The Current Macroeconomic Situation of the US Essay Example for Free

The Current Macroeconomic Situation of the US Essay In the recent years, the US economy has gradually improved. However some areas such as the housing industry have still remained negatively affected. The following paper will discuss some of the causes that led to the crisis and what the Federal Reserve should do to address the affected areas. Introduction Despite the improvement in the US economy, there is still a decrease in interest rates, depreciation of currency and unstable markets due to fluctuations. The current debt loan of the US is also big and may lead to depression of the economy resulting in minimized growth. This is mainly caused by low interest rates which encourage borrowing for the business sector and the consumers looking for homes. In order to service these loans, the government relies on foreign aid. Current Situation The current recession and economic crisis was however majorly caused by the increase of subprime adjustable rate mortgages issued, the decrease in prime mortgages issued and the made up collaterized debt obligations. In addition, bank loans were offered to people who expected an increase in housing prices leading to their default. Moreover, supply and demand, inflation due to an increase of oil market prices which led to the increase in price of some basic commodities, money supply and GDP which influence the economy were significant causes (Tyler, 2010). Thus, the US economy is still undergoing financial crisis as a result of these decreasing interest rates hence the zero interest rate bound and the major increases in government spending. This leads to the discussion of money printing against bond financing which arises since the latter creates fears of inflation. The current situation consists of a â€Å"money multiplier† which is influenced by the ratio currency/deposits and reserved/deposits. The public is practicing the C/D more by keeping money in the mattress while the banks exhibit the R/D through their preference to cash than loans and investments. US Congress and the Federal Reserve The US congress and the federal government should improve the international market in order to improve the GDP and attract more investors. Additionally they should lower interest rates in borrowing to attract the public to buy housing units (Liu, 2010). Once, the interest rates hit zero the federal government should increase the monetary base by purchasing bonds unlimitedly since it cannot be negative. This is because highly positive interest rates rely on deflation (Lemgruber, 2008). ? List of References Lemgruber, A. C. , 2008. A Monetarist Analysis of the US Macroeconomic Situation. Emerging Markets Ecomonitor. December, 7. Liu, 2010. Feature: To End or not to End. August 15. Retrieved from Xinhuanet: http://news. xinhuanet. com/english2010/indepth/2010-08/15/c_13445774. htm on August 15, 2010. Tyler, 2010. The Current Macroeconomical Situation and the Global Recession: The Cause of The Current World Crisis. Armchair Economics. March, 24.

Strategic Planning For An Information Systems Business Essay

Strategic Planning For An Information Systems Business Essay Over the past decade, the growth of information system has been tremendous. However, business organisations need to be cautious in adopting any form of technology so as to reap the benefits. They have to carefully study and decide which one is appropriate for an organisation to use. Thereby, enable any organisation to achieve its goal. Currently information systems are essential in any organisation unlike decades before. There are different types of information systems. Any company should have a clear understanding on the appropriate ones for the specific usage. Thereby, essential to have information technology experts or managers who will advice the company on what systems to use to be able to minimise costs and add value to a business organisation. More so, managers and staff would know how to accept the changes brought about by the information systems positively to enable them to work properly towards achieving the pre determined goals. The article gives an explanation as to what information system entails as pertaining to a business organisation or company and how it should be used hand in hand with the strategic planning to ensure the smooth running of any organisation and its success. It further entails and gives example of two companies and how they operate with regards to information systems and the strategic plans of a business. It is only limited to the technological aspect and the foreseen targets for the operation efficiency of an organisation, it does not incorporate other factors that enhance efficient management. Only two companies found in the UK were used to show case the study at hand. The article entails an evaluatory research of information systems and the strategic planning of two companies; Company A and Company B.Thereby, giving a basis of how the companies should use the two concurrently. It is also descriptive in the sense that it gives a clear picture on the application of eight tenets. The research in the article is interpretative in the sense that it the reader enlightens the reader on what is needed or expected to ensure efficiency on the management of information systems alongside with the strategic plans of the organisation. IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY Strategic planning is a tool used in any business organisation to show where the organisation wants to be or achieve in future. Most strategies are either short term or long term depending on the organisation itself. However, the business world is not as it used to be due to the technological changes and advancements. In some business organisations, departments have been done away with while others have newly emerged due to computerisation. Customers are able to deal with suppliers or producers directly thus eliminating the use intermediaries as was before. Furthermore; the internet has greatly changed the business scene. It is apparent that any organisation has to do modifications so as to keep up with the ever-changing and rising demand for technology. An organisation has to be abreast with its information system so that it can know its existing competitors in the current business situation. Basically, have an overview of the current situational needs and changes of an organisation resulting into identifying the strengths and weaknesses both internally and externally and if need be correct to ensure maximum success. The article clearly emphasizes on the need of both information system and strategic planning for the operational efficiency. It clearly shows the difficulties of managing the former since planning is systematic whilst technology is not. Some companies incorporate the two differently and are still successful while others do not. All this depends on the type, size and location of the business organisation. Much as both information system and strategic planning are instilled, an organisation needs to exploit the opportunities and threats to ensure its survival and success. This study is meant to provide a framework for the use of information systems in an organisation such that it will enhance effectiveness and efficiency. In view of this, good operational efficiency does not only entail strategic planning but also involves other factors like effective management as well, so as to enhance the success of any organisation. Other factors that need to be considered to ensure the smooth running of any organisation include good employer/employee relationship, good communication among staff and so on. DEGREE OF CONTRIBUTION AND ORIGINALITY In the 80s and 90s, as a result of infrastructure development of organizational capabilities there has become a necessity to expand the concept of information systems which have strategic importance in any business organisation. Later, with the expansion of efficacy of any type of computer system led to the strategic planning of information systems to become an important issue. The priorities in a plan of the development of systems need to be identified into specific projects planned for the future. For any company, it is very important to have a business plan in the capacity of a flexible and constant development of organizational capabilities which leads not only to profit and expansion of the company, but also it is one of the foundations of stable competitive advantage. Various authors who have made a big contribution into the development of Strategic Information Systems Planning such as John Ward, Joe Peppard, Martin J., Earl MJ, and George Philip. Moreover, an important contribution in this area has been made by authors or researchers such as Samandra Pant and Cheng Hsu. They presented their work on an international conference, which was a prerequisite for the large development Strategic Information Systems Planning. Consequently, a set of different theoretical and practical researches are seen. If a parallel is drawn between the two researches, most of the fore mentioned authors rely on the theoretical basis. However, among the listed authors only George Philip uses an academic theory in practice. The importance of his work lies in the fact that he is trying to reduce the distance between the theoretical approach to business processes and application to the two companies. George Philip has made research based on related literature on Strategic Information Systems Planning thus on basis of eight tenets by showing an example of two companies in the different areas of development. In analyzing the article it can be said that the level of the research was evaluated to give a clear meaning on the usage of information systems and strategic planning concurrently. The generated work by the author shows that there was summarization of the related sources in the area and created a new direction for any business organisation to forge ahead in the ever-changing technological world. While it is very difficult to describe that the approach is original it still creates a good overview of the information and creates awareness that in information systems more or new research has to be done always to keep up with the changes in business scene to match up with technology. THEORETICAL ARGUMENT As seen 8 tenets were used to show the utilization of both the strategic plans and information systems for the success of any business organisation. The researcher tries to create a perfect model of business development on how any business organisation can be successful by use of the tenets. However, any business organisation can still be successful without following the models. Various methodologies have been put forward towards the rationale of strategic planning and information systems. Thereby, any business organisation can choose any methodology to develop their business based on their capabilities and targets. The use of eight tenets and methodologies used is a clear indication of a grounded theory whereby the underlying belief is that the data holds the clue to the explanation. In this case, the eight tenets and that the explanations are meaningful to those whose actions are being studied. (Denscombe, 2003, pg124). This is not appropriate because little scope is given to other factors that also affect the performance of a business organisation like the economic factors and social factors. RESEARCH METHODS ADOPTED There are two methodologies information systems that is impact and align methodologies (Lee and Gough, 1993; Booth and Philip, 2005). The importance of impact methodology is to achieve competitive advantage through the usage of information technology whilst the main purpose of the align methodologies is to a establish symbiosis relationship between information system strategy and objectives of the business itself. (Reich and Benbasat, 2000). It is apparent that the most prevailing planning methods are the one that take a top-down business-led approach (Premkumar and King 1994), and are designed to bring about contribution between the information systems strategy and the business strategy. Align methodology includes the exploitation strategy, which generally goes through two main stages: Top-down analysis for clarifying business needs and identifying Information System requirements. Bottom-up evaluation of already existing Information System for evaluation their effectiveness. Impact methodology includes the exploration strategy which aims to provide the strategic or competitive advantage for the business. The research analysis used in the article was qualitative method. The method, in contrast to the quantitative method which focuses on the statistical measurements, relied on the understanding, explanation and interpretation of empirical data and the sources of the formation of hypotheses and productive ideas. In simple terms, qualitative method does not respond to the questions of How much? What? How? and why?. Furthermore, in qualitative method, researches widely use projective and enabling techniques. By exposing some facts from the article, it is evident to know the applicability of the method of research used. Various authors used for research case study, questionnaires, scientific articles, text, observation , documents and thereafter, resulted into 8 tenets for information systems planning, this shows that the qualitative research method was mostly used appropriately in the research of information systems. (Orlikowski and Baroudi, 1991; Alavi and Carlson, 1992).In addition the above said confirmed the following expression that: using the case study, as a problem-solving technique, which is seldom undertaken in organisations since case studies dealing with problems similar to the one experienced by a particular organisation of a particular size and in a particular type of setting are difficult to find. More to that, Secaran (2000) suggested that the data collection methods like personal interviews within various groups in the organisation (primary data), examination of companys reports, data, academic and industry reports (secondary data) were used as an example of the qualitative research methods. The basis of research was proposed by the two strategies: exploitation strategy and exploration strategy. In the article we have used primary sources (researches); Text and empirical data for interpretation. (http://wire.rutgers.edu/research_assignments_pri_second.html) and secondary sources (researches)-Research based on the work of others. Literature that interpret or comment upon the primary sources (http://wire.rutgers.edu/research_assignments_pri_second.html). There are always two types of validity which are internal validity and external validity. The former of this was an output made by the author after the study, or the result obtained on the basis of the study. In this article, it is seen on the use of two types of strategies and review of 8 tenets for successful information systems planning. The latter refers to generalization. External validity was seen as a conclusion made by the author after the cross comparison of the case study of the two companies. It is not clear enough whether to talk on the internal and external actions of the case, although the primary and secondary sources of data are available. The article does include any new methods. As seen, that the author used a more qualitative methods, with all its attendant properties. Thereby making the study based on the two strategies and the reviewing of eight tenets. KEY FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS Currently, the world is in the technological era. People and business organisations are using information systems to make life easier. In the article, there are some strategies used to have a very strategic information systems plan and making sure that those companies reach their goal. The discussion based on the study was on the exploitation and exploration strategies. According to the Galliers, (2001) the companys information systems strategy should employ the two strategies. The exploitation strategy, is mainly focused on how to improve the operational efficiency of a company whilst in exploration strategy, it is usually used to make any business organisation have a competitive advantage. (Philip, 2007) The case study emphasized the need for operational efficiency in any business organisation. Operational efficiency is when the company uses the right combination of people and technology to enhance the productivity of the business operation while making sure that they are still in the budget. (Ensynch, 2009) Companies must ensure that they have the right technology and people to be efficient in the effective running of any business organisation. However, companies are facing difficulties in obtaining qualified employees who have technological skills and knowledge. They always need to ascertain whether the employees have the right qualifications. (Ensynch, 2009). It dwelled on the Eight Tenets in having a successful Information system planning in order to be efficient when it comes to the operations of any business organisation. They are as follows: (Philip, 2007) Developing a Business and Information System Strategy concurrently. Using Top-Down and Bottom-Up Listening and Communication Developing a High-Level plan with broad principles, not specific actions. Should have the support of the Top-Management Using Opportunistic Methods. Mandate Proactive Implementation Build in a Frequent Review Process and Contingency Planning Information Technology Leaders are technology scouts and interpreters Developing a business and information system strategy concurrently, is when we ascertain that the business plan and the information system plan go hand in hand. The process involves the entire executive team with the Chief Information Officer. Communication is one factor that makes the plan successful. Taking to the employees would help them in their planning. The company needs to know what the employees think about a certain situation and also, those employees would help them to generate some ideas to make sure that the plan made would be successful. Getting feedback regarding the performance of the systems is also important so the company would know whether the system is doing fine or not and whether it needs improvement or not. Making sure that the plan made is high-level enough; meaning the plan should allow some changes when implementing the program without rewriting the whole plan. By doing this, they could focus on making a solution when they overcome a problem rather than making the plan again. Support from the top management is crucial in having a successful plan. The senior executives must be active and makes sure that they have the correct materials to make the plan. They should also take an immediate action when they faced a problem regarding the plan. The company should make sure that their plan is put into practice proactively in order to maximize the benefits of the plan. They should make sure that the implemented strategy is to be effective to avoid any problems or inconveniences when the plan is implemented. Reviewing the plan is also crucial. Normally, the company reviews their plan at least twice a year and managers and information technology personnel usually review the plan. The reviewing of plan help the Chief Information Officer to know if they are still on budget or not. Also, they would know whether the plan is doing great; whether they are reaching their goal or not. Lastly, the Chief Information Officer should have the knowledge when it comes to the development of the information systems plan. The Chief Information Officer acts like a technology scout in an organization. They should make sure that the technology used incorporates with the mission and vision of the company. The Chief Information Officer should also be aware of the latest technologies in the market. He/she should know the right time of investing a new technology. They should make sure that when they buy a new technology, it still fits within the organisations budget. The Chief Information Officer should know the business language and the technology language for proper interpretation and usage of both technological and business terms. LIMITATIONS Case studies have become extremely widespread in research. When researchers dwell on a case study they look into a set of related ideas and preferences thus when combined give the approach its distinctive character. However they are not unique in the sense that the basis of investing has always been done already. (Denscombe, 2003, pg 31). The article is clearly a case study on use and applicability of information systems and strategic planning for the operational efficiency of any business organisation. Various authors have put forward their opinions whilst theories written for justification purposes. However, no solid generalisations can be made; in the sense that it would depend on ones advantageous view point of the whole scenario and understanding as pertaining to any business organisation. A manager would chose to adopt whatever benefits the company. There is no exact formula or specific way of managing the two concurrently to achieve the organisations pre-determined goals. The other issue is that information represented in the case possibly is not fully reliable and accurate. There is always risk that case can contain errors and inaccuracy. Apparently, the article based the research work on a qualitative approach. However, two methods of approach should have been used, that is the qualitative approach and the quantitative approach, to produce an unbiased end result. In the former, it is always natural for the researcher view not to be eliminated in the process. The other limitation as clearly seen in the article is whereby only two companies from the UK have been used in the research work. This is not adequate. It should have involved more companies since planning and use of information systems is vital to any organisation. There was also a variation in the way he provided and collected the data in that the companies are internationally based but only sited the UK one. However, different approaches or theories may apply differently to different nationalities due to technological factors, cultural barriers, political barriers and so forth. Furthermore, the comparison made on the two articles lacked equality. The dates of the research analysis done were different, In company A it was dated 2003 whilst in Company B it was dated 2004.Since the author rated the performance of each companion on the technological basis, it was not appropriate because how a company performs depends also on other factors like inflation rate, the countrys fiscal year and perhaps the national income for 2003 may not have been the same as for 2004. It is logic for plans and the way information systems are handled to change from time to time in the sense of recent information. Information systems and plans of any article also provide recent information to be used but the research obtained dates back 5 years or 6 years or so. The article did not present how all these statements should change in the fast growing and developing business environments thus no exact description of how all this eight tenets can be effective. More so, the researcher should have used real life current situations to assert his reasoning and conclusions. Other theoretical findings should have been included to give a thorough and more precise understanding of the research at hand. Other limitations in the researchers article included the failure to discuss the possible effects that would happen to both companies given the tenets and that Company A did not follow most of the tenets but still remained successful. SUGGESTIONS In this current technological era, companies are using technology to make work easier and gain competitive advantage in any business world. However, there are some companies who are not using the full capacity of technology in terms of being competitive in the market. Companies are not enthusiastic in employing the Strategic Information Systems Planning due to the fact it is expensive and it will not help in the attainment of long term objectives. In addition, other companies do not use information system and strategic planning due to lack of proper knowledge of the technological factors or others may be due to ignorance. However, to be competitive in the market, Strategic Information System Planning needs to be incorporated to enhance the performance of the business and aid in the normal operations of a company thus ensuring efficiency. Other companies should have been used in the research process. It should not only be based on this two companies when using the eight tenets since every company is different on how they approach activities carried out in any business organisation. The researcher should have explained more on the eight tenets. It is not stated in the article on the effects of the eight tenets and the usefulness of the tenets on any business organisation. The researcher should also have emphasized more on the eight tenets and how it can affect the fast moving and developing companies. Companies should not only use the eight tenets just to make an information systems strategy, but try to look for ways on how to have an efficient operating system. CONCLUSSION Strategic planning and information systems are vital components in any companys goal in achieving operational efficiency and in giving assistance in the companys decision-making activities. However, prudency is needed when incorporating the two for the business to earn maximum benefits. In doing so, the researcher tried to explain on the relevance of information system and strategic planning, in the article, by the introduction of eight tenets acting as guidelines. Thereby, any business organisation would be able to decide the best ways on how to handle the two for operational efficiency of the organizations. Apart from the framework given, further explanations and an exhaustive research should have been brought to attention so as to make clear generalisations thereafter, thus make applicability in any business organisation easier to comprehend and follow. All in all, the message was still passed across by the researcher on the comparisons and differentiation on how different companies, in this case, Company A and Company B, apply the 8 tenets for successful information systems and the strategic planning for operational efficiency. Thereby, enabling an analysis to be done on such a case study.

Leadership :: essays research papers

When you think about a leader you think of someone who possesses a number qualities. You would like to think that they are enthusiastic, have good judgment, are intelligent, a good people person, and a great speaker. You can go on and on naming what you think are good qualities. In this weeks discussion several types of leadership were brought up. The charismatic leader was the most appealing. The film we watched in class brought up three qualities that I feel are very important: passion, composure, and consistency. These qualities are characteristic of a charismatic leader. The managers we watched are all very respected. They have a "fire" inside them that makes others around them want to achieve. They are very outspoken and fight for what they believe. You don't expect any more or any less from them. The energy, strong conviction, and self-confidence of a charismatic leader can make the difference in a company or for a team. Without passion the leader won't be willing to go that extra mile or push others to perform at their greatest level. Over the past few years I have been involved with an NIFL (National Indoor Football league) team. Many points touched on during class are characteristic of the leaders of this organization. During the teams' first season they were part of the IPFL(Indoor Professional Football League). There were many problems from the beginning. The ownership was extremely shaky. They were a family that happened to have the money to buy the team but, didn't have the skills to run the team. Because of their selfishness they didn't hire someone with the qualifications to lead the team. Instead the job of general manager was held by the son of the owners. The owners didn't care about the players or coaches. Three hours before the season opener I found myself, along with the head coach and a number of players, painting the old turf. The players' names had not been sewn on the jerseys and they didn't have their shoes yet. A number of players hadn't even received their checks. These were just a few of the problems. As you can imagine this troubled the players and the coaches. The head coach did all he could to stand by his players. He was a great leader and made numerous complaints to the ownership. Because of his loyalty to the players he was eventually fired in the middle of the season. Leadership :: essays research papers When you think about a leader you think of someone who possesses a number qualities. You would like to think that they are enthusiastic, have good judgment, are intelligent, a good people person, and a great speaker. You can go on and on naming what you think are good qualities. In this weeks discussion several types of leadership were brought up. The charismatic leader was the most appealing. The film we watched in class brought up three qualities that I feel are very important: passion, composure, and consistency. These qualities are characteristic of a charismatic leader. The managers we watched are all very respected. They have a "fire" inside them that makes others around them want to achieve. They are very outspoken and fight for what they believe. You don't expect any more or any less from them. The energy, strong conviction, and self-confidence of a charismatic leader can make the difference in a company or for a team. Without passion the leader won't be willing to go that extra mile or push others to perform at their greatest level. Over the past few years I have been involved with an NIFL (National Indoor Football league) team. Many points touched on during class are characteristic of the leaders of this organization. During the teams' first season they were part of the IPFL(Indoor Professional Football League). There were many problems from the beginning. The ownership was extremely shaky. They were a family that happened to have the money to buy the team but, didn't have the skills to run the team. Because of their selfishness they didn't hire someone with the qualifications to lead the team. Instead the job of general manager was held by the son of the owners. The owners didn't care about the players or coaches. Three hours before the season opener I found myself, along with the head coach and a number of players, painting the old turf. The players' names had not been sewn on the jerseys and they didn't have their shoes yet. A number of players hadn't even received their checks. These were just a few of the problems. As you can imagine this troubled the players and the coaches. The head coach did all he could to stand by his players. He was a great leader and made numerous complaints to the ownership. Because of his loyalty to the players he was eventually fired in the middle of the season.

Religious Symbolism in Grimms Rapunzel Essay -- Grimm Rapunzel Essays

Religious Symbolism in Grimm's Rapunzel  Ã‚   A fairy tale is seemingly a moral fiction, intended mainly for children. A lesson in critical analysis, however, strips this guise and reveals the naked truth beneath; fairy tales are actually vicious, logical and sexual stories wearing a mask of deceptively easy language and an apparent moral. Two 19th Century writers, the Grimm brothers, were masters at writing these exaggerated stories, bewitching young readers with their prose while padding their stories with allusion and reference: an example of which is "Rapunzel." Grimm's "Rapunzel" is packed with religious symbolism, which lends a new insight to the meaning of this classic story.    The relation between "Rapunzel" and the story of Christianity is apparent immediately as a result of the setting. The witch's garden is described as "a beautiful garden full of the finest vegetables and flowers," depicting perfectly the Garden of Eden from Genesis. Now, with the scene in place, the Grimm brothers begin further correlation between the two stories.    The witch, indicative of the serpent, tempts the mother and father with her rampion so that she might steal their child. In the story of creation, the serpent has the same idea in mind for Adam and Eve. The serpent knows that if man sins against God, he is unable to enter heaven and therefore must face the alternative, a life of eternal suffering in hell. In eating the forbidden fruit, the parents are cursing their child, humanity, to a life apart from God. But, just as with Adam and Eve, the parents must also endure earthly hardships, characterized by childbirth. In Genesis 3:17, Eve is cursed to bear children through intense pain; consequently, Rapunzel was born. ... ...shown through Rapunzel's response.    The witch learns of Rapunzel's interaction with the Prince and places her in the desert, and when the Prince climbs the tower to seek Rapunzel, he finds the witch waiting there for him. At this point, the witch's assumption and belief that she has won coincides perfectly with Satan's arrogance in believing that by killing Christ, he would forever have dominion over man. To the witch's dismay, the Prince hurls himself from the tower, putting out his eyes on the thorns below. This is symbolic of Christ's conscious sacrifice for humanity on the hills over Nazareth. The Prince wanders blindly through the desert, and, after several years, is reunited with his beloved Rapunzel. Ultimately, the story's happy ending is a realization of God's promise that through Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and find everlasting life.      

Hummingbirds :: Biology Animals Birds

Hummingbirds are stunning creatures, but their future can be bright only if they have plenty of flowers for food and trees for shelter. Unfortunately, human population grows too fast for the hummingbirds' habitats. Once a person knows more about these charming animals, they will find the forests a richer place to protect. Hummingbirds are the smallest and most brilliantly colored birds. Their aerial maneuvers fascinate all. Hummingbirds are promiscuous animals, and families generally consist of a single mother and two baby chicks. It all starts during mating season, when a male tries to attract a female. He may hover in front of her showing off his gorgeous wings, tail, beak and plumage. If she isn?t interested she just flies away. If he wins her affection, they will sleep together one night. In the morning they?ll fly away in separate directions and probably never meet again. Males obviously take no part in raising the young. Two white pea-sized eggs are generally laid, several days apart. The hummingbird mother works very hard to care for her young. The two chicks are born naked, blind, and smaller than bumblebees, but they grow quickly. By the time they are three to four days old, their eyes open, and the mother continues feeding them. The duration of nesting period is fourteen to thirty-one days depending on the food available and the strengths of the chicks and the mother. When they are ready for fledging, the chicks may be 4.5 grams while their exhausted mother is down to 2.5 grams after the feat of raising her young. After a month or so, the hummingbirds leave their nest and master flying quickly and easily. They are continued to be fed because they end up wasting a lot of time mistaking hats, signs, and other bright objects for flowers. The average life span of a hummer is probably three to five years. The record has been twelve years. There are about three-hundred and twenty different species, and the Bee Hummingbird is the smallest. 8 cm is not only half of the length of my pen, but also the length of the largest hummingbird, the Giant Hummingbird. The beak and tail tend to make up half of their small length. Most hummingbirds have ten tail feathers. These tails come in 2 a variety of shapes, and depending on the way the sunlight hits it, these tail feathers may flash red, gold, purple, or black.

Promote and implement health and safety Essay

Promote and implement health and safety in health and social care (HSC 037) Outcome 1 : Understand own responsibilities, and the responsibilities of others, relating to health and safety 1. identify legislation relating to health and safety in a health or social care work setting The settings in which we are likely to provide support are generally covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ( HASAWA ). This Act is like the overall â€Å"umbrella† that has been updated and supplemented by all the regulations and guidelines which extent it, support it or explain it. Health and Safety at Work Act: Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 ( as amended 2002 ); Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 ( COSHH ); Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 ( RIDDOR ) ( amended 2008); Health and Safety First Aid Regulations 1981; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Read more: Analyse factors that tend to trigger own stress essay 2. explain the main points of health and safety policies and procedures agreed with the employer The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the main piece of legislation that covers related health and safety in England. It is everyone, no matter what their job role is, within the organisation has a responsibility to ensuring the health and safety of each other while at work. It is also the employee’s duty to take care for themselfves and of other persons who may be affected and time to read the risk assessment reports and follow any changes that have been made. All staff should follow the changes that have been made. Things such as manual handling, be sure that we move and handle object and inviduals safely; fire/evacuation policy, be sure that we know our organisation fire /evacuation policy and procedure and the location of fire exits and fire equipment and how to call for help; risk assessment, understand the risk to each activity that we undertake and assess the risk regulary if there is any improvement or not; waste disposal policy, understand the colour of the general waste and clinical, the type of sharp boxes with differrent colour; infection control, we need to know the policies that are designed to prevent the spresd of infection, such as washing your hands between each patient and side rooms, where can have an infection with mrsa, cddif so we have to wash before entrering the room and after, aswell hearing a yellow appron. 3. Analyse the main health and safety responsibilities of: †¢ self, to take care of our own health and safety; if possible, avoid wearing jewellery, such as necklace, that can be stuck in some equipment; if you have long hair or wear a headscarf, to make sure it is tied up; making sure that we get proper training and that we understand and follow the company ´s health and safety policies; to report any injuries, strains or illnesses we suffer as a result of doing our job; tell our employer if something happens that might affect our ability to work. †¢ the employer or manager, have to make the workplace safe; prevent risks to health; ensure that equipment is safe to use, and that safe working practices are set up and followed; make sure that all materials are handled, stored and used safety; provide adequate first aid facilities; tell us about any potential hazards from the work we do, chemicals and other substances used by the organisation, and give us information, instructions, training and supervision as needed; set up emergenc y plans; make sure that temperature, lighting and tolitel, washing facilities all are adequate in health and safety; check if the right work equipment is provided and properly used and regulary maintained; avoid potentially dangerous work involving manual handling and, if it cannot be avoided, take precautions to reduce the risk of injury; report certain accidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurances to eitheir the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). †¢ others in the work setting, other employees in the work place have the same role as us. They should use all PPE made available to them. They should be responsible for their own health and safety, in accordance to the policies, as well the patients and other employees around them and they should report any concernes to reduce the risk to the patients. 4. identify specific tasks in the work setting that should not be carried out without special training. Manual handling equipment, such as sliding sheets, hoists,mobility aids, need to be carried out by people who have had a training to do it. Employers are obliged to provide training in manual handling. Traning it is important to be up to date, for new techniques and equipment. Moving patients without proper training is dangerous for both of us. We will also need training for specific equipment, for example, arjo hoist and oxford hoist is to be used in workplace, no one will be able to operate it without training. When we have to move a patient out of bed and get him in the armchair, so we have a look on the risk assessment manual & handling form how to mobile, it is  written need to use a arjo hoist. To use a hoist we have to have a training how to use it and how to know which sling we should use. A patient weigh 60 kg, so we check the different colors of the slings and we should use the yellow sling, so now we can hoist the patient on the armchair. So for that we need a manual handling training update. Outcome 2: Be able to carry out own responsibilities for health and safety 1. use policies and procedures or other agreed ways of working that relate to health and safety Health and Safety policies set out the arrangements thta a workplace has for complying with legislation. Health and Safety procedures decribes the activities that need to be carried out our work in line with the policies and procedures laid down by your employer. There is no point having policies and procedures if they are not followed. We must be clear about the areas thatt are our responsibility. 2. support others to understand and follow safe practices Supporting people to take steps about their own safety. It is important that we recognise that people you are supporting need to be able to ensure their own health and well-being as far as possible. To support this, we should encourage and assist people to: talk about the stepd they would prefer to take in relation to health and safety; understand and take responsibility for promoting their own health and care; assess and manage risks to their health and well-being; identify and report any factors that may put themselves or others at risk. It is very difficult if we are the only person in your worplace following good practice. We may able to encourage others by: always showing a good example; explaining why we are following procedures; getting some health and safety leaflets from our trade union or environmental health office and leaving them in the staffroom for people to see; bringing in any imformation about training; asking our manager if they can arrange a talk on health and safety. 3. monitor and report potential health and safety risks We are have a responsability with our employer for the safety of all the peolple who use our service. This means that we need to be alert alll the time- risks and hazards are constantly changing and we need to make sute that we are aware of these canges. Juat because we checked something six  months ago, do not assume that it is still working well; a hoist that worked few days ago may not work today. We need to be aware of and monitor the following types of hazards regulary. Reporting risks to our manager or 6000 is important , even after a risk assessment and control measures. We should report hazards that are beyond our role and competence, such as: faulty equipment; loose or damaged fittings; damage or faulty aids-for exemplo, bed brakes, bed controlers, hoists. As well as our responsibility to report risks and hazards to our employer, all employers have to report certain events to the Health and Safety Executive or environmental health department. 4. use risk assessment in rela tion to health and safety Risk assessment in health and social care is important for everyone whether they are employers, self-employed or employees, who are required by law to identify and assess risks in the workplace. This includes any situations where potential harm may be caused. There are many regulations that require risks to be assessed and some are covered by European Community directives. These include: Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992; Health and Safety ( Display Screen Equipment ) Regulation 1992; Noise at Work Regulation 1989; Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH); Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002; Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 state that employers have to assess any risks which are associated with the workplace and work activities. Risk assessments are vitally important in order to protect the health and safety of both of us and the people we support. We should always check that a risk assessment has been carried out before we undertake any task, and then follow the steps identified in the assessment in order to reduce the risk. 5. demonstrate ways to minimise potential risks and hazards Done. assess at work. 6. access additional support or information relating to health and safety. Outcome 3: Understand procedures for responding to accidents and sudden illness 1. describe different types of accidents and sudden illness that may occur in own work setting We may be involved with any of different types  of accidents and sudden illness at the hospital, we can occur with patients wandering around the ward, who has dementia, they can trip over with their clothes, getting tired to walk around and can have a fall, they can have aggressive behaviours towards to the staff who trying to help them. Patient walking with mobility aids, frame, to the toilet with assistance from a member of staff and carried a oxygen bottle(small). Can occur a sudden illness of strength using a toilet and having a loss of consciousness. Can occur loose stool with offensive smell and type 5/6/7 when a patient been treated with antibiotics due to any infection they had such a UTI or a chest infection. 2. explain procedu res to be followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur. When accidents or sudden illness happen we call for help, cases of a fall, if the patient follow commands, they can stand using a chair or a bed, bending their knee and stand with our help, in case of a patients can ´t stand, we use the hoist, after that we check their skin, asking if they have any pain and do a set of observation and bleep the doctor. Loss of consciousness happen from a strength, call for help, pulling the emergency alarm, quick and bring him back to bed, increase the oxygen, set of observations and bleep the doctor. If we have a patients with C. Difficile infection is a type of bacterial infection that can affect the digestive system. It most commonly affects people who have been treated with antibiotics, they should be in the side room. The procedure to be followed when a patient has loose stool type 5/6/7, a stool speciment should be sent for c.diff and mrsa check, when we know the result of the speciment and it is c.diff, isolate the patient if a side room is available or barrier nurse in the bay with a trolley with gloves, yellow apron and a sign with a date of commence of the diarrhea and tick the boxes what the visitors should do and give to the patient a leaflet of information regarding the infection they have. C. difficile bacteria spread very easily can usually be prevented by practising good hygiene such as washing hands regularly and cleaning surfaces using products containing bleach. Visitors/staff can reduce the risk of spreading infection by washing your hands before and after entering the bed space. Alcohol hand gel is not effective against C. difficile spores, so the use of soap and water is essential. Outcome 4: Be able to reduce the spread of infection 1. explain own role in supporting others to follow practices that reduce the spread of infection My role in supporting others is to follow practices that reduce the spread of infection by always ensuring I wear the correct ppe, wash my hands frequently, and dispose of contaminated waste in the yellow bins provided. Make sure all the equipment is clean before use and after use. My role in supporting others to preventing C. difficile infections is advising visitors, if they are visiting a patient in hospital who has diarrhea or a stomach upset, to try to avoid taking any children under the age of 12 with them. They should also, wash their hands with soap and water when entering and leaving ward areas, side rooms. Avoid coming to hospital if they are feeling unwell or have recently had diarrhoea. Observe visiting hours and all visiting guidelines. Healthcare workers should wear disposable gloves and aprons when caring for anyone who has a C. difficile infection. Whenever possible, people who are infected with C. difficile should have their own room and toilet facilities to avoid passing the infection on to others. Staff, patients and visitors should be encouraged to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly. Alcohol hand gel is not effective against C. difficile spores, so the use of soap and water is essential. Surfaces that may have come into contact with the bacteria or spores, such as toilets, the floor around toilets, bedpans and beds, should also be cleaned thoroughly with water and a cleaning product that contains bleach. 2. demonstrate the recommended method for hand washing Face to face done 3. demonstrate ways to ensure that own health and hygiene do not pose a risk to an individual or to others at work. Face to face done Outcome 5: Be able to move and handle equipment and other objects safely 1. explain the main points of legislation that relates to moving and handling There are 2 main pieces of legislation that are relevant to moving and handling. They are the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (amended 2002). Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: This refers to all health and safety issues, not just moving and handling. It states that employers have an obligation to provide equipment, information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure as  far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of their employees. It also states that every employee must safeguard themselves and others and must co-operate with the employer. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992: This states that manual handling should be avoided whenever possible; If it is not possible to avoid manual handling, the task should be risk assessed; Any risks that have been identified should be reduce as much as possible; Assessments should be reviewed on a regular basics; Employees must comply with policies and procedures regarding manual handling. 2. explain principles for safe moving and handling Wear appropriate footwear and clothing which allows freedom of movement. Always assess the load, task, capabilities of staff and environment (TILE) before manual handling. Always select the correct equipment or technique for the movement. Avoid manual lifting wherever possible. Remove all potentially dangerous objects. If moving a patient, teach them to participate and encourage independent movement. Stand as close to the patient as possible, and spread your feet to shoulder width. Bend your knees ( use thigh not back muscles ) and try and keep the back upright posture. Keep head up to avoid stooping, look straight ahead. Use the legs to lift the patient in a smooth motion as this offers more leverage reducing the strain on your back. Avoid twisting the body as much as possible by turning your feet to position yourself with the patient. Brace your abdominal muscles when moving and handling to help support the lumbar spine. Use the commands READY BRACE MOVE. 3. move and handle equipment and other objects safely. Outcome 6: Be able to handle hazardous substances and materials 1. describe types of hazardous substances that may be found in the work setting The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health ( COSHH ) Regulations apply to substances that have been identified as Toxic: chemicals which in very low quantities cause death or acute or chronic damage to health whn inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin; Corrosive: chemicals which on  contact withh living tissues may destroy them; Harmful: chemicals which may cause death or accute or chronic damage to health; Irritant: non-corrosive chemical which through immediate, prolonged or repeated contact with the skin or mucous membranes, may cause inflammation; Explosive; chemicals that may react producing heat without atmospheric oxygen, quickly producing gases and which can detonate and explode; Oxidising: chimicals which give rise to heat producing reactions when in contact with other substances, particularly flammable substances; Flammable: Extremely ( F+ ) liquids that have an extremely low flash point below 0 ºC and low boiling point equal to or below 35 ºC. Or gaseous substnces which are flammable in contact with air at ambient temperature and pressure. Highly ( F ) chemicals which may become hot and catch fire in contact with air at ambient temperature without any application of energy. A solid which readily catches fire with minimal contact with a source of ignition and which continue to burn after the source is removed. Liquids with a very low flashpoint ( equal to or less than 21 ºC ) and not classified as extremely flammable. 2. demonstrate safe practices for: †¢ storing hazardous substances †¢ using hazardous substances †¢ disposing of hazardous substances and materials. Outcome 7: Be able to promote fire safety in the work setting 1. describe practices that prevent fires from: a. starting Practices that prevent fires from starting include: the use of smoke alarms, ensuring all cigarettes have been extinguished, ensuring all unused electrical equipment is unplugged and ensuring electrical and gas appliances have been checked. b. spreading Practices that prevent fires from spreading include: Keeping fire doors closed to prevent the spread of fire, not opening windows that might make the fire spread suddenly. 2. demonstrate measures that prevent fires from starting 3. explain emergency procedures to be followed in the event of a fire in the  work setting Fire emergency procedures: Sound the alarm, then call the fire brigade, follow the evacuation plan, report to the assembly point. Help others only if safe to do so otherwise close doors behind to avoid the fire spreading, it is also important not to use the lift in a fire. All routes of evacuation, fire exits, doors, corridors and passage ways must be kept clear at all times because if a fire occurs, all means of quick escape are available. This also complies with legislation requirements. 4. ensure that clear evacuation routes are maintained at all time. Outcome 8: Be able to implement security measures in the work setting 1. demonstrate use of a greed procedures for checking the identity of anyone requesting access to: †¢ premises †¢ information 2. demonstrate use of measures to protect own security and the security of others in the work setting 3. explain the importance of ensuring that others are aware of own whereabouts. The importance of ensuring that others are aware of own whereabouts when in a care setting is that to avoid being caught in the situation or emergency cases where you don’t even know where to escape to save yourself. Also, If you know your whereabout, then you will avoid accidents that may happen since you know the place where you are, most of all, you will avoid being lost. For example, there was fire in the building and you have already left without telling anyone and you are not accounted for on the register they might assume you are still in the building, that’s why it is very important to tell about your whereabouts. Outcome 9: Know how to manage stress 1. describe common signs and indicators of stress Stress is the way that you feel when too much pressure is placed on you.   A little bit of pressure can be positive, productive and motivating, but too much pressure can lead to negative stress. When we talk about stress we are usually referring to negative stress. It is unhealthy for the mind and body. Everyone reacts differently to stress and different people can cope with different levels of stress. In many cases, too much stress often leads to physical, mental and emotional problems.

Research methods in education Essay

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