Analytical Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Analytical Report - Essay Example The report analyses financial statements of the two firms in order to understand whether they have been successful in their operations. The client list is also analyzed to get a clear picture of the type of customers the firm deals with. The report has also made an observation on global presence of the two firms. By understanding the global presence, the report is able to review the benefits that come with that. In conclusion, the best alternative would be PwC. The firm has established itself globally and evenly in the regions of interest. The firm has also been aggressive in expanding its market share and customer operations by taking new member firms every year. With acquisition of new firms and mergers, the firm has ensured improved service delivery in a more efficient manner. The client list also has so much impact on the decision. Major global corporations that are world leaders in their industry are working together with the firm and this shows customer loyalty and confidence. Apple Inc. is a global technology company based in California USA. The company focuses on designing, developing and selling of mobile phones, computer gadgets, online services, consumer electronics among other products and services. Founded in 1976, Apple is currently the worlds second largest technological company by revenue. The company is listed in NASDAQ and on 19th March 2015, it joined the Dow Jones Industrial average. With over 98,000 employees, the company has 437 retail stores globally. In the financial year 2014, the company accumulated a total US DDDD 182 billion in revenue. Apple is the largest company that is traded publicly with operating segments in America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. With such a significant financial operation, there is need to have a proper financial management, audit, analysis and monitoring. The sole purpose of this report is primarily to facilitate the

Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Article Critique - Essay Example Purpose of the research The research sought to establish the factors from the SCT standpoint that influence the consumption behaviour of fruits and vegetables among the adolescents in the low-income bracket of the black Americans in the lower Mississippi Delta region. Personal, environmental as well as behavioural factors have been investigated in the study to establish the extent to which they influence the consumption patterns of fruits and vegetables by the targeted adolescents. Method of the research This qualitative research used the focus group methodology to collect data from the participants. 42 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 13 years were involved in the focus groups which were divided equally into six. 21 female and 21 male adolescents were involved in this study. The advantage of this method is that it enabled the researcher to get personal opinions from the participants about the factors that influenced their consumption behaviour and patterns of fruits and vegeta bles. Results of the research The results of the research have been divided into three main categories of the Social Cognitive Theory which include behavioural, personal and environmental factors. ... Personal factors such as taste played a major role in influencing the consumption behaviour of fruits and vegetables among the youths who participated in the survey. There were both negative and positive connotations about the taste of fruits and vegetables. For instance, many youths revealed that they like fruits because of their sweet taste while the taste of vegetables produced more negative reactions. Many youths described the taste of vegetables as â€Å"nasty† and they said that they would rather prefer to eat vegetables that have been prepared with sugar or cheese since these ingredients could improve the taste. The results of the study also revealed that environmental factors have an influence on the consumption behaviour of fruits and vegetables by the youths. The aspect of availability played a major role in influencing the behaviour of youths towards fruits and vegetables. Many participants pointed out that fruits and vegetables were not readily available at their h omes as well as the nearby grocery shops. Some of the youths said they ate fruits and vegetables when they visit their friends’ places. This showed that the youths cannot be able to consume something they cannot readily access and this is seen as a barrier to their consumption behaviour of the fruits and vegetables. Conclusion of the research The purpose of this research was to explore factors that influence the low-income southern black American adolescents' fruit and vegetable consumption patterns with the aim of developing tools that are culturally relevant for intervention and measurement of behaviour among this target group with regards to choice of fruits and

Theories of Social Work in Practice

Theories of Social Work in Practice Social work as a practice was not defined as a profession until the early 20th century even in other countries there are different ideas as to what a social worker is; for example in some developing countries what in the United Kingdom as a youth worker is seen as a social worker. In England a probation officer does not need to be a qualified social worker whereas in Scotland it is necessary for the individual to be qualified. In Scotland social workers are registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and have to abide by their professional code of conduct, which is important as a national guideline due to social work being such a diverse area. It is important for social work to abide by these guidelines but also to use theories that are of relevance to inform their practice. Social work theory throughout the years has continued to be an important part of social work practice. The purpose of this assignment is to critically discuss and analyse the relevance to two of these theories into practice using the ODonnell family. The two theories this assignment will look at is the attachment theory, Eriksons eight stages of man and also to look at anti oppressive practice. It is important to look at these different types of theories as they are all important dynamics that are necessary for social workers to understand the society, individuals and politically and socially influenced world in which they have to work in. An example of a mid range theory is the theory of attachment, the first theory of attachment was written by John Bowlby; Bowlby believed that the attachment between mother and infant was important to the childs future development. Bowlby also believed in four characteristics of attachment: proximity management, safe haven, secure base and separation distress. If a child suffers separation from their primary carer (their mother) then this may manifest into social problems later in life however if the child has unpredictable contact with their mother then it will have insecure attachment. Bowlby later looked at attachment throughout different ages and stages of development, to understand how a person that losses or is separated from an individual they had developed an attachment with would be affected. It has been identified that attachment behaviour is inbuilt as it can be triggered if a child is scared or frightened. If a child feels loved and valued by their primary caregiver it is highly likely that the child will develop a good level of self-esteem and perhaps may be more confident and independent in later life due to a feeling of belonging and acceptance. However should a child feel they are rejected or neglected by their primary caregiver it is like they may feel unwanted and unlovable. The positive example of attachment would allow the child to develop a trusting bond which would not be the case with the negative attachment example. This relates to Eriksons eight stages of man; this is an infants stage of psychosocial development which has two paths a child can take depending on the care they receive trust versus mistrust is established. This theory of attachment was developed further by Mary Ainsworth in the 1970s in her study Strange Situations based on observing children aged twelve to eighteen months, she described three types of attachment that she discovered during her studies these were; secure, ambivalent and avoidant attachment. Secure attachment is seen as the most preferred and beneficial to a childs positive development; the care given by the primary caregiver would be attentive and provide a solid base for the child to progress emotionally, socially and intellectually. Ambivalent attachment tends to occur when the primary carer is unreliable and unstable this would be classed as emotional neglect which may leave the child unsure of their place within the family which may result in the child displaying distressing or anxious behaviour. Children who are victims of this type of behaviour may be very attention seeking in order to gain the focus of those around them that they do not get at home. A child howev er that is a victim of avoidant attachment would perhaps be less likely to show their true feelings or talk about them as they are afraid of those they are close to leaving them. The childs lack of emotional response would possibly be because the primary caregiver in these cases will perhaps show more care and attention when the child is content however if the child shows visible signs of distress or need they will pull away from them. In some cases children exposed to avoidant care givers may take drugs or alcohol to cope with their fear of rejection from others. This attachment theory was even further developed by Main and Solomon in the 1980s they outlined a further type of attachment called disorganised attachment or insecure attachment, a childs primary caregiver in this stage is confusing to the child. Children who are subject to these varying behaviours tend to fear the loss of that attention even though they are given the attention they require. A child who has been unable to have a secure attachment, for example through abuse, fostering or adoption, is more likely to have problems in future with their relationships with others or suffer emotionally. Attachment theory has been used in social work to work with children and families and has more recently become part of mental health practice. It is important to acknowledge in social work how a persons past in terms of the family unit they were brought up in and the level of care they received can affect them in the present; also how the individuals past experiences can affect their own children. However it is also important for social workers to look other theories as well to help inform their practice and not focus on a singular theory. This theory is also a past orientated theory as it looks at how the past effects the present. In relation to the ODonnell family Kate would appear to have been a victim of avoidant attachment due to being left by her mother and taken into care at an early age. Because of her past she may be fearful of her children rejecting her as her self esteem would have been affected due to being in and out of care homes. This difficulty in attaining meaningful attachments may also have contributed to her being a lone parent and Kate is repeating history with her own children as they are developing a meaningful attachment with her friend Frances. It is also significantly appropriate to examine how this is affecting Kates children and how this may manifest later if intervention is not made by social workers to bring a closer bond to the primary carer. A further mid range theory that was touched upon in a previous passage was established by a psychosocial psychologist by the name of Erik Erikson. Eriksons theory was loosely based around Freuds past works however it was developed into what is called Eriksons Eight Stages of Man. According to Erikson at certain ages throughout a persons life they will go down one of two developmental paths, however it is necessary for those using this theory that it is not simply one path or the other. Erikson acknowledged the fact that although a person should go down the The eight stages are Trust versus Mistrust, Autonomy versus Shame, Doubt, Initiative versus Guilt, Industry versus Inferiority, Identity versus Identity Confusion, Intimacy versus Isolation, Generativity versus Self-Absorption, and finally the last stage Integrity versus Despair. The first stage takes place in infancy this is when a child is most vulnerable as they rely entirely on their care givers; if the child comes to know that they can rely on their primary caregiver as the care giver is continuously there for them then they will develop to trust more than a child whom is ignored or has unreliable caregivers and develops mistrust. Each oof these stages has an impact on the next stage of development and therefore it is detrimental to producing a balanced human being that the child passes through with more positive experiences of emotional development than negative. In the second stage autonomy versus shame this takes place when a child is around the ages of one to four the third stage initiative versus guilt takes place between the ages of four and six, if a child has in stage four the child between the ages of six to twelve industry versus inferiority In stage five identity versus role confusion this takes place in adolescence generally between the ages of twelve and twenty; at this age an up and coming adult is most likely to be at the peak of peer pressure and will be discovering who they are both as a person and sexually. This can be a very hard time for individuals but with a good base they will be likely to find who they are with easae however it is possible that they will become confused for example the loss of a father figure for a boy may result in that person being unable to undersand why the Eriksons eight stages of man have been criticized due to the fact that it was based ona study of men, it can be seen as a rigid document and does not take into account individual factors. For example an individual whom has a severe learning disability and perhaps has been psychologically examined to be at a mental age of five will not suffer from the complexities of stage five although that may be their corresponding age with Erikson s chart. Although this criticism should be kept in mind, Eriksons stages of man can be a useful tool as a guideline for use in social work. Although Eriksons model may seem very black and white it is important to remember that during each stage of development in order to have a healthy perspective in life, it is important in each stage that the strongest is the positive from the scale, there must be some level of negative development; for example a little bit of mistrust is healthy as to trust naively would eventually result in a individual putting themselves in danger. Trust versus Mistrust takes place during infancy; the route in which the infants personality takes depends on the parent to provide those needs that the infant cannot satisfy itself. If the mother does not take care of her child through neglect the infant will not develop basic trust and will take a negative step on the psychosocial scale. Autonomy versus Shame, Doubt takes place during early childhood, starting in a childs second year of life, once again children are reliant on their parents to support them during this stage. This is when a toddler tries to become an individual. If the childs vulnerability does not get the necessary support from the care givers then they will develop a sense of shame and doubt. Initiative versus Guilt takes place also during childhood normally developing during the ages of four and five; this is where a child tries to establish their own boundaries as they try to establish their identity In stage four, Industry versus Inferiority, taking place up until puberty, this is when a child tries to be recognized for their achievements, for example at school for doing a project, however if they do not get this desired recognition and feeling of achievement then it can result on them developing a feeling of inferiority, inadequacy. Parents still play an important role in this stage however as it takes place primarily at school, teachers are important. Stage five, identity versus identity confusion takes place during adolescence this is when the individual try to find a sense of themselves, this Stage six, intimacy versus isolation is the first stage to take place during adulthood, intimacy with other human beings can only happen when identity is established. The intimacy can be with a friend or a lover it involves merging personalities with others. It is important for an individual to have this intimacy otherwise it can result in them being alone and withdrawn. Stage seven, Ge nerativity versus stagnation, this is the second stage an individual goes through in adulthood, people who are generative are productive, tolerant and able to care for others and themselves equally. It is not always expressed through parenthood sometimes it can be through being a teacher. Those who are unable to develop in this stage result in a feeling of being stuck as they are unable to care for other people properly. The eighth stage is integrity versus despair, this takes place during old age, an individual in this stage establishes integrity being satisfied with their life and believing it was important and had a purpose. The person who reflects on life positively, according to Erikson, have an acceptance of death. However, a person who reflects on their life, feeling full of regret of their past it is also shown through a report to researchers that those who were more feeble through their bodys degeneration felt as though they had little control (Geppert Halisch, 2001) and t herefore despair would occur as they were not as willing to accept death. (Cloninger, 2008). Eriksons theory of psychosocial development was based on clinical evidence there has been further research into this work specifically in the adolescent stage of identity versus identity confusion. This research was accomplished by James Marcia whom

Healthcare: for all or citizens only? Essay -- Legal Issues, Immigrati

Everyday someone is sent to the hospital. Not only are they in fear of losing their life but also in fear of being in debt due to the prices of health care treatment they need. But what if this patient happens to be an illegal immigrant? Should doctors deny him/her because they lack citizenship? Or should illegal immigrants be treated just like any other patients by having a right to health care? Throughout the past decade restrictions on eligibility for taxpayer-subsidized medical care has risen at both the state and national level. Some of these restrictions are based on laws and reform acts that have been produced by legal organizations as well as political federations. On a federal level, the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 (PRWORA) prohibits hospital districts from offering free or discounted nonemergency medical care for noncitizens (Rao, 2003, p.1). Immigrants are taking advantage of the healthcare we provide for the nation, yet some of them are not even legal citizens. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (a non-profit group that opposes illegal immigration), the cost of treating illegal aliens’ amounted to nearly $11 billion in 2009. However, the HRI (Health Research Institute) reported that the government spent approximately $2.2 trillion on United States citizens in 2009. Illegal immigrants are net consumers of public services and they contribute to economic growth (McCarthy, 1995). Since 1990, immigrants have contributed to job growth in three main ways: They fill an increasing share of jobs overall, they take jobs in labor-scarce regions, and they fill the types of jobs native workers often shun. The foreign-born make up only 11.3 percent of the U.S. population and 14 percent of the labor force... ... Administration nevertheless improperly approved almost every claim of â€Å"noncitizen† workers who had been issued a Social Security number after the effective date, but who lacked the required work authorization. It is already unjust that these poor people are working for and contributing to the government, yet they are not receiving social security like everyone else. Based on this information, it should be legalized that illegal immigrants should have the right to health care. These hard working migrants contribute so much to the economy and are not repaid properly because they are not American citizens. In addition, they are the ones who do the â€Å"minor† and low paying careers that no one would ever think of doing. Our nation is one that is built on the foundation of equality and freedom for all and because of that we should all be entitled to the same priorities.

Research methods in education Essay

This topic will give you the overview of a research report and an example of a research report. After completing this topic, you should be able to explain the chapter contents of: (a) Research Problem; (b) Review of the Literature; (c) Research Method; (d) Research Findings; and (e) Conclusions (Figure 2. 1). Figure 2. 1: Topic Contents 2. 2 EXAMPLE OF A RESEARCH REPORT â€Å"THE EFFECTS OF PREREQUISITE MATHEMATICS ABILITY, TEACHING METHOD AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS ON MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT† CHAPTER 1 RESEARCH PROBLEM 1. 1 Introduction State the purpose of research and explain the brief contents/subtopics of section/ chapter. The purpose of this research was to determine whether prerequisite mathematics ability, teaching method and English language skills affect mathematics achievement. This chapter will explain the background of research, statement of the research problem, purpose of research, importance of research, limitations of research, definition of terms, and summary. 1. 2Background of Research Explain the motivation for carrying out this research in terms of theoretical issues or practical problems. Lately, mathematics achievement of most students in both the primary and secondary schools is deteriorating. The teaching of mathematics in English does affect mathematics learning for some students, but it creates significant problems for others. Schools had tried to solve some of these problems, but still could not improve mathematics achievement of these students. 1. 3 Statement of Research Problem Explain the factors/variables to be included in this research, show the conceptual/theoretical framework of research, and state the research problem. The literature on teaching and learning mathematics indicated that prerequisite mathematics ability is necessary for students to understand any new mathematics content. Beside prerequisite mathematics, most of past research showed that proper teaching mathematics can improve students’ performance in mathematics. Lately, research on mathematics learning discovered that English language skills facilitate mathematics learning. The theoretical framework of the research is given in Figure 1. 1. This research attempted to determine whether prerequisite mathematics ability, English language skills, and teaching method affect mathematics achievement. Figure 1. 1 Theoretical Framework of the Research 1. 4Purpose of Research Explain the purpose of research, research objectives, research questions and research hypotheses (if any). The purpose of this research was to determine whether prerequisite mathematics ability, teaching method and English language skills affect mathematics achievement. The objectives of this research were: 1. 4. 1 Research Objectives This research was carried out with the following objectives: (a) To determine the effect of prerequisite mathematics ability on mathematics achievement. (b) To determine the effect of teaching method on mathematics achievement. (c) To determine the effect of English language skills on mathematics achievement. 1. 4. 2 Research Questions This research was carried out to answer the following research questions: (a) What is the effect of prerequisite mathematics ability on mathematics achievement? (b) What is the effect of teaching method on mathematics achievement? (c) What is the effect of English language skills on mathematics achievement? 1. 4. 3 Research Hypotheses The following null hypotheses were formulated to answer the research questions: (a) There is no difference in mathematics achievement between students with low and high prerequisite mathematics abilities. (b) There is no difference in mathematics achievement between students who are taught using direct instruction and cooperative learning. (c) There is no difference in mathematics achievement between students with low and high English language skills. 1.5Importance of Research Explain the importance of research findings in terms of theory confirmation/building or their implications to practitioners. The findings of this research hopefully will create awareness among school administrators and mathematics teachers of the necessity to prepare students with English language skills and prerequisite mathematics knowledge before teaching new mathematics content. The findings also will h elp mathematics teachers to choose appropriate mathematics teaching method to improve students’ mathematics achievement. 1. 6Limitations of Research Explain the limitations of this research in terms of population, sample, instruments, data analyses or other related problems to the research. This research was carried out in two secondary schools in Petaling Jaya area with a sample of 120 students. The prerequisite mathematics ability, teaching method and English language skills were classified into only two categories each. The instruments were limited to prerequisite mathematics test, English language test, and mathematics post-test. Interaction effects of prerequisite mathematics ability and English language skills with teaching method were not investigated in this research. 1. 7Definition of Terms Give the constitutive (conceptual) and operational (measurement) definitions of the terms/variables used in the research. The followings were the key terms used in this research and their constitutive and operational definitions: (a) Mathematics achievement Mathematics achievement can be defined as the ability of a person to solve mathematical problems at a difficulty level that is appropriate to the person. In this research, mathematics achievement was measured using a mathematics post-test that covered the syllabus on area of triangle,rectangle, and circle. (b) Prerequisite mathematics ability †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1. 8Summary Give a summary of important aspects explained in this section/chapter. This research was carried out to improve students’ mathematics achievement. The purpose of this research was to determine whether prerequisite mathematics ability, teaching method and English language skills affect mathema tics achievement. The research, which was conducted in two secondary schools in Petaling Jaya area, used teacher-made tests to collect the required research data. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE RREVIEW 2. 1 Introduction Explain the brief contents of section/chapter. This chapter presents the Literature Review which is divided into Related Literature and Related Research. The Related Literature explains prerequisite mathematics, language skills, direct instruction and cooperative learning. The Related Research presents some research on the effects of prerequisite mathematics ability, language skills and teaching method on mathematics achievement. 2. 2 Related Literature Explain concepts, theories, principles or models that are related to the research problem. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of prerequisite mathematics ability, teaching method and English language skills on mathematics achievement. This section will explain the two teaching methods that were used in this research, namely, direct instruction and cooperative learning; and also the roles of prerequisite knowledge and language skills in teaching and learning. 2. 2. 1 Direct Instruction Slavin (2006) defined â€Å"direct instruction† as â€Å"an approach to teaching in which lessons are goal-oriented and structured by the teacher†. The teacher transmits information directly to students by structuring class time so that the students achieve the clearly stated objectives as efficient as possible. It is efficient for teaching a well-defined body of knowledge or skills such as mathematics. Direct Instruction comprises of the following seven (7) steps of activities: (a) State Learning Objectives and Orient Students to Lesson; (b) Review Prerequisites; (c) Present New Materials; (d) Conduct Learning Probes; (e) Provide Independent Practice; (f) Assess Performance and Provide Feedback; and (g) Provide Distributed Practice and Review. 2. 2. 2 Cooperative Learning Slavin (2006) defined â€Å"cooperative learning† as â€Å"instructional methods in which students work together in small groups to help each other learn†. The students are prepared with specific skills that will help them work better in a group. These skills include active listening, giving clear explanations, avoiding negative comments, etc. An effective cooperative learning model is called Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD). STAD comprises of the following four (4) steps of activities: (a) Teach – the teacher present the lesson; (b) Team Study – students work on worksheets in their teams to master the material; (c) Test – students take individual tests; and (d) Team Recognition – team scores are computed based on team members’ improvement scores and class newsletter recognizes high-scoring teams. 2. 3 Related Research Explain and comment about previous research/ studies that are related to the research problem in terms of population, sample, instruments, analyses, findings and limitations. Based on the research framework, this section will present the previous research/ studies related to the effects of prerequisite mathematics ability, teaching method and English language skills on mathematics achievement. Specifically, this section will present the research on direct instruction (Systematic Instruction) and cooperative learning (Student Teams-Achievement Divisions – STAD). 2. 3. 1 Research on Direct Instruction The Systematic Instruction (SI) is one form/model of Direct Instruction. SI is a comprehensive Direct Instruction approach with a high degree of structure. Studies on the evaluation of nine programmes using Direct Instruction were carried out (in Slavin, 2006). DISTAR and Behaviour Analysis, the two highly structured Direct Instruction programmes, were found most successful in improving students’ reading and mathematics achievement. Of the nine programmes, only DISTAR was successful in improving low-achieving disadvantaged students close to the national average achievement. DISTAR and Behaviour Analysis students were also highest in self-esteem. About 60% of DISTAR students graduated from high school, compared to only 38% of other students in the same school. 2. 3. 2 Research on Cooperative Learning Slavin (1986) had done a research on Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD). The research found that students learn substantially more in cooperative learning than in traditional/direct instruction, if two conditions are made. First, there must be some reward or recognition given to students, such as certificates. Second, each group must make sure that all of their members are learning, not just the good ones. When these conditions are met, cooperative learning is effective in grades 2 through 12, in all subjects and in many types of schools. Other than academic achievement, cooperative learning had positive effect on race relations, self-esteem, and attitudes toward school (Slavin, 1990). 2. 4 Summary Give a summary of important aspects explained in this section/chapter. This chapter presented the Literature Review for this research. The Related Literature discussed about direct instruction, cooperative learning, and the roles of prerequisite knowledge and skills and language skills in teaching and learning. The Related Research discussed about the research on direct instruction, namely, Systematic Instruction, and cooperative learning, namely, Student Teams-Achievement Divisions. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHOD 3. 1 Introduction Introduction Explain the brief contents of section/chapter. This chapter presents the Research Method which is divided into Research Design, Population and Sample, Research Instruments, Procedure for Data Collection, Procedure for Data Analyses, Pilot Study, and Summary. This research used experimental design to investigate the effects of prerequisite mathematics ability, English language skills, and teaching method on mathematics achievement. 3. 2 Research Design A factorial experimental design was used to investigate the effects of three independent variables; namely, prerequisite mathematics ability, English language skills, and teaching method; on the dependent variable of mathematics achievement. This section will explain the factorial design with each of the independent variable having two levels. The two levels of prerequisite mathematics ability were low and high; the two levels of English language skills were low and high; and the two levels of teaching method were direct instruction and cooperative learning. A (2x2x2) factorial design was used in this research with a total of eight groups/cells. The factorial design is shown in Table 3. 1. Table 3. 1: (2x2x2) Factorial Design on Mathematics Achievement Prerequisite Mathematics Ability Low High English Language Skills: Low Direct Instruction Direct Instruction English Language Skills: High Direct Instruction Direct Instruction Prerequisite Mathematics Ability Low High English Language Skills: Low Cooperative Learning Cooperative Learning English Language Skills: High Cooperative Learning Cooperative Learning 3. 3 Population and Sample Explain the scope/limitation of research in terms of population and sample & how respondents are selected. This was a part of an action research planned for a public secondary school in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The research population comprised of all the Form 4 students in the school for the school year of 2009. A total of 240 Form 4 students were randomly selected as research sample. Other population and sample were not considered in this research, since it was an action research for the school. 3. 4 Research Instruments Explain research instruments to be used and how they are developed/ constructed. There were four instruments used in this research, namely: (a) Backgrounds Questionnaire to collect data on backgrounds of respondents; (b) Prerequisite Mathematics Pretest to measure students’ prerequisite mathematics ability; (c) English Language Pretest to measure students’ English language skills; and (d) Mathematics Posttest to measure students’ mathematics achievement. The four research instruments were developed by two mathematics teachers and two English Language teachers from the school. The Backgrounds Questionnaire was focused on students’ gender, ethnic, stream, and PMR Mathematics grade. The Mathematics Pretest and Posttest were developed based on the topic of Probability and Statistics, while the English Language Pretest was developed based on Form 4 syllabus. 3. 5 Procedure for Data Collection Explain step-by-step of the procedure for data collection from obtaining the permission to do research to how the data were collected. The 240 Form 4 students were called to meet the School Principal and researchers at the school’s hall. They were briefed about the research and were given the Backgrounds Questionnaire, Prerequisite Mathematics Pretest, and English Language Pretest. After the results of the Prerequisite Mathematics Pretest and English Language Pretest were obtained, the students were classified into four groups of 60 students each, namely: (a) studentswith â€Å"low† Prerequisite Mathematics scores and â€Å"low† in English Language scores; (b) students with â€Å"low† Prerequisite Mathematics scores and â€Å"high† in English Language scores; (c) students with â€Å"high† Prerequisite Mathematics scores and â€Å"low† in English Language scores; and (d) students with â€Å"high† Prerequisite Mathematics scores a nd â€Å"high† in English Language scores. Each of the four groups of students was later assigned randomly to two groups of 30 students each to form a total of eight groups. One mathematics teacher was trained on how to teach mathematics using Direct Instruction, and another mathematics teacher was trained to teach mathematics using Cooperative Learning. After the training, one of the mathematics teachers taught four of groups of students on the topic of Probability and Statistics for a period of three weeks using Direct Instruction. The other four groups of students were taught by the other mathematics teacher on the topic of Probability and Statistics also for a period of three weeks using Cooperative Learning. At the end of three weeks, all students were given the Mathematics Posttest. 3. 6 Procedure for Data Analyses Explain step-by-step of the procedure for data analyses from marking the test(s) to how the data were analyzed to answer each research question. One English language teacher was asked to mark the English Language Pretest answer scripts, one mathematics teacher was asked to mark the Prerequisite Mathematics Pretest answer scripts, and another mathematics teacher was asked to mark the Mathematics Posttest answer scripts, based on the marking schemes provided by the researcher. The backgrounds information of the students and their Prerequisite Mathematics Pretest scores, English Language Pretest scores, and Mathematics Posttest scores were entered into a computer file for analyses. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the research data. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyze the backgrounds of students who participated in the research. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the following null hypotheses on the main effects of the independent variables investigated at 0. 05 level of significant. The following null hypotheses were formulated to answer the research questions: (a) There is no difference in mathematics achievement between students with low and high prerequisite mathematics abilities. (b) There is no difference in mathematics achievement between students who are taught using lecture method and cooperative method. (c) There is no difference in mathematics achievement between students with low and high English language skills. 3. 7 Pilot Study 4 Explain how you carried out the pilot study and improvements you made on your research after the pilot study. A pilot study for the research was carried out in the same school when the two mathematics teachers were given the training on how to teach mathematics using Direct Instruction and Cooperative Learning. A small sample of 20 students was used in the pilot study, whereby the students were given the Backgrounds Questionnaire, English Language Pretest, Prerequisite Mathematics Pretest, and Mathematics Posttest. The students were interviewed by the researcher on their understanding of the Questionnaire, Pretests, and Posttest. The researcher had refined the Questionnaire, and a new set of equivalent English Language Pretest, Prerequisite Mathematics Pretest, and Mathematics Posttest were developed by the same two mathematics teachers and two English Language teachers based on the comments from students. 3. 8 Summary Give a summary of important aspects explained in this section/chapter. This chapter presented the Research Method that was focused on the Research Design, Population and Sample, Research Instruments, Procedure for Data Collection, Procedure for Data Analyses and Pilot Study. The research was carried out on 240 Form 4 students from a public secondary school in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. A Backgrounds Questionnaire, an English Language Pretest, a Prerequisite Mathematics Pretest, and a Mathematics Posttest were used as research instruments. A pilot study was carried out at the same school and the instruments were refined based on students’ comments. Descriptive statistics were used to explain the backgrounds of respondents, while ANOVA was used to test the null hypotheses of the research. CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH FINDINGS 4. 1 Introduction Explain the brief contents of section/chapter. This chapter presents the Research Findings which is divided into the Backgrounds of Respondents and the Results of Data Analyses and Research Findings. The Backgrounds of Respondents discuss the composition of respondents by gender and ethnic. The Results of Data Analyses and Research Findings explain the results of Analysis of Variance on Mathematics Achievement and the hypothesis tests on the effects of Prerequisite Mathematics, Teaching Method, and English Language Skills on Mathematics Achievement. 4. Backgrounds of Respondents Explain the backgrounds of the research respondents, e. g. their gender, age, family income, etc. This research was carried out at a public secondary school in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 240 Form 4 students were randomly selected as research sample. These students were assigned to four groups based on the results of Prerequisite Mathematics Pretest and English Language Skills Pretest. The background of respondents in terms of gender, ethnic, mean score and standard deviation (SD) of Prerequisite Mathematics, and mean  score and standard deviation (SD) of English Language Skills are given in Table 4. 1. The respondents comprised of 120 male students (50%), 120 female students (50%); which were made up of 120 Malay students (50%), 96 Chinese students (40%), and 24 Indian students (10%). In terms of Prerequisite Mathematics and English Language Skills, Group 1 (Low Math & English) comprised of 60 students with mean of 31. 8% in Prerequisit e Mathematics and 42. 6% in English Language Skills. Group 2 (Low Math & High English) comprised of 60 students with mean of 32. 1% in Prerequisite Mathematics and 72.

Reaction Paper on the Movie “Fireproof” Essay

The movie, Fireproof, has a very sensitive theme because it focuses on relationships on husband and wife. On the early scene, it is shown that Capt. Caleb Holt of the Albany’s Fire Department Station One’s chief. He has the motto of â€Å"Never leave your partner behind†. He has earned many respect in his career and in his community except in his household were he and his wife, Catherine Holt, always fight because they’re fighting over, mostly about financial problems and Caleb’s addiction to internet pornography. After the argument, Catherine decided to have a divorce. This is very striking because this happens not only in this movie, it is also happening in reality were married couples gone separate because of individual’s differences and negative attitude or problems. When Caleb told his father about what happened, his father asked for the reason for their marriage and he can’t answer. Then, his father challenged Caleb for a â€Å" Love Dare†. The â€Å"Love Dare† is written on a notebook by his father and it was mailed to Caleb. The contents of that notebook are all about the experience of his father when they have the same matter on with Caleb’s mother. He read all the contents expect for the bible verses on the last paragraph. The challenged lasts for 40 days. Initially Catherine doubts Caleb’s sincerity in his attempts to win her back, because of his half-hearted attempts at completing the Love Dare, but Caleb continues with encouragement from his father and his close friend Michael who also encourages him to become a born-again Christian. In the meantime, at the hospital where she works, Catherine begins flirting with Dr. Gavin Keller , who does not know that she is married, since she is no longer wearing her wedding ring. She informs him of her mother’s medical situation. Around this time, Caleb injures his arm when rescuing a girl from a house fire and is brought to Catherine’s hospital, where a nurse inadvertently says in front of Dr. Keller that Caleb is Catherine’s husband. As he continues his 40-day challenge, Caleb begins doing more household chores and running more errands for Catherine, and le aves her roses. He also smashes his computer to pieces with a baseball bat in order to remove the temptation of viewing internet pornography. Regardless, Catherine, who is led by some colleagues to think that Caleb did all these things with an ulterior motive in mind, is still intent on divorce. When she later finds out that the equipment needed for her mother’s medical care has been paid for in full, she arranges a lunch date with Dr.  Keller, thinking that he was the benefactor. Caleb discovers Dr. Keller’s relationship with Catherine and immediately informs him that he won’t let him have Catherine without a fight. Dr. Keller, who does not want to be an obstacle in their marital squabbles and is already married anyway, quietly breaks off his relationship with Catherine. Caleb later finds Catherine at home sick, and decides to take care of her. At this point she asks Caleb why he has changed his behavior, and he mentions the Love Dare. Caleb then fully apologizes to Catherine for his past selfishness. Days later, Catherine learns that of the $24,300 cost of her mother’s medical equipment, Dr. Keller gave only $300 and Caleb gave $24,000, exhausting his boat savings. At this point she becomes convinced that his desire to change was sincere. Ashamed at her inability to think that Caleb’s change in behavior was genuine, Catherine digs out her ring, dresses herself up nicely and puts on make-up, and rushes to her husband’s fire station. There, she embraces her husband with all the respect and admiration he craved before. Caleb’s parents are relieved to know that their son’s marriage has been saved and Caleb expresses his thanks to his dad for the Love Dare. At that point, Caleb’s dad explains that his mother was the one who did the Love Dare on him instead of the other way around. Immediately after hearing this, Caleb rushes home and apologizes to his mother for criticizing her all those years. The couple then renews their wedding vows in an outdoor ceremony, this time as a covenant with God. As we look over the film, the theme is really forgiveness and acceptance. Not only acceptance to the person you loved but also acceptance to the will of God. If you really love the person, you really do things that you don’t normally do.