The Necessity Of The Mobile Phone Today English Language Essay

The Necessity Of The Mobile Phone Today English Language Essay Hand phone, cell phones or handset has been the one of necessity rather than a desirable in our live in this modern day. Nowadays, hand phone has been an affordable gadget for everybody and the parent can effort to buy a hand phone for their children. Even our children also can be seen with hand phone at anywhere they go and even in school. The question begging a genuine answer is whether they are responsible enough to be allowed to be with these communication gadgets in school. Ministry of Education has set a regulation on using hand phone in school which is I strongly oppose with that regulation and proposal. The regulations are to allow student on using hand phone in school but with limitation usage. With this regulation student still can use hand phone in school. Minister of Education should not allow the student to bring and use a hand phone in school at all matters. There are more badness rather than a benefit when student bring their hand phone in school. This is because the technology in the hand phone can cause the student exposes to a bad behavior. There are still young and they are suppose to concentrate on their study first rather than playing or using their hand phone. During the school time they have to spend that valuable time on their study and class. After school time they have a lot of time for playing with their hand phone. The school authorities and the teacher mainly should play a major role to prevent these usages of hand phone among th e students. The parents also strictly have to control their children from misuse the hand phone. In the school also they provide a public telephone for student to use. Even in school office also they have a direct line telephone that the student can use to call their parent in urgencies cases. The parents should trust the school management when their children are in school. There is no need to be worried because the school management can make sure 100% safety on our children, this is fully guarantee by the Ministry of Education and even the Government of Malaysia. Although I have left school 11 years ago, but considering that Ive been in school for 12 years from pre-school to form 5, everyone did just fine without hand phone in school. So we should strongly not allow our children to bring the hand phone in school. 2.0 Statement of the problem. There are too many problems when we allowed the student to use the hand phone. One of the problems is there will be a tendency to show off ones hand phone, especially of the latest model. This will not only bring a beginning to the downfall of human values and becoming a snob of the society, but also cause inferiority of other students who cannot afford the latest models or hand phone. The inferiority will affect the esteem of students and if they are caught with the trend, they might resolve to stealing in whatever means either directly or monetary, or pressure the parents who have been working hard for the children to have good education. This will burden the parent to find extra money to full fit their children necessity. Nowadays the children dont want a cheaper hand phone they only want the sophisticated hand phone such as I phone 4, Blackberry etc. Just because the market price of hand phone are falling fast, it doesnt mean that one should just take their current model for gran ted and if it gets stolen, one will just buy a new one. So what if you or the parents can afford to a new phone, life just doesnt work in such a way that when something goes missing, you just get a replacement. When the stealing happen the criminal cases in school will increase and this will drop the reputation of the school itself. The school can be classified by a school for a bad student and this will make the parent thing they should not let their children to enter the school and find the different school. Other than that, the student has spent the pocket around RM10 to RM40 per month to buy a prepaid. No wonder the pocket money for our student. RM50 per month are never enough for the student nowadays. Some of them even ask their parent to register a postpaid due to insufficient prepaid top-up use per month. With the gadget technology nowadays, hand phone are already built-in with camera, video and even Internet in hands. This is easy to capture or downloading a picture and videos in this case the student can expose on pornographic or sex video with are unsuitable on their age. After that they may distribute them among their schoolmates. This will end up with rape and sexual intercourse among the student and will be bad influences for young children. Camera hand phone is increasingly popular. And you never know when pictures or videos are taken, or where they are taken for what purposes. Sure, all of us will be saying that we wont do such inappropriate thing but you never know about the person next to you. We can never be too careful. By using a hand phone the student also can surf to internet. This will end up they are not concentrate with their lesson in the class but they busy with their hand phone even nowadays face book also can surf through hand phone. The entire student for sure h as a face book account and they surely more focus on face book rather than their education. Although the usage of hand phone is limited to before school and recess time. Instead of students socializing and growing up with schoolmates, hand phone, reputed to be the cannot leave behind companion of individual nowadays, will probably make students pay more attention to the handset instead. All hand phones must be switched off during classes and curricular activities. Lets be real. If we can turn the phone off, we might as well leave it at home. And to expect students to turn it off is one thing that is unlikely to happen. The most theyll do is silent it and set it to vibration mode. You dont have to look into school situation. Even in university lectures, most undergrads dont silent the phone when theyre supposed to. The phone will normally be in the pocket or at least in the bag. The point is, it will never be anywhere far but always in contact since the phone is on silent. With that, theres always a possibility of using phones during lessons to SMS, play games or download. S ome of student will play with their hand phone during their boring subjects. One, this clearly doesnt shows any respect to the teacher. Two, its taking the teacher for granted. Three, just because the person is smart and playing with hand phone wont affect the studies then why are you even in school? School is not just a place to study or speed your time to get into college and university. Its a place where you learn to grow up socially. Furthermore, cell phone should be banned at all because when we allow student to use hand phone in school the teaching and learning process will certainly be disrupted. When teacher enter the classroom they need to spend a lot of time to check and make sure all of their student already switched off the phone. It will be a need for teachers to do so or some of their students may take out the phones and start playing games instead of focusing on the class. Some more students may misuse their hand phone by cheating in examinations by sending the answers using SMS or by write down the notes in the hand phone. Other than that, imagine the situation when every student in a school takes out their hand phone and keeps sending SMS or makes phone calls during recess time. Compare this condition with a situation where every student takes out a book and keeps reading it during recess time. I am very sure that no school would want to see the first situation and all schools are looking forward to see the second situation. Schools would not be the place for students to attain knowledge if hand phone were to be allowed in schools. 3.0 Methodology. As for to support my argumentation or oppose the proposal I have made an interview and discussion with them with three respondents which is two from them are same with me to oppose the proposal and they dont agreed to allowed the students using hand phones in school. Some of the discussion Ive done it at the school and some in their house. The three respondents on my interview which is a parent who have children in school, the first respondents are Mr. Mahmad Bin Abd. Kadir live in Taman Putri Kulai. Work as a clerk in school. He has one child who is still in school. His children are study at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Kota Kulai. Second respondents is Mrs. Norzaila, work as a clerk in school. She lives in Taman Melati Indahpura, Kulai. She has three children who are still in primary school. Her children are study at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Kota Kulai. The third respondents are Mrs. Norzana Mohammed Noor. Shes work as a teacher. Shes has a three children in primary school. Her childre n are study at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Kota Kulai. 4.0 Findings. According to my analysis through these three respondents, two of them are not agreeing with the proposal and they are not allowing the student using hand phone in school. Even though, they have children they still not allowing their children using a hand phone in school. Their reason is children are still young and are not suitable on using hand phone. They also mention in the interview that there is many problems may arise if they using hand phone in school. Furthermore, they cant afford to buy a hand phone for their children. If they have three children it is impossible for them to buy three hand phones for each one of them. This will burden the parents if their children keep pushing them to buy the hand phone for them. They want their children to concentrate more on study rather than playing with hand phone. They dont want their children negligence. They also want their children to success during the examination. So they should start from the beginning to archive their goal and am bition. They want their children to success in study until to University. They also mention that they dont want their children to be a bad boy by against the school rules. So the two respondents are same with me to not agree with the Ministry of Education proposal and strongly not allow the student using hand phone in school. The last respondent are agree with the proposal which is Im not agree with her. She agrees for the student to use the hand phone in school and accept the proposal of Ministry of Education. According to her, the proposal is good. Shes agree because for her children safety in school or outside the school. This is because shes working and their children always alone after the school hours. Shes often to contact their children through phone. This is too easy for her to check on their children while working. Her husband also working and dont have much time to look after their children. They need to communicate through phone to check wheatear their children are straight go back home after school or not. They also worried if their children misuse the hand phone. If not about safety reason she also dont to let their children use hand pone in school. Shes work as a teacher and shes know about good and bad if their children misuse the hand phone. Shes just let their children use the phone for safety purpose and easy to communicate. Shes always reminded their children to not misuse the hand phone and just uses it for important thing only such as emergency call. Shes only bought a simple hand phone for their children, the hand pone without Internet or camera only use for call and SMS. It must be seen that the main reason by parents to let their children continue to use cell phones is because of safety purposes. If they have the phones, it is easier to reach them and even know where they are. It is also beneficial during emergency situations when the child can either call for help or be located in case he or she is gone missing. Even though those parents who do not support this idea say the children are not yet responsible enough to be given the cell phones, they tend to stick to the fact that the youth are likely to abuse the trust bestowed on them by parents. The parents can point to the fact that youth are always seen talking endlessly on phone to their friends. Even the short text technology on phone has been abused but the children see it as a pastime whereas the parents are usually uneasy when they see the youth misusing the privilege given them. Since parents know exactly what their children are like, they would be in the best position to make the decision o n this matter. They are also the ones to decide at what point their children should be allowed to go ahead and own phones. It is advisable to set time limits on the time they can use the phone though as this will show that the parents are in control. 5.0 Suggestions. After made an analysis on these matters, my suggestion is there no need to allow the children to use the hand phones in school. In school, teachers are the ones who take care of our well-being. When we fall sick and really need to be taken home, injured or emergency, the teachers are more than willing to contact parents to inform them. Isnt that what the use of the school having emergency contact numbers for, after all, the use of the office phone is always there when in need. Even public phones in school or outside the school grounds are available. And to say that the phones are frequently not in good condition or not working, that will teach students to take care of public premises. We never know when we are in dire need to use it. The Ministry of Education also needs to add more public phones in school for student needed. The school management also needs to play important roles to take a good care of safety among the student. Having problems and need to call parents, theres always the office for emergency. And public phones for all reasons. And if all means doesnt work, Im very sure teachers are kind enough to lend their own hand phones to use. The question of teachers using the hand phones in school also needs to be given a thought. Teachers should also understand that they are the role model in school and it is not appropriate to show the misuse of the phone. Even worse, give students work and then laugh on a conversation over the call. They will lose the respect of the students and students are not to be blamed for not respecting teachers in this case. I feel that if teachers are expecting an emergency call like if someone is in a hospital, they should inform the class first, rather than disrupt the class in the middle of a lesson and then apologizing And being careful, it is true to say that the society out there is no longer of what it used to be before. Sometimes I wonder, for parents to keep track the whereabouts of their children, how sure are they that the children are not elsewhere from what is said, or perhaps for parents to make sure the kids reach a place safely (school in this case), dont you think that a mere phone call is good enough, we depend on technology too much that personal responsibility is no longer shown. I may not know the worries of a parent and yet it may seem easy for me to say. But as a child of my parents, even they never need to check on me, I feel that its more meaningful and to realize how much my parents cared for me if they can spare some time to check on me other than just a call. Again, most parents are working and time is hardly there. Or the distance is too far between home and school. Hand phones must be banned from school among the student. If there still the stubborn student being the hand phones the school authorities should do spot-check and confiscate hand phones. The discipline teacher should play major roles, ask their prefects to do spot-check before school hour begin. This is to make sure there is no student bring the hand phones to school and then keep their phones at house. On the school banning students from bringing hand phones, the students itself must aware why the school had done so, the students must understand that the kind intention behind the schools decision. They also must accept the reasons. If they want to use the hand phones, use it after school time outside the school. They have more time to play after school hour. School is the place for study not for playing or to show off our wealth. Parents and teacher must monitoring and proper guidance on the students to prevent anything happen. The student must think during their parents childhood there are no hand phones use and there nothing happen during that time. Their parents also should explain to their children there is no issue during their childhood without hand phones. They still can manage to go to school without hand phones. Dont just depend on the technology too much. If there are still the stubborn student bring the hand phones to school, school management must take a serious action by fine the student minimum RM5 per day. This is not to burden the student but to teach them not to bring the gadget to school and left it at home rather than bring to school. The money can use for the improvement purpose and development in school. The school management must assign their teachers to handle this issue. The school management also must implement a motivational class or series of lessons for students to teach them about proper etiquette and ethics that govern the virtual world. Classes are held once a term to teach st udents on what they should look out for when taking a picture or video, such as whether they are infringing upon the privacy of others. The lesson also educates students on the concept of intellectual property law, critical especially when downloading information and music from the Internet.

Patton-Fuller Community Hospital Essay

QUESTIONS 1. What additional factors encountered in international as compared with domestic financial management? Discuss each briefly. International financial management is faced with many more business factors than domestic financial management. For instance, international businesses are required to operate in many different financial aspects around the world. International financial management must deal with customers, shareholders, vendors, and other businesses across a much wider plane than domestic financial managers. Investment decisions regarding international issues may also be greatly affected by the exchange rate, taxes, and arbitrage. It may also be more of a challenge to manage financial records when involved in international trade. Additional differences include higher rates of return as well as the interest-rate parity theory (IRP). The IRP is the forward premium or discount that should be equal and opposite in size to the difference in the national interest rates. The exposure to the decline of foreign currency is also a serious factor regarding international financial management. An additional factor is the fact that many international subsidiaries may choose to work independently instead of for the multi-national company. This would in turn prove disastrous for the entire company. International companies have much more access to funds as they can seek credit and financing in other countries besides their own. Finally, financial managers have the opportunity to make foreign investments. 2. What different types of businesses operate in the international environment? Why are the techniques and strategies available to these firms different? There are many types of businesses that operate in the international environment. Any business which participates in business transactions with other nations are part of the international environment. Any organization that is involved in imports and exports would definitely be involved. As  well, any large firm that communicates daily with dignitaries from other countries would also be involved in the international environment. These techniques and strategies may be different because of these businesses’ gross domestic product. In addition, these organization’s advancements in technology, knowledge, and communication may lead to higher economic development; therefore, the opportunity to participate in international trade and globalization. 3. What is meant by arbitrage profits? Arbitrage profits involve investments with little to no risk. An investor makes arbitrage profits by buying in one market with cheap currency, and then selling in another market. This strategy does not involve an investment of funds or any risk bearing. However, the investor would still make a sure profit. 4. What are the markets and mechanics involved in generating (a) simple arbitrage profits Simple arbitrage involves two or more markets. This type of trading does not include exchange rates across all markets with a single currency. Instead, simple arbitrage is taking advantage of the differences in price regarding one asset. (b) and triangular arbitrage profits? Triangular arbitrage is the process of converting one kind of currency to another, then converting it to another currency, and the finally converting back to the original currency. Triangular arbitrage usually occurs within a short time frame. Traders involved in triangular arbitrage would have to have advanced equipment and knowledge in order to effectively and quickly take advantage of this kind of trading. References Keown, A., Martin, J., Petty J., & Scott, D. (2005). Financial Management: Principles and Applications. Prentice Hall, Inc. Patton-Fuller Community Hospital Organizations are constantly looking for new ways to grow. A part of this includes budgeting and forecasting which prepares a corporation for its future endeavors. Corporations explore options for growth and Patton-Fuller Community Hospital has discovered three options for expanding their operations. (Apollo Group, Inc., 2010). These three options include going public through an Initial Public Offering, acquiring another organization in the healthcare industry, and merging with another organization. This essay will provide the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the three options Patton-Fuller Community Hospital has. Going public through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) has its advantages. For instance, â€Å"creating currency that can be used to fund growth and generating liquidity for founders, investors and employees, among others† (Benton, 2005). When an organization goes public the largest concern is creating shareholder wealth therefore, choosing an IPO provides the funds necessary to increase shareholder wealth. However, acquiring another organization in the healthcare industry may strengthen Patton-Fuller to increase the firm’s assets. According to Patton-Fuller’s 2008 financial statement (Apollo Group, Inc., 2010), the current ratio is 5.41 indicating that Patton-Fuller has $5.41 in current assets for every $1 in current liabilities. The healthcare industry is a costly business therefore this ratio could use improvement. Merging Patton-Fuller with another organization provides benefits that this hospital lacks. Patton-Fuller is current working on remodeling the hospital waiting area and has recently solved an issue with the nursing staff. Merging with another organization could provide the assistance this hospital  requires in the sense of meeting its long-term goals as well as increasing its operating income return on investment which is currently at 12.3%. We will examine the weaknesses of the three expansion options. There are many disadvantages of going public through an IPO. The major disadvantage of going IPO is the cost and time involved in the transformation. Managers of top business people grow exhausted from dealing with attorneys, bankers, investors, accountants, etc. Another disadvantage is going public gets very expensive. Fees are paid out for various things and to various people. Losing confidentiality, flexibility, and control is another disadvantage. The SEC requires that all public organizations release information about public affairs, profits, etc. Patton-Fuller has to decide if giving up their freedom is the direction they want to gear toward. Acquiring another organization in the same industry can have its disadvantages. One major disadvantage is the industry being purchased having financial problems. This kind of organization is not worth the investment. The price to purchase may be a good cost for a bad reason. Cost characteristics can be another issue. Competitive problems are another issue. Everyone is trying to go after the same business. Some organization or cut throat concerning competition. If Patton-Fuller takes this route, they need to make sure the industry being purchase is worth the investment. They do not need their investment to work for them. Merging with another organization another organization could definitely bring on some challenges. When merging, votes must be approved by the stockholders. Stockholders play a big role in businesses merging. Obtaining the votes can be time consuming. Trying to get at least two-thirds or more votes is a task. There could also be conflict of objective between the two businesses. This could be a huge problem. When the two businesses do not see eye to eye, this can cause disruption within the organization. Then there is always the notion of a business becoming too large. When a merging business becomes too large to quick, this leads to higher costs. When merging, Patton-Fuller need to do their research about the business they want to merger with. Merging with the wrong organization could be a risky task. Patton-Fuller needs to do their research and weigh their options about all three expansion options. Patton-Fuller need to think long-term and what would be beneficial to the hospital long-term. The Patton-Fuller Community Hospital has been serving its local community since 1975; however the executives at the hospital now believe it is time expand from being a privately and have three options for expansion: going public through an IPO, acquiring another organization in the healthcare industry or merging with another organization. Opportunities of each approach that could benefit the Patton-Fuller Community Hospital will be determined and discussed. When a privately held coming goes public, it usually means that the company is selling shares of its stock for the first time to the public. This means that a once privately held company now is owned by public stockholders. The change of going from a privately held company to a publicly held company would require a lot of changes to the hospital; more than likely there would be a change in management and a loss of flexibility. However, going public through an IPO may be the only way the hospital would be able to continue to grow and expand. For any business, going public requires a lot of time and resources to ensure that the process happens smoothly. It is often believed that a company should look for other alternatives such as securing venture capital, forming a limited partnership or examine their current capital before committing to an IPO solution for expansion. Acquiring another healthcare company could be a consideration; acquisitions occur when two similar companies combine to form a new company altogether. The buyer of the other company takes control of the company because it is buying its shares; this means that the company the purchases the other company has full control over its assets and assumes all liabilities from the company that is being purchased. Acquiring another company within the healthcare industry would allow the Patton-Fuller Hospital to expand within the community. While acquisitions occur when one company buys another company and establishes itself as the owner of both  companies, a merger is the result of two companies that agree to move forward together but continue to be owned and operated separately. Merging is often a good idea for a lot of companies because it allows companies to join together for both organizations’ best interests to occur. Mergers allow businesses to dominate within their industries bu t allow them to each be individually owned and operated. There are threats associated with going public through an IPO. One threat is that there is a loss of control. â€Å"If Wall Street analysts don’t like the way the company is being run, your stock price may suffer, which means hard work has gone to waste. The board of directors may not like the job you’re doing, so your job is in jeopardy. And, of course, the shareholders may vote contrary to your opinion, which could significantly affect your life,† explains Harry S. Raphael, partner of Raphael and Raphael, LLP, a Boston-based full-service accounting and business consulting firm. The threat of losing control of an organization will run the risk of losing the organization. Also, Public companies have a greater accountability for their actions and must also meet stringent requirements from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that cause innumerable distractions to the management team. At the same time, steady growth is expected on a quarter-by-quarter basis. If the expectations are not met, there is a chance of the company not being financed by lenders and therefore causing the company to go bankrupt. Lastly, â€Å"going IPO presents a different kind of communication channel, both internal and external, which must be created and maintained. Much of this burden falls on the chief financial officer (CFO), but investor and public relations firms play significant roles in the operation and daily life of a public company, as well. Such communications practices for public companies — or those entrenched in the IPO process — can be critical† (Hell No We Won’t IPO, 2010). The thought of purchasing an ongoing business would appear to be a good idea however, there are possible issues to consider: there is an existing  reputation, customer base, suppliers, equipment, leases and cash flow. â€Å"The infrastructure and management team are also in place. These facts will make it difficult for the business to soar if all mentioned is negative instead of positive. There is the possibility of the seller backing out just you get ready to sign the deal due to emotional attachments to the business. Their products may be inadequate and/or defective. The inventory is old and outdated. The business is on a downswing and experiencing a negative cash flow. Overall, it is difficult to find one good feature about the business, except the sales price. When this situation occurs, it is easier to start a new venture than purchase an old one† (AllBusiness, 2010). Merging with another business, of the same kind, is also an option. However, there are threats to consider. â€Å"The cooperation of the target firm existing management is almost a necessity for a merger. This cooperation may not be easily or cheaply obtained. Moreover, the diseconomies of scale if business become too large which leads to higher unit costs. It’s also will create clashes of culture between different types of business. Thus this reduces the effectiveness of the integration. Merger also may be creating a conflict of objective between different businesses, meaning decisions are more difficult to make and causing disruption in running of the business. It also results dissatisfaction among current staffs as positions will be limited and the management have to decide which staffs to hold the position after the transaction has taken place† (William, 2008). Patton-Fuller Community Hospital is a privately owned and has many options on how they can expand. Patton-Fuller now knows the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the three expansion options. They have to determine what approach would best facilitate the hospital needs. References AllBusiness. Retrieved October 11, 2010 from http://www.allbusiness.com/specialty- businesses/minority-owned-businesses/459211-1.html Apollo Group, Inc. (2010). Patton-Fuller Community Hospital. Retrieved on October 09, 2010, from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Healthcare/PFCH/pfchHome.htm Benton, G. L. (2005). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Going Public. .IPO Planner, Guide and Resource Directory for Companies Going Public. Pillsbury Winthrop LLP. Retrieved on October 09, 2010, from http://ipoplanner.webzel.net/forum/00000003.html. Hell No We Won’t IPO, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2010 from http://www.va- interactive.com/inbusiness/editorial/finance/articles/hellno.html William, Peter; The Advantages and Disadvantages of Mergers, November 15, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2010 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1189676/the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_pg2.html?cat=3

What Everybody Else Does When It Comes to Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School and What You Need to Be Doing Different

What Everybody Else Does When It Comes to Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School and What You Need to Be Doing Different If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School Opt for the one which you believe that you can offer strong points that will persuade your audience. Clearly, you shouldn't purposely choose a topic that will bore your audience. To fully grasp how women are portrayed as activists, it is crucial to have knowledge on the plot of the film. The list you will discover here is not aiming high merely to persuade people who you're right. There are just a few things that define whether an essay you're working on is going to be a good one. Take a look at the things happening around and ask yourself if there's something you are especially interested in. Afterwards, you have to explain the explanations for which you support that side. Depending on the research you've done, you can choose to select the side of the folks supporting LSD usage. When it has to do with the middle school, the argumentative essay incorporates moderate topics. Argumentative essay is about arguing and debating on a subject, which is debatable. All persuasive essays are like argumentative essays. Every argumentative essay ought to have an opposing view which can help you to prove you're right. Feel free to choose a topic which you will delight in writing about and not just one which you think will please your professor. To do so, you need to get a guide to compose the very best essay on the selected topic. Qualities of a great persuasive essay topic The topic ought to be specific. Selecting an excellent topic for your essay is among the most crucial and frequently tricky parts for many students. The Tried and True Method for Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School in Step by Step Detail Other people believe that it improves creativity and productivity at work. Women in the film are unwavering and prepared to provide their precious aid in a dire circumstance. Don't select a problem that you truly feel little concern for. People are now overly determined by technology. Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School - the Conspiracy College is for a high amount of study. Students ought to be permitted to pray in school. School tests aren't powerful. When you settl e on the subject and select the position on which you will base your essay, the remainder of the job can then begin. When given a task to make an essay, you have to try to remember that evidence is what matters. Matters regarding health and drugs give good arguments since they are contradicting. Just adhere to the guidelines stated above, and you will be well on your way to writing a great persuasive essay. The value of research in persuasive writing may not be overstated. Possessing excellent research abilities and selecting an excellent topic is vital. The role of assigning an essay to middle school students is to make awareness and permit them to develop writing skills. Understanding Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School Year round school isn't a good idea. Similar to any other facility, keeping a school open takes a good deal of money. Some feel parents ought to be allowed to provide permission for their minor children to have tattoos, since they are making the d ecision for their own children. A minumum of one parent should work at home. It might be necessary for protecting the citizens of the nation. At length, teachers have to be paid for all of the weeks they're working. Think about an elective course you would love to take your school doesn't offer at this moment. Some schools in the USA are requiring that students volunteer for a number of hours each semester to assist on a community issue. Kids ought to be able to vote. Likewise children wouldn't be in a position to go to most summer camps. They watch too much television. They should be required to read more. Persuasive Essay Topics for Middle School for Dummies Problems connected with drugs are somewhat contradictive. Parents should speak to kids about drugs at a youthful age. Parents of bullies should need to pay a fine. Persuade your parents to obey your favourite music. The ability to give information in various contexts is crucial to effective communication. If nobody knows the way to write or read cursive handwriting, the shape of communication is going to be lost, some believe. As an example, let's say you decide on the very first topic from our list. Persuasive essays are an excellent approach to encourage the reader to check at a particular topic in a different light. On the opposing side, acquiring a list of good persuasive essay topics is inadequate. It is crucial to pick a great topic so as to compose a fantastic paper. P.S. Keep in mind it's possible to contact online academic writers to aid in topic selection along with writing the entire paper from A to Z.

The learning and teaching methods of citizenship PSHE education

Sample details Pages: 30 Words: 8914 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? This project addresses the problems that are currently being encountered with regard to the delivery of citizenship and PHSE within UK schools. To give emergent themes context an historical review of their academic treatment is presented. This is broadened by considering the United States delivery of these subjects to determine whether the UK can learn anything from the American experience. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The learning and teaching methods of citizenship PSHE education | Education Dissertation" essay for you Create order Documentary analysis and interview schedules are the research methods used to analyse secondary sources and generate primary data. A number of conclusions are drawn namely these subjects must be linked to current issues (e.g. AIDS/HIV, global citizenship etc) of the day to ensure that their content and delivery remain relevant to the needs of young people. Recommendations for a more flexible approach regarding the delivery and assessment of these subjects are made at the end of the study. 1.1 What Does Citizenship Mean? Before it is possible to critically review and evaluate th eeffectiveness of the learning and teaching methods that are used to deliver citizenship and PHSE, it is necessary to begin by analysing their rationale and curricular content. In other words what are these subjects about and what are the benefits that pupils gain by studying them? Answering this question will provide a framework within which it can be determined whethercurrent academic practices are satisfying the aims and objectives ofthese subjects. Citizenship is a concept that can have a myriad of meanings andinterpretations. There is no universally agreed definition. Models of citizenship vary from country to country. The concept is continuously contested by political parties, academics and pressure groups. Despite the many interpretations of the concept that exist, all notions of citizenship imply to a greater or lesser degree, membership of apolitical community that is internally defined by rights, duties, participation and identity. The term Active Citizenship is widely used, but again there is no single accepted definition. The phrase is open to interpretation. From an educational perspective when there is no universally accepteddefinition of a concept, it makes it extremely difficult to transform such a subject into a meaningful learning experience for young people. In other words there are no hard and fast rules which can be appliedby teachers. When a concept has a clear and universally accepteddefinition, it provides the means by which to breakdown the subject into manageable chunks of learning. Thus students become skilled and knowledgeable when applying each component to a given set of circumstances. For example, in Business Studies, if you wish to measure the financialperformance of a company, it is possible to apply a number ofuniversally accepted accounting ratios. This forms a set ofstandards, which are quantifiable and which can be applied in a constant manner to a variety of different situations over a period of time. When it is possible to apply clearly defined and universally accepted standards to a subject or a concept it becomes relativelyeasy to teach and learn. When a student understands how each component of a subject works, it isthen possible to interlink these areas and increase the complexity oflearning activities. Thus over time the student will master each stage(i.e. knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis,evaluation) of the cognitive learning domain (Source:www.businessballs.com, Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains).Students will have a holistic view of the subject content and willunderstand how the constituent components interlink. Given that citizenship does not have a universally accepted definition; is it possible to develop a set of standards, which can be constantly applied? Citizenship poses serious problems for educationalists interms of its definition and delivery as a subject to young people throughout the UK. What are the statutory requirements for teaching citizenship? It is a statutory subject at key stages 3 and 4. Apartfrom the absence of an eight-level scale of achievement, it is treatedexactly the same as other foundation subjects in the National Curriculum. Schools are required to establish high standards for citizenship that are comparable with standards in other subjects (Source:www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship). 1.2 What Are The Similarities Between Citizenship And PHSE? Both subjects are similar in their emphasis on values and attitudes,and in their concern to empower young people to act effectively andwith self-confidence. They are also similar in some of the themes they explore; such drug abuse and equal opportunities and their emphasison active learning techniques like role play and discussion. What distinguishes the two concepts are their focus and content. PHSE focuses on personal and inter-personal decision making, whilecitizenship education deals with public policy. PHSE is concernedwith students choices as private individuals, the other with their rights as citizens. For example, a typical PSHE lesson on smoking deals withlegal rights and responsibilities, whereas a citizenship lesson focuseson the cost to society exploring issues such as legislation onsmoking in public places or tobacco advertising. Thus citizenship canbe viewed as the global or societal perspective on key issues e.g.smoking etc. PHSE, on the other hand, concentrates on the needs, expectations and responsibilities of the individual. 1.3 Why Is It Necessary To Investigate The Teaching And Learning Methods Of Citizenship and PSHE? In 2004 the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) published areport (PSHE 2002/3 annual report on curriculum and assessment, QCA,March 2004) on the delivery of PSHE within schools in England. In thesummary of key findings it was noted that in some schools, there wasconfusion about what the differences and similarities between PSHE andcitizenship. Also even when schools had allocated a significant amount of curriculum time to the delivery of their PSHE programmes, it was rare for the assessment of pupils progress and achievement to take place. Ever since the National Curriculum was launched in 1988 there have been major concerns over the time available to deliver all of the core subjects (e.g. English, Mathematics etc). The introduction of new subjects (i.e. Citizenship in September 2002) places an even greater pressure on school timetables, teaching staff and resources. The major problems may be summarised as follows: a. As explained in section 1.1 there is no universally accepted definition of citizenship. b. There is confusion over the similarities and differences between citizenship and PSHE. c. The lack of quantifiable assessment strategies makes it verydifficult to evaluate the benefits pupils gain from the delivery ofthese subjects. d. Severe timetable constraints and a lack of appropriately trainedteaching staff are hindering the effective development and delivery ofthese areas. Therefore, the objectives of this project are as follows: a. To critically evaluate and review the learning and teachingmethods which are currently being used to deliver citizenship and PSHEin order to determine whether pupils are benefiting from thesestrategies. b. To identify examples of good practice and analyse whether they can be applied elsewhere. c. To analyse how these subjects and their interrelationship willdevelop in the future and determine how learning and teaching methodswill need to change in order to satisfy the new requirements. 2.1 The Teaching of Citizenship in UK Schools A Historical Perspective The teaching of citizenship in UK schools has a long and problematicalhistory. Since the beginning of the twentieth century it has undergonea number of transformations. Up to the outbreak of the First World War,the purpose of citizenship education was to generate a sense ofnational cohesion, loyalty and obligation to the nature, as well as asense of pride in the Empire (Oliver and Heater, 1994). The secondphase of citizenship in education witnessed the rise of a more directapproach. That is, the systematic training of young people in deferenceand moral behaviour. Schools were encouraged to promote and cultivatethe simple virtues of humility, service, restraint and respect forpersonality (Ministry of Education, 1949, p.41), in their pupils. The 1960s brought a new emphasis regarding the delivery of citizenshipin schools. Notably that young people needed to become more politicallyaware and more active in their participation of social issues. A morerecent development (1990) witnessed the introduction of citizenshipinto the National Curriculum as a cross-curricular theme. Suchcross-curricular themes have suffered a chequered history and remain atthe margins of school timetables with the main thrust of deliveryconcentrating on core subjects and other academic considerations. This historical perspective of citizenship provides an insight into theproblems the subject has faced because of its poor definition andineffectual delivery. To rectify this situation a government proposalsought to establish more explicit and coherent provision in the areasof personal, social and health education and citizenship (DfEE, 1999,p. 1). The proposal aimed to introduce a framework across all keystages for personal, social and health education and citizenship.Furthermore, this development established a coherent nationalframework which gives schools flexibility to develop their ownapproaches. (DfEE, 1999, p. 13). Whilst this approach raised the profile of citizenship and sought toestablish it as an integral part of the National Curriculum, it createda number of problems. How exactly was it going to fit into a schooltimetable? As outlined earlier, in section 1.3, there have beennumerous problems with the National Curriculum, since its launch in1988. In 1999, there were yet again a number of government initiativesto reduce the prescriptive nature of the National Curriculum andprovide schools with greater flexibility. On the whole these changeslike previous initiatives only resulted in cosmetic changes. The other major problem with the new version of citizenship lay withthe delivery. Who exactly was going to teach this subject? It wasproposed that the knowledge required to teach the subject could begained from the core of an initial teacher training degree orpostgraduate certificate in education. Teachers already delivering PSHEcould acquire the knowledge and skills required to deliver citizenshipthrough continuous professional development. Having analysed the teaching of citizenship within the UK in terms ofthe current situation and from an historical perspective, it isnecessary to explore how this issue is dealt with by other countries.This will provide the opportunity to compare and contrast the UKexperience with other nations and determine whether there are anylessons to be learnt. In other words are there examples of goodpractice overseas? If so, is it transferable to schools in the UK? 2.2 The Teaching of Citizenship in the United States In the United States education for citizenship has been a longstanding goal of schools. To achieve this goal, students must learntheir civil rights and responsibilities in a free society. In 1991 JohnJ Patrick provided a review of why this was necessary and outlined howit could be achieved. Five key points, which are outlined below, formedthe basis of this review. a. The importance of teaching about the responsibilities of citizenship b. Deficiencies in learning about responsible citizenship c. How to improve learning about responsible citizenship at home d. How to improve learning about responsible citizenship at school e. Where to obtain information and materials about how to teach responsible citizenship The rationale for teaching citizenship was based upon the premise thatthe preservation of civil rights and liberties is linked to theperformance of responsibilities. Thus the responsibilities ofcitizenship such as voluntary service to the community, participationin the political system etc were essential to ensure the maintenanceof civil rights and liberties. However, reports on civic learning bythe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), indicated thatthe majority of students in the 12th grade had a very limited knowledgeof government and citizenship in the United States. Furthermore, halfof the students in the 12th grade failed to demonstrate the knowledgeneeded for responsible participation in the political system. Thus in 1991 there was a clear need to improve the learning of youngAmericans about their responsibilities as citizens in a moderndemocracy. In effect Patrick was advocating a holistic approach to theteaching of citizenship within American schools. That is, young peopleneeded to become actively involved in every aspect of American life.Consequently he provided a list of organisations where materials couldbe obtained in order to aid the delivery of this subject. For example,the American Bar Association which operated a Special Committee onYouth Education for Citizenship, the Constitutional Rights Foundation,Council for the Advancement of Citizenship, the Social ScienceEducation Consortium and so on. The approach actively promoted by Patrick failed to have the desiredeffect. In 1991 the NAEP reported poor levels of attainment amongst12th graders with regard to citizenship and its related areas. Theresults of the 1998 NAEP civics examination completed by a sample of4th, 8th and 12th grade students across the United States showed thatstudents were not proficient in the skills that enable citizens to usetheir civic knowledge. The NAEP 2001 History Report Card results alsoshowed a similar lack of proficiency. President Bush launched a number of initiatives in 2003 to improve theawareness of citizenship and associated areas among young peoplethroughout the United States. Some of these initiatives are highlightedbelow: Idea of American Essay Contest: High School juniors nationwide areinvited to submit a 1,200 word essay on the Idea of America andreceive awards. Heroes of History Lecture: An annual lecture that features anacclaimed scholar telling the story of a hero in American life. Theselectures are made available to school libraries throughout the UnitedStates. President Bush participated in Pledge Across America, a nationwidepatriotic observation that invited every school child in America toparticipate in a simultaneous pledge of allegiance at 2pm EasternDaylight Time. The pledge was observed on the 215th anniversary of theUnited States Constitution, the conclusion of the first-ever NationalCivic Participation Week, and the beginning of Constitution Week(Source: https://usinfo.state.gov/usa/edu/fs091702.htm). 2.3 What Can We Learn From The Americans With Regard To Teaching Citizenship? The analysis of the American experience raises a number ofinteresting points. Notably the American educational authorities viathe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are activelyengaged in measuring students attainment with regard to theirknowledge and understanding of citizenship issues. As noted the resultson the whole have been poor. In the UK citizenship is taught throughoutall of the Key Stages of the National Curriculum. However, in Key Stages 1 and 2, there is no requirement for the formalassessment of pupils knowledge and understanding of citizenship issues(Source:www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship). Progress in this subject issummarised in each pupils annual school report. In Key Stage 3, thereis an end-of-stage assessment. Whilst in Key Stage 4 there is nostatutory requirement for assessment. Three short courses are availablei.e. GCSE Citizenship Studies. The AQA (Assessment and QualificationsAlliance) version of this qualification requires students to undertakea 1.5 hour examination and complete a project. Should the UK adopt the United States assessment model? It wouldprovide the opportunity to quantify each pupils level of knowledge andunderstanding of citizenship issues throughout each Key Stage of theNational Curriculum. Such an approach would provide data which could beanalysed to determine the effectiveness of the teaching and learningstrategies that are currently deployed to deliver citizenship within UKschools. However, such a proposal would be met with stiff resistancefrom a variety of sources (i.e. teachers, parents, educationalistsetc). It is already considered in many quarters that school children inthe UK are already over assessed. Also it is interesting to note that the American model of citizenshipis radically different from the British version. The informationprovided about the American experience includes such phrases as Heroesof History. The British equivalent would mean portraying the likes ofHoratio Nelson and the Duke of Wellington as heroes. Thus theAmerican model concentrates heavily on patriotism (e.g. Pledge AcrossAmerica) and herein lays a broader issue. The United States isuniversally criticised throughout the world for being too insular, tooselfish and is not perceived as accepting its global responsibility tothe non-American citizens of the world. The American version ofcitizenship does not seem to recognise the word global. 2.4 The Future of Citizenship Beyond National Boundaries The European Union has been in existence for nearly 50 years. However,until very recently, education remained untouched by the gradualmovement towards the pan European state. Curricula development andcontent were protected by each member-state. Since the advent of theMaastricht Treaty, the EU has developed and funded a number ofeducational initiatives to promote the concept of a European superstate; largely it must be said, without success. The Commissionsattempts to Europeanise education remained largely ineffective,mostly confined to the recognition of diplomas, vocational educationand the exchange of language teaching programmes (Soysal, 2001). However, a closer look at the way Europe, nation and citizenshipare being represented in school books and curricula, particularly inthe disciplines of history and civics reveals another kind ofEuropeanisation process that is, how European identity is likely toemerge and of significance to this project how it will be taught inEuropean schools. This process is happening through highly active andinformal networks largely unmonitored by formal EU institutions.Teachers unions and associations, academics and scientific experts,advocacy groups etc are busy networking, arranging conferences etc on teaching Europe. Perhaps the most significant development in this process is thedisappearance of the nation state historical events are now retoldwithin a European perspective and a not within a nationalisticstraightjacket. National identities locate their legitimacy in deeplyrooted histories, cultures or territories. But Europe is notpast-oriented: it is future orientated. What does this mean for theteaching of citizenship in schools throughout Europe? It has long beenrecognised that these problems can only be resolved by nations actingas one. This is why the United States receives a lot of criticism, asit constantly failed to sign up to international agreements on carbonemissions etc. Thus the Europeanisation process is merely a steppingstone towards the creation of global citizenship. Learning for global citizenship is about understanding the need totackle injustice and inequality, and having the desire and ability towork effectively to do so: this is referred to as Action Competence(Jensen and Schnak, 1994). An example of a resource that provides aframework for learner-centred delivery would be Get Global! This iswhere pupils are involved in every aspect of their own educationalexperience. The Oxford Schools Catalogue contains a wide range ofmaterials published by Oxfam and others, focused on learning for GlobalCitizenship (Source:www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/teachers/catalogue.htm). 2.5 A Brief History of Sex Education in UK Schools In England from the late 19th century, a number of sex educationpublications were produced, mainly aimed at helping parents toenlighten their children. The Second World War had a huge impact on thepopulation of Europe. Fresh emphasis in sex education was placed onpreventing syphilis and gonorrhoea. In the 1950s and 1960s sexeducation in schools was carried out through the descriptions of thereproductive habits of plants and animals. By the beginning of the1970s, school sex education was beginning to change significantly. Forexample, methods of contraception began to be more widely taught. The 1980s witnesses further developments in sex education. The rise offeminist-thinking led to an increase in the number of programmes thatencouraged pupils to examine the roles played by men and women. Sexeducation programmes began to have such aims as the acquisition ofskills for decision-making, communicating, personal relationships,parenting and coping strategies. HIV and AIDS became a health issue inthe UK just when sex education became a political football. A number ofsituations arose the 1985 Gillick case, which focused on whetherparents always have the right to know if their children are beingissued with contraceptives when under the age of 16 the growingstrength of the lesbian and gay movement, lead to the polarisation ofviews on sex education, among politicians at local and national level. Thus sex education, as was with citizenship, has become politicallycontroversial. Recent school sex education programmes have variedconsiderably in their aims. At one extreme (rarely found in the UK butwell-funded and widespread in the USA), abstinence education aims toensure that young people do not engage in heavy petting or sexualintercourse before marriage. At the other end of the scale, some sexeducation programmes, challenge sexist and homophobic attitudes(Source: www.open2.net/sundaysurgery/thehistoryp.html). 2.6 Summary Of The Key Factors In the UK and USA there is a realisation that young people need tobecome actively in all aspects of national life (e.g. politics, localcommunity, environment etc). However, there are major differencesbetween the two countries. The American approach towards citizenship isbased heavily on patriotism. In many respects the current Americanmodel of citizenship seems similar to the one that pertained in the UKin the early part of the 20th century. Despite Americas best effortsto increase young peoples knowledge and understanding of citizenshipconcepts, the NAEP results show no increase in student attainmentbetween 1991 and 2001. The Americans seem to be ignoring the development of citizenship beyondnational boundaries. In order to solve the worlds problems we need toact as one unified force hence we all need to embrace globalcitizenship. Sex education has moved substantially from its extremelylimited earlier forms to embrace a broader spectrum of sexual andsocial issues (e.g. AIDS/HIV, homosexuality etc). When this is comparedto the American experience, again like citizenship, there are hugedifferences in terms of objectives and content. Many American sexeducation programmes are founded on very conservative moral values. 2.7 Conclusions That Can Be Drawn From The Literature Review In Relation To The Objectives Of The Project a. To critically evaluate and review the learning andteaching methods which are currently being used to deliver citizenshipand PSHE in order to determine whether pupils are benefiting from thesestrategies. The literature review has shown that there are major problems inassessing the benefits that young people derive from these subjects.Formal assessment is broken down into two elements formative (i.e.on-course an assignment etc) and summative (i.e. end-of-the course an exam, a completed portfolio etc). In the USA the NAEP results do notshow an increase in students knowledge and understanding ofcitizenship concepts. Within the National Curriculum, citizenship andPHSE have a minimum of formal assessment requirements. However, are formal assessment methods the best way to determinewhether students are benefiting from citizenship and PHSE? The purposeof these subjects is to help young people become better adults e.g. toact and behave in a morally and socially responsible manner etc. Thusit is reasonable to argue that formal assessment methods can onlyprovide a superficial measure of a young persons knowledge andunderstanding of these concepts. What does measuring a persons abilityto recall facts actually tell us? In reality a person will gain from a well delivered citizenship andPHSE programme in the longer term. They will become a more sociallyresponsible person; they will become a more effective parent and so on.Thus teaching these subjects is in effect an act of faith we hopethat benefits will be produced in the longer term. A longitudinal studyis required i.e. one where a group of students is tracked for a numberof years. However, there are many factors involved when someone turnsout to a good parent etc. It would be extremely hard to isolate theinfluences of citizenship and PHSE from all the other issues that areinvolved e.g. family background etc. Whilst it is nigh on impossible to assess the long-term benefits peoplegain from these subjects it is possible to utilise existing learningand teaching methods to generate immediate benefits for the studentsconcerned. How this can be achieved will be analysed in the latterstages of the project. b. To identify examples of good practice and analyse whether they can be applied elsewhere. Has the literature review identify examples of good practice withregard to the teaching of citizenship and PHSE? Given the politicalcontroversy these subjects generate there can only be one answer tothis question. It depends upon your point of view determining whethersomething is an example of good practice is in the eye of the beholder.The key to progression is to establish and develop a wider audience forthe objectives you are trying to achieve. For example, the Europeanisation process demonstrates how differentorganisations, individuals etc by working together, can create forumsfor discussion and the dissemination of new ideas, materials etc. TheInternet has revolutionised how people communicate and accessinformation. This allows people and organisations to bypass nationalboundaries and work towards the creation of global citizenship. Thus if they are going to be meaningful and allow young people toconnect and become part of global citizenship the academic contentof citizenship and PHSE must reflect current developments. This meansthat learning and teaching methods must continuously evolve to ensurethat the delivery of these subjects reflects current trends anddevelopments. How this can be achieved will be explored in the latterstages of the project. c. To analyse how these subjects and theirinterrelationship will develop in the future and determine how learningand teaching methods will need to change in order to satisfy the newrequirements. A key feature of PHSE is that young people should practice safe sex.In its most literal form this simply means making sure that youngpeople have adequate access to and use of contraceptive methods. Insome quarters it would be argued that safe sex must involve moral,social and emotional responsibilities. Are these areas PHSE orcitizenship concepts? Whatever your view and political stance there isclearly an overlap between the two subjects. Future curricularinitiatives and the development of learning and teaching methods mustembrace the close interrelationship between these academic areas. 3.1 What Must The Research Methodology Achieve? In order to fulfil the requirements of the project objectives the research methodology must address the following issues: a. The analysis of the learning and teaching methods that are beingused to deliver citizenship and PHSE within UK schools in order todetermine their effectiveness. b. The critical evaluation of the assessment strategies that are used to measure pupil attainment within these subjects. c. An evaluation of how learning, teaching and assessment strategiesmust develop to ensure that citizenship and PHSE remain relevant to theneeds of young people. The National Curriculum was introduced in 1988 in order to develop acomprehensive approach to the delivery and development of educationwithin the UK. A number of government departments and agencies areresponsible for managing the content, development, delivery andeffectiveness of the education system. The research methodology mustinvestigate the work of these government departments and agencies inrelation to citizenship and PHSE. This is necessary in order to addressthe issues outlined above. How will this be achieved? The work of three different bodies must be investigated. These are as follows: a. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) was establishedwith the purpose of creating opportunity, realising potential andachieving excellent for all. The Qualifications Curriculum Authority(QCA) is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the DfES. It isresponsible for maintaining and developing the National Curriculum andassociated assessments, tests and examinations; and accredits andmonitors qualifications in colleges and at work. It is thisorganisation which is responsible for managing and developing thecurricular content of citizenship and PHSE and providing guidance onlearning and teaching methods. b. The Office for Educational Standards (OFSTED) is the inspectoratefor children and learners in England. Its main responsibility is tocontribute to the provision of better education and care. This isachieved through a comprehensive system of inspection and regulationcovering childcare, schools, colleges, childrens services, teachertraining and youth work. Thus it inspects and evaluates the teaching ofcitizenship and PHSE throughout England. c. The practitioners (i.e. the school managers, teachers, supportworkers etc) are responsible for delivering the curricular content ofcitizenship and PHSE in accordance with the standards and methodsstated and disseminated by the DfES and the QCA. 3.2 What Methods Will The Research Methodology Use? Secondary research is the investigation of data sources which alreadyexist. The main advantage of using such sources is that they arereadily available and can be utilised to develop knowledge andunderstanding of a given situation. Primary research entails generatinginformation, which did not previously exist. This is necessary whensecondary data sources do not fulfil the information requirements of aresearch project. In order to investigate the work of the DfES, QCA and OFSTED, it is notnecessary to conduct primary research. This is because of two reasons.One, the government wants the work of these bodies to be transparentand within the public domain. Two, easily accessible secondary datasources will be sufficient to facilitate the objectives of thisproject. As stated, the websites for the DfES, QCA and OFSTED provideaccess to numerous reports and information on all aspects of theiroperations. Therefore, the research method that will be used to analysethis data is documentary analysis. In effect this involves analysingreports and relating the findings to the project objectives. However, in any given project or area of research different opinionswill prevail. If you like DfES, QCA and OFSTED represent thegovernments views. What does everybody else think? The practitioners as listed above are at the sharp end of the business i.e.delivering the courses to the pupils. Their experiences, views andopinions are important if the effectiveness of citizenship and PHSE astaught subjects is going to improve. Too often in education thepractitioners are the last group of people to be consulted regardingthe development of courses, new initiatives etc. Thus given thisgroups importance their views and opinions re the development anddelivery of these subject areas will be gathered by conducting primaryresearch. How will this be achieved? Since the intention of this research is toelucidate the learning as well as the teaching methods of PHSE andcitizenship education, the starting point of this research isqualitative. It can be stated that the methodological basis consists oftwo parts. One part comprises of the techniques that are used to gatherempirical material. This was achieved by the author of this projectarranging and conducting interviews with the following people: Teachers, Postgraduate trainee teachers Learning support assistants Outside agency professionals (such as the police force, NHS Trust, Borough Council and fire service) The interview schedule was based upon the six questions listed below: Citizenship Report 1. Should PSHE and citizenship education be taught in schools as a combined subject or as individual subjects? 2. Who should teach the subject, for example, a teacher or another professional i.e. policeman or firewoman? 3. Should citizenship and PHSE be classroom based? 4. Are there any advantages or disadvantages between a teacher thatteaches citizenship and PHSE, rather than a professional from anoutside agency? 5. How is it monitored that a child has understood the subject content of citizenship / PHSE? 6. How much input into the citizenship / PHSE does the child have? The second part of the methodological basis consists of the method thatis used to analyse the empirical material. This material was collectedduring school lunchtimes, some appointments were arranged before andafter school. Other outside agencies were approached via the steeringcommittee of the Wordsworth Junior Citizenship Project. A total of 15people participated in the study, 9 were teachers and 6 were fromoutside agencies. The head teachers as well as the coordinator of theWJCP were informed of the study orally and in writing, theirinvolvement in the study was voluntary. Why use an interview schedule? Why not use questionnaires? The lattermethod of collecting primary data has a major advantage in that it isnot necessary for the researcher to actually be in the presence of thepeople participating in the survey when they complete thequestionnaire. Such an approach is appropriate when a large number ofrespondents are required to provide primary data. However, as thenumber of respondents for this project was only 15 it was moreapplicable to the nature of the areas under review to use an interviewschedule. The initial reply to a question could be explored further byasking supplementary questions. This allowed the researcher to gain amore detailed insight into how the respondents viewed the delivery ofcitizenship and PHSE. 3.3 Implementing The Research Methodology The websites for the DfES, QCA and OFSTED are as follows: www.dfes.gov.uk www.qca.org.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk The DfES website provides extensive information about every subjectwithin the National Curriculum. The section relating to citizenship isbroken down into three main sections teachers / pupils / parents andgovernors. Each of these sections is subdivided into sub-headings. Forexample, the teacher section is divided into the sub-headings listedbelow: What is citizenship? Whole school issues? Curriculum Post-16 Issues for discussion Teaching resources Training and development Assessment Recognising achievement Ofsted Case Studies Each of these sub-headings provides access to an extensive amount ofinformation. Investigation of the section for PHSE revealed a similartype of structure, again adequately provisioned in terms of resourcesfor teachers, pupils, parents and governors. Investigation of the DfESwebsite reveals that schools are provided with an extensive range ofadvice and guidance about how learning and teaching methods can bedeveloped in order to ensure the effective delivery of citizenship andPHSE. Given that there is adequate access to learning and teaching resourcesthrough the DfES website, the next stage of the research processinvolves investigating how the effectiveness of learning and teachingmethods used to deliver citizenship and PHSE are measured. Thisinvolves analysing the content of the OFSTED website. Again theinformation on this website is extensive. The information that is mostrelevant to this project is the breakdown of how OFSTED conducts schoolinspections. Why do we have school inspections? Inspection reports provide anindependent and external evaluation of the quality and standards ofeducation and whether pupils are achieving as much as they can. Theyalso provide a measure of accountability and should promote theimprovement of the school. In other words inspection reports provide aquality assurance framework which allows the effectiveness of learningproviders to be analysed and critically evaluated. Each inspection is based upon the following framework: Description of the school Overall effectiveness of the school o Effectiveness and efficiency of boarding provision o What the school should do to improve further Achievements and standards o Personal development and well-being Quality of provision o Teaching and learning o Curriculum and other activities o Care, guidance and support Leadership and management The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy The extent to which providers ensure that they stay safe The extent to which learners make a positive contribution (Source: www.ofsted.gov.uk/howwework/index.cfm) Schools are graded on a scale of 1 to 4 where 1 = outstanding and 4 =inadequate. Depending upon the grade a school receives OFSTED canrequire a school to take remedial action in order to improve itsperformance. For example, schools require Special Measures when theyare failing to give learners an acceptable standard of education, andwhen the people responsible for leading, managing or governing theschool are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessaryimprovement. Notice to Improve is another category of measures OFSTED can imposeupon a school. A school which is currently failing to provide anacceptable standard of education, but has demonstrated the capacity toimprove, will be in this category. Schools that require significantimprovement receive a notice to improve. As explained earlier, thereports produced by OFSTED are in the public domain and can be accessedfrom its website. OFSTED provides inspection reports on all types of learning providers ranging from nursery and primary school provision through to adulteducation. Whilst this is of interest and indicates the extensivequality assurance standards learning providers have to comply with ofgreater relevance study is the fact that OFSTED provides subjectreports on an annual basis. For example, in November 2002 it publishedthe following report PHSE and Citizenship in Primary Schools itprovided a review of the main issues affecting the delivery of thesesubjects. These reports are in effect work-in-progress reports. These reports provide the information that is required to facilitatethe objectives of this project. However, the documentary analysisrevealed that the information contained in these reports is toodetailed. As they concentrate on one specific section of theeducational system e.g. primary schools etc. What this project requiresis a more holistic view of each subject as delivered by all learningproviders covering the range from primary schools to secondaryschools. The QCA website was the last one to be investigated. Again an extensiveamount of information about citizenship and PHSE is freely accessible.However, QCA provides reports which cover the effectiveness of alllearning providers delivering citizenship and PHSE. In effect they drawupon the information provided by OFSTED reports (and also use othersources) and provide a holistic view of the current status of anacademic subject as taught in schools in the UK. The reports detailed below were identified as the most relevant to the needs of this study. QCA Citizenship 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment December 2005 QCA PHSE 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment December 2005 Subsequently the information contained in these reports was subjectedto documentary analysis. That is, it was analysed, filtered andsummarised. This was done in order to achieve the objectives of theproject. The result of this work is presented in section 4 of thereport i.e. ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION. 1. Should PSHE and citizenship education be taught in schools as a combined subject or as individual subjects? Of the 15 respondents 9 of them considered that it would be moreeffective if the 2 subjects were combined. 4 people thought that theseareas should remain as separate subjects. The remaining 2 thought thatwhere appropriate the 2 subjects should be combined. 2. Who should teach the subject, for example, a teacher or another professional i.e. policeman or firewoman? This question produced a variety of responses. In the main it wasrecognised that the teacher should be primarily responsible fordelivering these subjects. However, it was also noted that whereappropriate a professional could help to make the issue beinginvestigated more interesting and relevant to the pupils. In essence,it was considered that hard and certain rules should be applied, aboutwho delivers citizenship and PHSE. Flexibility should be maintained toallow pupils to take full advantage of learning opportunities as andwhen they arose. 3. Should citizenship and PHSE be classroom based? The answers generated by this question seemed largely dictated by theteaching experiences of the respondents. The classroom was a popularplace for delivering the core principles of these subjects. Again itwas recognised that certain facets of these subjects were better suitedto delivery outside of the classroom. For example, parenting issueswould be more relevant if visits to crches could be organised. Thiswould help to enhance and develop the learning experience of thepupils. 4. Are there any advantages or disadvantages between a teacher thatteaches citizenship and PHSE, rather than a professional from anoutside agency? From the responses to this question it is possible to identifyrecurring themes. Notably it is recognised that it is the teacher thathas the long-term relationship with the pupils. The teacher can use hisor her experience and knowledge of the pupils to plan the delivery ofcitizenship and PHSE to ensure that their needs and expectations aresatisfied. When feasible (given time and financial constraints) thehelp of professionals should be enlisted. This can be achieved in anumber of ways i.e. school visits by the professionals, school visitsto different establishments e.g. care homes etc. Such activities allhelp to put citizenship and PHSE issues into context and help toincrease the learning and knowledge of the pupils. 5. How is it monitored that a child has understood the subject content of citizenship / PHSE? This question produced a wide variety of answers, largely based uponthe teaching experience and knowledge of each respondent. A variety oftechniques (e.g. observation, record cards, group work, worksheets,role play, score cards etc) were used to record the knowledge achievedby each pupil. Essential to developing the awareness and understandingof citizenship and PHSE issues amongst pupils is the need to use avariety of stimulating learning and teaching methods. 6. How much input into the citizenship / PHSE does the child have? Again this question produced a variety of answers. It is recognised bythe respondents, that for citizenship and PHSE concepts and issues tohave meaning for the pupils, there needs to be interaction. Thesesubjects cannot be delivered in a theoretical manner. In many of thesituations described by the respondents, the pupils did not dictate thecontent of the lessons. However, they were provided with theopportunity on occasion to determine how issues should be dealt withe.g. through role play etc. Overall the researcher was pleased with the information provided by therespondents and would like to thank them for their contribution to theresearch project. The information collected helped to facilitate thesuccessful completion of the final report. 4.1 Analysis and Evaluation of the QCA Citizenship 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment December 2005 In the Literature Review, section 2.1, it was identified thatteaching of citizenship in UK schools, in a variety of guises, hadalways proved to be problematic. The citizenship concept and itsdefinition is still a matter of concern. This issue was highlighted inthe above report regarding its delivery at Key Stages 1 and 2. Putsimply citizenship in many schools is not sufficiently distinguishablefrom PHSE. Part of this problem arises from the specification of thetwo subjects as contained within national standards. There are manyareas where the two subjects overlap. Appreciably this can happen withquite a number of subjects (e.g. Economics and Business Studies).However, with citizenship and PHSE, the problem of the overlap iscompounded by the lack of specified skills in the current framework.This makes assessing and monitoring pupil progress and achievement moredifficult. A number of primary practitioners have expressed a view that thereshould be a separate programme of study for citizenship at Key Stages 1and 2. This approach would generate a number of benefits. For example,it would raise the status of the subject of citizenship in primaryschools. This would also help to clarify how citizenship is differentand distinct from PHSE. It would help to improve quality by ensuringthat progress in citizenship can be assessed and reported. This insightinto the views of people responsible for delivering citizenship isrevealing and it returns us to an earlier theme. In section 3.2 it wasstated that educational developments often ignore the views of staff atthe sharp end of the business. Too often in education, the development of new subjects, changes inassessment methods etc, are introduced by theorists or put more simplypeople who have forgotten how to teach. The history of education islittered with failed initiatives and so on. This happens because inmany respects all of the relevant issues and the views of all theinterested stakeholders are not taken into consideration. This isevident with regard to the development and delivery of citizenship. Asstated, in section 1.1, this question was asked What does citizenshipmean? Well it depends upon what you want to achieve. However, it isevident that the teaching of this subject is hampered by a lack ofconcise and definable standards, which means that there are no hardand fast rules. As this information contained in the QCA report,alludes to, there are major problems with the definition of the subjectand the standards which are used to assess pupil progress. This is further evidenced by the summary provided in the reportregarding the current state of citizenship as taught at Key Stages 3and 4. Problems of definition and discernable standards remain. Alsothe question of who teaches citizenship is also causing complications.Some schools use discrete teaching whilst others deliver citizenshipthrough other subjects. The application of documentary analysis to thisQCA report has identified a number of problems that link directly tothemes that were established in the earlier sections of this projecte.g. issues concerning definition of citizenship, content and delivery.However, contained within the report there were some very good examplesthroughout all of the key stages of how citizenship has been deliveredin a very effective way and is producing major benefits for the pupilsconcerned. Thus if this was an end-of-year school report for a child, it would bea mixed bag. OFSTED inspections identify poor teaching practice andother failings that occur throughout the education system. However,many of the problems that associated with the teaching of citizenshipare concerned with the definition of the concept, its overlap withPHSE, how it is taught and who teaches it. On the positive side thereare many good examples of schools being proactive and developing a veryeffective learning programme, which has produced numerous benefits fortheir pupils. In the final section (5. Conclusion andRecommendations) of the report, recommendations for developing acoherent strategy for the delivery and assessment of citizenship willbe outlined. 4.2 Analysis and Evaluation of the QCA PHSE 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment December 2005 In section 2.3 the possibility of adopting the American model forassessing pupils progress was rejected on the grounds that it wasbased on the ability to recite facts. The purpose of PHSE is toinfluence minds, attitudes and how young people behave. This theme wasfurther developed in section 2.7 where it was stated that the long-termgoal of citizenship and PHSE must be developing young people intosocially responsible citizens. Is it working? The above reporthighlights a number of very interesting issues. It states that there isa need to place personal development at the heart of the curriculum.Why? Many aspects of PSHE have become focused within the minds of thegeneral public and have initiated a national debate. The campaign ledby Jamie Oliver has raised great concern over the unhealthy state ofschool meals. This has led to the Government changing its policy andproviding more money per pupil per meal and the drive to remove junkfood from schools. The teenage pregnancy rate in the UK remains thehighest in Europe there is a growing awareness for emotionalliteracy, with national initiatives focusing on the social andemotional aspects of learning in the primary phase and social,emotional behavioural skills in secondary schools. From the information presented above, it can be seen that young peopleare faced with a variety of issues, which have major implications fortheir quality of life and future expectations. To address these issuesand help young people to become socially and emotional responsiblecitizens, the content and delivery of PHSE must be give greateremphasis. Consequently in the subject and teaching communities thereare calls to consider making the delivery of the PHSE frameworks astatutory requirement. Previous monitoring investigations have revealed that teachers andpupils have lower expectations for what could be achieved in PHSE thanin other subjects and that assessment is underdeveloped. In response,QCA has developed a number of materials to support planning, recordingand assessment. However, the issues (e.g. teenage pregnancies etc) thathave been highlighted, there is a need to beef up PHSE and raise itsprofile and delivery throughout all Key Stages of the NationalCurriculum. How this can be achieved will be explored in section 5 ofthis report. 4.3 Analysis and Evaluation of The Interviews With the Practitioners. The interviews that were conducted produced a mixture of results,primarily based upon the teaching or professional experience of thepeople involved. Certain themes did emerge. For example, theinteraction between school and outside agencies has an important partto play in ensuring that the delivery of citizenship and PHSE remainrelevant to the needs of pupils of all ages. There cannot be aprescriptive approach with regard to determining what the most learningand teaching methods are. The educational authorities (DfES, OFSTED andQCA) need to encourage the notion of most effective practice given thecontext of the educational and local school setting. In other wordsgreater flexibility in developing the content and delivery ofcitizenship and PHSE must be encouraged. On reflection the feedback from the interviews concentrates almostexclusively on operational issues i.e. who should teach these subjects,should they be classroom based etc. On reflection it would have beenbeneficial to ask questions which raised questions about the strategicimplications of these subjects. For example, what benefits shouldpupils gain from studying these subjects? How can the content anddelivery be developed in order to meet the many emotional, social andmoral issues which confront young people today? Some of these factorswere alluded to during the interviews with the respondents. Herein lieswith the problem with educational issues too often it becomes tooeasy to become bogged down in operational details as with most thingsin life if you want to solve a problem you must begin by looking atthe bigger picture. Thus what is purpose of teaching citizenship andPHSE? 5.1 Conclusions The information produced from sections 4.1 and 4.3, in many respectslinks to the themes and issues that were raised in section 2 (i.e. theliterature review). Notably there are major problems with defining theconcept of citizenship, the nature of its relationship with PHSE, howit should be assessed and it should be delivered. As section 4.2 hasrevealed, the delivery of sex education and related areas, has moved ondramatically. However, its delivery in its current form (i.e. PHSE),needs to reviewed and modified to meet modern challenges (e.g. teenagepregnancies, obesity etc). In effect the issues and factors revealed in section 4 have raised thedebate beyond the stated objectives of this project. That is, thelearning and teaching methods used to deliver citizenship and PHSE. Youmust begin by stating exactly what you are trying to achieve throughthese academic formats. In order to complete this process successfully all of the relevant stakeholders must be involved. When this hasbeen done then and only then, can the objectives of this project beaddressed. 5.2 Recommendations There must a national debate about what citizenship and PHSE should beabout and what benefits young people should gain by studying thesesubjects. All of the relevant stakeholders i.e. DfES, QCA, OFSTED,teachers, NSPCC, other charities concerned with the welfare of youngpeople, parenting groups etc need to be involved. This process wouldprovide the following: Clear, concise and meaningful definitions of these subjects andtheir curricular content (this would be linked to major issues of theday e.g. global warming, political issues, AIDS/HIV etc) A statement of the benefits pupils should achieve by studyingthese subjects (this would cover all four Key Stages in the NationalCurriculum) As this project has revealed the definition of these subjects is opento interpretation. Therefore, the definitions and content would have tobe reviewed on a periodic basis. This happens anyway with all academicsubjects and qualifications. However, it would be important to retainthe influence of the stakeholders as listed above. This would help tokeep these subjects within the mind of the general public. Given the overlap between these subjects and the confusion thiscan cause, it may be simpler in the long-term to combine them in orderto form one academic subject. Appreciably this would mean a large amount of content to get through.This would not resolve the current timetabling problems that have beenhighlighted in this report. Thus the new academic subject would be broken down into a numberof core and optional units. Common themes would be established (e.g.How To Be A Responsible Citizen) and would be presented throughout allKey Stages of the National Curriculum. Schools would be required to deliver the core units (statutoryrequirement) but if they wanted to build a more substantial programmethey could add optional units. This would allow learning providers to mix and match units to suittheir individual needs. This would avoid the problem of aprescriptive approach being dictated by a centralised governmentbody. A flexible assessment framework would be created. This wouldprovide pupils with the opportunity to gain accreditation for theirwork in a number of ways e.g. through academic study, a school project(e.g. recycling household waste), volunteer work, work experience andso on. This in itself would broaden the appeal of the subject to moreschool pupils. It could be possible to create a Citizenship Awards Programmesimilar to the Duke of Edinburghs Award. This would mean that othergroups and organisations e.g. the YMCA etc could become involved indelivering this new combined programme of study. Citizenship Awardscould also be delivered by youth and community providers. The delivery of the new award would also be flexible and theoptimum combination of teachers and other professional staff would beemployed to suit the local conditions. The above recommendations would address the weaknesses that have beenidentified and analysed in this project e.g. the lack of definition,timetabling problems etc. By developing a more flexible delivery andassessment framework, learning providers would be provided with muchmore choice on how they delivered the core units and optional units, ifso required. Thus it naturally follows that schools would make maximumuse of those learning and teaching methods, which best suited theirneeds and which generated the greatest number of benefits for theirpupils. Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Project (2005) Democracy through Citizenship Institute for Citizenship www.businessballs.com Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship Section 3: Citizenship in Secondary Schools QCA (March 2004) PHSE 2002/3 annual report on curriculum and assessment. Dean Garrett Manchester Metropolitan University (2000) DemocraticCitizenship in the Curriculum: some problems and possibilities Pedagogy, Culture and Society, Volume 8, Number 3. Oliver, D. Heater, D. (1994) The Foundation of Citizenship Hemel Hampstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf. Rees, A. M. (1996) T. H. Marshall and the Progress of Citizenship, inM. Bulmer A. M. Rees (Eds) Citizenship Today the contemporaryrelevance of T.H. Marshall London: UCL Press. Ministry of Education (1949) Citizens Growing Up London: HMSO. DfEE (1999) The Review of the National Curriculum in England the Secretary of States proposals London: QCA. Patrick, John J (1991) Teaching the Responsibilities of Citizenship ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science EducationBloomington IN www.ericdigests.org/pre-921-teaching.htm U.S. Department of State (17 Sept 2002) Fact Sheet on Teaching AmericanHistory and Civic Education www.usinfo.state.gov/usa/edu/fs091702.htm Soysal, Y (2001) Teaching Europe www.openDemocracy.net Briefing Paper for Trainee Teachers Of Citizenship Education (2004) Global Citizenship www.citized.info Oxford Schools Catalogue Global Citizenship www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/teachers/catalogue.htm Onelife Sunday Surgery A Brief History of Sex Education www.open2.net/sundaysurgery/thehistoryp.html OFSTED (February 2005) Citizenship in secondary schools: evidence from Ofsted inspections (2003/04) OFSTED (November 2002) PHSE and Citizenship in primary schools: evidence from Ofsted inspections (2001/02) QCA (December 2005) Citizenship 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment QCA (December 2005) PHSE 2004/5 annual report on curriculum and assessment OFSTED How we inspect state schools? www.ofsted.gov.uk/howwework/index.cfm