Hands-on Learning Motivates Students in the Science Classroom Thesis

Hands-on Learning Motivates Students in the Science Classroom - Thesis Example References 27 6.0. Appendices 28 6.1. Appendix 1: Student Survey Questionnaire 28 6.2. Appendix 2: Teacher-To-Be Survey Questionnaire 29 6.3. Appendix 3: Results of Test-Retest Reliability Analysis 30 List of Tables Table 1. Gender and Age Profile of Grade 10 Student Respondents 7 Table 2. Gender and Age Profile of Teacher and Student-Teacher Respondents 8 Table 3. Detailed Data Analysis Plan 12 Table 4. Student Level of Interest on Lecture 19 Table 5. Level of Student Interest on Hands-On Activities 20 Table 6. Students’ Preferred Method in Science Teaching 21 List of Figures Figure 1: Why Students Take the Science Course 13 Figure 2: What the Students Like to Do in the Science Classroom 14 Figure 3: Frequency of Conducting Group Activities 16 Figure 4: Perceived Usefulness of Labs or Hands-On Activities 16 Figure 5: Student Understanding of Concepts through Hands-On Activities 17 Figure 6: Teaching Method That Helped Students Better 18 1.0 Introduction The term hands-on lear ning means â€Å"learning through doing† (Gardiner, 2005, para.2). Hands-on learning is used commonly in the science classroom to describe a form of learning where students investigate and develop understanding of a scientific concept by active involvement in an activity or an experiment (Gardiner, 2005). Askell-Williams and Lawson (as cited in Brophy, 2010) reported that middle school students frequently mention hands-on activities when asked about interesting elements of lessons, together with features which satisfy their need to for independence, competence and relatedness, experiments, outdoor learning, design projects, and innovative and creative assignments. Meanwhile, high school students enjoy classes for different reasons, and tend to rate highly those related to learning, creation,... Grounded on the findings of the study, all groups of respondents demonstrated their concurrence with the thesis statement that â€Å"hands-on learning motivates students in the science classroom†. The following conclusions were drawn for the specific objectives of the study. This report makes a conclusion that the uniqueness of each individual is one of the perplexities of humankind. Even twins have different set of fingerprints and different ways of learning styles and preferred teaching method. Even student teachers who are well-versed on the efficacy of various teaching methods prefer different teaching styles. The experienced science teachers recognized such individual differences and attributed different favorite teaching styles to such differences. The teachers declared that there is no one single style which can help develop the cognitive competence of students in science. In some concepts, however, one or a combination of two methods have proven to be more efficient that other styles. Teachers have to be aware of student preference and needs to adapt lessons and activities to these varying needs. The Science teachers enumerated several advantages and disadvantages of hands-on activities. Among the advantages identified were: hands-on activities e nable students to experience scientific phenomena through experiments with physical materials; these activities teach a student in planning investigations, utilization of scientific instruments, and in the collection, recording, and analysis of data.

Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Media - Essay Example A very interesting article ha been put forth by renowned writer Naomi Rockler Gladen titled ‘Me against the Media’, where Gladen writes about the struggles faced by herself to teach the very subject –advertising. She writes that the age group between 18-34 has become a target market for most products and services and this group may be known as the â€Å"The Age of Acquisition.† This is because it is people between this very age group that fall prey to all kinds of tricks played by the corporations and companies worldwide in order to carry on their advertising and promotion techniques. She provides the example of the movie â€Å"Father of the Bride† where she helps her students understand how the father was against a big and extravagant wedding for his daughter but how that decision according to the other family members was just outright unacceptable. This is because in today’s day and age of consumerism no person from the younger generations wants to compromise on any kind of usage when it comes to products and services that have carved a niche for them in the market. Despite presenting the clip, Naomi’s students failed to understand how consumerism has taken over globally without students and young people understanding that they are simply being used by big companies in the form of walking talking forms of print media for the sole benefit of the companies. Most of the dream and ambitions that the younger generations have today are closely linked with consumerism. They dream of acquiring products and services that have high brand values and a niche market. So then is it the fault of these big companies and multinationals if these people are putting themselves into the trap? (Gladen, Naomi Rockler) The main problem, Naomi writes, is that the happiest moments that these younger generations possess in their lives are not linked with familial or friendly relations and ties – they are linked with consumerism. Younger people fail to

Analysis of Hypocrisy in Adventures Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Hypocrisy in Adventures Essay The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, takes place in a time in age where the deficits of society are so intricately interwoven and ignored upon the individuals that make up that society. This results in hypocrisy that constantly plays a crucial part in how Mark Twain depicts the society that participates in such irrational activity. Characters, that Huck and Jim meet as they head for their freedom, which for Jim is slavery, and for Huck is the enslavement through civilization which is â€Å"practiced† by such a hypocrite society. Both are searching for freedom that is well defined in their own parameters; but are kept under constant hypocrisy in the pursuit to achieve their freedom. However, hypocrisy by a â€Å"civilized† society is as dominant in today’s society as it was in the time that Huck and Jim encountered it. Even though today’s, hypocrisies take a new shape and form and are interwoven with daily activities. They are given as much attention as any â€Å"civilized† society would. Although the hypocrisies that are evident in Huckleberry Finn might be in the form of the judge allowing Huck’s father, to keep him in custody, well knowing that he a drunkard would kill Huck to get his money. To the ignorance, of towns people and the nieces who were scammed by the duke and king. Everyone had taken so much self-esteem into the fact that the nieces had accepted the duke and king as their uncles that no one gave a second thought, even when it was publicly announced by Dr.  Robinson; as every â€Å"civilized† person who knew right from wrong sprang upon the doctor, trying to subdue him. As the greatest hypocrisy that took place in the book, was due to the time period itself; a time of white supremacy and racial prejudice, that took place everywhere, a time of slavery. These individuals who Huck ran away from to avoid being civilized, were themselves uncivilized due to the way they treated slaves who are non-other than human beings as well. Implying the fact that it is impossible for a society who owns and treats slaves as uncivilized people themselves can never be just. While, we see this constantly throughout our society today, as people call others fat, anorexic, sub-standard, not cool, not cute, irrational, and stupid; while they themselves have a bottomless pit of ignorance, leading to their own oblivion. Today’s society is actually worse than before in the sense that we are not only fed these things as a child; but we have to incorporate it into daily life through the influence of others, such as parents, media, and peers. Making our very existence, self-evident of such a paradox that can only derive from hypocrisy of a so called â€Å"civilized† society. As the time Mark Twain had written this novel, many social flaws existed within the fabrics of the community as a whole. The book played a major role within the cultural context of the era due to the fact that Jim, who was a slave and Huck a freeman were able to bond and have such an amazing journey together. Within this journey, Twain had interwoven several moments, that on the surface seemed like a norm at the time, but exploited several social flaws that would have otherwise been dismissed by ignorance. Resulting in a successful message from the author, hopefully allowing one to see at that time in age what horrid activities they take place in on a day to day basis, when viewed upon by another person’s spectacle.

The Impacts Of Minimum Wages Policy Economics Essay

The Impacts Of Minimum Wages Policy Economics Essay Based on the diagram above, the quantity supply of local labor before setting minimum wage (P1) is at Q1. After setting minimum wage (P2), the quantity supply of local labor increases to Q2. The quantity supply of total labor before setting minimum wage (P1) is at Q4. After setting minimum wage (P2), the quantity demand decreases to Q3. Owing to the reason that setting minimum wage, shortages of local labor at JKL arises at the minimum wage of P2 and surplus of foreign labor at EKM arises at the minimum wage of P2. The setting of minimum wages will increase the unemployment rate because employers will look to hire more specialized employees or fewer employees to maintain healthy margins (Chotin, Finch, Eaton, Engham, Goldblatt, 2009). An example of unemployment from indexing would be Washington. Washingtons teen unemployment in 1999 was 19.7% and as indexing was applied its teen unemployment increased to 29.7% in year 2008 (Chotin, Finch, Eaton, Engham, Goldblatt, 2009). The following graph illustrates the growth in teen unemployment rates in Washington (Chotin, Finch, Eaton, Engham, Goldblatt, 2009). It used to compare with the unemployment rates of the rest of United States. This graph shows that when minimum wage rises companies hire fewer employees to work. For retailers, this means fewer employees on the floor selling, maintaining inventory and helping customers to find products. For example, stores which focus on customer service will not be able to make such sweeping employee cutbacks (Chotin, Finch, Eaton, Engham, Goldblatt, 2009). Market Basket, a grocery store food chain based out of Massachussetts is an example of a store focusing on customer satisfaction, which faces issue on raising minimum wages. Market Basket hires many young teens to keep the floor full of employees to help the customers as much as possible. They also try to make sure the store clean, presentable and answer customers questions. Thus, when setting minimum wage, it will forces Market Basket and other services focuses retailers cut backs in other areas (Chotin, Finch, Eaton, Engham, Goldblatt, 2009). Besides that, if the government setting minimum wages policy, it will affect the productivity and efficiency of employers or producers (Chua, 2008). When there is minimum wage policy, the producers will seek alternative way to reduce the number of employees such as trade in new machine and new technological in order to save the cost of production in long-term basis. For example, there are two equally productive workers assigned to clear a wooded lot. The first worker is given a shovel and an axe, the second, bulldozer. Thus, the second worker is more productive compare with first worker because hard work cannot compete with better technology (Matthew B. Kibbe, 1998). In addition, minimum wages policy causes inflation in the country. When the government set higher minimum wages policy, the producers are unable to cope with costs of production. It will cause the prices of all products to increase tremendously. Thus, the population, especially the low income class, would find it more difficult to stay in the high living expenditure society. Based on the economist, this known as cost-push inflation (Michael Pollick, 2010). An increase in the federal minimum wage will increase the costs of production, which subsequently results in an inflated price for consumers. Employers prefer to hire foreigners because they are charge lower wages and are more willing to work extra hours (Loh, 2009). In year 2008, foreign non-residents individuals account for 1.2 million people of the entire population and with the assumption that foreign labor from Singapore is not foreign talent. Thus, if the country sets the minimum wages policy, it will reduce dependency on foreign labor because Malaysians will be granted priority in job placement compared to foreign workers (Chua, 2008). As a result, the minimum wage policy would bring advantages and disadvantages to Malaysia and her population. To reduce the effect of the disadvantages of minimum wage, the Malaysian government needs to work out the most effective way on reducing the disadvantages of minimum wage policy so that government and population can gain as much as benefits as hoped. The government would have to look into the details pertaining to the shortcomings of the minimum wage policy such as the possibility of increase in foreign labour instead of local labours and consider other possible problems that could arise. Question 2 2.1 Introduction Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is defined as the total market value of a countrys output. It is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a given period of time by factors of production located within a country (Case Fair, 2002). The production of a given value of goods and services would generate an equal value of income. Therefore, the necessary equality between the GDP and gross domestic income indicates that the GDP can be measured both as the total value of output produced and as the income generated in producing that output (Tregarthen, 1996). Therefore, in the following essay, GDP per capita is used as a measure of economic growth and living standards of a country over a period of time. 2.2 Measuring Economic Output Performance A countrys economic output performance is currently measured using the GDP of the country. A method practiced by almost all countries presently. The GDP is a widely used and accepted method of economic measurement in many countries. It is updated frequently and monitored by specific national statistical bodies to ensure the best accuracy of the economic measurement (Madsen, 2006). GDP enables the country planners and economic planners to monitor the economic trend of the country in a regular, periodic basis. Despite the standardized GDP, there are many limitations to this concept. One of these limitations is GDP per capita fails to include non-marketed output and household production. GDP per capita does not include the value of the effort and time put into providing household goods and services (Tregarthen, 1996). For example, a family repainted their house by themselves without using the services of a skilled painter. Their time and effort was not included in the calculation of the GDP. However, if the family uses the service of a skilled painter to repaint their house, the value would be added into the GDP. These would show in the GDP. However, it does not reflect the actual increase in production. It may reflect a shift in production from a category that is not included in the GDP (eg. household production) to another category that is included. GDP also fails to include environmental degradation (Waterson, 2010). An increasing income and growth of a country could be occuring at the expense of the environment. Fast developing countries run a risk of causing negative externalities to the environment. The manufacturing sector could be contributing a lot to the nations GDP, however, the sector could also be the major contributor to the air pollution in the area due to the smoke released. The polluted air can cause breathing problems and diseases among the neighbouring societies. Furthermore, income derived from the black market and volunteer work is not accounted for in the GDP (Madsen, Dec 2006). In the case of the black market, there are no reports of production to the government to evade tax and the law. For example, the underground activities, like prostitution, human trafficking, and drug trafficking, are very lucrative. However, they are not reported because of the law. In the case of volunteer work and charitable organizations, they do not earn income in the first place. Therefore, it is not reported in the GDP despite the output generated. 2.3 Measuring Rising Standard of Living The most common measure of standard of living is the use of real GDP per capita (Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 2003). Real GDP per capita is the inflation-adjusted GDP per capita. Assuming other aspects remain equal, a sustained increase in real GDP would increase the countrys standard of living provided the output increases at a faster rate compared to the total population (Riley, 2006). The advantage of using real GDP per capita is that the country planners and economy planners are able to develop economic policies and development plans since the trend in the GDP per capita at a specific period would reflect the living standards of the population (Madsen, 2006). Therefore, relating to the newspaper article in the question, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, had revealed the New Economic Model 2010 because the government believes that the living standards of Malaysians can be further improved. However, there are limitations to the usage of real GDP per capita as a measure of living standards. The failure to consider the distribution of income is one of its shortcomings. Because real GDP per capita (per capita income) is an indicator of the average living standard of individual members of the population, it cannot project the actual living standards of the population (Madsen, 2006). Income of the population varies according to the geographical region (Hillstrom, n.d.). Part of the population may be getting their income from the manufacturing industry whereas another part could be earning their income from the tourism sector. Per capita income also varies greatly through out the world. According to Susan Dentzer in U.S. News and World Report, in 1988 the top 20 percent of countries worldwide (based on annual national income) reported per capita income figures an average of 65 times greater than the bottom 20 percent of countries. As of the last quarter of 2009, Malaysias per capita income (Gross National Income per capita) figure stands at RM25,201 (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2010). The real GDP also does not take into account the leisure time . All other variables equal, more leisure time is better than less leisure time (Tregarthen, 1996). Consuming leisure would mean that less work effort would be supplied which means producing less GDP. For example, if the government imposes a maximum 5 office and working hours per day, the labour effort in the country would reduce significantly causing the GDP to fall. However, this does not mean that the population is worse off compared to the previous period. According to Tregarthen, the population would end up consuming more goods and services because of the extra leisure time. This situation implies that the fall in GDP would be accompanied by the increase in utility. 2.4 Conclusion As a conclusion, our team agrees that economic output performance and rising standards of living can be measure using per capita income. In our opinion, it is a safer and more prudent measure to understate a countrys economy growth than overstate it. Despite all the shortcomings of the GDP, GDP does measure the production of goods and services which are main focuses of economic output performance (Tregarthen, 1996). Until a more comprehensive and better model is introduced, the GDP concept still holds. In the case of living standards, on the other hand, real GDP per capita can be supported by other alternative indicators which are the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Index of Social Health.

Regulations of Prescription Drug Advertising Essay example -- Birth Co

Regulations of Prescription Drug Advertising This particular morning, Sheri*, a Northeastern senior, is able to get out of bed. With difficulty, she pushes past the chronic pain in her back and shoulder muscles and manages to get dressed. The clothes she wears are not the trendy, youthful clothes of a normal 22-year-old girl in college, but instead a baggy grey sweat suit that hides the nearly 20-pound weight gain she is still trying to work off. She covers her face in makeup to conceal the painful acne that has flared up once again. The advertisement for Depo-Provera, a contraceptive vaccination, sounded appealing to Sheri, as she had trouble remembering to take her current form of birth control. â€Å"It said that I would not have to worry about taking a pill every day, that it was more effective than other forms of birth control, and that the main side effect was that my period might completely go away,† Sheri said. â€Å"That sounded wonderful to me.† Depo-Provera is a form of birth control that requires an injection every three months. Each shot prevents pregnancy for 12 weeks, and it is completely reversible. Depo is cited by Planned Parenthood as one of the most effective forms of reversible birth control. So Sheri did as the advertisement directed her to do and asked her doctor about it. She made sure to ask plenty of questions during the consultation. She was told that she simply might gain a minimal amount of weight, possibly five pounds, and that her menses would indeed diminish or even just not occur. However, the side effects she began to encounter after her second shot were much more serious, and she is not alone. Sheri belongs to an online support group called â€Å"Depo Provera Horror Stories,† a site composed o... ...f birth control in order to cleanse her body of the chemicals she had such a harsh reaction to. â€Å"I am just starting to feel normal again,† she said. â€Å"If I had known that this had happened to other women on Depo, I never would have taken it.† Doctors have told her that the side effects should stop occurring 12 to 14 weeks after discontinuing the medication, but that she would probably not be able to conceive for close to a year. Fortunately for Sheri, her mother is a nutritionist, and has helped her make lifestyle choices to aide in detoxification. â€Å"If it wasn’t for my mom, and some good doctors along the way, I never would have made it. I would have went crazy thinking I was getting sick over nothing,† Sheri said. â€Å"I am trying to stay far away from prescription drugs now, unless I am absolutely certain that I need them.† *Last name withheld on request.

3.03 Managing Stress

Stress is a part of everyday life, but there is good stress and bad stress. The bad stress can be very detrimental to your health. Being able to manage the stress in your life is a very good skill to have. There are many ways that you can manage stress in your life but I am just going to talk about three. Yoga, reading, and jogging are just a few of the techniques that you can use in order to help relieve stress in your life.Yoga is a relaxation technique that is very helpful in diminishing the effects of stress on your life. The word yoga means â€Å"to join or yoke together,† and yoga brings the body and mind together into one harmonious experience. Yoga incorporates exercise, breathing, and meditation. The exercises of Yoga are designed to put pressure on the glandular systems of the body, thereby increasing its efficiency and total health. Breathing techniques are based on the concept that breath is the source of life in the body.These two systems of exercise and breathing then prepare the body and mind for meditation, and the student finds an easy approach to a quiet mind that allows silence and healing from everyday stress. Reading is a technique that I find to be extremely helpful in reducing stress. Psychologists believe this is because the human mind has to concentrate on reading and the distraction of being taken into a literary world eases the tensions in muscles and the heart.Even reading for just 7 minutes has been shown to relieve stress by 68 percent. Going into another world in the form of reading is extremely relaxing and, I think, the most effective way to reduce stress. Jogging can be the perfect distraction when you're dealing with a difficult situation. And the endorphins your body releases during running can give your mood a natural boost. By allowing you the time to think about life's problems or time to escape them for a while, tension easily flies out the door.Distance jogs are great for solving problems that are nagging at you. What better than a 3 hour jog all by yourself to clear your mind and allow you to pin down an answer? Even though there are many other ways that you can relieve stress these are the ones that I have chosen to relieve my stress. in trying all of these out I have found that reading was the best stress reliever that I had tried. Reading helped me to travel to another world and forget about all the stressors in my life even if it was only for an hour or two.

Character Analysis Mr.Marks

Character Analysis Form Actor’s Name: Philip John Play: Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage Character: Mr. Marks Physical Traits Sex ?Mr. Marks is a Romanian Orthodox Jewish male immigrant. Age ?Mr. Marks is in his thirties Health ?Mr. Marks has somewhat of a fear of being left alone, he panics when he sees a loyal customer go to another person for fabric and turns to alcohol (tonic) for comfort. Clothing ?Mr. Marks always wears a black suit with a missing button. He wears it because of religious beliefs, it reminds him that every day he lives for God and his ancestors. General Appearance Mr. Marks is a mix of everything he is somewhat sloppy and unorganized because he rolled right out of bed when Esther walked in and left his bedroll right there (he most likely didn’t get a chance to brush his teeth), he is also looks kind of formal since he always has a black suit on due to religious reasons but it also is missing a button that he refuses to fix for the longest time Mann erisms ?Mr. Marks quickly removes his hands away from Esther because it is against his religion to have physical contact with a woman who is unrelated or not married to him Social TraitsClass ?Mr. Marks is a part of the working middle class because he is a fabric dealer and so he has enough money to run that but he also gets really worried when he hasn’t seen Miss Mills fearing she had went to his competitor. Occupation ?Mr. Marks is a fabric dealer and seems very passionate about it. He is always very excited to show Esther his collection and offers only the finest fabrics. Finances ?Along with class, I think that Mr. Marks lives a comfortable life nothing over the top but enough to be financially stable without having to worry about sleeping in a shoebox. Read also: â€Å"Stand and Deliver Character Analysis†Home Life ?Mr. Marks lives by himself but is engaged to a woman who resides in Romania and has never met her Intelligence ?Mr. Marks is very religious and knowledgeable within his profession of the finest fabrics and best quality products. He also knows how to make his flirtations subtle and enough to get the message across without interfering with his religion views Nationality ?Mr. Marks is Romanian and he seems slightly self-conscious about it, for instance when Esther asked him about his wife and he said his fiancee is in Romania Place in Community Mr. Marks is a local fabric dealer Amusements ?Mr. Marks enjoys representing his ancestry and his religious background by wearing his signature black coat. He also enjoys drinking tea amongst selling fabrics of all kinds. Psychological Traits Moral Standards ?Mr. Marks believes that a woman should not touch a man’s hand if they are not married or related to each other. He also does not remove his black suit for sake of tradition and religion. Religion ?Mr. Marks is Romanian Orthodox Jewish Ambitions ?Mr.Marks is attracted to Esther and wants to be able to express that physically however the barrier of his religion intervenes and prevents that relationship to evolve. He overcomes his tradition of wearing only black and puts on a jacket Esther made especially for him. Disappointments ?When Mr. Marks found out that Esther was getting married he was shocked and tried to hide it by offering her his best quality fabric and told her that no one deserves it more then her. He was most certainly upset about this though Concerns ?Mr.Marks gets worried that he will lose Esther to his competitor that is giving away complimentary thread. Abilities ?While Mr. Marks yearns to be with Esther he sets his feelings aside because it is against his morals and he wishes her the best and offers her the finest clothes. He tries his best to hint his emotions towards her b y putting on the new jacket and similar things. Qualities ?Mr. Marks always trying to do his best to make Esther the happiest she can be he compliments her smile all the time and gets content when he sees her happy.