Participants also noted a disconnect between “greening the estate” (such as installing solar panels) and “greening the curriculum”. Environmental initiatives at organisational level did not always translate into support for classroom practice.

These findings highlight the gap between sustainability as a policy aspiration and sustainability as a lived professional reality in FE.

1. Subject-specific needs: the strength of dual-professionalism

A distinctive contribution of this study was its focus on subject-specific practice and the dual-professional identity of FE practitioners.

Participants emphasised that sustainability became meaningful when it was directly linked to their vocational areas. FE practitioners are often industry experts as well as teachers, with strong links to workplaces, employers and professional practice.

This dual-professionalism allowed them to:

• Embed sustainability through authentic industry examples
• Use guest speakers and placements to show real-world relevance
• Frame sustainability as employability and professional competence

Rather than seeing sustainability as an “add-on”, practitioners described integrating it into the core of vocational teaching. This approach supported both learner engagement and teacher confidence.

The findings suggest that FE has unique strengths in sustainability education that are often overlooked in wider research.

What this study adds

This research contributes new insights by foregrounding the voices of FE practitioners themselves. It confirms much existing research on the importance of collaboration and practice-based learning, while also challenging assumptions that sustainability education is primarily about content knowledge.

The study highlights the distinctive context of FE, particularly the role of dual-professionalism, emotional labour and systemic constraint. It shows that effective professional learning for sustainability must be relational, contextual and vocationally grounded.

Implications for future practice

The findings suggest that CPD for sustainability in FE should:

• Support and expand access to professional networks
• Recognise and address emotional dimensions of learning
• Allow flexibility, choice and autonomy
• Value vocational expertise and subject-specific practice
• Be supported by consistent institutional and policy frameworks

Sustainability cannot be embedded through isolated training events alone. It requires cultures of trust, collaboration and shared purpose.

Islamic boarding school or pesantren is a religious education institution in Indonesia where students live in a provided hall for a long period. To get them focus on religious learning while protecting them from moral threats, students’ access to internet is restricted or even disabled. This raised questions of how students develop their digital literacy in such kind of environment. This research aims to investigate to what extent pesantrens support the development of digital literacy for their students, as indicated by the availability of digital learning resources, such as digital facilities, digital accessibility, and digital competences. This is built upon Luckin’s learner-centric ecology of resources model, which illustrates learning as an interaction between learner and the surrounding environment. Furthermore, this research also aims to distinguish different behaviour between pesantrens based on types and educational level. This study was carried out through survey method and questionnaire was developed to collect the data. Fifty teachers from different pesantrens across the country were involved as the participants, who were asked about digital literacy situations within the schools. The data indicated that pesantrens had accommodated students with digital facility in moderate level and incorporated digital competences into their teachings. However, digital accessibility in pesantrens was still limited. The data also illustrates different patterns in pesantrens based on type and level of education, where certain types and levels apply a more restrictive policy than others.

This study concluded that pesantrens had done the filtration process of their learning resources of digital literacy. Apart from pedagogical motive, this filtration was mainly driven by sociocultural factor, as they draw a huge concern on negative contents on the internet. Notably, with this limitation, students had a little opportunity to develop their digital literacy. Thus, it is crucial for pesantrens to review their policy to foster their students’ digital literacy.

This dissertation explores the development and efficacy of a novel framework aimed at enhancing and promoting responsible student interaction with AI-based tools, specifically focusing on ChatGPT. Guided by the components of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study seeks to optimise user experience while using the framework, addressing usability and user satisfaction. Employing a mixedmethod approach that integrates both qualitative and quantitative data collection, the study analyses the framework's role in facilitating effective interactions with ChatGPT. Participants' experiences using the framework are analysed through survey responses, while their interactions with ChatGPT are qualitatively examined for a nuanced comprehension of the framework's impact. The findings reveal a positive impact of the framework on optimising interactions with ChatGPT. Additionally, they highlight pain points and areas of success. Qualitative insights point out the role of language in shaping these interactions with ChatGPT, independent of the framework's application. Notably, this study identifies factors that enhance interactions with ChatGPT with the help of the framework, offering valuable insights for refining future iterations of the framework.

This study has implications for the use of AI in education, offering insights into the role of guidelines to enable an effective and responsible use of AI.

The concept of engagement is often utilised to explain a variety of issues in education such as disaffection, school drop-out rates and underachievement. In England educational achievement is lower for disadvantaged students who are white and male than for disadvantaged students in any other ethnic group. Therefore, explanations for this underachievement often refer to a lack of engagement amongst White British boys in the classroom, associating disengagement with underachievement. There is a wealth of research about the external and contextual reasons for this disengagement such as social deprivation and negative parental attitudes to education. However, concerned with the minimal research about how the practice of teachers may influence levels of engagement in Humanities classrooms, this research explores both the attitudes and experiences of White British boys and their teachers with regards to engagement. The purpose of the research is to explore the conceptualisation of engagement by students and their teachers, to discover which practices they consider promote engagement. Through employing a case study approach the study found that there is no shared conceptualisation of engagement amongst Humanities teachers and their students. Moreover, there are internal classroom practices that influence levels of engagement. Practices such as praise, questioning and teacher support should be utilised carefully to meet the emotional and not just academic needs of students as this will create a positive student-teacher relationship. Therefore, future research may want to consider how these techniques can be developed within secondary classrooms to provide guidance to classroom teachers. As ultimately it is these positive relationships and inclusive classrooms that promote engagement amongst KS3 students in Humanities.

The term engagement is often used by school leaders to explain challenges in classrooms such as poor behaviour and under achievement. However, this research has illustrated that there is no consensus amongst teaching staff when defining what engagement is and how this looks in the classroom. Therefore, in the future school leaders might consider providing more clarity when using the term for school improvement plans or faculty improvement plans. For example, if we are trying to engage a specific group of pupils, are we trying to increase their interest in the subject or increase the amount of effort they put into their classwork? As teaching staff have their own perceptions of engagement, defining the concept as a school will be beneficial for wider school improvement. Humanities teaching staff have been frustrated with the lack of engagement from White British boys in their classrooms. Often staff have perceived that the reasons for this are due to external factors such as parental attitudes and social deprivation. However, this study has shown that there are changes teachers can make to their own practice to promote engagement in their classrooms. These recommendations will not only increase engagement amongst WBBs but are applicable to all students. For example, giving praise that is specific and genuine so that it is valued by pupils. Having conversations with pupils about seating plans to allow them to feel included in the classroom. Developing teaching practice around questioning so that a range of questioning techniques are used beyond. Using a range of questioning techniques will help to encourage student participation in the classroom. Making these small conscious adaptations to our teacher practice will help to improve relationships in our classrooms.

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the perspectives of Indonesian primary school teachers regarding SEL implementation. The aim was to establish significant recurring ideas regarding the importance of SEL in enhancing students' social-emotional skills, the concrete strategies used to develop SEL skills, and the challenges that teachers encountered in promoting SEL. The target population for the research was Indonesian primary school teachers. The inclusion criteria were actively teaching and being able to read and write in English (since the research was conducted in English). The participants were initially recruited by convenience sampling using the WhatsApp platform, which involved selecting individuals who were already known to the researcher. Subsequently, snowball sampling was employed, whereby participants were asked to recommend other potential participants. Recruitment was also conducted via sharing information on LinkedIn and emailing schools. The study included thirty teachers, consisting of 21 females and nine males with ages ranging from 24 to 54 years. This sample included those with experience teaching spanning from less than a year to 29 years. The study employed a socio-constructivist approach, which recognises the significance of diverse perspectives. Therefore, an online qualitative survey with open-ended questions was used to gain a comprehensive understanding of the teachers' views and experiences. The data was analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach to find recurring ideas in the survey responses and categorise them into themes. The analysis revealed three themes: teachers' valuation of SEL, navigating SEL promotion practice, and recognising SEL promotion challenges. In this context, subthemes arose within the main themes. Regarding teachers' valuation of SEL, teachers emphasised the significance of SEL for both students and themselves. Regarding the SEL promotion practice, teachers implemented classroom management strategies, utilised a personal approach, and involved key settings in order to foster SEL in students. Regarding the challenges, teachers reported encountering difficulties with personal challenges, parental involvement, students' diverse characteristics, and a lack of knowledge and resources. The findings of this study are broadly consistent with previous research, have interconnected explanations between the themes, and provide new insights for further investigation. The background research identified several significant factors that influence the strategies used to promote SEL in students, as well as the challenges teachers faced during this process, which are similar to the findings. Furthermore, this study not only supports previous research on SEL implementation in Asian countries but also provides a deeper understanding of how Indonesian teachers perceive SEL. These findings suggest further implications, highlighting the need for training development and resources to support teachers' SEL implementation in the classroom. Improved collaboration between key settings should also be addressed in order to increase the effectiveness of SEL promotion. Future research might involve a larger and more diverse sample of Indonesian primary school teachers in order to gain deeper insights into the implications for educational practices and policies in Indonesia.

This research may have benefits for teachers, students, parents, the community, and those responsible for policy decisions that influence the development of curricula that incorporate SEL and related topics. These findings imply the need for providing teachers with training programmes to equip them with SEL skills and the knowledge of integrating these subjects into their teaching in order to enhance the effectiveness of SEL implementation in the classroom. The Indonesian Ministry of Education could use this information to establish nationwide SEL training programs for teachers. Furthermore, the findings recommend schools initiate activities and programmes that involve parents, such as arranging workshops to educate parents about SEL practices, to ensure consistency of SEL implementation between school and home environment. Parents need to be mindful of their responsibilities at home, as they have a significant impact on the socioemotional development of students. Schools might also need to initiate collaborations with the community, as they could potentially provide additional support for both schools and families. For example, the community could organise teacher training and provide societal settings where students can practice their SEL skills. Finally, these findings implicate the need for the Indonesian government to improve the quantity and quality of initiatives and policies that explicitly target social and emotional health in school environments.

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore secondary school teaching assistants’ experiences of well-being. Specifically, the aim of the research was to explore barriers faced to maintain well-being and how secondary school environments shape their experiences. Experiences of well-being were explored from a Self-Determination Theoretical lens. This framework outlines the three basic psychological needs required for optimum well-being: autonomy, relatedness and competence (Ryan & Deci, 2000). The study was advertised on a Facebook page and by contacting secondary schools in West Yorkshire. As majority of the previous literature focuses on primary school teaching assistants, the current study recruited 11 secondary school teaching assistants to understand their experiences. The participants were informed of their ethical rights and agreed to take part in a semi-structured interview on zoom. The interview was guided by the Self-Determination Theory to explore how their experiences of well-being. Once the interviews were transcribed, Braun and Clarke’s (2006) reflexive thematic analysis were conducted to identify the patterns across the accounts. A thematic analysis involves, familiarisation of the data, breaking it down into meaningful codes, grouping the codes into broader themes that reflect their experiences, reviewing the themes and reporting the findings. Three overarching themes were identified from the data: feeling undervalued, professional strain and finally connection and meaning. Consistent with previous findings, the findings from this research showed that teaching assistants feel ignored and undervalued by school leaders as they are not acknowledged for their efforts or involved in decision-making (Holt & Birchall, 2023; Ravalier & Walsh, 2018). However, the teaching assistants revealed that they felt connected to their team and their students. These findings areconsistent with previous studies which signify the importance of teacher-student relationships (Chan et al., 2021; Sharrocks, 2014). Although the participants in the current study felt connected to their team and students, they were often disconnected from the wider school community. To enhance their well-being, the teaching assistants expressed wanting personalised well-being initiatives, opportunities to contribute towards decision making and opportunities to utilise their expertise in their role. The findings are supported by the Self-determination theory as they imply that the three basic psychological needs; autonomy, competence and relatedness must be satisfied adequately for positive well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2000). In conclusion, this dissertation provides a valuable insight about how teaching assistants perceive their experiences of working in a secondary school. By satisfying teaching assistants’ basic psychological needs, schools would support their psychological well-being. To strengthen the evidence, future research should consider recruiting participants from a wider range of schools, which would provide stronger implications for schools. Furthermore, future studies should consider investigating TA well-being using a quantitative design as it may make the findings generalisable, thus providing stronger implications for schools and policies.

The current study has significant real-world applications that would benefit educational institutions. The main beneficiaries of this study are secondary schools, school leaders and policy makers as they are involved in shaping the school environments. By outlining the barriers to well-being and revealing how teaching assistants feel about their workplace, schools can implement relevant strategies to enhance their experiences. Secondary schools can use the findings from this study to provide personalised support to teaching assistants such as offering them individualised well-being initiatives, consistent recognition and opportunities to signify their expertise. By implementing these strategies, schools can create a supportive environment for teaching assistants and provide them fulfilment of their psychological needs required for optimum well-being. Enhancing teaching assistants’ well-being will motivate them to achieve their personal best which will improve student outcomes.

School leaders can use the findings from the study to implement regular appraisal meetings with teaching assistants where they can discuss their achievements, progress and support their challenges. School leaders can also create opportunities for teaching assistants to have more control over their work by trusting them to adapt lesson resources, lead interventions and be involved in decision making regarding the students. Policymakers can use the findings of this study to advocate for changes in the policies to emphasise more on teaching assistants. Policymakers can advocate for more training for teaching assistants, include autonomous supportive practices and involve teaching assistants in decision-making processes. Local authority policies can help guide schools to foster an environment which includes teaching assistants in their standards. Overall, this dissertation has the potential to foster a supportive working environment for secondary school teaching assistants so that they feel satisfied in their job and motivated to achieve their personal best which will improve student outcomes.

The notion of achieving the quality education as in the Sustainable Development Goals number 4 is within the next seven years. In Indonesia, similar aim has been postulated in the past two decades, however the effort to achieve it is still unseen in the near future. Quality education in the perspective of this project refers to an equal access to education for all children to help them be whatever they want to become. With that, this narrative review dissertation is aiming to establish 4Ex Learning Framework, a transformative learning framework, that will help middle schools in Indonesia enabling an interest-driven learning. To guide the study of this project, two research questions are fruited from the aim: 1) what are the elements of the learning framework? and 2) how can digital technologies support this learning framework? The advantageous features of formal and informal education practices are merged together in order to produce a new education practice which serves as the principle of the learning framework. As the result of this study, 4Ex Learning Framework is designed to have four elements namely, exposure, exploration, experience, and expertise. The role of digital technologies in this learning framework is significant, as in each element of the framework there is always digital technologies being in used. Since the main target of this learning framework is to help students, schools are encouraged to eliminate the competitive mindset, instead start to build connection and partnerships; with other schools, communities, universities, and industries.

The learning framework established here will be able to transform education practice and deliver a quality education for all whilst also promoting the lifelong learning opportunities.

This study explored the relationship between interactions and perceived learning outcomes (PLO) among DTCE students from University of Manchester in online learning. Perspectives on both direct and vicarious learner-learner interaction (LLI) and direct and vicarious learner-instructor interaction (LII) were collected from 55 participants through an electronic questionnaire. Descriptive data analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were employed to interpret the survey data. The research findings indicated that participants showed a slightly greater inclination towards LII compared to LLI. When interaction was categorized into direct LLI, vicarious LLI, direct LII, and vicarious LII, participants exhibited a slightly higher tendency towards both vicarious LLI and vicarious LII compared to direct interactions (DI). Both LLI and LII, as well as vicarious interaction (VI), exhibited significantly strong and positive correlations with PLO. Furthermore, DI displayed a moderate positive correlation. The results of the regression analysis indicated that LLI, DI, and VI could be used to predict the levels of PLO. The results of the study proved that the exploration between interactions and PLO was meaningful and that participants did benefit from interactive behaviors. The innovation of this study lies in considering the potential relationship between vicarious interaction and PLO, providing a foundation for future related research, and identifying the limitations of existing frameworks.

The innovation of this study lies in considering the potential relationship between vicarious interaction and PLO, providing a foundation for future related research, and identifying the limitations of existing frameworks.

This project aimed to explore why parents/carers of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) choose special schools and whether special schools meet their expectations. To examine this topic 12 parents/carers (11 mothers and one grandmother) whose child had moved from mainstream to special school in England were interviewed using one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Parents/carers were chosen because they can provide valuable insight into their child’s needs and how to best meet them, yet their voice is underrepresented in the current research. An interview schedule was designed; the first half focussed on why participants chose a special school, and the second half focussed on their expectations and the realities of the special school. Interpretation of the interviews found that participants transferred their child from mainstream to special school due to push factors, negative experiences that led them to conclude that mainstream school was not a good fit for their child. These push factors were mostly related to their child not fitting in at the mainstream school as well as staff not having the skills or knowledge to support children with SEN and demonstrating a lack of understanding. This could lead to emotional distress for the child and parent. These findings matched other studies examining the transfer from mainstream to special schools. However, there is a paucity of studies examining this transition, so more research is needed. Findings highlighted that participants did not feel like they had a true choice regarding their child’s school placement and some participants felt that their views had not been adequately considered by the local authority. This matches several studies which have found that parents of children with SEN feel constrained when choosing their child’s school. Participants had universally expected the special school to be a better fit than mainstream school for their child, but results were mixed regarding how well the school met their expectations. Using a theory called Stage-Environment Fit, this study organised parents’ experiences at the special school into fits and misfits. These fits and misfits were related to the socio-emotional needs of the child, support for their learning, the school atmosphere and the relationship between the parent and school. Participants perceived a good fit when their child’s learning, peer relationships and social skills were well supported and there was proactive home-school communication. Similar fits have been identified by other studies. Findings suggest fits and misfits at mainstream and special school are related to several domains, such as social and academic domains. Therefore, to meet the needs of their students with SEN schools should take a holistic approach to meet their students’ many needs. This study found that parents seek to transfer their child when they perceive a school is not a good fit for their child’s individual needs. However, the research around school choice and fit is still in the exploratory stages in England so more research is needed

This study added to the knowledge base regarding school choice and fit for children with SEN in England. This is important as the number of children identified with SEN has been increasing year on year and the proportion of children with SEN attending special schools has also increased. Therefore, it is important for policymakers to appreciate the decision-making of parents of children with SEN to understand current and future trends in school placement in England. Furthermore, government policy has emphasised that parents’ preferences regarding school choice should be considered, but this study has suggested that parents of children with SEN do not feel like they have a true choice about their child’s school placement. Most participants also emphasised how long and stressful the process to gain a special school place was, which has also been found in several other studies. More support from local authorities around this transition may reduce how difficult parents find this process. This study found that parents seek new schools if they perceive that the school is not able to meet their child’s needs. By highlighting fits and misfits between children with SEN and different schools, this study may help both mainstream and special schools better understand what works when supporting children with SEN and their families.

In the tech start-up industry, learning in the workplace is imperative for the workforce to remain relevant and adaptable to change for the business to succeed. While workplace learning (WPL) generally consists of formal learning using digital platforms and informal learning through communities of practice, most workplace learning analytics (WPLA) solutions do not reflect the holistic learning journey of the individual. There have been different studies about Workplace Learning and Learning Analytics. However, there are few works of literature on which both topics intersect, and even fewer considering the perspective of stakeholders. The purpose of this study is to explore an effective workplace learning analytics solution from the perspective of Learning and Development (L&D) Professionals and Learners presenting the perspective of ‘two sides of the same coin’ related to WPL. Employing qualitative research methods, such as email questionnaires and focus group interviews, this study found that there is a need to align individual growth with organisational goals within WPL. It advocates for an expanded scope of metrics incorporating qualitative insights and behavioural shifts beyond the conventional focus on quantitative data. This study proposes a WPLA framework that integrates micro-meso and macro-level analytics to provide a comprehensive view of the organisation’s overall learning program and the quality of the individual’s learning experience. In addition to the current quantitative data sets, WPLA should include data from dialogues between managers and team members as well as self and peer evaluation of skills. With the introduction of large sets of qualitative data, there is the potential of using Artificial Intelligence, in particular, Large Language Models, to support the analysis. Considering the complexity of the WPL process, the collaborative effort among learners and various stakeholders to collect relevant learning data is also crucial for WPLA to be effective.

This research offers transformative insights into the workplace learning landscape, paving the way for future research and impactful Learning & Development practices.