Dr Mahmoud Abdallah

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Telephone: 07590682436 

I’ve recently passed my viva (PhD oral exam), and was formally awarded the PhD degree by the University of Exeter on 22/Aug/2011. My PhD study was a design study that aims at providing a theoretical understanding of the interchangeable relationship between TESOL and the Web. This involves investigating the possibility of expanding Egyptian EFL student teachers' language-related literacy practices by integrating some Web-based new literacies into their pre-service teacher education programme.

Title of thesis: "Web-Based New Literacies and EFL Curriculum Design in Teacher Education: A Design Study for Expanding EFL Student Teachers’ Language-Related Literacy Practices in an Egyptian Pre-service Teacher Education Programme". Available at the University of Exeter website through the following URL:

 http://hdl.handle.net/10036/3202

For a full summary of the thesis, please go to http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED523062.pdf


In June 1997, I got my BA in literature and education (English section) with a general honourable 'very good' degree at Assiut University College of Education in Egypt. Immediately after graduation, I was appointed by the Egyptian Ministry of Education as a teacher of English. Since September 1998 and for a year, I had taught English as a foreign language to preparatory-stage students. This helped me to gain some experience in teaching English as a foreign language and familiarise myself with the TESOL/TEFL methodology, especially the issues of teaching basic language skills. During this period, I was also doing my post-graduate studies (Special Diploma in Education) at Assiut University College of Education. Based on my BA scores, I was selected to work as researcher and teaching assistant at the Curriculum and Instruction Dept (TESOL/TEFL) at Assiut University College of Education. In July 2005, I got my MA in education (Curriculum & TESOL/TEFL methodology) which was scored as 'Excellent' from Assiut University College of Education.

Based on my MA degree and satisfactory international TOEFL score, I was nominated by Assiut University College of Education to get a full-sponsored governmental scholarship to do PhD abroad, either in the UK or the US. I decided to continue my professional studies in the UKand chose Exeterbecause of its excellent international reputation and well-informed, professional tutors and advisors, like Dr Malcolm MacDonald and Prof. Rupert Wegerif. It was Malcolm who used to encourage and support me through e-mail while I was in Egypt; he did his best after I arrived in the UK to help me to modify my preliminary proposal and turn it into a well-written and argued conversion paper. He guided me in a very motivating way to the right books and resources. Also, Rupert helped so much with formulating the research design (DBR) approriate for my research purposes.

I feel so grateful to Prof. Rupert Wegerif, my first supervisor, from whom I learned so much. His distinguished style of supervision, positive attitude towards researchers, and devotion to help and sort out any problems, make him an outstanding supervisor and ideal teacher.