Educational Psychology study Essay

The study was done by Penny Clunies-Ross, Emma Little and Mandy Kienhuis, (2008). It is titled ‘Self-reported and actual use of proactive and reactive classroom management strategies and their relationship with teacher stress and student behavior’. The study was done with primary school teachers in Australia and examined the teachers’ self-report on the behavior management strategies that they use in the classroom and how these affect their stress level and the students’ behavior. The literature reviewed for this study discussed research done in four areas which were used as the theoretical base for the study. One is the level of disruptive behavior in schools. The second is the teacher stress and its causes. Third is the relationship between the two. And fourth is the type of classroom strategies that teachers use which are categorized as proactive and reactive. The proactive strategies have been described as a more positive approach that is preventive. The reactive strategies are more negative and remedial. The proactive strategies have been found to be more effective. This study therefore aims to â€Å"investigate the relationship between primary school teachers’ self-reported and actual use of management strategies, and to identify how the use of proactive and reactive strategies is related to teacher stress and student behavior†. The hypothesis was that using reactive strategies would result in higher levels of teacher stress and lower on-task behavior of the students. Also that using proactive strategies would result in lower levels of teacher stress and higher on-task behavior of the students. The sample was obtained by contacting principals of the schools. First convenience sampling was used, and then random phone calls to ensure that five schools from each district in Melbourne were included in the study. Data was collected by questionnaires to all teachers and observations of those who volunteered to participate. The data was collected and analyzed by SPSS. In general the results showed that hypothesis one was supported while hypothesis two was not supported. The study was generally well done. The literature review was comprehensive and discussed a wide range of studies from as early as 1986 to 2003, showing the range of research on the topic over the period of time. It was also well organized into sections. The sampling technique was straightforward. Persisting until each district was represented by five schools was good. However the final sample was ninety seven participants from twenty one schools. This means an average of less than five teachers from each school. It may have been better to have surveyed fewer schools but more teachers from each school. The culture of the school often affects teacher stress so that the small number of teachers from a large number of schools may not be reflective of the levels and causes of stress in any one of the schools. The effect of the classroom management strategies used in one school may not completely relate to the teacher stress at that school. The results were analyzed as one sample, rather than analysis by school. Therefore there is no examination of whether the difference in school culture, (if in fact any differences exist) affected the study. However, the study did an analysis of the multivariate effects of gender, level of qualifications and years of teaching experience and found that they were not predictors of teacher stress. These are important variables to include as possible effectors of teacher stress. The study presented a lot of detail on the sample and the materials. However there should have been more detail on the procedure- how exactly were the observations set up and carried out. The report only says â€Å"After the 30-minute observation had been conducted in the teacher’s classroom, observation and questionnaire data were matched using the four-digit code†. The analysis of data was another section that was well presented. This section was again well organized into sub- sections which made reading and following the results much easier. All the data were represented by well-laid out and well- labeled tables which were easy to read. This structure was repeated even in the discussion so that the reader was able to follow the analysis of the results and the discussion for each research question or issue. That was in fact one of the key aspects that made this study encouraging to read- that the subsections were repeated in each part of the study- literature review, data analysis and discussion. An important aspect of this study was the use of both questionnaires (self-report) for teacher behavior and observations. It was significant to educational research on the whole to examine the relationship between the two, since generally self-reports alone cannot be relied upon for accurate measures of behavior. The significant positive correlation between the teachers’ reported use of strategies, both proactive and reactive, and what the researchers observed helps to make self-reports a more reliable tool in educational research. The study ends with two important sections- methodological limitations and suggestions for further research. Discussions in these two sections show the researchers’ awareness of the limitations of the study despite the fact that it is a good piece of research and it helps the reader to understand why certain things were not done in a particular way. One example is this study is the mention that the sampling though it seemed random in fact was not completely random as the teachers who volunteered for the study may be teachers who are not particularly stressed, or that the stressed teachers may not have been so willing to participate. Secondly the number of teachers volunteering to be observed was quite small. The study does not mention the actual number. A section that I would have liked to see included in this study was one on ethical considerations. In general the study was a useful one, well conducted and reported. It investigated the effect of proactive and reactive strategies as classroom management techniques on teachers’ stress levels. The study did in fact find that the use of proactive strategies had less effect on teachers’ stress. This would be the most important benefit to teachers to help them to keep the stress of teaching to a minimum. They could be encouraged by these results to focus on implementing activities in the classroom that would prevent classroom disruptions, rather than having to use their attention and energy intervening in classroom disruptions and losing teaching time. The study also looked at the effect of these strategies on students’ on-task behavior, and again found that the proactive strategies fostered more on-task behavior. This is also useful to the teachers to keep students focused on their work and lessen the disruptions in the classroom. Reference Clunies-Ross, P. , Little, E. and Kienhuis, M. (2008) Self-reported and actual use of proactive and reactive classroom management strategies and their relationship with teacher stress and student behavior, Educational Psychology, 28:6,693 — 710

Epsteins Essay

We must all acknowledge and adhere to the feeling of boredom, as we have all felt its distinct dampness in some form or another. Epstein’s essay â€Å"Duh, Bor-ing† is able to capture and enforce its ideologies through direct references and quotations; with a little education and perseverance you are able to decipher and put meaning behind the unique examples he portrays in his writing. Epstein starts his essay with â€Å"Somewhere I have read that boredom is the torment of hell that Dante Forgot† (Epstein 1). In using this quote from Albert Speer we really get the feeling that boredom is unbeneficial and in fact tormenting at times. As many will agree with that statement, Epstein further goes on to say â€Å"When bored, time slows drastically, the world seems logy and without promise, and reality itself can grow shadowy and vague† (Epstein 2). There again giving you the feeling that boredom can cause you to perceive time differently and cause life to become dark and gloomy at times. He does a great job incorporating these quotes into his writing to really back the feeling that we carry towards boredom. We have all felt the negative vibes portrayed from boredom and many of us try to avoid them at all costs. Being able to form my own opinions, judgments and thoughts on the subject allows Epstein’s essay to be easily relatable and interesting to read. Epstein further allows you to connect with the text by particularizing on the different types of boredom perceived. Situational Boredom, in which he relates to a â€Å"dull sermon† (Epstein 1) and existential boredom caused by modern culture. Epstein lets us ponder the thought that maybe our own modern culture is to blame for boredom. He elaborates that boredom is often less pervasive in simpler cultures â€Å"One hears little of boredom among the pygmies or the Trobriand Islanders, whose energies are taken up with the problems of mere existence† (Epstein 2). With everything becoming increasingly more technological and people able to live easier, longer and healthier lives maybe we create our own boredom through modern society. He also refutes existential boredom in saying â€Å"Even animals know boredom, we are told, though they are deprived of the ability to complain directly about it† (Epstein 1). An animal at most represents the closest thing to be at its core un-modernized. Although deprived from the ability to complain about it, animals symbolize pure primal instinct and yet are affected by boredom just alike. Naturally boredom has a negative stigma wrapped around it but as Toohey suggests â€Å"Boredom is good for us†¦ Boredom can function as a warning sign†¦telling those who suffer unduly from it that they need to change their lives† (Epstein 5). Epstein’s allowing that negative stigma to be refuted upon and replaced with that of a greater self-perception. That maybe boredom is a self-defense mechanism or a symptom in reaction to your own life struggles and yet curable. Epstein constant analytical approach to the advantages and disadvantages of boredom helps make this essay work in building credibility to the fact that he’s not one-sided or condensed. He capitalizes on the indifferences boredom promotes and truly tries to look at the subject from all angles and sides drawing power and reason from multiple sources and references. Overall with the use of distinct wordy visuals and references Epstein able to make his writing work in that of capturing his readers and allowing them to form their own interpretation on the matter.

Love Module Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Love Module Two - Essay Example In order to solve the main problem (financial constraints), the company weighs the following options: joint venturing, borrowing and cutting the internal costs. The best solution of the three alternatives is to create a network of the clinics which were operating on the nearby. This is because; by having multiple clinics reduces the risk factors associated with financial constraints. The last case pertain the former CEO of Autumn Park disability. Mildred was complaining that the company was discriminating her because of her disability. The current CEO Douglas had to find a way out in order to get rid of her. First, Douglas gave her a copy to check in 30 days the way she was allocated time for her care. Secondly he visited CCRC in order to seek advice and lastly, the company had a dialogue with Ombudsman in order to look for a solution (Thomson and Robert 1987). The solutions I would have proposed to the Chief Executive Officer of the company are: to seek court advice, the executives should try to seek help from Mildred’s family members, and the last solution which I would propose is to remove her by force. The alternatives would be applicable to the company so that the company can get rid of Mildred who had turned to be stubborn to everyone in the company. The solutions would provide a permanent solution to the

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 2

International Business - Essay Example For Coca-Cola, it meant duplicating a substantial part of its value-creation process—from product formulation to marketing and delivery—throughout the world. Intel’s global competitive advantage is based on attaining technological leadership and preferred component supplier status on a global basis. For a midsize company, it may mean setting up a host of small foreign subsidiaries and forging numerous alliances. For still others, it may mean something entirely different (De Kluyver & Pearce, 2006). Thus, although it is tempting to think of global strategy in universal terms, globalization is a highly company-and industry-specific issue. It forces a company to rethink its strategic intent, global architecture, core competencies, and entire current product and service mix. For many companies, the outcome demands dramatic changes in the way they do business—with whom, how, and why. In the study of management, it is already a common knowledge that it involves four basic functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling resources (land, labour, capital, and information) to efficiently reach a company’s goals. Controlling is the fourth basic managerial function. In management, controlling means monitoring a firm’s progress toward meeting its organizational goals and objectives, resetting the course if goals or objectives change in response to shifting conditions, and correcting deviations if goals or objectives are not being attained. Managers should strive to maintain a high level of quality—a measure of how closely goods or services conform to predetermined standards and customer expectations. Many firms control for quality through a four-step cycle that involves all levels of management and all employees. In the first step, top managers set standards, or criteria for measuring the performance of the organization as a whole. At the same time, middle

Period of adolescence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Period of adolescence - Assignment Example Adolescents via social interaction become great communicators, however they may experience issues completely grasping grown-up interchanges in light of the fact that the social (and sociocultural) universe of a pre-adult is still altogether different from that of a grown-up in our general public. We as grown-ups must fare thee well to be particular and demonstrate what we mean when we correspond with young people, making a point to pick our words such that they fit into a connection that is compelling to the pre-adult (Karpov, 2005). Vygostsky and Neo-Vygotsky contend that adolescence stage is described by time of numerous conceivable outcomes in that they have a conviction that they have great open doors to live great lives than their guardians did. Moreover, rising grown-ups have a solid feeling of character toward oneself in that they have to build adoring and private associations with those individuals around them. Further, accomplishment in their professions prompts feeling of any expectation of brilliant future while disappointment is connected with confinement and forlornness (Karpov, 2005). The relationship between an associates and tyke is fundamental throughout this period on the grounds that as a distinct movements from the part of subordinate to expect the part of a grown-up, the motion of the family changes. Consequently, folks ought to acknowledge the status of their youngster as a grown-up. An alternate imperative characteristic of this period is that junior grown-ups regularly create the inclination of definition toward oneself and lost-personality (Karpov, 2005). Vygotsky demands we think about the sociocultural connection of taking in and natures turf outside of school, the framework around the immature as he or she experiences cognitive improvement. In the event that a secondary school scholar hails from a

The Russian-speaking communities in Portland and NorthWest Pacific Research Paper

The Russian-speaking communities in Portland and NorthWest Pacific - Research Paper Example The Russian Americans are currently reported to be about three million currently. Most Russian Americans no longer speak Russian. This is because they are born and raised by English-speaking Russian American parents. Statistics however suggest that by the year 2007, Russian was the principal language used by about eight hundred thousand Americans based on U.S. census results in that year (Spickard 2007). Further statistics by the Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard submit that by 1990 there were over seven hundred thousand ethnic Russian Americans in the U.S.A. The Ukrainians and Carpatho-Rusyns who trace their ancestry to Carpathian Ruthenia in the 19th century and early 20th century also identify themselves as Russian Americans. The recent emigres often refer to these people as the starozhili which when translated means â€Å"old residents†. These â€Å"old residents† were most instrumental in establishing the Russian Orthodoxy religion in America (Marrows 1997). These ethnic Russian Americans have in the recent decades been assimilated into the American society and culture but their ethnic traditions are still very much alive and are observable primarily around the Russian Orthodox Church. 3. ... The first wave begun around the 18th century during which time the Russians who were expanding their territory begun venturing into northwest America areas in search of furs. Fort Ross was established in 1812 by members of the Russian American company (Marrows 1997). This was where they established a hunting and trading company. This company was wholly owned by Russia’s elite society referred to as the tsar. This company had been in business for about a century before the fort was built. The conditions that necessitated the immigrations of the Russian Jews in the 1800’s were quite squalid and could be compared to Ireland’s â€Å"throes of famine†. There abodes were sparsely furnished and overly crowded with sickly elderly relatives and malnourished children who had to share meager rations of food. Some of the areas were so devastatingly poor that residents had to make do with bread and water. In areas such as Galicia for instance, many Jews starved to deat h annually. Basic human rights such as the freedom of worship and legal autonomy of citizens were revoked prompting the emigration by the Russian Jews. For most of the peasant Jewish immigrants, the journey to America was extremely trying and quite a life threatening adventure. The steamships they used to cross were rather small and large numbers of these poor Russian Jews were crammed into the limited space. The conditions in the ships were despicable and these travelers had to contend with little rations of food and disease (Spickard 2007). The normal procedure was that the husband went to America and got a job after which he would save up and send for his wife and children back

Learning Summary (HRM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learning Summary (HRM) - Essay Example Behavioral Performance Evaluation is measured by determining the quantity of exertion on the job, reliability, faithfulness, motivation, and quality of service of an individual. Goal accomplishment for short term is less preferred, whereas, long term personal growth and customer relationships and rising market share (Cascio, W; 2006) are given importance. Since goals are not quantifiable, employees cannot be compared with each other. Utilization of compulsory distributions inflicts evaluations that are wrong. Focus on employee's activities will record effectual and unproductive incidents. Evaluation of performance for individual objects and goals can be equated against other employees' performance. It depends on an employee's contribution towards the accomplishment of a unit or organization. Although this appraisal is based on short term goals, it leads towards organizational performance. Alternatively rating established on individual's conducts can help the individual's growth but w ill be subjective and lengthy. Evaluation of a workers' job on attitude, behavior and personality are important in their growth within the organization. The results on objectives are not the capacity of the individual, for the outcome may be good or bad. When an employee works to achieve his targets he may not accomplish it due to lack of training, support, motivation etc. These factors impact on the employee's performance rating and competencies count in team work, guidance etc. They are intangible and can be divided as doing the right thing, dependability and accountability behaviors, integrity, eagerness to learn and innovate, openness to change and adaptability, quality-centric, and teamwork. Assessment on this and the feedback will help him to have the desired orientation. 3. Which career management perspective most resembles your current work place (individuals focusing on themselves, organization focus on individuals or organizations focusing on themselves) Please explain and provide some examples. Career has a crucial role to play in every employee's life. He may try every chance to succeed. The success will force him to acquire new skills. Organizations try to retain these skilled employees, so that they will leave not leave them seeking other prospects. Our organization focuses on individual's career and job satisfaction, and we are mentored and tailored to its culture and practices through apt training implemented from the start of our career. General Electric use mentoring practice of reverse mentoring, through the interaction between young subordinates with older superiors to acquire skill, and knowledge Informationsystems.and electronic commerce (Cascio, 2006). Policies of promotion and motivation aid the employees to handle their careers and ambitions. Organizations promote employees considering their performance levels. Our organization does not hire employees from outside for higher positions, so that our chances are not lost. This policy recognizes our performance an d makes us motivated. Our