Nonverbal Communication

Introduction The saying goes, â€Å"Look into a person’s eyes, and you will see their soul. † But what is it about the eyes that hold so much? Why do the eyes embrace so much emotion, so many feelings? The eyes, along with other body aspects, are able to communicate to people in ways our words cannot, for â€Å"eye contact is an invitation to communicate. If you look directly into a person’s eyes, [†¦] they will respond in some manner† (Andersen, 2004).Albert Mehrabian (1967) stated that 55% of communication is body language, 38% of communication is tonality, and 7% of communication is the actual words that are spoken (Misunderstanding Section, line 2). Altogether, 93% of communication is unspoken words – what we use to give or withhold meaning from our words. Communication is a complicated, ongoing process of sending and receiving messages. These messages provide both implicit and explicit interpretations depending on the synchrony between the spoken word and the body language associated with it.Body language is defined as â€Å"the gestures, movements, and mannerisms by which a person or animal communicates with others† (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Knowing 93% of communication lies in unspoken word, teachers must put forth an effort to communicate through their actions and tone of voice, â€Å"Teachers should be aware of nonverbal communication in the classroom for two basic reasons: to become better receivers of students' messages and to gain the ability to send positive signals that reinforce students' learning while simultaneously becoming more skilled at avoiding negative signals that stifle their learning† (Miller, 2005).Teachers need to be more concerned about their teaching-learning situations because â€Å"the pattern of behavior of the teacher affects the pattern of behavior of the learner† (Clark, 1978). With this, teachers must focus on changing the learner’s behavior by changing their own behavior. By paying attention to nonverbal communication, teachers can better manage their classroom and the learners in that environment. One major aspect of body language is eye contact, â€Å"When you fail to make eye contact with someone, you are treating her or him as a nonperson and inviting that person to  not  communicate† (Andersen, 2004, p. 6). Teachers know that students respond to how they treat them. Therefore, when they choose to interact with them, they can help regulate behaviors by maintaining eye contact. In fact, eye contact from the teacher is the most important nonverbal behavior, for â€Å"eye contact shows confidence, controls classroom interaction, and enables teachers to read the body language of their students. [†¦] Increasing [†¦] eye contact dramatically improves motivation in the learning process† (Andersen, 2004, p. 42). Review of Literature In 1507, Leonardo da Vinci revealed his now legendary painting  Mona Lisa.Sent ence and Verbal CommunicationStudied by many and known by all, this painting was the first study to look at body language. It intrigues so many people because the painting is so complex, just like body language. The most interesting aspect of this painting is Mona’s smile. This smile portrays more than just one emotion. In addition, Mona’s gaze follows the viewer no matter the angle she is viewed from. There are many meanings and emotions hidden in this picture and that is why it arguably is the best-known painting in the world (Riding, 2005, lines 4-6).In his book,  The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin (1872) looked at how our emotions express our feelings and thoughts. Through his many studies, Darwin was able to prove that our expressions of emotions portray more than words. Darwin studied the eyes, nose, arms, voice, and many other body features in order to verify a correlation between body language and others’ perceptions. Oft en, our facial features correlate with our tone of voice in order to express a certain feeling, â€Å"The pitch of the voice bears some relation to certain states of feeling is tolerably clear† (Darwin, 1872, p. 03). This being true, one can easily sense another’s emotion, such as high spirits, by simply focusing on the unspoken word: A [person] in high spirits, though [he/she] may not actually smile, commonly exhibits some tendency to the retraction of the corners of his mouth. From the excitement of pleasure, the circulation becomes more rapid; the eyes are bright, and the colour of the face rises. The brain, being stimulated by the increased flow of blood, reacts on the mental powers; lively ideas pass still more rapidly through the mind, and the affections are warmed (Darwin, 1872, p. 696-697).Darwin claims that our emotions are intricately intertwined with our whole body. Our emotions, mind, and body work as one to send signals to other people. People use body lan guage to help drive interaction and keep others engaged. But what happens when our body language is not the same â€Å"language† as someone from another country? This poses a problem not only in society but in classrooms as well. Teachers are being asked more and more to create an atmosphere of inclusivity in order to accommodate for diverse populations including gender, ethnicity, religion, and ability. Debra Pitton et. al. 1993) stated teachers have a responsibility to provide the best possible educational experience day to day and this experience must include body language for many reasons: By incorporating the study of nonverbal messages into pre-service studies, teachers will more readily be able to help students become cognizant of culture, ethnicity, and gender as important variables in everyday life. This will also help students, as they will benefit from an increased appreciation of diversity when they assume their future roles as parents, teachers, community leaders , co-workers, employers, and citizens.An inclusive education should facilitate the changes in climate necessary to ensure ongoing change, and knowledge of culturally specific nonverbal communication patterns can enhance this process (p. 2). Teachers’ goals are to help their students be active participants in their community and in society. In order to do so, students must be able to understand verbal and nonverbal communication signals as they relate from one person and one context to the next. Nonverbal relates to the unspoken word and a means to send messages that are â€Å"not sanctioned for verbal delivery by our culture† (Wiemann, 1975).As humans, we have a particular strength to respond quickly and unconsciously pick up clues to other’s nonverbal behavior so that we can respond and react; however, we are culture-bound in what we see and can interpret those behaviors incorrectly depending on our background and experiences (Cohen, 1971). Nonverbal behavior i s difficult to control or to censor. Nonverbal behavior comes naturally to an individual based on true emotions, feelings, and culture – it is less likely to be deceptive as verbal communication can be (Galloway, 1993).With this, there seems to be a necessity for teachers to have complete control over their nonverbal behaviors in order to communicate to their students effectively. Students read more from their teacher’s body language than they do their actual words. In fact, most teachers â€Å"are not aware of the ways in which they transmit nonverbal messages to pupils. Classroom culture has its own nonverbal language and pupils absorb its nuances along with the spoken language† (Spanjer, 1972). Peter Andersen (2004) claims immediacy behaviors, hich â€Å"signal approach and availability, and send warm, stimulating messages to other people,† help teachers develop a positive relationship with their students. Some immediacy behaviors include touching, smi ling, nodding, facing others, showing relaxation, leaning toward others, and synchronizing our conversations; however, in the classroom, the most important immediacy behavior is eye contact, â€Å"Teacher eye contact shows confidence, controls classroom interaction, and enables teachers to read the body language of their students† (Andersen, 2004).Being able to read body language gives teachers an advantage at recognizing their students’ true emotions, enabling the teacher to be more effective on a minute-to-minute basis. By increasing immediacy behaviors, students’ motivation in the learning process dramatically improves (Andersen, 2004). Teachers need to be aware of immediacy behaviors, such as eye contact, in order to help their students’ succeed in the classroom and, ultimately, outside of the classroom. When it comes to motivating students to complete their work, nonverbal behavior is a prime factor in teacher effectiveness. Research studies [across K-college] found that learners at all levels reacted more favorably to teachers who used nonverbal immediacy cues. [†¦] Increasing immediacy behaviors dramatically improves students’ motivation† (Goman, 2008). Andersen (2004) concluded people trust body language over the spoken word (p. 14).People trust body language because it is spontaneous, multi-channeled, and possesses redundant qualities that make it very hard to completely fake (Andersen, 2004). This is applied in classrooms as well. Students rely on the teacher’s body language in order to interpret the meaning of their words; however, teachers are not well educated in the area of body language. No prerequisite courses are offered to teachers during their undergraduate/graduate years that help prepare them in nonverbal communication because it is still a largely unexplored area (Ligons, 1973).Teachers must be aware of nonverbal communication in their classrooms because â€Å"nonverbal communication i s the medium through which relationships are maintained, regulated, and guided within culturally-prescribed patterns† (Grove, 1976). Focusing on professional success in the classroom is crucial, especially at a changing time in education’s history with the passing of the Budget Bill by Governor Walker, â€Å"At a time when it is widely recognized that professional success is achieved with or through other people, the power of, nd the need for, good interpersonal skills couldn’t be greater† (Goman, 2008). Method The examination underlying this paper is a better understanding of how adverse nonverbal behavior (in relation to the spoken word) will, ultimately, negatively impact students emotionally, behaviorally, and academically that teachers find as â€Å"problem students,† â€Å"different,† and/or â€Å"difficult. This investigation began with the articleThe Nonverbal Advantage  (Goman, 2008) and the evidence of increasing student motivati on and success in the classroom by changing behavior. Understanding the importance of body language in the classroom setting provided a pathway of inquiry related to immediacy behaviors, student motivation/success, and the classroom teacher of the 21st  century. This included reviewing research and articles from different time periods, even dating back to the late 19th  century.The information gathered proved the lack of current research existing in relation to nonverbal communication in a classroom setting; however, after reading multiple examples that verify the significance body language has in relation to student achievement, information regarding nonverbal behavior and its correlation to student motivation and achievement is imperative to know in order to progress not only certain classrooms but also schools as a whole.A short survey of nine multiple choice questions and one open-ended question (optional to answer) focused on teachers’ views of nonverbal behavior in the profession of teaching and working with children. The survey also provided information regarding their awareness of their own nonverbal behavior along with their thoughts on the ability to change their nonverbal behavior.The purpose of this research was to aid in providing valuable information to serve as a guide for teachers and administrators on how to change their behavior in order to change their students’ behavior and, ultimately, improve student achievement and motivation as well as schools’ success. Nonverbal communication pertains to the course of communication that involves the transfer and receipt of messages that are not related to the use of words (Knapp and Hall, 2007).   The messages transferred to the listener are generally associated with body language, as well as gestures, posture, external appearance or clothing, facial manifestations and even hairstyles.   Nonverbal communication is thus strongly influenced by visual messages which symbolize particular meanings to the listener.   Other paralanguage forms of nonverbal communication include the quality of the speaker’s voice and his style of speaking.   It should be noted that any features related to stress and rhythm of the speaker’s voice may also influence how a listener receives a speaker’s message. In the workplace, nonverbal communications play an important role in the interactions among co-workers, as well as the interrelationship between supervisor and his subordinate.   It is well known that the employees at a workplace need to work together and cooperate in order to achieve the status of a productive company.   Cooperation and harmony are thus closely related to the trust and confidence of each employee to himself and to his co-workers and these factors are often influenced by both verbal and nonverbal communications among individuals in the workplace (Ottenheimer, 2007). It should be understood that even if the right phrases and words were expressed by an individual, the actual message of the spoken words and sentences are often changed by the accompanying nonverbal signals that the speaker is showing to the listener.   These nonverbal signs may or may not be consciously being shown yet it is a fact that these nonverbal signs often modify the message that is sent out to the listener. a)   In a meeting at my workplace, our supervisor was suggesting some changes to the organization and functioning of our small company.   Changes in our company are not a common occurrence, hence there was some shock among the members of the workplace as soon as the supervisor mentioned about the plan of modifying particular functions of specific members of the office.   I noticed that our supervisor was a bit uptight while he was proceeding to describe the changes that he would implement at the workplace. His voice was a bit hard and had a lower tone, which I usually do not hear during regular peaceful workdays.   In addition, the supervisor was sweating in his forehead hence this gave me two impressions.   Firstly, he was nervous, possibly because he knew that the topic he was discussing with the members of the workforce was not the best topic to talk about.   Secondly, I felt that our supervisor was not sure about his plan and he just wants to try out this new plan in order to determine whether this plan is indeed the right action to perform in order to solve the problem.   On the other hand, my co-workers were quiet while listening to our supervisor and there was not a single smile or voice from my co-workers. b)   When our supervisor finished explaining his plan of changing specific functions of particular individuals in our workplace, there were contradictions that came from some members of the office.   One co-worker asked why our supervisor came up with this plan. However, I also noticed that this particular co-worker gave out his question with a low voice, too, just the same as our supervisor and this low voice made me feel that our co-worker was not pleased and was actually upset over the changes that the supervisor was planning to implement.   At this point, the supervisor tried to explain his side of the plan with a normal pitched voice and this made our co-worker listen and understand why such changes would be implemented in our workplace, and that is to increase the sales of the company. c)   Nonverbal communications strongly influence the success or failure of communications because it provides additional senses and emotions to the messages that are being exchanged between individuals, including the sense of sight and even sound (Hargie and Dickson, 2004).   For example, it is easier to talk to a person who speaks in a soft voice than deal with a person who speaks with a very loud voice. d)   The use words in communication often involves meanings hence individuals should be careful with their choice of words because there a certain words that are linked to denotations or connotations.   For example, if a co-worker calls a female co-worker a queen, this may either mean that she is very productive and knowledgeable at work, or this may mean that she is only good for bossing people around.   Hence the use of words may be tricky and an individual should be cautious when describing specific individuals and issues at the workplace. e)   An effective listening technique that may be employed by a manager is to carry an attentive facial expression while hearing out a subordinate’s message.   In addition, a manager may also try to nod to the employee every now and then, in order to let the employee feel that he is welcome to express his ideas and concerns to his supervisor.   The nodding of the manager does not mean that he agrees to everything that the subordinate says, but it means that he is listening to what the subordinate is saying. Conclusion:   Nonverbal communication is generally associated with body language, gestures and posture as well as paralanguage forms that influence the success or failure of exchanges between individuals because it provides additional senses and emotions to the messages that are being sent out to other individuals.   Nonverbal communications play an important role in the interactions among co-workers, as well as the interrelationship between supervisor and his subordinate because it positive communications promote cooperation and harmony between individuals. Reference Hargie O and Dickson D   (2004): Skilled interpersonal communication: Research, theory and practice. Hove: Routledge Publishers. Knapp ML and Hall JA (2007): Nonverbal communication in human interaction, 5th ed. Wadsworth: Thomas Learning. Ottenheimer HJ (2007):   The anthropology of language: An introduction to linguistic anthropology, Kansas State: Thomson Wadsworth.                         Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication is a very large part of human communication behavior. The types of nonverbal communication can range from a simple smile to an obvious avoidance of eye contact, but each behavior carries a direct message that can be understood by all the individuals in a public communication situation. Nonverbal communication, for use in this analysis, is defined by Canary and Dindia (1998) as the form of communication that does not include words; messages expressed by nonlinguistic means, people s actions or attributes, including their use of objects, sounds, time and space, that have socially shared significance and stimulate meaning in others (Canary &Dindia, 1998). Nonverbal communication plays a role in all communication: it is impossible to communicate without sending out nonverbal clues. These clues help others determine the truth behind one’s words and their true feelings. Nonverbal communication is a powerful form of communication in that it expresses and reveals attitudes and attributes that may not be expressed by the words spoken. Through my own observation of a public communication situation, a set of rules for nonverbal communication for that situation was determined, yet it varied according to age and gender. Nonverbal communication rules may differ according to the situation.Sentence and Verbal Communication An individuals actions are different when riding on the subway than their actions when getting acquainted at the local pub. Actions when riding in an elevator may be perceived very differently when doing business at a post office. This analysis does not assume or argue that the rules for nonverbal communication are the same for every public communication situation. Rather, each situation has its own set of rules for nonverbal behavior, and the observation and experience of each situation determines its set of rules. Nonverbal communication pertains to the course of communication that involves the transfer and receipt of messages that are not related to the use of words (Knapp and Hall, 2007).   The messages transferred to the listener are generally associated with body language, as well as gestures, posture, external appearance or clothing, facial manifestations and even hairstyles.   Nonverbal communication is thus strongly influenced by visual messages which symbolize particular meanings to the listener.   Other paralanguage forms of nonverbal communication include the quality of the speaker’s voice and his style of speaking.   It should be noted that any features related to stress and rhythm of the speaker’s voice may also influence how a listener receives a speaker’s message. In the workplace, nonverbal communications play an important role in the interactions among co-workers, as well as the interrelationship between supervisor and his subordinate.   It is well known that the employees at a workplace need to work together and cooperate in order to achieve the status of a productive company.   Cooperation and harmony are thus closely related to the trust and confidence of each employee to himself and to his co-workers and these factors are often influenced by both verbal and nonverbal communications among individuals in the workplace (Ottenheimer, 2007). It should be understood that even if the right phrases and words were expressed by an individual, the actual message of the spoken words and sentences are often changed by the accompanying nonverbal signals that the speaker is showing to the listener.   These nonverbal signs may or may not be consciously being shown yet it is a fact that these nonverbal signs often modify the message that is sent out to the listener. a)   In a meeting at my workplace, our supervisor was suggesting some changes to the organization and functioning of our small company.   Changes in our company are not a common occurrence, hence there was some shock among the members of the workplace as soon as the supervisor mentioned about the plan of modifying particular functions of specific members of the office.   I noticed that our supervisor was a bit uptight while he was proceeding to describe the changes that he would implement at the workplace. His voice was a bit hard and had a lower tone, which I usually do not hear during regular peaceful workdays.   In addition, the supervisor was sweating in his forehead hence this gave me two impressions.   Firstly, he was nervous, possibly because he knew that the topic he was discussing with the members of the workforce was not the best topic to talk about.   Secondly, I felt that our supervisor was not sure about his plan and he just wants to try out this new plan in order to determine whether this plan is indeed the right action to perform in order to solve the problem.   On the other hand, my co-workers were quiet while listening to our supervisor and there was not a single smile or voice from my co-workers. b)   When our supervisor finished explaining his plan of changing specific functions of particular individuals in our workplace, there were contradictions that came from some members of the office.   One co-worker asked why our supervisor came up with this plan. However, I also noticed that this particular co-worker gave out his question with a low voice, too, just the same as our supervisor and this low voice made me feel that our co-worker was not pleased and was actually upset over the changes that the supervisor was planning to implement.   At this point, the supervisor tried to explain his side of the plan with a normal pitched voice and this made our co-worker listen and understand why such changes would be implemented in our workplace, and that is to increase the sales of the company. c)   Nonverbal communications strongly influence the success or failure of communications because it provides additional senses and emotions to the messages that are being exchanged between individuals, including the sense of sight and even sound (Hargie and Dickson, 2004).   For example, it is easier to talk to a person who speaks in a soft voice than deal with a person who speaks with a very loud voice. d)   The use words in communication often involves meanings hence individuals should be careful with their choice of words because there a certain words that are linked to denotations or connotations.   For example, if a co-worker calls a female co-worker a queen, this may either mean that she is very productive and knowledgeable at work, or this may mean that she is only good for bossing people around.   Hence the use of words may be tricky and an individual should be cautious when describing specific individuals and issues at the workplace. e)   An effective listening technique that may be employed by a manager is to carry an attentive facial expression while hearing out a subordinate’s message.   In addition, a manager may also try to nod to the employee every now and then, in order to let the employee feel that he is welcome to express his ideas and concerns to his supervisor.   The nodding of the manager does not mean that he agrees to everything that the subordinate says, but it means that he is listening to what the subordinate is saying. Conclusion:   Nonverbal communication is generally associated with body language, gestures and posture as well as paralanguage forms that influence the success or failure of exchanges between individuals because it provides additional senses and emotions to the messages that are being sent out to other individuals.   Nonverbal communications play an important role in the interactions among co-workers, as well as the interrelationship between supervisor and his subordinate because it positive communications promote cooperation and harmony between individuals. Reference Hargie O and Dickson D   (2004): Skilled interpersonal communication: Research, theory and practice. Hove: Routledge Publishers. Knapp ML and Hall JA (2007): Nonverbal communication in human interaction, 5th ed. Wadsworth: Thomas Learning. Ottenheimer HJ (2007):   The anthropology of language: An introduction to linguistic anthropology, Kansas State: Thomson Wadsworth.                         Nonverbal Communication Introduction The saying goes, â€Å"Look into a person’s eyes, and you will see their soul. † But what is it about the eyes that hold so much? Why do the eyes embrace so much emotion, so many feelings? The eyes, along with other body aspects, are able to communicate to people in ways our words cannot, for â€Å"eye contact is an invitation to communicate. If you look directly into a person’s eyes, [†¦] they will respond in some manner† (Andersen, 2004).Albert Mehrabian (1967) stated that 55% of communication is body language, 38% of communication is tonality, and 7% of communication is the actual words that are spoken (Misunderstanding Section, line 2). Altogether, 93% of communication is unspoken words – what we use to give or withhold meaning from our words. Communication is a complicated, ongoing process of sending and receiving messages. These messages provide both implicit and explicit interpretations depending on the synchrony between the spoken word and the body language associated with it.Body language is defined as â€Å"the gestures, movements, and mannerisms by which a person or animal communicates with others† (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Knowing 93% of communication lies in unspoken word, teachers must put forth an effort to communicate through their actions and tone of voice, â€Å"Teachers should be aware of nonverbal communication in the classroom for two basic reasons: to become better receivers of students' messages and to gain the ability to send positive signals that reinforce students' learning while simultaneously becoming more skilled at avoiding negative signals that stifle their learning† (Miller, 2005).Teachers need to be more concerned about their teaching-learning situations because â€Å"the pattern of behavior of the teacher affects the pattern of behavior of the learner† (Clark, 1978). With this, teachers must focus on changing the learner’s behavior by changing their own behavior. By paying attention to nonverbal communication, teachers can better manage their classroom and the learners in that environment. One major aspect of body language is eye contact, â€Å"When you fail to make eye contact with someone, you are treating her or him as a nonperson and inviting that person to  not  communicate† (Andersen, 2004, p. 6). Teachers know that students respond to how they treat them. Therefore, when they choose to interact with them, they can help regulate behaviors by maintaining eye contact. In fact, eye contact from the teacher is the most important nonverbal behavior, for â€Å"eye contact shows confidence, controls classroom interaction, and enables teachers to read the body language of their students. [†¦] Increasing [†¦] eye contact dramatically improves motivation in the learning process† (Andersen, 2004, p. 42). Review of Literature In 1507, Leonardo da Vinci revealed his now legendary painting  Mona Lisa.Sent ence and Verbal CommunicationStudied by many and known by all, this painting was the first study to look at body language. It intrigues so many people because the painting is so complex, just like body language. The most interesting aspect of this painting is Mona’s smile. This smile portrays more than just one emotion. In addition, Mona’s gaze follows the viewer no matter the angle she is viewed from. There are many meanings and emotions hidden in this picture and that is why it arguably is the best-known painting in the world (Riding, 2005, lines 4-6).In his book,  The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin (1872) looked at how our emotions express our feelings and thoughts. Through his many studies, Darwin was able to prove that our expressions of emotions portray more than words. Darwin studied the eyes, nose, arms, voice, and many other body features in order to verify a correlation between body language and others’ perceptions. Oft en, our facial features correlate with our tone of voice in order to express a certain feeling, â€Å"The pitch of the voice bears some relation to certain states of feeling is tolerably clear† (Darwin, 1872, p. 03). This being true, one can easily sense another’s emotion, such as high spirits, by simply focusing on the unspoken word: A [person] in high spirits, though [he/she] may not actually smile, commonly exhibits some tendency to the retraction of the corners of his mouth. From the excitement of pleasure, the circulation becomes more rapid; the eyes are bright, and the colour of the face rises. The brain, being stimulated by the increased flow of blood, reacts on the mental powers; lively ideas pass still more rapidly through the mind, and the affections are warmed (Darwin, 1872, p. 696-697).Darwin claims that our emotions are intricately intertwined with our whole body. Our emotions, mind, and body work as one to send signals to other people. People use body lan guage to help drive interaction and keep others engaged. But what happens when our body language is not the same â€Å"language† as someone from another country? This poses a problem not only in society but in classrooms as well. Teachers are being asked more and more to create an atmosphere of inclusivity in order to accommodate for diverse populations including gender, ethnicity, religion, and ability. Debra Pitton et. al. 1993) stated teachers have a responsibility to provide the best possible educational experience day to day and this experience must include body language for many reasons: By incorporating the study of nonverbal messages into pre-service studies, teachers will more readily be able to help students become cognizant of culture, ethnicity, and gender as important variables in everyday life. This will also help students, as they will benefit from an increased appreciation of diversity when they assume their future roles as parents, teachers, community leaders , co-workers, employers, and citizens.An inclusive education should facilitate the changes in climate necessary to ensure ongoing change, and knowledge of culturally specific nonverbal communication patterns can enhance this process (p. 2). Teachers’ goals are to help their students be active participants in their community and in society. In order to do so, students must be able to understand verbal and nonverbal communication signals as they relate from one person and one context to the next. Nonverbal relates to the unspoken word and a means to send messages that are â€Å"not sanctioned for verbal delivery by our culture† (Wiemann, 1975).As humans, we have a particular strength to respond quickly and unconsciously pick up clues to other’s nonverbal behavior so that we can respond and react; however, we are culture-bound in what we see and can interpret those behaviors incorrectly depending on our background and experiences (Cohen, 1971). Nonverbal behavior i s difficult to control or to censor. Nonverbal behavior comes naturally to an individual based on true emotions, feelings, and culture – it is less likely to be deceptive as verbal communication can be (Galloway, 1993).With this, there seems to be a necessity for teachers to have complete control over their nonverbal behaviors in order to communicate to their students effectively. Students read more from their teacher’s body language than they do their actual words. In fact, most teachers â€Å"are not aware of the ways in which they transmit nonverbal messages to pupils. Classroom culture has its own nonverbal language and pupils absorb its nuances along with the spoken language† (Spanjer, 1972). Peter Andersen (2004) claims immediacy behaviors, hich â€Å"signal approach and availability, and send warm, stimulating messages to other people,† help teachers develop a positive relationship with their students. Some immediacy behaviors include touching, smi ling, nodding, facing others, showing relaxation, leaning toward others, and synchronizing our conversations; however, in the classroom, the most important immediacy behavior is eye contact, â€Å"Teacher eye contact shows confidence, controls classroom interaction, and enables teachers to read the body language of their students† (Andersen, 2004).Being able to read body language gives teachers an advantage at recognizing their students’ true emotions, enabling the teacher to be more effective on a minute-to-minute basis. By increasing immediacy behaviors, students’ motivation in the learning process dramatically improves (Andersen, 2004). Teachers need to be aware of immediacy behaviors, such as eye contact, in order to help their students’ succeed in the classroom and, ultimately, outside of the classroom. When it comes to motivating students to complete their work, nonverbal behavior is a prime factor in teacher effectiveness. Research studies [across K-college] found that learners at all levels reacted more favorably to teachers who used nonverbal immediacy cues. [†¦] Increasing immediacy behaviors dramatically improves students’ motivation† (Goman, 2008). Andersen (2004) concluded people trust body language over the spoken word (p. 14).People trust body language because it is spontaneous, multi-channeled, and possesses redundant qualities that make it very hard to completely fake (Andersen, 2004). This is applied in classrooms as well. Students rely on the teacher’s body language in order to interpret the meaning of their words; however, teachers are not well educated in the area of body language. No prerequisite courses are offered to teachers during their undergraduate/graduate years that help prepare them in nonverbal communication because it is still a largely unexplored area (Ligons, 1973).Teachers must be aware of nonverbal communication in their classrooms because â€Å"nonverbal communication i s the medium through which relationships are maintained, regulated, and guided within culturally-prescribed patterns† (Grove, 1976). Focusing on professional success in the classroom is crucial, especially at a changing time in education’s history with the passing of the Budget Bill by Governor Walker, â€Å"At a time when it is widely recognized that professional success is achieved with or through other people, the power of, nd the need for, good interpersonal skills couldn’t be greater† (Goman, 2008). Method The examination underlying this paper is a better understanding of how adverse nonverbal behavior (in relation to the spoken word) will, ultimately, negatively impact students emotionally, behaviorally, and academically that teachers find as â€Å"problem students,† â€Å"different,† and/or â€Å"difficult. This investigation began with the articleThe Nonverbal Advantage  (Goman, 2008) and the evidence of increasing student motivati on and success in the classroom by changing behavior. Understanding the importance of body language in the classroom setting provided a pathway of inquiry related to immediacy behaviors, student motivation/success, and the classroom teacher of the 21st  century. This included reviewing research and articles from different time periods, even dating back to the late 19th  century.The information gathered proved the lack of current research existing in relation to nonverbal communication in a classroom setting; however, after reading multiple examples that verify the significance body language has in relation to student achievement, information regarding nonverbal behavior and its correlation to student motivation and achievement is imperative to know in order to progress not only certain classrooms but also schools as a whole.A short survey of nine multiple choice questions and one open-ended question (optional to answer) focused on teachers’ views of nonverbal behavior in the profession of teaching and working with children. The survey also provided information regarding their awareness of their own nonverbal behavior along with their thoughts on the ability to change their nonverbal behavior.The purpose of this research was to aid in providing valuable information to serve as a guide for teachers and administrators on how to change their behavior in order to change their students’ behavior and, ultimately, improve student achievement and motivation as well as schools’ success.

How to Write a Industry Outlook

What is the size of your industry? What sectors does this industry include? Who are the major players in this industry? What are the markets and customers for this industry? What are the industry's estimated sales this year? Last year? The year before? What national/economic trends have affected this industry and how? What national/economic trends might affect it in the future and how? What is the long-term outlook for this industry? Writing a Business Plan: Position in the Industry What products or services will your business be selling? What is your Unique Selling Proposition ? What is it about your business that makes it unique and sets it apart from competitors? ) What are the barriers to entry in your industry? How will you overcome these barriers? Who are your competitors? What is the market share of your competitors? What is your business' competitive advantage (i. e. your market niche or estimated market share)? What is your target market? How are you protecting your product or process (i. e. patents, copyrights, trademarks, franchise rights that you either hold or plan to acquire)? How to Write a Business Plan: The Industry SectionOnce you have all this information, you'll write this section of the business plan in the form of several short paragraphs. (Remember, each of these paragraphs is a summary, not a detailed point-by-point explanation. ) Use appropriate headings for each paragraph. (See the sidebar for a business plan sample of this section of the business plan, from the Royal Bank. ) But where do you find the information that you need for writing the Industry Overview section of your business plan? Page 2 of this article provides some Canadian resources to make your task easier and some tips for conducting business plan research.

Development of Moldova

Moldova is a land locked country that lies between Ukraine and Romania.   It gained independence in 1991 after an aborted coup against Russia.   It is ranked as the most poor country in Europe, attributable to the economic crisis that faced Russia in 1998.   This is because Moldova's foreign trade heavily relied on Russia and the crisis naturally had adverse effects on its economy.   The current president, Vladimir Voronin, has made attempts to bring the country closer to Russia in a bid to resuscitate the economy.Economic development is the effort to increase wealth of a country through empowering the citizens (Leornard, 2006).   It goes beyond economic growth and focuses on social and political sectors of the society.   This includes uplifting the standards of living of the people as well as enhancing democracy and freedom of the people.   Measures include economic growth, literacy rates, poverty rates, life expectancy among others.Moldova is able to attain the status of highly developed countries, in the next fifty years due to the changes that the current government is implementing, that facilitate reaching this level.Economic aspectFor development to be achieved, there has to be a systematic effort to increase the economic growth.   Moldova does not have major mineral resources and consequently relies on agriculture, due to the favorable climate.   It relies on Russia for nearly half of the exports and major import partners include Russia, Romania, Belarus and Ukraine.   Major imports are fuel, electricity, chemicals, textiles and machinery while exports are foodstuffs, textiles and tobacco.   It experiences unfavorable balance of trade and in 2007, it was recorded at $2.3 billion.   Moldova has high external debt that was estimated at $900 million in 2000, most of which came from the World Bank and the IMF.The GDP declined over the years due to the effect from Russia but is now slowly coming around.   Moldova's strategy to improv e the economy was to free prices and interest rates, land privatization and the removal of export restrictions.   Economic progress is gradually being achieved since indicators like the GDP are rising.   Inflation is reducing and the economy is growing due to the government's expenditure framework that stresses fiscal discipline as well as efficient resource use.Social aspect.Ten years ago, 75% of the population in Moldova was below the poverty line (Berglund, 2004).   Other social problems include human trafficking and influx of drugs such as opium, since Moldova is a route for drugs destined for Europe and US.   This has an adverse effect on the health of the people.   The government is slowly addressing these issues, for example by empowering the population through investment geared towards economic growth.   This is being done by reducing hurdles to business entry, by for example, reducing number of licenses required for trade.   This results in increase of disposa ble income to households.   The government is also constructing infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals to improve the standards of living of the people.Political aspectMoldovan political parties lack internal democracy and accountability.   Opposition parties do not take part in formulation of policies due to parliament's attitude of ignoring alternative opinions.   In 2005, Freedom House gave Moldova a score of 5.75, in terms of democracy, which is a poor show.   Political parties do not also hold dialog with civil societies.   The government is slowly increasing the democratic space.   It has also dedicated time to solve the Transnistrian conflict which will increase political development.ChallengesPrivatization of state owned corporations is marred by corruption. There is political and economic uncertainty and ineffective law enforcement.   Over reliance of Russia in trade is also a challenge.   Ban on Moldovan wine and agricultural products by Russia in 2006 adversely affected its revenue, since wine accounted for a third of its exports, of which 80% went to Russia (Leornard, 2006).   In 2007, Moldova faced drought that led to losses in the agricultural sector amounting to over $100 million.   There is financial challenge due to external debt and uncertainty towards future assistance.   Finally, there is a challenge of involving poor people in activities of Non-Governmental Organizations.RecommendationsMoldova should reduce reliance on Russia for trade since in the past, any adverse policy changes by Russia have greatly affected Moldovan economy.   It should also reduce the reliance on agriculture and diversify in other sectors of the economy, since climate change tends to greatly affect the economy.   Support for medium and small size enterprises would facilitate increase the employment opportunities in the country.   There should be motivation for development for example rewards, to encourage innovation.   Use of r enewable energy sources like wind would reduce reliance on electricity.Moldova should   ensure that the civil society participates in the formation of policies at all levels so as to integrate the views of the citizens.   It should put in place reforms that strengthen civil control over the military.   It should design legal frameworks that define rights and tasks of parliamentary, civilian and public control mechanisms.ConclusionMoldova is on track in achieving development in the next few decades.   All it has to do is reduce reliance on Russia and look for alternative markets.   It should also strengthen democracy and improve the standards of living of the people.   A stable political environment coupled with infrastructure to attract investments, efficient use of the available resources as well as having effective monetary and fiscal policies should enable Moldova achieve development before the next fifty hours are over. References Leonard, T. M. (2006), Encyclopedia of the developing world. Washington: Routledge. Berglund, S. (2004), The handbook of political change in eastern Europe. New York: Edward

Philosophical Skepticism, Existence of God, Knowledge and Metaphysics Essay

Philosophical Skepticism, Existence of God, Knowledge and Metaphysics - Essay Example Descartes made it evident to the scientific researchers that the basis of finding the truth is doubt. Within the context of skepticism and doubting for finding the truth, the phrase becomes easy to understand. It shows that Descartes doubted his thinking ability which is the proof of his presence and existence. In other words, it could be said that if one is longing to find out about his own existence then it is the proof that he is alive because he is skeptical of his existence. In addition to the understanding of the phrase, it is important to understand the way Descartes has implied his philosophical statement on himself. Descartes makes a clear supposition that he has different biological senses including his sight, his touch, his ability to smell, his ability to hear and to think. These senses connect him to the logical world where he yearns to find out the truth in science. In this way, Rene Descartes proved his existence to be truth of science. Thinking is the basis of Rene De scartes belief on existence of humans. In simpler words, Rene Descartes claims every human to be conscious who is able to think. 2. Hume and Kant: A dogmatic Awakening: Immanuel Kant, being a philosopher who raised the curiosity regarding the relationship of cause and effect and scientific laws based his final publication on the analysis of David Hume’s skepticism towards reason. Kant referred that David Hume has â€Å"awakened him from his dogmatic slumber† (Kant). In literal meanings, David Hume basically raised awareness regarding future metaphysics. He claimed that experiences that one would go through in the past are less likely to repeat in the future. It is basically the conscience of humans to categorize their experiences. The beliefs of cause and effect regarding experiences and past had prevailed over the years merely because of the supposition of their occurrence in the future. In other words, it could be said that Hume made it clear that there is no justifi ed ground in metaphysics that shows relation between cause and effect. It is merely a human’s habit or conscience that stresses on him to believe that there is a cause and effect to every experience that has undertaken in the past and is likely to happen in the future. Most of the critics believed that Immanuel Kant challenged by David Hume. But the real context to the statement was that justification by Hume provided a logical ground to the metaphysics knowledge where the dogmatic slumber is referred to the idea of uncertainty. 3. World through the lens of Descartes, Spinoza and Leibnitz: The world and its creation is a truth in itself which has influenced many skeptics such as Descartes, Spinoza and Leibnitz. In the flair of pursuit of truth, Rene Descartes believed that world was a home to physical bodies, God and mind. This may also refer to substance pluralism that he believed in more than one material. The world through the lens of Descartes is supposedly based upon the understanding of one’s mind. The curiosity to know beyond one thinking is only possible for the God. Second to the thought of Descartes, it can be said that Baruch Spinoza claimed that world was a setting of God who is present philosophically. It is the belief of a person to think that there is such a setting of God. Gottfried Leibniz claimed his notion regarding the world and the rational belief on knowledge. He mentioned that

Cybercrime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cybercrime - Essay Example or illustrates also that the capital flight and financial frauds have increased substantially during the period from 1965 to 2010, from 49 billion to 1,043 billion USD, respectively. However, it is becoming more difficult to estimate the development of the amount of financial means of transnational crime over time (Schneider 2013, 700). Further the author describes the most common methods of money laundering and identifies twenty destination countries that have the largest amount of laundered money among which the leaders are the United States, the Cayman Islands and the Russian Federation. Schneider analyzes the progress of money laundering activities in relation to the proceeds of cybercrime. Schneider (2013, 692) provides estimates of the various cost components of genuine cybercrime, among which are given estimates for online banking fraud (including: phishing, malware (consumers), malware (businesses), bank tech. countermeasures), as well as fake antivirus, copyright-infringing software, copyright-infringing music, patent-infringing pharma, stranded traveler scam, fake escrow scam, and advance-fee fraud. According to the estimates during the period 2007-2010, the total costs of genuine cybercrime made up $3,457million (Schneider 2013). In addition to the estimates of genuine cybercrime, the author provides estimates of costs incurred by transitional cybercrime, which includes the following: online payment card fraud; offline payment card fraud; indirect costs of payment fraud; loss of confidence (both consumers and merchants) (Schneider 2013). The total costs of transitional cybercrime made up $44,200million. Moreover, there are even provided the costs of cybercriminal infrastructure, which include: expenditure on antivirus, ISP cleanup expenditures, cost to industry of patching; cost to users of cleanup; defense costs of firms; and expenditure on law enforcement (Schneider 2013). The total costs of cybercriminal infrastructure made up $24,840 million. And

Atheistic Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Atheistic Existentialism - Essay Example This in turn refers to the vast improvements achieved in agriculture, the sciences, the arts, and in almost all spheres of human life, in activities which contribute to the cultivation, betterment, and refinement of the individual person, and of societies in general. Modern culture therefore refers to the sum total of all human experiences and phenomena, starting with the period mentioned and continues up to the present time. Modern culture is the integrated system of learned behavior and actions, mediated by new technologies such as in telecommunications, the Internet, and others. Culture is produced from the creative, imaginative, inventive, and innovative ideas that people make during their time. Culture is primarily in two forms, that of physical things made by a group of people, called as artifacts, and secondly, the intangible culture made up of language, customs, traditions, religious beliefs, cultural practices, and a particular worldview. In particular, the intangible aspect s of culture can be evidenced by the prevailing or prevalent philosophy at a certain time, which in turn guides human thinking and behaviors. Relatedly, there are various or different types of life philosophies over the course of human existence. In this connection, this is the focus of this paper. The philosophy of existentialism is a fairly modern kind of world view, a product of the modern times. It can be traced to around the nineteenth century and clearly within the modern period in human history; its main tenet is the emphasis on the individual person. Discussion Existentialism is a philosophy which states that thinking begins with the individual. It is further claimed by existentialists that acting, feeling, and living are the true indicators of what it termed as an â€Å"existential attitude† which refers to a vague sense of disorientation and confusion, felt by people who are truly living in the real meaning of the word. This feeling of disorientation is experienced when an individual realizes he is living in a meaningless, absurd world. People have always asked since time immemorial what constitutes reality, because human existence is faced with doubts whether human existence is the reality or merely a reflection of it. This feeling of doubt was expressed succinctly by the famous Dutch philosopher, priest, and humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) with his utterance of â€Å"cogito ergo sum† or in the plain English language translated roughly as â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† Basically, existentialism advances the idea that it is the individual himself, and not society or religion, which determines and gives meaning to human existence. In other words, it is up to that individual, by his actions, how to live his life the way he wants, how it will turn out to be. This is quite a radical departure from previous life philosophies, because the sole responsibility is placed squarely on the person. Man acquires essence, once he acts on his thoughts, by using his free will (Sartre, 1947). Existentialism as a life philosophy ignores the basic question of whether there is really a God or not. It rather dwells on the capacity of Man to act by himself through his free will; that is Man himself is ultimately responsible for what happens, based on a doctrine of action. A God is seen by existentialists as a limitation or a hindrance to what Man can achieve (Webber, 2009). Conclusion Existentialism as

Leadership in management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Leadership in management - Essay Example Opposed to this trait theory of leadership, evolved a system of understanding called the behavioural theories of leadership. Behavioural theories of leadership are based upon the idea that great leaders are made, not born. Rooted in behaviourism, this leadership theory focuses on the actions of leaders, not on mental qualities or internal states. According to this theory, people can learn to become leaders through teaching and observation. Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. According to behaviourism, behaviour can be studied in a systematic and observable manner with no consideration of internal mental states. Behavioral theories of leadership do not seek inborn traits or capabilities. Rather, they look at what leaders actually do. If success can be defined in terms of describable actions, then it should be relatively easy for other people to act in the same way. This is easier to teach and learn then to adopt the more ephemeral traits or capabilities. Thus , Behavioral leadership is a big leap from Trait Theory, in that it assumes that leadership capability can be learned, rather than being inherent. This opens the floodgates to leadership development, as opposed to simple psychometric assessment that sorts those with leadership potential from those who will never have the chance. A behavioral theory is relatively easy to develop, as you simply assess both leadership success and the actions of leaders. With a large enough study, you can then correlate statistically significant behaviors with success.

Human Resource Management Individual assignment Essay

Human Resource Management Individual assignment - Essay Example Organizations refer to entities that comprises of several people, has collective goals and has both internal and external environments. The principle of separation in business management explains that organizations are legal entities capable of representing themselves in courts and make systematic decisions that strive to safeguard the accomplishment of the specific goals. The internal environment in organizations entails the relationships among the various people and the existence of support resources that ensure the accomplishment of the goals. The external environments constitute a fundamental relationship with organizations since they join the organizations to the society. The external environment may often constitute competition and markets. The relationships that an organization develops with the external environment, therefore, influence the success or failures of the organization (Cropper & Merkowitz, 1998). Organizations require effective management to accomplish their respective goals. Various theorists have fronted ideas and theories of management to help managers provide effective management for their organizations key among such theories are the contingency theory and the systems theory. The contingency theory explains that every organization and situation in the organizations require tailored management techniques owing to their uniqueness. The management technique should address the issues in the organizations and situations thereby enhancing the efficiency of operations.

Life science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Life science - Essay Example Keeping this technology in view we can assume that moving ahead with such green and environment friendly technologies we will be able to see better, sound and environmentally effective environment in the future. More and more emphasis is given to the environmental effects of every technology and process, this further leads to an expectation that the upcoming 25 years might bring a lesser harmful environment for the living beings. Use of Fossil fuels within the next 25 years will be reduced to minimal (Environment911). Tynan and Print (2008) suggest that in the next 25 years it is expected that technology will be extremely integrated in the devices that â€Å"deliver information and entertainment to our homes and our hip pockets, in sensors that monitor our environment from within the walls and floors of our homes, and in chips that deliver medicine and augment reality inside our bodies.† With such advancements in the technological field, living without technologies would become more and more impossible. People will become highly reliant on the inventions made and lesser physical exertion will be noticed. The physical activities will either diminish or become less popular than they are today. Health problems like diabetes, cardiac diseases and obesity related issues will be more common affecting the overall health of people around the world. However, the vaccines are supposed to eliminate the risk of the most serious disease like AIDS and others (The observer 2011). Modern military environment is already making use of unmanned vehicles and equipment. A considerable improvement can be made by using the BCI technology in the military field. Army and security forces may employ BCI by using it with the unmanned vehicles. The most crucial matter regarding the unmanned vehicles and equipment is the lack of situational awareness and critical thinking about the incident or conditions prevailing at the

Section 3.04 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Section 3.04 - Essay Example i) to resist apprehension which the actor knows is being made by a peace officer, despite the arrest being illegal; orii) to resist force applied by the possessor or occupier of property or by someone else on his/her behalf, where the person applying the â€Å"victim† is aware that the person applying the force is doing so under a claim of right to guard the property, except that this limitation shall not hold in specific circumstances recognized by the law .      (b) The use of deadly force is illegal in this Section unless the actor is convinced that such force is justifiable to guard himself against death, serious bodily harm, kidnapping or sexual intercourse compelled by force or threat;   nor is it legal in conditions specific conditions recognized by the law (Ritchie, 2009).      (c) Except as mandated by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Subsection, a person employing protective force may gauge the need thereof under the conditions as he believes them to be when the force is employed, without retreating, surrendering possession, performing any other act which he is not authorized to do or avoiding from any lawful action.  Subdivision 3: Use of Confinement as Protective ForceThe justifications provided by this Section applies to the application of confinement as protective force only in a scenario where the actor exhausts all logical measures to end the confinement as soon as he/she is aware that he/she can, unless the confined person has been apprehended on a charge of crime.

How does John Steinbeck portray racism in Of Mice And Men Essay Example for Free

How does John Steinbeck portray racism in Of Mice And Men Essay From the 17th Century, when the first settlers arrived, immigrants dreamed of a better life in America. People went there to escape from discrimination or poverty, and to make a new life for themselves or their families. They dreamed of making their fortunes in the goldfields. For many the dream became a nightmare. The horrors of slavery, of the American Civil War, the growth of towns with slums as bad as those in Europe, and the corruption of the American political system led to many shattered hopes. For the American society as a whole the dream ended with the Wall Street crash of 1929. This was the start of the Great Depression that would affect the whole world during the 1930s. However the dream survived in the hope of individuals. Thousands made their way west to California to escape from their farmlands in the mid-West. George and Lennie dreamt of there little house and a couple of acres. However, between 1929 39 there was a general world destine in trade and prosperity. A great deal of money had been spent on the First World War, and countries found themselves in debt. Lots of American lost their jobs. They joined bands of wandering farmers, looking for work. The farm owners of California found that they could pay very low wages, and expect men to work for long hours, as the demand for work was so great. The men were only needed for short periods at a time, for harvesting and so they had to travel around for work. On October 24, 1929, the stock market crashed. Prices began to decline early in the day, triggering a selling panic in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This caused the loss of jobs of various workers, black or white. It was very hard for the workers to find a job elsewhere in any other farms, just like George and lennie. These kinds of workers were called itinerant workers. The coming months saw no recovery. The racism, which Martin Luther King talks about in his famous I had a dream speech, states that white men think they have got power over black people. That all men are created equally, and no one differs from each other. The black people have to give up their seats if a white person comes on to the bus and there is no space left. Also black people were not allowed to shop in the same place as white people. And black people had to send their children to a different school to the white people. This is an example of segregation and isolation. Crooks demands isolation because he is black and wants to live alone. He is also called names nigger . He is proberly one of the most disliked people in the story because of the colour of hes skin. But still people say crooks the nigger is a really nice fellow at the same time. I think they just call him that because at that time they could say or do anything to a nigger and still get away with it. The white boys did not want to sleep in the same room as a black man. I just totally disagree with this because you should not judge a perosn by the colout of the skin. Also crooks himself does not want to sleep with them because of the way the white boys have treated him. Crooks him self is a stable buck which is a very low classed job even at that time. The white boys call crooks crooks because as a stable buck he waz kicked on the back by a horse and he is now got a crooked back. Also the white lads have made crooks fight on christmas day with smitty just so he can sit down and have a drink with the white boys on christmas day. I think that is not acceptable because crooks is already hurt hes back from the accident with the horse and on top of that he had to have a fight with smitty with that injury when smitty was perfectly fine. All they did do was that they tyied hes hands behind hes back so he could not punch crooks but can only kick him. This first starts when crooks privacy is invaded by lennie. When lennie enters crooks room without no permission from crooks to cum into the room. Crooks is not very happy when lennie enters the room and says you got no right to come in my room. This heres my room. Nobody got no rights in here but me! Crooks says all of this because he is not really happy with lennies presents in the room. As lennie stays longer and longer he starts to find out that lennie is dumb and crooks thinks to him self that he has got the upper hand on lennie. Crooks for the first time has got power over someone and thats a white man. Then lennie gets up and says to crooks why are you not liked on the ranch and crooks replys by saying its just because Im BLACK! Crooks means by this quote that the white men on the ranch do not like him. And also crooks has got nobody to talk to because crooks is the only nigger on the ranch. Then lennie quickly changes the subject and starts talking about the dream him and George have got. But all crooks thinks is hes crazy . He thinks this because he thinks that lennie doesnt know what he is talking about. Crooks taunts lennie thaat George is not going to come back. And crooks also says he might even get hurt. After crooks has said that crooks face lightened up with pleasure in his torture. After crooks has said lennie quickly gets to hes feet and says nothing is going to happen to come George he si going to come back safe. Crooks is really frightened when lennis sayss that and crooks moves further up hes bed and rests hes hands on hes knees. The reason for crooks out burst like that is because all crooks is trying to do is trying to make someone feel like how crooks is feeling by telling lennie when the other boys on the ranch play horse shoe he has to stay in hes room and read a book when he would rather be playing horse shoe with the other workers on the ranch. Crooks is trying say just because i am black they dont let me play horseshoe. Crooks is trying to gain sympthy from lennie but lennie does not really understand what crooks is trying to say to him. So lennie doesnt really f eel sorry for him because he doesnt know what going on. So lennie cant really feel sorry for crooks because he is lost him self in other words. The workers on the ranch describe crooks as a nigger one second and the other second they be saying he is a very nice fella . I think my self that crooks is a very good person and stays quiet throught the book but it is just because of the colour of hes skin he is treated like dirt. Even thought crooks is proberly the most educated person on the farm. Crooks has got a dictionary which is described as battered and ripped and hes also got some tatered magazines. Also crooks has got some reading books, which are described, as dirty . And all of these things go on a special shelf over hes bunk. When crooks read these books he feels proud and really important because at this time not much people could read or write. And on top of all that hes a nigger . When we first meet crooks I thought he waz a nasty man because of hes posture and hes colour of hes skin. But looks can be dece-ving because he turned out to be a very well educated person and also soft hearted. It was very unusal for a black man to read or write in these in these times even so most of the white men could not read or write. I really feel sorry for crooks because he is alll alone and must feel really isolated at times or most of the time. And he has got no company at all and he aint even got no one to talk to at all because hes black. If you ask me I think that is really unacceptable because no one should be left alone for that reason. He aint got no friends to say hello too all because of the colour of hes skin. The white boys always pick him on. And even thought it aint hes fault most of the things are blamed on him. Also when the boss is feeling really mad he takes it all out on crooks and crooks just gets shouted at for no reason at all. Crooks on the hireachy he is right at the bottom and hes got no power at all. Even thought he has been one of the people who has been working there the longest and he has been loyal to boss. Curleys wife, the attention seeker always flirts with other prople on the ranch because her husband is always at the cathouse or out and about. And is never at home to care about her. Curleys wife is one of the most powerful people in the hireachy because she is married to the boses son. She tries to have some comfort with other people. This is because her husband takes no notice of her apart from the sex. She is used for an object of sex. When crooks reailses that his chances of being in the dream looked very slim and he crawled back defeated because he cant say anything to Curleys wife at all because she has got all the power. She can get him hung from a tree so easy, she can jus say that he waz flirting with me and thats it he would get hung. If that was a white person being prosequted they would give him a trial and would be taken to court but just because he is black they would just get him hung without any proof he did it or not. Going back to the initial question, I think that john Steinbeck doesnt throw the thought of racism in our face. He just hints of the idea and makes do the rest of the thinking. This is proved whenthe worker calls him a nigger and also a nice fella. We had do some thinking to find out that the word nigger is used so much that the workers dont even think of what the word means.

Inerrancy of the Bible Essay Example for Free

Inerrancy of the Bible Essay The inerrancy of the word of God has a specific definition. This definition denotes that once all fact to which the Bible refers become known, it will be proved that the correct interpretation of the Bible is completely accurate. This inerrancy of the Bible carries through to all subsequent translations of the text, as long as they remain true to the original Greek and Hebrew texts. The Bible’s first claim to being an infallible text lies in the fact that it is the inspired word of God breathed from the Father directly into the minds of the books physical scribes. The Bible itself records this fact in 2 Timothy 3:16, and the fact that the scriptures are described as the breath of God demonstrates that they contain the level of integrity that God himself carries. This places them in the category of inerrant, as God is. Further evidence of the infallibility of the Scriptures can be found in the mosaic book of Deuteronomy, where the Israelites are shown how to distinguish the authentic word of God from fallible human texts. One of these distinguishing characteristics is the complete truthfulness of the Holy Scriptures. The words of Jesus himself also demonstrate the inerrancy of the scriptures. In the texts of Matthew 5: 17-20 one finds Christ declaring that even his coming does nothing to abolish the Scriptures. In fact, he swears that no part of the Scriptures shall ever be found to be unsound or untrustworthy. Within that same passage he says, â€Å"Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. † The text has indeed survived for many millennia, been translated into many languages, and has seen preservation through thousands of independently found copies that have supported the commonly read texts. Also, the fairly recent discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls also serves to support the inerrancy of the text (Sailhamer, 2003). Furthermore, Christ also speaks of the punishment that will be meted out to those who break the law—as though demonstrating that the Scriptures are so inerrant and sovereign that they cannot endure anything that would contradict it. The Bible also equates the Son of God (indeed, God himself) with the Word, declaring that â€Å"the Word was God† (St. John 1:1). Since God is omniscient and omnipotent, if the Scriptures are equivalent to Him, then it follows that they too must be without flaw. Further on in the New Testament, Romans 15:4 tells us that â€Å"everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. † The endurance of the Scriptures also refers to the fact that all the ideas presented within the word of God will last forever, regardless of what else fails on earth. The verse also says that the give hope, and this hope comes from the fact that people can always count on whatever is said in the Bible, as it is infallible. Other marks of the inerrancy of texts include the fulfilment of the prophecies that such texts contain, and the Bible itself contains many fulfilled prophecies that testify to this inerrancy. In the ninth chapter of Daniel, this prophet shares that it was through the Scriptures that he came to understand the length of the period in which Jerusalem would suffer desolation. This desolation was shown to actually have actually taken place in the year 587 B. C. during the time of the Babylonian captivity, and the span of this captivity was seventy years. Therefore, the Scripture again proves itself inerrant in this case. Within the New Testament one finds many occasions in which the Scriptures make certain it is known that prophecies were being fulfilled. In Luke 4, when Jesus went before the Jews in the synagogue, he reads from the book of Isaiah and then declares that the ancient Scripture was now fulfilled in the presence of the people. Other areas that support the Bible’s inerrancy come from the fact that the Bible is a historical text that agrees with other sources of the history of the Middle East during that historical period. The behavior and activities of such tribes/nations as the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks and many others have been recorded in other texts that corroborate the histories put forth in the Bible. Even the history of the Israelites as well as the accuracy of the layout of the Biblical lands has been proven in many archaeological digs and scientific research (Sailhamer, 2003). These things also support the inerrancy of the Bible. Reference The NIV Study Bible. (1985). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. Sailhamer, J. H. (2005). â€Å"Israel’s Messiah in the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. † Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. December.

School Development Planning Process | Research Study

School Development Planning Process | Research Study School Development Planning is an ongoing process that helps schools as complex communities to meet the dual challenge of enhancing quality and managing change. (DES, 1999:9, Online). In recent years schools started giving more thought to how the planning and management of change need to be taken more into account and carefully planned. Decentralisation, a common characteristic of quite a few of the national educational systems worldwide such as the USA, Canada, England and Wales (Anderson, 2005) and in Malaysia, Honk Kong, Singapore, China and Korea has opened doors to development and effectiveness in schools (Bolam, 2006:77). Over the years, the education scene in Malta has likewise witnessed a paradigm shift from an essentially centralised system to one that encourages self-government. One of the most effective implications of this shift is that of a systematic and whole school approach to development planning enhancing freedom [and] allowing institutions to shape the possibilities provided by greater autonomy (Lumby, 2007a:86). Moreover, Bush and Coleman, (2006) argue that, placed in a competitive environment, self-managing schools have to meet the students needs efficiently if they are to achieve survival and success. While increasing autonomy (Karstanje, 1999), self-managing schools are encouraged to shoulder more responsibilities and promote their own identity and character. One of the most beneficial implications of this shift is that a School Development Plan (SDP) can be tailored by the same school. Considering that, the Maltese Education Authorities are at present discussing at length the process and the implementation of a national reform in the education system, the topic seriously appears to be of great interest. This study may be expected to serve as an eye-opener to the strengths and weaknesses of the SDP being currently implemented at St.Helen Girls Secondary School. Consequently, the study might be envisaged to be an asset to the school, before it actually starts to negotiate the tailoring of a new SDP as will be suggested in the education reform to take place. The purpose of this study is to investigate the SDP as an effective tool to enhance appraisal and collegiality among the teaching staff and to promote improvement among the learners. The Literature review shall briefly justify the need for and the process of development planning in relation to what literature has to say about the subject. Furthermore, the following research questions will be discussed and analysed, mainly: What is the importance of a SDP to the school? How is the planning process carried out? Who is involved in the planning process? Is the SDP opening doors to school improvement? After conducting a case study through qualitative and quantitative research, an analysis will emerge, based on a questionnaire distributed to teachers and an open-ended interview with the Head of School. The research findings will be analysed and compared to the literature findings. Finally, suggestions will emerge in respect to what can be done in order to evaluate, maintain and/or change what has been done during the past seven years since development planning has started to be organised in an official way at St.Helen Girls Secondary School. Literature Review Introduction All schools should have a vision of where they hope to go and what they hope to achieve. This implies that a school plan should aim at leading the whole school community in the direction for improvement and growth. With its insistence on schools to have their own SDP, the Maltese National Minimum Curriculum (NMC) came into effect on the 1st of October 2000. Following is a brief description of the SDP both as a process as well as a product. It examines the concepts of development, improvement, collegiality and appraisal through effective planning. What is the importance of a SDP to the school? A school without planning is like a boat without a rudder. We cannot achieve goals unless we plan ways and means of getting there. (Bezzina, 1999:58) In order to keep on course, schools require a clear sense of direction, expressed in vision and mission statements and aims and objectives, as well as an effective strategic plan and good efficient action plans (DES, 1999, Online). The SDP can be a great asset to the school in various ways. Bezzina claims that it: helps in giving the school a sense of direction establishes aims and priorities identifies the needs to be done in order to bring about improvement identifies staff needs monitors the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process evaluates the success of the changes made, and implements any changes to the planning cycle (1999:35). The SDP is a means whereby the vision, believed by Jenkins to be the strategic intent which guides planning (1991:38), is transformed into reality through clear priorities, targets and actions. It is an instrument, through which schools are able to articulate their needs and also their priorities (Ministry of Education, 2001:14). Moreover, it is meant to indicate the institutions capacities and limitations and thus open doors to school improvement. An English publication defines the SDP in that: It will be based on the schools analysis of current levels of performance, its assessment of how current trends and future factors may impact on the school and set out priorities and targets for improvement for the period ahead. (DOE, 2005:1, Online). This implies that the concept underpinning a SDP is that each school would undertake, on an on-going basis, a limited number of small-scale development projects, which the staff identifies as significant priorities. The SDP has at its heart the learning of all students while raising standards of attainment. It is a process of learning and growth for all those involved in it. Moreover, it allows schools to organise their programmes of innovation and change with much greater efficiency and success (Hargreaves and Hopkins, 1991). Furthermore, the SDP is highly beneficial for schools since it is worked out by those who put their heads together in a common effort to develop a realistic strategy as to how the educational goals are to be reached (NMC:85). How is the process of School Development Planning carried out? The School Development Plan Initiative (SDPI) in Ireland considers the Mission, Vision and Aims of the plan to be the core of the SDP process (DES, 1999:16, Online). As depicted by Hargreaves and Hopkins (1991), Bezzina (1999) and Nathan, a SDP is made up of four stages, mainly: Audit when the school analyses its strengths and weaknesses and assesses its own needs Planning and decision making generation and evaluation of options Implementation putting the plan into action, and Evaluation checking the success of implementation and reviewing targets (1996:61) This entails that the SDP works in a cycle. Furthermore, the SDPI suggests three features through which the SDP is accomplished, mainly through: Initiation: where the school decides to embark on school development planning,  ensuring that there is commitment to it among members of staff and preparing for participation. Familiarisation: when the school community is learning how to carry out the whole process. Embedding: when school development Planning becomes part of the school life and of the normal way of doing things at school. (DOE, 1999, Online). The Irish Document (1999) further argues that the SDP process needs to be systematic, collaborative, ongoing, progressive, enhancing and flexible to work properly. It therefore involves a systematic approach to the planning work, which draws the whole school community together in shaping the schools future. This needs to be an on-going process, rooted in a school culture where policies and plans are continuously being developed, implemented, evaluated and revised according to the schools aims and the changes which continuously take place in the community. It is also flexible since it offers a framework for collaborative creativity and each school is free to adopt the framework to suit its own particular needs. Who is involved in the planning process? Nathan (1996) maintains that, to a large extent, the work entailed in the school plan is performed by the Head of school and the SMT. However, Bradley (1988) argues that a partnership in which people work together will lead to the successful achievement of their goals. This is also depicted in an English publication. The document highlights parental, pupil and staff involvement in the planning process as one of the factors that will help schools achieve high standards and improve the quality of learning and teaching (DOE, 2005:6, Online). Through partnership, the educational needs will be identified and action will be taken accordingly (DES, 1999:15, Online). Bradley (1988) further claims that partnerships are encouraged when they are willing to yield to some of their autonomy. Their sense of joint ownership strengthens and encourages partnership and is extended beyond the planning process into the actual implementation of the activity. Parent participation is seen as very important in schools. According to Braithwaite (1994) 22 Actions are involved in the Australians SDP process, among which is parental involvement. The NMC (2000) claims that parents should be seen as partners in the education of their children, so much that it believes in site-based curriculum development, where teachers and administrators can work alongside with parents and the local community to be able to respond to the needs of that particular school. In explaining how a shared vision is achieved, Lumby (2007a:89) holds that notwithstanding the principal leading the planning process, all staff [should] share in the re-creation and adjustment of vision. Furthermore, Jenkins considers staff involvement as the most useful part of the planning process (1991:38) in not only arriving at plans but also in raising the chances of their successful implementation (Lumby, 2007a:98). While being a threshold to school improvement, Newton and Tarrant declare that Evaluation needs the co-operation of the whole organisation to be effective and accurate. (1992:33). Is the School Development Plan opening doors to school improvement? Bush and Coleman say it quite simply: The origins of school development planning lie in the move towards school improvement and effectiveness (2006:75). The SDP enables the school community to develop a clear vision of what the school is about and where it is going, a shared sense of purpose, a common set of goals and consensus on the means of achieving them. It characterises the school as a learning organisation that focuses on meeting the professional needs of teachers in order to meet the educational needs of pupils. The Irish National Progress Report 2002, states that This focus is essential if SDP is to achieve its core purpose: school improvement. (DES, 2003:55, Online). As seen by Law and Glover (2000), school improvement is the result of a three-stage process: establishing targets, planning to attain them and finally monitoring and evaluating them. Moreover, studies conducted by Gray et al. lead an improving school to be measured and defined as one that increased in its effectiveness over time (1999:137). It is also worth mentioning that, an English publication states that Appraisal should support development planning and vice versa. (DES:1991) According to Jones (1993:12), improvement in the teaching and learning is guaranteed when appraisal is considered an integral part of the SDP. Likewise, through their research, Horne and Pearce maintain that integrating appraisal into the SDP resulted in a way of improving the quality of education for the pupils and of raising standards (1996:62). One reason to which Davies attributes an ineffective school is to the teachers lack of punctuality resulting from a low motivation that keeps the teachers lingering in the staffroom till the last minute (1994:35). This implies that lack of appraisal may lead to low motivation in teachers, which in turn will result in ineffectiveness. Furthermore, in discussing the issue about strategic planning, Sergiovanni compares the Traditional with the Alternative rule of planning. He suggests that the latter brings about school improvement in that it emphasizes first the means appraising people involved, then the ways allowing them to discern what needs to be done, and finally the ends in that they themselves will decide on and attain aims (2009:95). Conclusion Dalin and Rust believe that: A good school is one which itself learns; it is a learning school, a living institution that changes in order to remain an institution that stimulates learning. (1996:7) This implies that, the changes that take place in a school, must support the preservation of what has worked well in that school, to be able to give it stability and reputation. The schools SDP is a means of implementing change. It must, in the process, provide a way of dealing effectively with new developments so as to ensure school improvement whereby, all stakeholders are empowered to make decisions and engage in planning their own educational future. Investigation Introduction The first part of this section presents the aim and objectives of this study. Some methodological considerations are then examined. Subsequently, the research instruments are considered. Finally, this section gives an account of the ethical framework considered, the school context, the procedure and the data analysis used. The Aim and Objectives of this Research This research was undertaken in an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of the process of school development planning of the school under consideration. Also, the research project has more specific objectives, mainly to investigate: the importance of a SDP to the school how the process is carried out who is involved in the planning process whether the SDP is opening doors to school improvement. Methodological Considerations There are two approaches to academic research that can be adopted by a researcher quantitative and qualitative (Bell, 2008; Briggs and Coleman, 2007). In this study, an educational case study (Bassey, 2007:142) was used, conducted through both qualitative and quantitative research. According to Bassey, one of the strengths of case study research is that it is carried in its natural context [it] entails being where the action is (2007:143). The case study is aimed at improving educational action (Bassey, 2007:142) and which has theory seeking and theory testing as an end point (Basset, 2007:147). This leads to a theoretical structure that not only provides sound data and limits assumptions but also attempts to tease out why a situation is good, bad or mediocre (Bassey, 2007:154). In this research project, an interview with the Head of School was carried out in order to seek insights rather than statistical perceptions of the world (Bell, 2008:7). One should say that the major advantage of qualitative approach is adaptability (Bell, 2005:157) as it emphasises direct human experience. On the other hand, the major disadvantage is that it is time-consuming and generalisation is much more limited (Bell, 2005:157). In an attempt to take advantage from the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches, Triangulation is used to cross-check findings (Bell, 2005:116). In this manner, the findings are compared in order to determine the accuracy of information (Bush, 2007:100) rendering them more reliable. The Research Instruments used for Data collection The Interview with the Head Teacher (HT) An approximately one hour-long unstructured interview was carried out with the HT. Although it takes a great deal of time to analyse, the unstructured interview was deemed best for this research as the interviewee is free to talk about what is of central significance (Bell, 2005; Ribbins, 2007). The interview consisted of ten questions aimed to elicit detailed information about the HTs personal view of the SDP, how the process is managed and who is involved to participate and whether the SDP is opening doors to school improvement (see Appendix 1). The face-to-face interview (Ribbins, 2007:212) served as a means of getting the real feelings of the HT, regarding the content, the process and the implementation of the SDP. The Teachers Questionnaire Quantitative research was also used in a questionnaire consisting of ten closed statements and one open-ended question (see Appendix 2). In order to select a group which is as representative as possible (Bell, 2005), stratified sampling was used (Fogelman and Comber, 2007). In fact, the questionnaire was distributed to eighteen teachers one teacher from every subject being taught. The respondents were asked to tick one of three options: Yes, No, or Do not know. Statements 1-8 were intended to investigate positive perceptions on the SDP while statements 9 and 10 were intended to bring to light any negative perceptions, if any. Moreover, an open-ended question was set in order to give the respondents the opportunity to give their personal views on SDP matters at school. This question placed each teacher in a position to reflect and answer freely, thus reducing the interviewer effects regarding emotionality and free response (Cohen et al., 2000). Procedure and Ethical Considerations An appointment was made with the HT of St.Helen School (a pseudonym used to maintain confidentiality) and the date for the interview was agreed. Permission to carry out the research was informal, due to the fact that the investigation was carried out in ones own institution. The interview with the HT was carried out onsite (Busher and James, 2007:110) and in the Heads office. At the beginning of the interview, the Head of school was shown the set of questions prepared for the interview as well as other relevant material that proved the interview was required for the research. Though very time-consuming to transcribe, the interview was recorded to ensure data collection and maintain eye contact with the interviewee (Bell, 2005). The HT was given assurance of confidentiality. It is also worth mentioning that the questionnaires were anonymised so as to assure protection to the participants. Moreover, the respondents were made aware of what the research was about and also of its purpose (Bell, 2005:156) (see Appendix 2). Consent for answering the questionnaires was granted freely and without force. The School Context The investigation was carried out at St. Helen Girls Secondary School one of the 22 church schools on the island operating at secondary level. A profile of the school is given in the Table below. ST.HELEN GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL PROFILE Year founded 1999 Secretary Clerk Affiliation Church Librarian Student Admission Feeder Area Counsellor Student Population 364 Guidance Teacher Number of Classes 15 Spiritual Director Average Class size 24 Pastoral Care Team No. of Assistant Heads 2 Discipline Team Teaching Staff 37 P.T.A. Classroom Support Staff 4 Student Council Ancillary Staff 3 Eco School Council Table 1: School Profile Conclusion This section has served the purpose of describing and giving an explanation for the methodology used in carrying out this research supported with all the necessary ethical issues arising from the same research. Following is an analysis of the findings that emerged from the investigation. Analysis Introduction This section includes the significant features that emerge from the Teachers Questionnaire as well as the Head Teachers Interview. Both research tools were based on the following research questions: What is the importance of a SDP to the school? How is the process of development planning carried out? Who is involved in the planning process? Is the SDP opening doors to school improvement? The presentation and discussion of the findings that follow, aim at providing answers to these questions. Presentation of Findings Teachers Questionnaire The questionnaire, consisting of ten statements and one open-ended question was distributed to 18 teachers. All questionnaires were collected. Following are the results for statements 1-10 of the questionnaire. Open-ended question The teachers questionnaire ended with an open-ended question asking the respondents to comment in general about the SDP at their school. Only 6 (33.3%) out of 18 respondents answered this question. Four respondents agreed that the SDP is of utmost importance both for the teaching staff as well as for the students improvement. They claim that at their school, the SDP is discussed thoroughly most especially during the Staff Development Days. However, they argue that it is hardly mentioned during the rest of the scholastic year. Another respondent states that more time should be allocated to see if everything planned has been carried out, and if not, why. Similarly, another respondent argued that the SDP should be more carefully monitored and evaluated, and that while it is frequently very cautiously planned, however, it is not adequately implemented. The Head Teachers Interview Following is a summary of the Head Teachers responses to the Interview (see Appendix 1). The Head Teacher (HT) of the school under investigation holds that the SDP conducted since 2002 plays a very important role in the life of every school. Asked about who is involved in the process, the HT mentioned various stakeholders. Regarding the process, the HT states that it takes place in different stages. The difficulties encountered during the process are time and the staffs interest and cooperation. However, since the latter has become an annual process, nearly all teachers help in formulating objectives and action plans. The HT declares that the SDP definitely provides a framework for evaluation and improvement; otherwise it will be of no value. Finally the HT expressed her hopes that the SDP will lead to open wide the doors to school improvement. Analysing the Findings The following section is an attempt to go into the main concerns and interests raised during research. After being collected and classified, the research findings will be discussed and analysed in relation to the research questions and compared to the literature review. What is the importance of a SDP to the school? As shown in Table 2, all 18 teachers interviewed consider the SDP as important to their institution. Moreover, in an attempt to answer the open-ended question at the end of the questionnaire, one teacher claims that the SDP is of utmost importance both for the teaching staff as well as for the students improvement. As suggested by Bezzina (1999), another teacher claims that the SDP is important to enhance the students potential and that it must be used to tackle all their needs. While Bezzina acknowledges that a SDP encourages team effort (1999:37), the Irish document holds that it is a great benefit to the whole school community (DES, 1999, Online). Similarly, the HT holds that: It is a great opportunity to enhance teamwork, collaboration and collegiality among the whole school community, that is, the Senior Management Team, the staff, the students and their parents, and all those who rightly give their share. (Interview with HT). Also, this implies that the style of leadership of the HT at St.Helen is participative (Coleman, 2005a:18), as the issue of decision-making is shared with other stakeholders. Moreover, the HT confirms what is suggested in the DES document (1999, Online), mainly that the SDP gives the teachers a sense of direction as They all know what the school is after (Interview with HT). Who is involved in the process? Bezzina claims that A SDP calls for a co-ordinated effort, a belief in each others worth, and a sincere willingness to work together to achieve set goals (1999:36) Similarly, Lumby maintains that even though the principal may lead in the process, all staff is responsible for the recreation and adjustment of vision on a daily basis (2007a:89). This is evident at St.Helen, so much that the HT mentions the following as stakeholders: Staff Members, P.T.A Members, Ladies Circle, the School Handyman, Parents, Students Council and Students. Moreover the participation of groups such as the Pastoral Team, The Green/Eco-School Team and Discipline Team is encouraged. The HT claims that, All these groups give their contribution. Different meetings are held with different groups on different topics; they all do their utmost to achieve goals. (Interview with HT) Teachers Participation Although The Principal plays a prominent role in the leadership and management of the planning process (DES, 1999:26, Online) 83.3% of the questionnaire responses claim that teachers participation is encouraged in the planning process. Researchers like Bush and Coleman (2006) and Lumby (2007b) hold that the involvement of staff might cause difficulties. However, Early (2007) maintains that staff involvement in becoming increasingly important for school success. Moreover, the above mentioned Irish document states that The whole-hearted participation of the teaching staff is crucial to the success of the planning process and that the whole staff should be actively involved to enable all members of staff to participate in discussion and decision-making (DES, 1999:27, Online). In fact, 55.6% of the responses show that the teaching staff is committed to the SDP. Also, this implies that the staff should be made aware of what the SDP is, why it is inevitable and how it is to be organised. If not, there will be the risk of having staff members who are uninterested, sceptical of the whole process and determined to resist change (Lumby, 2007b:97). In fact, this might be the case with a couple of teachers who joined the school only recently and who in the questionnaire (11.1%) expressed their doubt whether the SDP is threatening to the school or not, while another (5.6%) does not know whether or not the SDP is an added burden to the school (see Table 11). This implies that while the rest of the respondents (94.4%) are rooted in the three features constituting the SDP process (DOE, 1999, Online), these newly recruited teachers are not. According to the HT, the teachers are called in for SDP consultation through questionnaires and also on Staff Development Days. In addition to this, some teachers volunteer to work together in teams and in collaboration with the SMT in order to analyse audit results as well as to prioritise and draw strategic plans (Interview with HT). The response of 83.3% of the respondents shows that at St.Helen teacher participation is quite evident. Nevertheless, the HT feels that some teachers still need to be reminded to give their contribution. Also worth mentioning is the fact that, once a month or twice in a term, the HT holds subject meetings with teachers in order to sustain continuity and on-going monitoring (Interview with HT). Parent Participation Epstein (1992) states that parental involvement is an asset to their childs education in that the school equips them with the necessary tools to help them. While learning more about educational programmes they also get familiar with how the school functions. The NMC also holds that parents or guardians should be involved as partners in their childrens education (NMC 1999:31). Although this idea is confirmed by the HT, however it is not so in style with 44.4% of the teachers who have doubts as to whether or not the SDP has brought about greater parental involvement (see Table 8). This also implies that the teachers at St.Helen are not yet embedded with parental involvement in the SDP process (DOE, 1999, Online). Student Participation The HT believes that feedback from students is an essential input to the school (Interview with HT) so much that Hargreaves holds that they play an active role in implementing the plan and have an interest in the outcomes (1989:17). This implies that the students are to be involved throughout the whole process. This is likely so at St.Helen where the SMT takes into great consideration any suggestions proposed by the student council especially when they have to do with any aspect of the SDP. Also, a questionnaire is distributed annually to the students so as to ascertain their views (DES, 1999, Online). How is the process of development planning carried out? The HT gave very vivid and clear explanations of how the school goes about the process of development planning. As expressed in the Irish document (DES, 1999, Online), the HT maintains that it takes place at different stages, mainly at three Staff Development Days together with monthly afternoon staff meetings. On such days, the teachers are grouped according to their subject, interest or specialisation, and so they are more motivated to contribute to the discussions which usually focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the targets implemented. From these elements, decisions are taken as to what the school will be tackling as aims. Moreover, these meetings offer the SMT and the Staff an ideal opportunity to audit and evaluate progress. Furthermore, the HT asserts that, speakers who are authority on different subjects as well as Personnel from the Education Department also give their contribution during these meetings. Most of the teachers feel a sense of ownership and commitment when carrying out the SDP tasks assigned to them. This emerges quite plainly in the questionnaire with 83.3% of the respondents considering the SDP to be an on-going process while 55.6% believing that the school community is motivated to implement plans. According to the HT, the SDP establishes a clear programme to follow; it defines targets, implements strategies, time limits, necessary resources and evaluation procedures. Similar to what Hargreaves and Hopkins (1991), Nathan (1996), Bezzina (1999), the Irish document (DES, 1999, Online), and Bush and Coleman (2006) suggest, the HT identifies four main processes to SDP in St.Helen, mainly, the Audit, Construction, Implementation and Evaluation. This implies that St.Helen Girls Secondary is meeting the standards that are required by the SDP. Is the SDP opening doors to school improvement? Sammons, Khamis and Coleman state that The normal measurement of effectiveness is usually to do with better than expected academic outcomes (2005:137). Consequently, 77.8% of the questionnaire responses show that the SDP promotes improvement among students. Following are three positive outcomes in addition to the acquisition of examination results (Ouston, 1999:176) and as elicited from the HTs interview, in which the process to SDP implemented at St.Helen proves to be fruitful in being effective and in bringing about improvement. Improving the attitude towards Literature Literature is Fun is one of the target-titles listed for implementation in this years SDP. The HT argues that after finding that Literature and Culture of Languages was weakening, the management provided a Literature Room, which h