Ethics in Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics in Strategic Management - Essay Example Contemporary development in services dealing with finance has prompted stakeholders to question corporations’ moral obligation. These obligations together with business ethics provide important and integral part in the process of strategic management. Early management proponents showed the needs of CEOs to be morally responsible (Barnand, 1938). Executives should be ethical to their customers. Organizations endure the ethical breadth via which their governing is based. Moral responsibility is attached to executives to the people they serve. Likewise, they are responsible for the inspiration via leadership and creation of trust through understanding and common purpose. Those who pioneered strategic thinking advocated for ethics in decision making. Corporate strategy is defined as an organizational process that cannot be separated from behavior, culture and structure of a firm. This provides enterprise strategy basis by definition of context in which those firms operate in both economic and human terms. In the last ten years, there has been the development of ethics and strategic management. Strategic management originated recently and has been accepted in planning and business policy fields. Nevertheless, ethics is a different field that is still evolving, and up to date it has not troubled strategic management academics. Stakeholder's interests have internal worth despite it advancing shareholders interest. From this point of view, an organization’s success should not be viewed as an end but also as a means for advancing stakeholders interest. Ethical analysis is the only way for resolving conflicts in goals and values; it is important in strategic management.... In the 1970s, the technique of strategizing thrived in business schools. Corporate strategy if defined as decisions pattern of a company that reveals and determine its goals, objective or purposes, produces policies and make plans on achievement of the objectives, and defines type of business a company is likely to pursue. While there are similarities between ethics and strategy, there are misunderstandings between the two. Recent thinking in management developments have converged the two. The notion on ethics and strategy are distinct, and separate fields do not hold of recent. Unless it acknowledged that the two should be closely integrated, more problems might be experienced and failures in business. Ethical issues Moral and Morality Problems Morality deals with beliefs, values and norms embedded in a process which define wrong and right for a particular society. The manager is characterized as a moral individual in accordance to the traits. With the moral values, a manager should convey ethical messages, which others can notice. Problems related to morality are associated to harm caused by others. Harming others do not bring any good but prevention of it promotes good. It can be debated that moral issues related to strategic management are complicated because harms caused to other individuals are predictably related to benefits of others. For instance, transformation of an economy to an economy of low wage harms workers who have been displaced but benefits the newly recruited employees and existing stakeholders. Ethical Analysis The policy behind the analysis of ethics can be linked to point of view which claims that principles of ethics are not measures of subjection which vary with economic and cultural conditions. In the real sense, they are first

Marketing and Operations Management in Philips Electronics Assignment

Marketing and Operations Management in Philips Electronics - Assignment Example Operations Management Part 14 Critical Evaluation of the Operations Management Strategy of Phillips 15 Operations Management Performance Objectives 15 Order Qualifiers and Order Winners of Philips 17 Contribution Made By Operations Management 18 Recommendations/Solutions to the Company 19 References 20 Overview of the Company Royal Philips Electronics is a Dutch multinational company with its main branch in Amsterdam. The three main divisions of the company are Philips Consumer Lifestyle, Philips Healthcare and Philips Lighting. According to the statistics obtained in the 2012, it can be mentioned that Philips is one of the biggest producers of electronic products in the globe (Philips, 2012). The paper is divided into two parts. They are marketing activities of Philips and operations management of Philips. The marketing part of the paper attempts to identify the external environment of Philips and to evaluate the marketing strategy followed by the company. The study further endeavours to analyse various marketing tools used for the marketing of the products of Philips. The paper thus offers suggestions to the company regarding ways through which it can improve marketing activities. Furthermore, the operations management part of the study tries to critically evaluate the operations management strategy of Philips. It attempts to analyse the operations management performance objectives. ... The main political factors impacting the activity of the organisation are employment laws, policy stability, tax policy and environmental regulations. It can be stated that in most of the countries of European Union there has been major alterations in the employment law. It is noted that most of the countries are quite concerned with the environment and are making an attempt to reduce pollution. In such cases, Philips, being a large producer of electronic products, might need to focus largely upon providing environmentally friendly consumer goods to maintain its sustainability (Export Gov, 2012). The United Kingdom is the seventh major economy in the world and the third biggest economy in the European Union. With quite a few trade obstacles, the United Kingdom is the entry market into the European Union for nearly 41000 US exporters. This proves to be quite beneficial for Philips (Export Gov, 2012). The social and the cultural impact on business alter from one country to the other co untry and from one region to the other region. Philips has its operations in numerous countries and it is because of this reason that the company needs to operate in vast and diverse socio-cultural arenas with workforce belonging to varied cultures. It is quite significant for Philips to adjust themselves with these alterations in terms of customer expectations from region to region and be capable of catering to their needs and requirements. Most of the people belonging to the developed nations pay due attention towards the culture of a company. Philips can be considered as an ethical company who pays due consideration towards the needs and the wants of the customers (Export Gov, 2012). Philips is quite dependent upon the constantly altering technological up-gradations that are

The Kite Runner Essay Example for Free

The Kite Runner Essay An individual’s sense of belonging stems from their notions of identity, personal context, and place. A lack in any of these areas may result in a thorough sense of alienation and pose as a barrier, which prevents belonging and facilitates an individual’s decision to exclude themselves from their surroundings. However, ironically, these barriers that present hardship can truly liberate an individual and help them in finding a more fulfilled state of belonging. These ideas are explored in Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It and Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner. Barriers to belonging are evident in the play in ‘As you like it’ and are explored through gender paradigms, and social structures. Particularly through the relationship between Rosalind and Duke Frederick. Due to the usurpation of her father by the disloyal Duke Frederick, Rosalind is unfairly subjected to the harsh treatment by her Uncle. He creates suspicion and isolates Rosalind through his diction in, â€Å"Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste and get you from our court. â€Å" â€Å"Me, uncle? † Here the employment of second person reveals the distancing of Rosalind from the hierarchy. His use of the imperative emphasises the barrier that will be created. Frederick is presented as a Machiavellian character whose threat, â€Å"or thou deist† emphasises the danger inherent in her vulnerable state. Her vulnerability due to her gender is also evident, when he alludes to the Christian practice of purgation â€Å"If purgation did consist in words† which is associated with a spiritual cleansing, of the body which suggests that Rosalind is impure He also confirms the notion of the impure female by his use of sibilance (to Celia) in â€Å"She is too subtle for thee and her smoothness,Her very silence† He uses juxtaposition between Celia and Rosalind to reinforce Celia’s â€Å"purity† â€Å"Thou wilt show more bright and virtuous. Therefore, the issue of sexuality and female deviousness is alluded to. Furthermore, R’s separation by gender is evident in, Touchstone’s dialogue as he says to Rosalind, â€Å"Thus men grow wiser everyday. It is the first time I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. † Touchstone does not think wrestling is a sport for ladies to enjoy. In dressing as Ganymede, she acquires a certain freedom to move around, give advice, and associate as an equal among other men. Breaking free of an external factor and gaining a sense of attachment. Thus her projection of control affects her sense of belonging by challenging the traditional sense of gender roles. Comparatively, ‘The kite runner’, explores the disparity created by differences in cultural backgrounds. This connection manifests in the relationship between Amir and Hassan, though Amir is true to Hassan in private, he feels the need to relate to Hassan according to the prevailing social hierarchy in public. â€Å"Afghanistan is the land of the Pashtun’s†¦not the flat-nosed Hazara’s, these people pollute our homeland. They dirty our blood. The inclusive language at the beginning of the quote is aimed at the Pashtun’s whereas the negative connotations of ‘pollute’ and ‘dirty’ emphasise the subservient position of the Hazara’s in the Afghani society and thus losing their sense of placement within society. Amir has to face that fact he is disloyal to his relationship with Hassan and begins personal growth. â€Å"He’s my servant! Had I really though that? † â€Å"Everywhere I turned I saw signs of his loyalty, his goddamn unwavering loyalty. † the absence of conjunction emphasises his thorough regrets that act as a barrier preventing him from belonging. Furthermore, Assef tells Amir Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage† This denigrating simile compares Afghanistan to a beautiful mansion, i. e. something that is sacred whilst the Hazara are being compared to garbage, belittling these people. This quote also juxtaposes the concepts of a mansion and garbage where a mansion represents wealth, influence, authority and respect whereas garbage signifies something that defiles an otherwise pristine environment. The discrimination against the Hazara’s detaches them from their homeland of Afghanistan and thus limits their ability to belong. Through familial relationships, characters from both texts have furthered their understanding and ability to belong. From AYLI, Orlando is marginalised and alienated as his jealous older brother Oliver has cut him out of their father’s will and had not educated him as their father wished. The simile, said by Orlando, â€Å"You have trained me like a peasant† likens him to poverty. Orlando is clearly irritated by his mistreatment and as a result catalyses his ability to belong. â€Å"I will no longer endure it,† he says with high modality and escapes into the forest of Arden where he found a sense of acceptance. Through his new connection Orlando develops a more enduring connection through Rosalind, who like impresario, provoking characters like Orlando to re-evaluate the quality of relationships. Rosalind uses eloquence rather than verbosity. This is evident in, â€Å"To Shakespeare love between men and women is grounded in mutual, not just masculine, behaviour†¦what has happened between people helps make possible what will happen. † Striving to feel a bond of security, Amir was desperate to win his fathers approval. If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son. The short sentences in the quote, are to the point and Baba had not thought twice about the distant relationships between the two nor has he made the effort to improve that. Amir, on the other hand, went to the extent to betray his best friend in hopes of gaining the love of his father to fill the void within him that prevented him from any sense of security. Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay to win Baba The diction here alludes to the religious ceremony of sacrificing a lamb to a greater power, and similarly, Amir sacrifices Hassan to achieve something greater. Amir and Babas relationship was artificial but through the strain they experienced, Amir was pushed to realise his place in where he truly belonged. There is also an atmosphere of political change and unrest in 1970 Afghanistan â€Å"something roared like thunder. The earth shook a little. † This pathetic fallacy, associated with explosions and gunfire associated with the entering of Russian tanks and â€Å" the death of the Afghanistan I knew. † show that the relationship between boys is a stable force similar to Celia and Rosalind in AYLI. An individual’s ability to conform is dependent on the place in which they are surrounded by. In AYLI, the juxtaposed locations of the forest and the court constantly remind the audience of the differences between them. The ironic use of â€Å"you cousin† by Duke Frederick clarifies how the court is governed by deceitful intrigue and flawed relationships whereas the biblical allusion to Eden said by Duke Senior â€Å"feel not the penalty of Adam† as they â€Å"fleet the time as carelessly as they did in the golden world† signifies the ideal world that man longs to be. The two parallel locations impact the characters when, from the oppression of the city, characters escape to the simple life of nature. Arden acts as a catalyst for their renewal, assisting their ability to arrive at a fuller sense of belonging for when they returned to court and thus is affected by external factor of place. In comparison, the Kite Runner shows the struggle of immigration. Amir along with Baba had to deal with fitting into an entirely different culture. Baba, who expressed a great deal of pride and attachment to his culture, was filled with a loss of identity when he moved to America, he’s identity was of a guest whilst in Afghanistan he was a successful and influential figure. Amir, on the other hand, finds temporary relief from the guilt he left behind in Afghanistan. Similar to the forest of Arden that provides characters with an illusion of paradise in â€Å"As you like it†, America provides Amir with a vacation from the reality of his personal problems. For me, America was a place to bury my memories†¦For Baba, a place to mourn his and thus demonstrating the importance of external factors such as place. To conclude, even though the texts are different they are dealing with universal themes of discrimination, familial connections and dislocation of place. And through these barriers that act to hold back an individuals ability to belong, it also acts as a catalyst for a deeper and more fulfilled state of belonging.

Observations of an Apple Essay Example for Free

Observations of an Apple Essay The assignment was to observe a fruit or vegetable for at least an hour. I thought it was crazy and pointless but not so ridiculous that I would not do it and earn a bad grade. Before I started, I read Samuel Scudder’s essay â€Å"Learning to See† where he talks about having to do a similar type of assignment but with a fish. He eventually became engrossed in the fish and so I became determined that I was going to try to find all I possibly could about my apple in the hour that I had. With this in mind, I chose an apple from my bowl of fruit and prepared for what I thought would be a tedious sixty minutes. I grabbed some paper and a pen, turned on some music, and began the observation process. I started just by writing everything I could see on the outside of the apple. The skin of the apple had many different shades of red as well as a yellow patch on one side. It was covered in dark red stripes that looked like quick paint strokes from a tiny paintbrush. Little white and yellow dots gave it the appearance of a speckled egg. I then noticed the apple’s shape as well as the lumps, dents, and scratches on its skin. It was slightly cold to the touch, as well as smooth and dry. I was tempted to go ahead and cut the apple open but I wanted to make sure I had written down all the small details that would normally go completely unnoticed. After I was sure I had noted as much as I could about the outside, I sliced the apple in half horizontally to observe the inside. When it is cut horizontally, the little pit where the seeds are kept is in the shape of a star and feels like thin cardboard. There were five seeds, all dark brown and shaped like a raindrop. The flesh was softer on its own without the protection of the skin and almost mushy. When I looked even closer, it seemed that the flesh of the apple was made up of tiny crystals that glistened in the light because of the juice and its cream coloring. The inside was even colder since it was wet. The sweet smell of the apple grew stronger and I finally gave in and took a bite. I wrote about the crunchiness, how crisp it was, how my teeth left their impression in the apple, how the skin ripped when it was bitten, and how  juicy it was. I decided to check the time at that point and was extremely surprised that I had only fifteen minutes left to finish up my notes. So I decided to get a little more creative with what I did to the apple. I began dissecting pieces of it, cutting little spots in half, finding the veins and what seemed to be roots of the apple. I even noticed how it stained the paper towel it sat on when I cut it. Soon I realized I had just a few minutes left and so to finish it all off, I decided to see what would happen when the apple, or what was left of it, would do when thrown hard against the pavement. I quickly ran outside and excitedly hurled the apple at the ground. I was pleased to watch it break apart and splatter all over the sidewalk and even into the snow. I walked back inside and was surprised at how excited and enthusiastic I had become by going through this sort of experiment. I did not expect that sort of reaction to come from me especially when my first thoughts had been that I would end up hating this assignment and giving up on it. I never would have believed someone if they had told me that I would one day spend an hour observing an apple, and in the end, find that I had actually enjoyed it.

Why Science is Difficult to Learn

Why Science is Difficult to Learn Johnstone (1991) confirms that science was once easy to learn and teach. This was a time before modern scientific advancements when everything was clearly defined and separated into distinct sections and no learner was asked to apply their knowledge to an abstract situation. But Johnstone asks: Was this science? There seems to be an inherent idea held within society that science is difficult to learn. This essay will highlight some of the barriers to learning science and address why the idea is held that science is difficult to learn; it will then progress to identify some strategies which could be used in order to lower these barriers and make science more accessible. Part One Why can science be difficult to learn? Through classroom observations and wider reading it is apparent that there are many different barriers to learning science. These barriers can be due to many different factors; cognitive development, practical, financial and psycho-social; especially motivation and relevance of the subject material. Appendix 1 shows the 10 hardest GCSEs ranking chemistry, physics and biology as 7, 8 and 9 respectively. The research shows that the sciences are difficult to learn when compared to other subjects studied at the same level; but why is this the case? Cognitive demand In 1956 Benjamin Bloom proposed a hierarchy of educational objectives which ordered cognitive processes from simple to higher order thinking skills (Capel et al, 2009, p.254). The taxonomic pyramid (Appendix 2) shows knowledge retention as the basic foundation for higher order cognitive ability with analysis, synthesis and evaluation shown as high level skills. It should be noted that within science, knowledge retention and understanding, although low on the hierarchy, can involve a great deal of information for learners to process. For example when learners start secondary school at 11 years old they are introduced to scientific equipment they have never seen before and have no idea what it is called. Yet they need to be able to recall the name of apparatus and understand their uses within a practical investigation. Science lessons in many secondary school settings aim to incorporate as much practical as possible in order to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. This type of investigative learning requires the learners to access and use higher cognitive skills such as analysis and evaluation hence making the requirements of the lesson much more difficult. It is the conclusion and evaluation of investigative work that is the most valuable in assisting pupil progress yet inevitably the most difficult and challenging. From this it is evident that higher order cognitive skills are required and used much more frequently in science than in many other subjects hence making it more difficult. Jean Piagets cognitive development theory (1963) linked a childs maturation with cognitive ability. Capel et al (2009, p.254) states: He saw intellectual and moral development as sequential with the child moving through stages of thinking driven by an internal need to understand the world. In a secondary school science lesson, based on Piagets development theory, it would be appropriate for the teacher to assume that the learners would be in one of the final two stages: concrete operational or formal operational. You can see from the diagram in Appendix 3 that the concrete operational phase covers from 7-11 years old and suggests that learners can think logically; at 11 years old they can then apply their ideas to abstract situations and become concerned about the future. If you were to assume that all learners followed these stages in the rigid format implied, then it would be correct to assume that all learners in a year 7 class would be able to use logical thought processes yet their ability to apply their logic to new abstract situations and make hypothesises would still be quite limited. This causes problems with learning the Key Stage 3 (KS3) science curriculum as it is full of abstract ideas which do not follow the learners logical thought processes. There are more abstract ideas in science than in any other subject and if learners are not yet in the final stages of cognitive development suggested by Piaget, they are going to find the context very difficult indeed. Learners in the concrete operational stage of development are going to experience barriers to their learning when their logical cognitive abilities are challenged by new abstract ideas. This conflict between different thought processes and accepting that their logical reasoning is in fact incorrect can be damaging and prevent further progress in their immediate learning. It takes time to teach abstract ideas and this is even more of a challenge if your learners do not reach the final stage of development. Piagets stages of development are rigid and somewhat flawed when applied to a real classroom setting where you can have 30 year 7 pupils all at varying levels of cognitive ability. Teachers will always have learners in their class who have progressed through the stages very quickly and have their own ideas and thoughts about many different abstract situations. On the other hand there will be pupils in the class who may never fully complete the final stage of development. The use of correct scientific language is difficult as learners may, through their own life experiences, hold different meanings for scientific words. These are known as heteronyms; words that have a different meaning in one context and then another in a scientific context. These alternative meanings make understanding more difficult, especially for learners where English is not their first language. It also means that learners can struggle to accept the scientific meaning hence making their learning more difficult. Research carried out in America by Sruggs and Mastropieri (1993 cited by Sullenger, n.d) indicated that over 750 scientific words were introduced from kindergarten through to sixth grade, and the story is no different in Europe. Science is a subject of high cognitive demand; learners will struggle to be successful in the subject if they are unable to access higher thinking and communication skills. If learners lack the vocabulary to share their scientific observations and explain their ideas they are going to underachieve; not through lack of understanding but through poor literacy. When relating these ideas regarding literacy and language to Piagets theory it can be noted that learners should be able to use language to represent objects during the pre-operational stage which is experienced from 2-7 years old. The abundance of difficult words used in science means that learners need to have well developed language skills and could experience a setback in their cognitive development. They need to do this whilst teachers are also expecting them to think logically and apply ideas to abstract situations. It is a lot to ask of an 11 year old especially one who is already behind in terms of their cognitive development. Osborne (1996, p274 cited by Henderson and Wellington, 1998) says of learning physics that it is: more akin to the learning of a foreign language than it is to the learning of historical facts. This is equally true of the other sciences. Everyone it seems considers science to be a practical subject but fail to realise the complexity of the language which needs to be learnt in the first instance. Orey (2010) discusses the educational implications of Piagets theory. They stress the importance of the consistency between the content of the lesson and the developmental stage of the learner. They also state that opportunities should be provided to allow learners of different developmental stages to work together. I have seen this method used in secondary school; it is called challenge groups and works well to allow learners to scaffold each others learning. This idea is also given strong focus by the work carried out by Vygotsky. Vygotsky (1962) believes in the importance of a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in order to develop higher level thinking skills. The ZPD is the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers (Vygotsky, 1978 cited by Chaiklin et al, 2003 p.39). Please see Appendix 4 for a visual representation of Vygotskys theory. The work of Vygotsky highlighted the importance of talking, and research in the UK has highlighted its importance to learning (Capel, 2009). Communication is the essence of the socio-cultural experience when students are learning and problem solving. Through language and culture, teachers and students negotiate meaning (Connell and Charles, n.d). Vygotsky strongly believed that talking and socialisation facilitate higher order thinking skills; however the idea of requiring full social interaction in order to learn can become problematic when trying to apply the ideas in the average secondary school science lesson. Group work can easily take place in small, safe classrooms with small class sizes however when there is only one teacher to over 30 learners in a science lab this can become much more difficult. It can become even less practical during experiments and investigations where health and safety is of upmost importance. It is clear from the analysis of these three different learning theories that the content of the science National Curriculum requires learners to use higher level cognitive skills in order to learn and achieve in the subject. These skills can take a long time to develop and learners need a lot of practice before they become competent high level thinkers and have the language skills necessary to access higher cognitive skills such as analysis and evaluation. In is also clear that social interaction is very important however in practice it can be limited in a laboratory especially when class sizes are large. Practical and financial barriers Based on personal observations, and discussions with staff from various secondary schools, it is clear that some science departments are limited in their delivery of the National Curriculum based on the availability of equipment/ resources and their cost. This can have an impact on the quality of teaching and learning which can take place and therefore support the idea that science is difficult to learn. It is beneficial for learners to experience science within a laboratory not only for safety and practical reasons but also to help pupils put science into a real-life context and help with understanding of the relevance of the subject. It is not a surprise however that fitting laboratories is very costly as is replacing old equipment and replenishing resources for use in practical investigations. Laboratories not only require the usual resources provided in a normal classroom such as interactive whiteboards and a teacher computer, which are very costly, they also require specialist desks and stools, an isolated gas, electricity and water supply, fume cupboards and space; space for the equipment, space for the large class sizes and most of all space so learners can work safely. The question is can learners still experience an outstanding lesson and learn science when not in a laboratory. I would say that a huge amount of appropriate learning can take place outside of the laboratory if good technology is available; however learners need to experience scientific theories in context in order to develop and confirm their own ideas. For example it is very easy to teach the structure of the heart in an ordinary classroom and learners will be able to repeat the knowledge in an exam; but give a learner a heart to dissect and suddenly their understanding is much greater. Another barrier to learning in science can be the availability of specialist staff such as lab technicians. As with everything extra staff comes at a cost but it is essential to have well trained, experienced technicians if the department is going to deliver science in such a way that is conducive to learning. Technicians are of upmost importance when it comes to delivering practical lessons. Teachers would not be able to deliver their lesson effectively if it was not for the vital support offered by the technicians. If there is not enough money available to employ technicians then there would be a massive impact on learning. In these times of financial difficulty there needs to be a balance between where cuts are made in order to have the least impact on learning. A huge barrier to learning can be caused by the teacher themselves. If the teacher lacks confidence in their abilities, has poor subject knowledge and is not effective in their transmission of information then the content of the lesson is going to be even more difficult to learn. Teaching science is a demanding job with most teachers expected to teach across four disciplines at KS3 (biology, chemistry, physics and earth sciences) and at least 2 disciplines at KS4. To be competent in all these areas and to be competent in their delivery requires great cognitive ability and perseverance. Effective teachers in the future will need to deal with a climate of continual change (McBer, 2000, p.4). Research carried out by McBer (2000) on behalf of the DfEE found that there were 3 main factors linked to the effectiveness of the teacher which influenced learning and progress: teaching skills, professional characteristics and classroom climate. The research identified that effective teachers use their professional knowledge in order to use appropriate and effective teaching skills effectively and consistently, successfully apply subject knowledge and incorporate the use of the national numeracy and literacy strategies. It is again made clear from the research that science is a very difficult subject to teach consistently to an outstanding level; made more difficult than other subjects by its diverse nature and large content across the 4 disciplines. This raises the question: is science difficult to learn because of poor teaching, or because the teachers have so much content to cover with potentially little resources at their disposal? Psycho-social barriers Due to the continuous variation of social context within a classroom environment learners are frequently involved in unfamiliar learning situations (Boekaerts, 2002). In some learners this creates a sense of challenge; for others it causes uncertainty and some level of distress. Boekaerts (2002, p.8) states that: Students try to make sense of novel learning situations by referring to their motivational beliefs. Motivational beliefs refer to the opinions, judgements and values that students hold about objects, events or subject-matter domains. The research she carried out found that motivational beliefs can result from a range of different experiences: direct learning, observation, verbal statements by teacher, parents of peers and social comparisons. As a teacher you can have a vast range of different abilities within your class; ability can have a direct impact on the motivation of the learner. It is quite often found that higher ability students show greater self-motivation to learn than their peers who have special educational needs or struggle with certain subjects. It is important that as a teacher to know the motivational level of your students and encourage those who lack motivation to be more engaged in the lesson. It is important to know which learners have developed unfavourable motivational beliefs about a topic as this can greatly impact on their learning. Another barrier which contributes to a lack of motivation is the learners perception that the science topic is not of relevance to them. If a learner can see how the topic is of relevance to them or to their future aspirations or even if they just consider it useful they will definitely be more motivated to learn; therefore a teacher must consider the relevance of a topic to their learners and if necessary find an innovative way to make it relevant. Staver (2007, p17) states: Cognitive learning theory emphasizes the importance of learning something new by relating it to things that are already meaningful and familiar. Science teachers must remember that their own intrinsic motivation to learn science is likely not shared by many of their students, whose motivation is more likely activated instrumentally, by connecting science to things that are already familiar and important to them. It is especially important to motivate females in science as they often find it more difficult to find relevance in the topic especially when studying physics. It is important that teachers set high expectations for learning as this will directly influence that learning (Staver, 2007). It is important that expectations are high for all students regardless of their gender, background or cognitive ability; special educational needs or gifted and talented. Part 2: What can Science teachers do to help? Past surveys have found that Some 51% of teenagers think science lessons are boring, confusing or difficult (BBC News Online, 2005). This view has not changed and research is showing that if anything learners are finding science more difficult and do not recognise its importance or relevance to everyday life. Todays teenagers are the scientists of tomorrow so things need to change in order to make science more accessible and enjoyable for all. Lowering the language barrier The correct and appropriate use of language is important across the curriculum regardless of the subject. In Part One literacy and language were highlighted as a barrier to learning due to the complexities of its use in a scientific context. Henderson and Wellington (SSR. 1998 p.35) quote from the science national curriculum: Pupils should be taught to express themselves clearly in both speech and writing and to develop their reading skills. They should be taught to use grammatically correct sentences and to spell and punctuate in order to communicate effectively. This was interpreted and adapted by the QCA to state that pupils should be taught to use appropriate scientific vocabulary to describe and explain the behaviour of living things, materials, and processes. Vygotsky highlights the importance of talking and listening as part of socialisation to facilitate higher order thinking skills. It has been highlighted that it is important to let learners speak not only to the teacher but to each other, and learn through speaking (Henderson and Wellington, 1998). Learners must be provided with opportunities to communicate and collaborate with their peers in order to explore their own ideas on a certain topic (Henderson and Wellington, 1998) as well as develop their language skills. Discussion-based learning is important in developing the learner not only in a science lesson but also socially. This helps to lower the language barrier as learners gain a lot from their peers who can usually word complex scientific concepts in a simple way a teacher never could. Some learners will not like this style of teaching and will find it embarrassing to talk to their peers even if in small groups rather than to the whole class. It is important that the teacher facilitates the discussion and thinks carefully about the groups. It would be useful to group learners based on their abilities as mentioned in Part One using a method observed called challenge groups. A great deal of science teaching involves the teacher telling and there is little opportunity for pupil talk. How can we be sure that the class have understood the science if they are given no chance to discuss, exchange ideas, or interpret? (Henderson and Wellington, 1998 p.36). Grouping pupils of varying abilities in order to discuss different scientific concepts helps to scaffold the learning of weaker pupils and secure the knowledge of the more able pupils. It is important that the teacher ensures the correct terminology and language is used which can sometimes be difficult especially in a laboratory where seating arrangements are not always ideal for group/class discussions. For lower ability groups who struggle with literacy it is important to use other strategies to ensure they are able to fully access the content of the lesson. The teacher could use visual representations of the words in order to assist understanding. They could use diagrams to show methods rather than a list of words if the learners struggle to read and use wordmats and glossaries to help support the learners in their written work and spellings. It is important that the spelling of key terms is addressed consistently and is a cross-curricula responsibility for all staff. Developing thinking skills From reading and applying the learning theories in Part One and based on my observation in school it is apparent that many secondary school learners are behind in their cognitive development and will struggle to access higher cognitive skills in lessons. Focussing on methods to improve critical thinking skills and problem solving skills highlighted by Blooms Taxonomy is important in order for learners to gain confidence and competence in their scientific knowledge and understanding. Ideally these skills need to be written within the scheme of work for each topic and the best way to improve these skills is through investigation and problem solving tasks. This can have an impact on lesson time available to cover all of the content but is a crucial factor which needs to be accounted for. Without developing these crucial thinking skills at KS3 learners are going to struggle to access the more demanding content covered at KS4. It would be ideal if these skills were covered across all subjects however different departments may have different delivery techniques which could cause further confusion. In order to address the development of thinking skills a new initiative emerged in 1995 called Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE). The intervention was based partly on the theories of Piaget; it was designed to accelerate development so that pupils progress from concrete thinking to formal operational thinking by the end of the two-year programme (Jones and Gott 1998). The programme was aimed at year 7 and 8 pupils who were previously identified as vulnerable in terms of cognitive ability. Please see Appendix 5 which details the five stages of the CASE approach. The stages encourage learners to use discussion to resolve cognitive conflicts and reflect on their own thinking before applying their new ideas to abstract contexts. It is easy to see the influence of Vygotsky as well as Piaget in the application of CASE. A very important part of the intervention is giving learners time to think before they answer. All too often teacher expects an immediate answer therefore not allowing learners time to process any new information. The principles of CASE have also seen success in both English and Maths (Angus Council, 2001). The results clearly show an improvement in the attainment of pupils who received CASE intervention however the results also show that females benefit from an earlier intervention than boys (Shayer 1999); this could have huge implications for policy in mixed gender schools. The fact that this intervention appears to have been used in only the core subjects: science, English and maths, appears to reinforce the view that these subjects are more difficult to learn as they require higher order thinking skills and intervention to achieve them. Over the past 17 years CASE has helped learners to overcome the demands of the content of the science National Curriculum. In schools where CASE was applied up to 25% higher grades were seen in English, maths and science when compared with non-CASE schools (Shayer 2000). Conclusion It is clear that the teaching and learning of science is difficult due to the high cognitive skills which are required in order to understand the subject content and apply knowledge to answer questions on abstract situations. The language skills required in order to access these higher skills in science cause a barrier to learning along with other barriers such as a lack of motivation from learners who cannot see the relevance of science in their everyday lives. Applying the learning theories of Bloom, Piaget and Vygotsky can help schools to employ strategies to try to overcome these barriers. It is important that interventions such as CASE continue to be used as well as other strategies to encourage the uptake of science based subjects in further education especially by females. Science is difficult to learn; however this makes the sense of achievement, both as a teacher and a learner, even greater. Word Count: 3,999 References: Angus Council (2001) Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education. Monifieth High School, Angus. Last accessed on 28th December 2012 from http://www.cognitiveacceleration.co. uk/documents /ca_stories /secondary/developing_science_in_KS3.pdf Atherton, J. S., (2011) Learning and Teaching; Piagets developmental theory [Online] last accessed on 27 December 2012 from http://www.learningandteaching.info /learning/piaget.htm BBC News, 2005. Science dull and hard, pupils say. [Online] (Last updated 16th June 2005). Last accessed on 28 December 2012 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/ education/4100936.stm. Boekaerts, M., (2002). Motivation to learn. Educational practices-10. International Bureau of Education. Available at http://www.ibe.unesco.org. Capel, S., Leask, M., and Turner, T., (2009) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School. 5th Ed. Oxon: Routledge Chaiklin, S., (2003) Vygotskys educational theory in cultural context, Chapter 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Henderson, J., and Wellington, J., (1998) Lowering the language barrier in learning and teaching science. [pdf] School Science Review, 79(288). Last accessed on 28th December 2012 from https://www.ase.org.uk/journals//1998/3//SSR288Mar1998p25.pdf Johnstone, A. H., (1991), Why is science difficult to learn? Things are seldom what they seem. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 7, 75-83. Jones, M., and Gott, R., (1998): Cognitive acceleration through science education: alternative perspectives. International Journal of Science Education, 20:7, 755-768. McBer, H., (2000) Research into Teacher Effectiveness, A Model of Teacher Effectiveness. DfEE Research Report No216. Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from https://www.education.gov.uk/ publications/ eOrderingDownload/RR216.pdf. Orey, M., (2010). Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology. Switzerland: The Global Text Project. Retrieved from http://textbookequity.com/oct/Textbooks /Orey_ Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.pdf on 27th December 2012. Richardson, K., (n.d) Cognitive Development and Learning [online]. Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from midnightmelody.pbworks.com. Shayer, M., (1999) Cognitive acceleration through science education II: its effects and scope, International Journal of Science Education, 21:8, 883-902. Shayer, M., (2000) GCSE 1999: Added Value from schools adopting CASE intervention. Centre for the Advancement of Thinking, Kings College, London. Staver, J. R., (2007). Teaching Science. Educational practices-17. International Bureau of Education. Available at http://www.ibe.unesco.org Sullenger, K., (n.d) Fostering Higher Levels of Scientific Literacy: Confronting Potential Barriers to Science Understanding .University of New Brunswick. Appendix 1: Image taken from http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/languages-are-the-hardest-gcses-research-finds-13423306.html Appendix 2: Image taken from http://www.bio.unc.edu/Courses/2009Summer/Biol202/ Appendix 3: Image taken from http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/piaget.htm Appendix 4: Image taken from http://cadres.pepperdine.edu/omcadre6/BookProject/vygotsky.htm Appendix 5: Image taken from http://www.cognitiveacceleration.co.uk/documents/ca_stories /secondary/developing_science_in_KS3.pdf Bibliography Anon (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Book 1, Cognitive domain [online]. Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from http://centeach.uiowa.Edu/materials/Taxonomy%20of%20 Education%20Objectives.pdf Cimer, A., (2012) What makes biology learning difficult and effective: Students views. Educational Research and Reviews Vol. 7(3), pp. 61-71. Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR Jenkins, E. W., (2000) Changing science teachers work: a question of professionalism. School Science Review 81(297). Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from https://www.ase.org.uk/journals Palmer, A. J., (2001). Fifty Modern Thinkers on Education: From Piaget to the Present. London: Routlledge. Appendix 1 10 hardest GCSEs 1. Latin 2. German 3. Spanish 4. French 5. Statistics 6. Vocational engineering 7. Chemistry 8. Physics 9. Biology 10. IT Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Stages of Cognitive Development Stage Characterised by Sensori-motor (Birth-2 yrs) Differentiates self from objects Recognises self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally: e.g. pulls a string to set mobile in motion or shakes a rattle to make a noise Achieves object permanence: realises that things continue to exist even when no longer present to the sense (pace Bishop Berkeley) Pre-operational (2-7 years) Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and words Thinking is still egocentric: has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others Classifies objects by a single feature: e.g. groups together all the red blocks regardless of shape or all the square blocks regardless of colour Concrete operational (7-11 years) Can think logically about objects and events Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9) Classifies objects according to several features and can order them in series along a single dimension such as size. Formal operational (11 years and up) Can think logically about abstract propositions and test hypotheses systematically Becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future, and ideological problems Appendix 4 http://cadres.pepperdine.edu/omcadre6/BookProject/images/vyg1.gif

Essay --

It is almost impossible to describe the evolution of medieval Europe into the modern world without incorporating the social theory concepts. Social theorists Marx and Weber studied this development using the ideologies of the origins of modern capitalism and social inequality as Marx compares materialism with class struggle. The proletariat and bourgeoisie fall under two distinct groups: the workers and capitalists. In this paper, I will argue that both Weber and Marx have relatable accounts on the origins of capitalism and social inequality, but Weber’s explanations are ambivalently grounded in human, historical, and non-economic factors while Marx uses an explicit economic determinism approach and is sure of change through social persuasion. Weber Weber theorizes that cultural values enmeshed in the Protestant ethic, as expressed by 7th Century Puritans, hastened the establishment if modern capitalism. Weber unearths this ethic in the 18th century, when influential figures such as Benjamin Franklin exemplified that the ethic is no longer connected to salvation (Bailey & Gayle, 2003). Instead, the labor for money became completely comprehended as an end in itself. During Weber’s contemporary times, capitalism, now split of its linkage to Protestant values, manifested itself in a mandatory, socially-rooted system requiring everyone to participate in it or become excluded. Weber demonstrates this by referring to the 17th C ascetic protestant, who voluntarily ‘wanted’ to be an individual with a vocational calling, but today is forced to be (Weber, 1958). Marx Marx theorizes the origins of capitalism by explaining the alienated state of modern man through a focus on materialism. According to Marx, the system of production of mat... ...alues in their accounts, they vary in the way that they present their ideas to the audience, with Marx showing a firm economic deterministic approach while Weber is detached non-participant observer, tracing the root of capitalism to the Protestant religion. Weber explains the capitalist social class from the human psychological or motivational perspective while Marx focuses on the capabilities of the working class to bring change. For both these theorists, religion has a functional value for understanding and solving capitalism, but Weber, unlike Marx, sees it as the only cause for, and solution to modern capitalism. Using an economic principle approach, Marx asserts that modern capitalism polarizes social class relations between the elites and the working class but social persuasion in the latter can help form a post-capitalist socioeconomic environment.

Mya Angelou :: Essays Papers

Mya Angelou Toni Morrison, the first black woman to receive Nobel Prize in Literature, was born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931 in Lorain, Ohio, U.S.A. She was the second of four children of George Wofford, a shipyard welder and Ramah Willis Wofford. Her parents moved to Ohio from the South to escape racism and to find better opportunities in the North. Her father was a hardworking and dignified man. While the children were growing up, he worked three jobs at the same time for almost 17 years. He took a great deal of pride in the quality of his work, so that each time he welded a perfect seam he'd also weld his name onto the side of the ship. He also made sure to be well-dressed, even during the Depression. Her mother was a church-going woman and she sang in the choir. At home, Chloe heard many songs and tales of Southern black folklore. The Woffords were proud of their heritage. Lorain was a small industrial town populated with immigrant Europeans, Mexicans and Southern blacks who lived next to each other. Chloe attended an integrated school. In her first grade, she was the only black student in her class and the only one who could read. She was friends with many of her white schoolmates and did not encounter discrimination until she started dating. She hoped one day to become a dancer like her favorite ballerina, Maria Tallchief, and she also loved to read. Her early favorites were the Russian writers Tolstoy and Dostoyevski, French author Gustave Flaubert and English novelist Jane Austen. She was an excellent student and she graduated with honors from Lorain High School in 1949. Chloe Wofford then attended the prestigious Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in English with a minor in classics. Since many people couldn't pronounce her first name correctly, she changed it to Toni, a shortened version of her middle name. She joined a repertory company, the Howard University Players, with whom she made several tours of the South. She saw firsthand the life of the blacks there, the life her parents had escaped by moving north. Toni Wofford graduated from Howard University in 1953 with a B.A. in English. She then attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and received a master's degree in 1955. After graduating, Toni was offered a job at Texas Southern University in Houston, where she taught introductory English.