Ipads in schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ipads in schools - Research Paper Example cation is not a bad idea but important because it combines the technology to proper understanding of advanced software tools that gives perfect content and instruction. The Ipads are expensive to purchase and maintain since their breakage rates are high mostly rate at 10% per year and their value depreciates heavy. Most of the students using the devices are not well trained in using them and it is expensive employing information technology staff in schools. Pushing ipads into schools without clear plans leave the teachers jagged about the technology. In the olden days, computers in education were received with great joy but most teachers and the students have been discouraged because of failure in delivery. The use of Ipads in the classroom has increased the rate of laziness by most students because they want to do things in the easier way by application of technology. Most students do not accomplish their assignments in time because of engaging in the online social networking sites spending most of their time chatting. Some students spend most of their time watching bad material online such as spending time on pornographic sites wasting their precious study time. Because of the advanced technology most students take advantage to use Ipads to commit malpractices during the examination time. Some teachers also develop laziness and do not deliver well in class lecturers. They force the student to do intensive research online for the study materials that is quite tiresome and messy showing neglect of duty. Ipads technology in the classroom can be a powerful tool for learning and comprehension. It provides a good experience for the elementary school student engaged in their application. Ipads have some great advantages in classrooms since it help most of the parent in saving the much they spend in purchasing books. Lecturers and parents should not worry about replacing lost and damaged books. Ipads keep the attention of students to technology and sometime increase

Visiting Nurse Health System Essay Example for Free

Visiting Nurse Health System Essay I. Executive Summary Visiting Nurse Health System (VNHS) is experiencing difficulty in quantifying the benefits of their telemonitoring services used to provide care to patients recently discharged from hospitals. While the company believes these services provide real value to the patients, hospitals and insurance companies, VNHS is worried about the ability to provide future investment in the technology given the tenuous healthcare reimbursement environment. To continue to grow its telemonitoring services, VHNS should: †¢ Assess patient specific effectiveness of telemonitors †¢ Quantify the advantage of telemonitoring to insurance companies †¢ Reduce the technology’s accessibility limitations †¢ Find alternatives to the telemonitoring service †¢ Create and implement a marketing strategy In order to accomplish these goals, we recommend the following: Develop an electronic means of assessing telemonitoring usage and compliance with final clinician approval for removal of telemonitor. †¢ This will increase the effectiveness of telemonitors by eliminating patients who do not use telemonitors effectively. †¢ Automated analysis will be quick and simple. Lobby with FDA and government agencies to pass new act/regulation which forces insurance companies to reimburse for telemonitoring devices †¢ Benefits the entire health care industry and reduces cost at multiple levels. (Insurance companies, patients and hospitals) Create secure website and computer application to compliment Health Buddy. †¢ Gives patients a variety of choices to transmit data †¢ Inexpensive and effective, with no need to upgrade Health Buddy Integrate Health Buddy with alternative technologies †¢ Having options to do telemonitoring via internet, mobile application and voice based automated telephone systems will allow VNHS to keep the cost low. Create a marketing strategy that targets hospitals and insurance companies that do not have a preferred partner status with VNHS. †¢ Acquiring preferred status has a direct correlation to the future success of VNHS †¢ By targeting specific hospitals and insurance companies, the marketing message can be tailored to each individual client. II. Overview Visiting Nurse Health System (VNHS) is an accredited nonprofit home health company located in Atlanta, GA. As a home health company it depends on patient reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies to fund a majority of its operations. As the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) moved to a flat fee for reimbursement and also implemented initiatives to reduce the amount of hospital readmissions due to preventable causes, healthcare organizations are under increased pressure to lower costs while also delivering high quality health care. One way VNHS is trying to become more efficient and meet CMS goals is to use telemonitoring devices to assess a patient’s health remotely. By remotely monitoring patients, VNHS can reduce clinician visits to the patient location as well as monitor potentially important health information that can prevent the patient from having to be readmitted to the hospital. The Health Buddy telemonitoring device has the potential to improve patient outcomes while reducing VNHS cost. The downside is that while CMS encourages the use of telemonitors, VNHS does not receive reimbursement from CMS or insurance companies when it purchases telemonitors. With a limited supply of telemonitors and a significant cost associated with each, VNHS must decide if telemonitoring is the most cost effective way to increase patient health outcomes while also keeping its costs low.

The Struggle to Get it All Straight :: Personal Narrative Writing Papers

The Struggle to Get it All Straight I. I first began writing--really writing--sometime around my sophomore year of high school. Since then, I have consistently received high marks and flattering compliments for my work. But I still suffer this insecurity which Judith Guest describes perfectly. She says that after achieving great success in her writing she found that she was "still telling [herself] that [she] wasn't really a writer, but a trickster" (xii). Ah, yes. I know that feeling. Every paper I am asked to write, I fear will be my undoing--that it will be the assignment which proves that I haven't been able to write the whole time, that I'm nothing but crafty. My undergraduate degree carries with it an emphasis in creative writing; for four years I wrote mostly poetry. I didn't know it, but the poetry courses gave me my first introduction to Rhetorical Theory. There I met the generative techniques of Peter Elbow and Natalie Goldberg which make so much sense to me. I appreciated these exercises, which, as Guest notes, "[give] people permission to think the thoughts that come, and to write them down, and make sense of them in any way they wish" (xii). Between the covers of my journal, I took on the premise of Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones : Learning to write is not a linear process. There is no logical A-to-B-to-C way to become a good writer. One neat truth about writing cannot answer it all. There are many truths. To do writing practice means to deal ultimately with your whole life. (3) Because I understood the idea without understanding the possibilities, these courses didn't change my life--instead they were a reprieve from "real" life, a reprieve from the the standards of "real" academics. Although I enjoyed other English courses, I never felt the freedom that those writing courses offered me--the opportunity to create my own understanding from a personal perspective. Instead I wrote the essays about subject matter, and in the kind of language, I thought those teachers wanted to hear. This contradiction between these two types of English courses was something I accepted without question. Two years ago the issue really opened itself up for me. I had been out of school for a few years and was a little nervous about returning to the world of academic writing. That spring quarter I had three writing courses and an American Literature course.

Environment Analysis for Tata Motors Limited Essay

An analysis of the opportunities and threats posed by the environment results in the identification of the key focus areas for the expansion and growth of the company and also makes the company aware of the potential threats that can go against its growth plans. Opportunities * Globalization and access to innovative technologies: The current scenario of globalization provides access to newer markets and innovative technologies. Many countries provide a fruitful environment for wider market access and expansion of the target customer segment. Joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions are effective routes to enter new market and have access to specialized technologies and manufacturing processes that are core competencies of certain countries. For example, Germany is known for its advanced engineering technology. Tata Motors acquired Land Rover and Jaguar brands which provided the company the opportunity to market cars in the luxury segment. Tata Motors also acquired Daewoo Motor’s commercial vehicle business which expanded Tata Motors’ car market and access to technology * Emerging markets and expansion abroad: Developing countries that have low income earning families i.e. people having low purchasing power can be targeted for selling the cheaper and robust commercial vehicles. This will boost the exports for low cost commercial vehicles. Nano, the poor man’s car has a huge market in the lower income group to cater to, it also gives competition to the motorbike segment where buyers can be attracted to buy a low cost car as compared to a bike * Emerging demand for environment friendly vehicles: There is an increased demand for the environment friendly commercial vehicle alternatives. It increases the existing market segment and provides growth opportunities in this niche segment Threats * High level of competition: There is increased competition for the luxury market in India from foreign companies that have begun to enter the Indian market such as Honda, Toyota, Ford and Mercedes-Benz * Sustainability and environmentalism: Though sustainable and eco-friendly vehicles are high in demand, the increasing price competition among the existing players can prove detrimental for the relatively costlier eco-friendly vehicles. The situation will get further worsened in case environmental regulations are tightened by the government * Down turn of the world economy: As seen in the past few years, financial downturn in the world markets can have negative impact on the demand for the commercial vehicles both in the luxury and the price-sensitive segment. In case a foreign country faces pressure to survive the financial turmoil, the amount of money spent by the residents of that country will decrease leading to a fall in the demand for the commercial vehicles * Increased material costs: Rising prices of materials such as steel and aluminium can increase the cost of production of the vehicles in India. Rising petrol and diesel prices will further increase the cost of the commercial vehicle which will negatively impact the demand for the product Therefore, the Indian commercial vehicle industry is a highly competitive industry that provides immense growth and expansion opportunities but have potential threats that can negatively affect the future growth plans of the Indian commercial vehicle manufacturing companies.

Comic Books As History Essay

Comic books have long been regarded as a genre of literature for the immature and the trivial. The graphic representation of a story at first glance provides a lightweight medium to carry a serious message. The utilization of two types of media, the written word and the graphic portrayal, serves as a conflict of messages, a breach in the unity of form. However, in Joseph Witek’s book entitled Comic Books as History, he provides case points and works where comic books have both the authority as well as the authenticity to suitably serve as a medium for portraying history. Who has the right to speak? When does the gap between art and life become so wide that fiction becomes a blasphemous lie? Witken p.38 These are the questions put forth by Author Joseph Witek in chapters 4 &5 of his Comic Books as History. The first, â€Å"who has the right to speak?† denotes an active search for a medium with authority to portray dark parts of history. And few events could be much darker than the Holocaust. The era of the rise of Hitler and the Nazis and their atrocities to the Jewish people beg the question of how to portray it. The revulsion of providing aesthetic description to an evil event stems from authors’ reticence in taking another people’s suffering as their own. And yet, if the alternative is silence, then future generations will be unable to see a representation of those dark days. If the silence were to endure, then no condemnation, sympathy, no regret, no emotion whatsoever would be imparted to those unaware.   Therefore, as Witek asserts, the alternative to silence is to speak out with a medium that resonates with both the authority to speak, and the authenticity to do so, which he implies in the second question â€Å"When does the gap between art and life become so wide that fiction becomes a blasphemous lie?†. In Art Spiegelman’s autobiographical comic Maus, the subject of the Holocaust and its survivors was taken up. To Witken, Spiegelman’s work is a credible medium to tackle the holocaust because he has the necessary authority and authenticity to do so.   The authority, Witken claims, comes from a â€Å"personal psychological necessity†. Maus for Spiegelman is a kind of therapy, a way to comprehend his own history, both as a person and as a Jew. The comic becomes a way to breach a gap produced by the Holocaust, a distance between the Jews who experienced, and those who did not. This is evident in the portrayal of the interactions between Art and his Father Vladek, most noticeably in the scene showing making of Maus. The interactions show transference of the pain, the pain of the Holocaust to the father, and as a result, shaping the father to a being that brings emotional pain to the son. In a scene in the Prisoner on the Hell Planet, the story of Spiegelman’s mental anguish as a result of his mother is portrayed. Spiegelman feels that the emotion he feels from his parents is caused by their experiences in the holocaust and yet, he is unable to understand how those experiences shaped their person. Thus, in a way, the Maus was written to provide an understanding of knowledge just present at the back of the minds of the generation of Jews after the Holocaust. A generation, who like Spiegelman, won’t be content with just silence. To successfully portray history, the accuracy of the details is not enough to attain authenticity. The inclusion of every emotion felt, and every though, as well as their representation. And it is in this representation that Spiegelman defends his use of animals instead of people. In order to pass through the authentic message, the use of people would inevitably show a false image, but in using animals, Spiegelman portrayed the emotions as they are, not as people show them to be. This is evident in the dialogue of Art trying to draw his wife. The use of animals is limited to just portraying the themes, bestiality, extermination, but the humanity of each character is still there. Another case point in Witek’s book is the American Splendour series of comics made by Harvey Pekar in collaboration with various artists. This series is hailed by Witek as a comic genre separate from others, as it tries to make the reader experience the life and times of the author. This â€Å"autobiographical’ comic book portrays various events in Harvey Pekar’s life, from the exceptional to the more occurring dull moments. The reader sees what Harvey Pekar experiences in various situations, through various styles and viewpoints. The authority of the comic to tell an existing person’s story is exemplified by American Splendor.   Pekar states his reason for the theme of American Splendor by saying I want to write literature that pushes people into their lives rather than helping them escape from them. Most comic books are vehicles for escapism, which I think is unfortunate. I think the so-called average person often exhibits a great deal of heroism in getting through a normal day, and yet the reading public takes this heroism for granted. They’d rather read about Superman than themselves American Splendor does exactly that. It let’s the readers face the reality of Harvey Pekar’s hum drum existence, and in doing so, makes the readers see the parallelism of it with their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So what right does Harvey Pekar have to exhibit such unbiased realism in comic book form? His authority, as Witek implies is in his persona. Pekar is a full-time employee, and just a part time comic book creator; in essence, he lives the life that his comic books portray. All the vulgarities, emotions, thoughts and experiences found in the comics are essentially his to share.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Witek focuses on Pekar’s use of various forms and styles within the comic to show the authenticity of the work. American Splendor has no underlying consistent narration or view point. The persona may shift from the Harvey talking, and then to his wife reminiscing, and then coming back to a past event shared by both. This, instead of confusing reality with various viewpoints, lets the reader fully grasp the Harvey Pekar experience. Every detail from every role is portrayed accurately just as the author experienced it, thus we may see strips of stories simply heard by Pekar, as well experiences seen from Pekar’s view point, or the viewpoint of others towards Pekar. This adds a dimension of realism that successfully conveys the feeling of experiencing a day in the life of Harvey Pekar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The success of the American Splendor series comes from its realism. We see Harvey Pekar as a person, full of foibles, emotion, errors and triumphs. We see and yet we do not judge, for in seeing those things in him, we also recognize that we as persons are guilty of the exact same reactions. Harvey Pekar does not portray himself, but the experience he has in the run of a normal day. Thus, no overtones of glorification or damnation can be evidently found within the text, for Pekar describes it as it is, without thought for shame, pride and ego. He focuses on the situation, making it, not Harvey Pekar, the real protagonist of his comics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Robert Harvey, the comic book is just the sum of its parts. The unity of form that is achieved when the written word and the visual depiction merges makes the comic an ideal medium for expressing mood and tone. To fully utilize the comic as this medium, all of the graphic elements, the page layout, style, the narrative and composition must meld with the written caption. This in effect highlights the authenticity of the comic in bringing across the message of the author.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Using these elements, we can find key scenes in both Maus and American Splendor which serve to support Witek’s argument of the comic as history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On page 83 of chapter 4 of Maus, we see an example of the effect when the caption fits in perfectly with the visual depiction. Due to the nature of the characterization, the visual element depends on the caption to identify which animal is which. The first words of the page set the whole tone, a somber realization. The following scene further reinforces the message, the interplay showing the noticeable distress of Vladek when he comes home and recounts the news. The boxed captions showing Vladek’s thoughts serves to highlight the underlying tone that it could be him hanging on the streets instead of the people he deals with. The final emphasis comes from the use of shaded lines to color the masses witnessing the hanging, giving them an aura of unimportance due to their impotence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In American Splendor- A Marriage Album, we can see examples that illustrates how the factors mentioned by Harvey colluded to heighten the experience of the reader.The story starts with Pekar seeing his wife Joyce off, then it shifts to a reverie of Herschel/Harvey about the marriage. The scene then shifts to Joyce’s recounting of their then budding relationship, with highlights on the difficulties. Both accounts fuse together in the end, and the final scene shows perfect timing in summarizing the totality of the story, the interplay of how other people see their actions, Joyce’s joy in telling Harvey, and Harvey’s discomfort, which he tries to hide by throwing the box he was loading into the truck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two stories justify Witek’s premise of comic as history. The Maus focuses on the interplay of Jewish generations and the gap between the Holocaust and post-holocaust jews. American Splendor on the other hand emphasizes the scenes found in real, normal life, showing a reality as experienced by the author, Harvey Pekar. Both the authors of Maus and American Splendor exhibit the authority to tell their story in the comic medium. And in analyzing the different factors they use in telling the story, we see that they have the authenticity to do so as well. References Witek, J. (1990). Comic Books As History (The Narrative Art of Jack Jackson, Art Spiegelman, and Harvey Pekar).

The Ancient Chinese Chou Dynasty

The Ancient Chinese Chou Dynasty The Chou or Zhou dynasty ruled China from about 1027 to about 221 B.C. It was the longest dynasty in Chinese history and the time when much of ancient Chinese culture developed. The Chou Dynasty followed the second Chinese dynasty, the Shang. Originally pastoralists, the Chou set up a (proto-)feudal social organization based on families with administrative bureaucracy. They also developed a middle class. Although a decentralized tribal system at the beginning, the Zhou became centralized over time. Iron was introduced and Confucianism developed. Also during this long era, Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War, in about 500 B.C. Chinese Philosophers and Religion During the Warring States period within the Chou dynasty, a class of scholars developed, whose members included the great Chinese philosopher Confucius. The Book of Changes was written during the Chou Dynasty. The philosopher Lao Tse was appointed librarian for the historical records of the Chou kings. This period is sometimes referred to as the One Hundred Schools Period. The Chou banned human sacrifice. They saw their success over the Shang as a mandate from heaven. Ancestor worship developed. The Start of the Chou Dynasty Wuwang (Warrior King) was the son of the leader of the Chou (Zhou), who were located on the western border of the Shangs China in what is now Shaanxi province. Wuwang formed a coalition with the leaders of other states to defeat the last, evil ruler of the Shang. They succeeded and Wuwang became the first king of the Chou dynasty (c.1046 to 43 B.C.). Division of the Chou Dynasty Conventionally, the Chou dynasty is divided into the Western or Royal Chou (c.1027 to 771 B.C.) and the Dong or Eastern Chou (c.770 to 221 B.C.) periods. The Dong Zhou itself is subdivided into the Spring and Autumn (Chunqiu) period (c.770 to 476 B.C.), which was named for a book supposedly by Confucius and when iron weapons and farm implements replaced bronze, and the Warring States (Zhanguo) period (c.475 to 221 B.C.). At the start of the Western Chou, the empire of the Chou extended from Shaanxi to the Shandong peninsula and the Beijing area. The first kings of the Chou dynasty gave land to friends and relatives. Like the two previous dynasties, there was a recognized leader who passed power to his descendants. The vassals walled cities, also passed down patriarchally, developed into kingdoms. By the end of the Western Chou, the central government had lost all but nominal power, such as was required for rituals. During the Warring States period, the aristocratic system of warfare changed: peasants fought; there were new weapons, including crossbows, chariots, and iron armor. Developments During the Chou Dynasty During the Chou dynasty in China, ox-drawn plows, iron and iron casting, horseback riding, coinage, multiplication tables, chopsticks, and the crossbow were introduced. Roads, canals, and major irrigation projects were developed. Legalism Legalism developed during the Warring States period. Legalism is a school of philosophy that provided the philosophical background for the first imperial dynasty, the Qin Dynasty. Legalism accepted that humans are flawed and asserted that political institutions should recognize this. Therefore the state should be authoritarian, demanding strict obedience to the leader, and meting out known rewards and punishments. Resources and Further Reading Paul Halsall on the Chinese DynastiesChinese History Zhou DynastyLegalism. (2009). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online: search.eb.com/eb/article-9047627

Ted Bundy Research Paper Example

Ted Bundy Research Paper Example Ted Bundy Paper Ted Bundy Paper A personality disorder is another cause of the career criminal. People with personality disorders are often involved in repeated episodes of disruptive or difficult behavior. Others often consider these people overbearing, dramatic, or even obnoxious (AGS). Ted Bundy is a narcissistic and a sociopath. Ted Bundy could be considered narcissist. He exposes a few of the Narcissistic diagnostic features in his personality. These features are as follows: Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, need for admiration, extreme self-involvement, and lack of empathy for others. Individuals with this disorder are usually arrogantly self-assured and confident. They expect to be noticed as superior. Many highly successful individuals might be considered narcissistic. However, this disorder is only diagnosed when these behaviors become persistent and very disabling or distressing. (Long). After Stephanie Brooks left Ted Bundy when she graduated, he showed a number of these disorder features. He shows a lot of self-importance when he goes back to University of Washington and throws himself into his studies to get outstanding grades. He also shows a need for admiration by getting himself into the upper rings of society by becoming a campaigner. He also shows features of an extended definition by another source that describes a narcissistic behavior as A pattern of traits and behaviors which signify infatuation and obsession with ones self to the exclusion of all others and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of ones gratification, dominance and ambition (Ratzlaff). Not only did his modus operandi, he also shows his obsession in other ways. All of his victims share the basic same traits. They all were between the age of 17 and 26 and were from middle class families. Most were attending college or a university. And almost all of the women were brunettes with their hair parted down the middle. All of the women were attractive and had an average weight between 100 and 140 pounds. This was basically a vague description of Stephanie Brooks. Later he won her back and made her believe that he was going to marry her and just like she broke it off he broke it off. He shows some features of a sociopathic person. Some of the features that are associated with sociopathic behavior are Sense of entitlement; Unremorseful; Apathetic to others; Unconscionable behavior; Blameful of others; Manipulative and conning; Affectively cold; Disparate understanding; Socially irresponsible; Disregardful of obligations; Nonconforming to norms; Irresponsible (Kelly). Ted felt a sense of entitlement. He always felt that he should have had Stephanie Brooks. Ted even felt a sense of entitlement while he was in jail. He always complained about only have 2 meals instead of 3 meals a day. Ted was very manipulative not only when he murdered and raped those women; he was also very manipulative in his personal life. He was always manipulating people for money, sex, or whatever hey wanted. Ted also did not conform to norms. Ted was always a wonderer. He would leave for days at a time and drive through different states on just a whim. There are three features that can define a career criminal. The past criminality predicts future criminality, the earlier the onset of the criminal behavior, the better predictor of future criminal behavior, and for the high rate of criminality, there are usually drugs or alcohol involved. Ted Bundy is a narcissistic and a sociopath and he had some criminal behavior at a young age. By his own account in the interview with Dr. James Dobson he had looked at pornographic material when he was younger. And this started his fantasy about doing these sexual acts toward women. By obtaining these pornographic materials would be considered a status offense because if any person above the age of 18 had these materials it would not be criminal. Bundy also stole skis and equipment and forged ski-lift tickets to support his love of skiing. The next feature is that the Earlier the onset of this criminal activity, the better predictor of the onset of future criminal behavior. Number of early first experiences of problem behaviors was linearly associated with increased frequency of delinquency among the predominantly White and middle-class high school students (Mason). Before Ted was even out of high school, Bundy was a compulsive thief, a shoplifter, and on his way to becoming an amateur criminal. Also, it is believed that he acted out his fantasy, that he developed watching these pornographic materials, at the early age of 14. During this time he was a paperboy and an eight year old Ann Marie Burr went missing in the middle of the night and her body has never been recovered. There is often alcohol or drugs involved. Bundy often used alcohol before the commission of his crimes. Ofenders had used either alcohol alone or alcohol with other drugs in approximately 37 percent of violent victimizations in which victims were able to describe substance use by the offenders(Greenfeld). He admitted in his interview with Dr. James Dobson that he used alcohol before the vicious acts against these women. He said that it would lower his inhibition and it made it easier to commit these crimes. It was a cutoff for Ted Bundy when he would drink the alcohol. He would just say screw it and drink the alcohol which would lower his inhibition and would make it easier to commit the acts. This is evident when Carol DaRonch stated that she had smelt alcohol on his breath when he tried to kidnap her. There are a few occasions where Bundy and a Criminal Justice agency intrude. One intervention is where is arrested and brought to trial the first time for the abduction of Carol DaRonch. During this trial Ted was very confidant that they would not find him guilty of the crime. He was so confident that he represented himself in the trial. He thought that they would never be able to be convicted. Another intervention is when he was pulled over in Florida with the stolen Volts Wagon. He ended up wrestling with the officer and was eventually subdued by the officer. When he was place in the vehicle Ted said that he wished the officer had killed him. The police had a hard time identifying him because all the identification he has was stolen. The Criminal Justice agencies handled Ted Bundy very well. Even though he escaped twice they still handled him very well. They did not stomp all over his rights even though he was being held over for trial for horrible things and the fact that he was an escape risk. The court responded to every request that Ted had with a great deal of fairness. He was given access to the law library when he was defending himself. Also, he was given access to a phone to make long distance phone calls, which other inmates were not allowed to do. When he was arrested for the final time the officer had to fight with Bundy in order to get him under control. The officer showed a lot of poise by not using more force than what was necessary. Some officers might have used more force than that to subdue the subject.

Mineral Pictures Index

Mineral Pictures Index If youre interested in rock collecting, you know that rocks you find in the real world rarely look like the polished specimens you see you rock shops or museums. In this index, youll find pictures of minerals like those youll most likely encounter in your expeditions. This list starts with the handful of common minerals called the rock-forming minerals, followed by the most common accessory minerals- youll find them scattered in many different rocks but seldom in large amounts. Next, youll see a set of rare or notable minerals, some of which are common in commercial rock shops. Finally, you can check out some special galleries designed to help you to identify your specimens. Rock-Forming Minerals Rock-forming minerals are among the most common (and least valuable) minerals in the world. They form the basis of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, and are used to classify and name rocks. Some examples include: Biotite- Black mica, common in igneous rocks. Calcite- The most common carbonate mineral, making up limestone. Dolomite- Magnesium-rich cousin to calcite. Feldspar- A group making up the most common mineral in the crust. (Feldspar Gallery) Hornblende- The most common mineral of the amphibole group. Muscovite- White mica, found in all kinds of rocks. Olivine- A green mineral found strictly in igneous rocks. Pyroxene- A group of dark minerals of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Quartz- Familiar as crystals and as noncrystalline chalcedony. (Quartz/Silica Gallery) Accessory Minerals   Accessory minerals may be included in any rock you pick up, but unlike rock-forming minerals, they are not a basic part of the rock. In other words, a rock must contain quartz, feldspar, and mica  in order to be classified as granite. If the rock also happens to contain the mineral titanite, the rock is still granite and the titanite is classified as an accessory mineral.  Accessory minerals are also not  particularly abundant, and so they may be more valuable than rock-forming minerals. Some examples include: Andalusite- Makes collectible crossed crystals. Anhydrite- What gypsum becomes deep underground. Apatite- The phosphate mineral making up teeth and bones. Aragonite- Calcites close carbonate cousin. Barite- A heavy sulfate sometimes found in roses. Bornite- Peacock ore copper mineral tarnishes a crazy blue-green. Cassiterite- Ancient and principal ore of tin. Chalcopyrite- Foremost ore of copper. Chlorite- The green mineral of many metamorphic rocks. Corundum- Natural alumina, sometimes known as sapphire and ruby. Epidote- Metamorphic mineral of a pistachio/avocado green color. Fluorite- Every rockhound has a piece of this soft, colorful mineral. Galena- A heavy, glittering mineral, principal ore of lead metal. Garnet Almandine- The true garnet-red garnet mineral. Andradite- Green crystals from central California. Grossular- A greenish garnet illustrated by a well-formed crystal. Pyrope- Wine-colored grains in a California eclogite. Spessartine- A honey-colored set of crystals from China. Uvarovite- Emerald-green crystals from Russia. Goethite- The brown oxide mineral of soils and iron ore. Graphite- The stuff of pencils has more rugged uses too. Gypsum- Shown in its prettiest form, desert roses. Halite- Also known as rock salt, this evaporite mineral sits at your table. Hematite- Iron oxide mineral of many forms including this kidney ore. Ilmenite- Black titanium ore lurks in heavy sands. Kyanite- A sky-blue mineral formed by high-pressure metamorphism. Lepidolite- Lithium mica mineral with a fine lilac color. Leucite- Feldspathoid mineral also called white garnet. Magnetite- Magnetic iron oxide also known as lodestone. Marcasite- Close crystal cousin of pyrite. Nepheline- Feldspathoid mineral well known to potters. Phlogopite- Brown mica mineral closely related to biotite. Prehnite- Bottle-green mineral of low-grade metamorphic rocks. Psilomelane- Manganese oxides make up this black crusty mineral. Pyrite- Fools gold and the most important sulfide mineral. Pyrolusite- The black manganese mineral of dendrites. Rutile- Needles of this oxide mineral occur in many rocks. Serpentine- The group of green minerals that yields asbestos. Sillimanite- Indicator mineral for high grades of metamorphism. Sphalerite- The major zinc ore and an interesting mineral. Spinel- Rugged oxide mineral of metamorphosed limestones. Staurolite- A typical crossed pair of crystals in a mica schist matrix. Talc- The softest mineral of them all. Tourmaline- The common black variety called schorl. Zeolites- Group of low-temperature minerals with many industrial uses. Zircon- Both a gemstone and a precious source of geologic information. Uncommon Minerals and Varieties This collection of minerals includes metals, ores, and gems. Some of these gold, diamond, and beryl for example are among the most valuable and coveted minerals in the world. If you find these in your rock hunting excursions, be sure to keep them safe. Some examples include: Amethyst- The purple form of crystalline quartz. Axinite- Minor silicate of striking crystal form and color. Benitoite- Very blue, very rare and weird ring silicate mineral. Beryl- Gemstone of many names, including emerald. Borax- This household commonplace is mined in desert lakebeds. Celestine- Pale, sky-blue strontium carbonate. Cerussite- Spiky gray lead carbonate. Chrysocolla- Bright green-blue mineral found near copper ore. Cinnabar- Lipstick-red mineral and major ore of mercury. Copper- Native metal shown in its natural wiry form. Cuprite- Red copper ore and sometimes spectacular specimen stone. Diamond- Natural diamond crystal from the Congo. Dioptase- Bright-green crystalline sign of copper deposits. Dumortierite- Blue boron mineral of gneisses and schists. Eudialyte- Striking red vein-maker in nepheline syenites. Fuchsite- Chromium colors this mica mineral a flashy green. Gold- The native metal shown in an Alaskan nugget. Hemimorphite- Handsome pale crusts of hydrous zinc silicate. Herkimer Diamond Quartz- Doubly terminated crystals from New York. Labradorite- The butterfly of the feldspars has dazzling blue schiller. Lazurite- Ancient mineral source of ultramarine pigment. Magnesite- Magnesium carbonate ore mineral. Malachite- Ultra-green copper carbonate, a favorite mineral of carvers. Molybdenite- Soft metallic mineral and ore of molybdenum. Opal- Precious silica mineraloid may display a rainbow of colors. Platinum- Rare crystalline nuggets of the native metal. Pyromorphite- Flashy green lead phosphate mineral. Pyrophyllite- Soft mineral closely resembling talc. Rhodochrosite- Calcites manganese cousin with distinctive rosy color. Ruby- Deep-red gemmy variety of corundum. Scapolite- Streaked clear crystals of metamorphosed limestones. Siderite- Brown iron carbonate mineral. Silver- Wiry specimen of the rare native metal. Smithsonite- Carbonate of zinc appears in many forms. Sodalite- Deep blue feldspathoid and a rock carvers staple. Sulfur- Delicate crystals accumulate around a volcanic vent. Sylvite- Red potassium mineral distinguished by its bitter taste. Titanite- Collectible brown crystalline mineral once known as sphene. Topaz- Hardness and good crystals make it a popular mineral. Turquoise- The most precious phosphate mineral. Ulexite- One of many borate minerals, ulexite forms the unique TV rock. Variscite- This phosphate comes in veins like slabs of green candy. Willemite- Prized by collectors for its bright fluorescence. Witherite- Scarce barium carbonate mineral. Tools for Identifying Minerals It isnt always easy to identify minerals, even if theyre fairly common. Fortunately, there are tools used by geologists to aid in identification. Special tests for luster and streak can help; so too can these galleries of relatively common minerals of different colors. Black Minerals Blue and Purple Minerals Brown Minerals Green Minerals Red and Pink Minerals Yellow Minerals Mineral Habits Mineral Lusters Mineral Streak Mineraloids

Considering Mixed Methods Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Considering Mixed Methods Research - Essay Example â€Å"Proponents of mixed research typically adhere to the compatibility thesis as well as to the philosophy of pragmatism. The compatibility thesis is the idea that quantitative and qualitative methods are compatible, that is, they can both be used in a single research study. The philosophy of pragmatism says that researchers should use the approach or mixture of approaches that works the best in a real world situation. In short, what works is what is useful and should be used, regardless of any philosophical assumptions, paradigmatic assumptions, or any other type of assumptions.† (Mixed Method and Mixed Model Research). Therefore, the mixed methods research has a major impact on the quality of research conducted in several topics in different branches of social sciences. It is important to have a definite understanding about the mixed methods research. According to Keith F Punch, â€Å"Mixed methods research is empirical research that involves the collection and analysis o f both qualitative and quantitative data†¦ A single study that combines qualitative and quantitative data is mixed methods, but the term can also refer to several studies that combine both types of data.† (Punch, 2009, p. 288). The value and appropriateness of the mixed methods research in various areas of investigation may be comprehended from the fact that this method incorporates the essential advantages of both the quantitative and qualitative methods, while eliminating the major limitations of these approaches to research. In fact, the mixed methods research is most valuable when form of data collection would not be sufficient to respond to a particular research problem. It is, therefore, essential to undertake a careful analysis of the factors that contribute to the effective performance of a mixed methods research. There have been four important

Abraham lincoln as a trait,situational ,and transformational leader Assignment - 1

Abraham lincoln as a trait,situational ,and transformational leader - Assignment Example In astudy to determinethedistinctivetraits, a couple of researcheshavebeenconductwith theemphasis on identifyingthequalities of greatpersonalities. In 1948, Stogdill did a research on thetraitapproachandidentified ten leadershipcharacteristics(Northouse, 2010, p. 20).A similarstudywasdone by Mann (1959) but with littleemphasis on situational factorsandsuggested six traits that distinguish a leader from a non-leader. The two researchers realized five maintraits of an exceptionalleader. Abraham Lincoln as a lawyer, businessperson, andpoliticianexhibitsthesetraits, which includeintelligence, integrity, self-confidence, determination, andsociability. Northouse (2010) argue that an intelligent leader is one who portrays traits such as â€Å"strong non-verbal ability, perceptional, and their reasoning appears superior† (p.22). Abraham Lincoln is such leader. He was a well read, intelligent and an inspirational leader, which is evident through his devotion on the constitution and the rights of individuals (p.23). The second trait is his integrity nature, which is a quality of honesty and trustworthiness. According to Northouse (2012), such leaders take responsibility of their action and this bestows confidence in their followers (p. 24). Lincoln as a businessperson, became to be known as â€Å"Honest Abe† a nickname he earned when he pledgedto payall the debts realized from his failed business. Thethird traitdepicted by Lincoln is self-confidence; the ability to be sure of one’s proficiency and skills. Such ability influences others and thus, a leader feels confident that the efforts to influence others are justifiable. Lincoln with confidence, he appointed and swapped some Army commanders andhe defended his decisions against public attack and defended each one of the commanders.The forth trait is determination; the ability to get the task done through initiation,

Strategic PR Planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic PR Planning - Research Paper Example Additionally, Noah’s Ark aim at attaining a significant growth in the work force as well as in the services it offers. In its effort to create a strong positive relationship with public, the organization has established an effective public relations headed by Louise Baring. This entails introduction of a feedback system through which public can make their contributions on affairs of the organization. As the demand for its activities increase, Noah’s Ark has the opportunity of using social media to create a stronger PR plan. This paper covers the strategic PR plan that covers use of Friends of Noah’s as a face group account that will ensure better communication between the organization and the public. Despite the forces such high costs and disruption that would offer resistance to the plan, Noah’s Ark new PR plan will be implemented. The PR targets parents with disabled children as well as providers of care to the children requiring special needs. The PR pl an will be undertaken within a period of 26 months starting from November 2013 to December 2015. PR estimated budget is $2,080,000. To ensure that the Noah’s Ark PR plan attains its goals, the management will undertake interim and annual evaluations through the use of content analysis, emulate surveys, focus groups, ethnographic studies and feedback analysis. Introduction Noah’s Ark is an organization that is based in Australia with an aim of providing sustainable support for children who are disabled as well as those who require additional needs. Having been established in 1976, the organization provides quality professional services to the care providers and parents in order for them to acquire best options that ensure their children attain full potential. As the organization’s client base expands, Noah’s Ark has expanded its programs to include special training, regular workshops, Early Childhood Intervention Programs (ECIS), Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This implies that to maintain its target market that includes parents with disabled children, carers of disabled children and LACs power holders in NDIS, the organization must maintain effective public relations. Noah’s Ark values include provision of professional services, provision of expertise and extensive knowledge, maintenance of ethics and integrity, innovation and timely response to the changing needs of the society. It is in this regard that the organization has established a communication department under the leadership of Louise Baring. Holding a Bachelor of Communication in public relations, Louise has a wide experience that acts as a key strength for the organization. To meet the needs of its target market, there is need to reposition the organization as a major aspect of improving its PR. This paper will identify the public relations strategy that Noah’s Ark will emulate in order to attain its objectives and attain a competitive edge in the hospitality industry. Background Noah’s Ark should emulate a strategic PR planning in order to ensure that it builds its own capacity as well as standing up for the rights of children with disability.

Analysis of the poem The Jabberwocky Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of the poem The Jabberwocky - Essay Example A closer look at the first two sentences reveals that the words are not orderly organized making readers to question their originality as they are far strange from the ordinary world. Going down to line six, the poet is making an allusion of an enemy whose identity is known by using illusion as a style â€Å"other than equipped with rather nasty jaws and claws†. In line six of the poem, the poet goes further to give an explanation of the features of the monsters he is alluding about giving the audience a clue that whatever he is describing is not from this ordinary world. Secondly, the poet uses sound and word play to give more meaning to his poem. An example is that in line one, the poet uses a word like portmante ua which is derived from two words which contributes in giving the word force and meaning when being read by the audience. In line twenty three, the poet uses sound play to show the expression of joy. An example is the use of frabjous instead of fabulous. The conflict arising from the poem is that between good and evil. This is presented by the hero and the jabberwork who is considered the evil in the poem. An analysis into the two themes shows that conflict only arises when the two, hero and jabberwork meets. Therefore, the poem brings out the element of an ordinary man standing against a beast which is not known to this world. Surprisingly, the conflict manifest itself as the hero, human being is forced to fight with something which lacks sense in the world as it is an imaginary creature created in the mind of the poet. The theme of violence is also present in the poem because towards its climax. In the second stanza, its sets up the theme as the protagonist of the poem prepare to face the unknown beast into the wild. This when interpreted simply means that the protagonist was going to start a conflict between him and beast. Moreover, we notice that the hero at the end manages to

What it feels like to skydive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What it feels like to skydive - Essay Example Then there is a downward acceleration, where someone falls with no expectation to land. This occurs at high speeds of about 150 miles per hour and surprisingly, it is hard to feel the speed (Mattern, 2010). At one moment, it feels like there is zero gravity where there is a floating sensation. After a while, an individual realizes that there is an upward push from the strength of the wind. The environment is contradictory because it is calm and so loud at the same time. After a successful adventure, it is time to pull the chute. This immediately changes the excitement and the mood of the experience. The chute goes down in a slow manner that someone can get dizzy and only the wind reminds someone of the heights. In a moment, the chute makes landing easy and enjoyable. At this point, a person feels dizzy and their ears could pop due to the changes in atmospheric pressure. Skydiving is indeed a worthy

Analysis of the poem The Jabberwocky Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of the poem The Jabberwocky - Essay Example A closer look at the first two sentences reveals that the words are not orderly organized making readers to question their originality as they are far strange from the ordinary world. Going down to line six, the poet is making an allusion of an enemy whose identity is known by using illusion as a style â€Å"other than equipped with rather nasty jaws and claws†. In line six of the poem, the poet goes further to give an explanation of the features of the monsters he is alluding about giving the audience a clue that whatever he is describing is not from this ordinary world. Secondly, the poet uses sound and word play to give more meaning to his poem. An example is that in line one, the poet uses a word like portmante ua which is derived from two words which contributes in giving the word force and meaning when being read by the audience. In line twenty three, the poet uses sound play to show the expression of joy. An example is the use of frabjous instead of fabulous. The conflict arising from the poem is that between good and evil. This is presented by the hero and the jabberwork who is considered the evil in the poem. An analysis into the two themes shows that conflict only arises when the two, hero and jabberwork meets. Therefore, the poem brings out the element of an ordinary man standing against a beast which is not known to this world. Surprisingly, the conflict manifest itself as the hero, human being is forced to fight with something which lacks sense in the world as it is an imaginary creature created in the mind of the poet. The theme of violence is also present in the poem because towards its climax. In the second stanza, its sets up the theme as the protagonist of the poem prepare to face the unknown beast into the wild. This when interpreted simply means that the protagonist was going to start a conflict between him and beast. Moreover, we notice that the hero at the end manages to

Employees' Benefits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employees' Benefits - Essay Example This study suggests â€Å"Leverage the power of the leading stock plan administration technology Our Full Service Plan Administration solution is delivered through our proprietary web technology, Shareworks† (Share Works Premier 2010 par 2).The employer can establish new plans like incentive plans, savings and investment plans. Employees are the most important assets of an organization, who are the pillars which support the organization and without an organization cannot operate its business therefore, Use of web-based technology will help the Microsoft to re-establish stock purchase plan in a better way which will be helpful for the organization to sustain and motivate its employees, web technology will also help the organization to improve its administration and will allow the employees to stay updated about current and upcoming incentive plans (Beam and McFadden, 2001). Introduction of new plans will motivate the employees to work efficiently and these new plans will cover the loss of employee stock purchase plan to employees and will provide more investments option to employees, so introduction of new plans will allow employees to reduce the investment risk by diversifying the portfolio through investing in other investment and savings plans. Investment and saving plans generally provide a sense of ownership in the firm, these plans will definitely boost up employees motivation and their loyalty towards their organization, Microsoft then be able to retain its efficient and productive workers. Microsoft should also increase its existing plans such as increasing the discount percentage on employee stock purchase plan; it will improve the current working conditions of employees and will help the organization to provide employees with improved working environment, researches have shown that improving existing incentive plans will increase the motivational level of employees and it increases organization’s performance as well. The company should al so devise new incentive plans and rewards, new incentive plans to the efficient workers will be helpful for the organizations to get best out of their employees in return; whereas organization should introduce new awards and should make sure that those employees who are doing well and meeting their targets should be appraised and rewarded in front of everyone, it makes sure that management cares about them and notices their every effort made for the well-being of the organization. New incentive plans will provide a new opportunity to employees for self-improvement and for enhancing their living style (Martocchio, 2010). Use of web technology will also allow the organization to provide detailed information about plans to the employees that will increase clarity and transparency; it will help the employees to understand offered plans in a better way. Clarity and transparency reflects the mirror image of an organization, so basically it eliminates or minimizes doubts regarding the imag e of the organization, it will help employees to stay clear about plans and will definitely increase employees’ strive towards achieving those incentives and rewards that will eventually increase organizational productivity and performance (Medina, 2006). Web technology will also help the organization to manage the reward system in an efficient way, so that deserving employees won’t get de-motivated and will be rewarded timely. Use of web technology will decrease the administrative cost of the organization, will allow the organization to better utilize its capital on incentive plans offered to employees. Employees work for some compensation and they always need a pay back for their efforts not only in terms of basic salary but in shape of extra benefits as well. Extra

Describe Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Participation Essay Example for Free

Describe Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Participation Essay Diversity refers to our differences such as culture, beliefs, values, views and life experiences. The concept of diversity is to accept, respect and embrace our differences. When people with these differences unite and share the same group or organization we see a diverse environment. Working in a childcare setting, we have the potential to work with an abundance of diversity. This can be very rewarding but can also pose challenges. Positively, we have the opportunity to promote the sense of individuality, sense of pride and belonging by providing a safe and nurturing environment. Discussing each other’s differences is a great way to learn and become aware of the differences in the world. One example of promoting diversity is to display the word â€Å"welcome† on the door in all first languages spoken in that classroom or even learning how to say hello in each language. The challenges are learning how ensure equality and eliminate discrimination. Introducing children at an early age to diversity will have an impact on their acceptance of others who are different from them. Diversity can also come in the form of race, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities and political beliefs. Equality Equality is the term for equal opportunities. Whilst supporting diversity and respecting differences everyone is offered the same services and programs. All children and families have an equal chance and equal right to participate or not to participate regardless of any differences such as physical disabilities or cultural beliefs. Practitioners have a duty to ensure that there is equality in their classroom. A child who has a learning disability should not be stereotyped with assumptions that he or she is not capable and therefor does not receive equal opportunity in classroom activities. Discrimination is the result of not practicing equality, for example, a child cannot be left out of a school outing because they don’t have transport to accommodate his wheel chair. Discrimination due to inequality can be very detrimental to a child’s emotional well being. A child can develop low-self esteem, low confidence, feel unwanted and loose sense of belonging. The equality act of 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in organizations and society. Some provisions relating to disability include extending protection against indirect discrimination to disability and harmonizing the thresholds for the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. This act will help to protect the children in school settings and into adulthood. Reference: Equality Act 2010: guidance, publishes 27 February 2013, https://www. gov. uk/equality-act-2010-guidance Inclusion Inclusion is the practice that every need is met for every student in their learning setting. Inclusive education allows children with disabilities to learn along side children without disabilities. This type of educational practice differs from having children with special needs secluded to special schools and classrooms. It allows children with disabilities to feel as an equal member of the classroom, which will build self-confidence and teach social skills. Schools need to ensure that they meet all needs by having resources and equipment to aid the students and help them to join as many activities as possible. For example braille books for children who are blind, providing wide doors, ramps and disabled toilets, speech therapist and physical therapist. When children have the opportunity to use these services they will more likely achieve their educational goals and feel less different from their peers. Practitioners could aid children in their classrooms by learning as much as possible about any disability a child in their care has, for example if a child in their classroom is hearing impaired, learning a few basic sign language words such as â€Å"lunch† â€Å"outside† â€Å"toilet† could help the child feel more part of the classroom’s daily flow. Reference: Wikipedia, Inclusion (education), 22 October 2013, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Inclusion_(education) Participation Participation is the act of participating and being involved in activities, decisions, planning and sharing. Participation is important for the children as well as the parents in school settings. When parents and children are involved in decision-making it allows them to feel connected to the school and feel like their voice is being heard and wishes met. Children feel that their opinions and feelings matter, this is important to social skill development, as they will feel apart of the school community. Children who participate in school activities such as sports gain self-confidence and team building skills. Communication skills improve, stress is relieved and friendships build as children learn to trust and depend on their peers. Supporting participation could be to invite parents into the class to share their child’s favorite storybook from home and be a part of that day’s circle time. The child will gain a sense of pride as they sit beside their parent as they contribute to circle time. Another example is the children could take turns bringing home a â€Å"letter bag† where they find objects from around their home that begin with the â€Å"letter of the week†. The child and parent can work together finding the objects and the child can share it in class the following day. Reference: Participation works partnership, http://www. participationworks. org. uk/topics/education

Beliefs, Assumptions, Knowledge (BAK) Research in Teaching

Beliefs, Assumptions, Knowledge (BAK) Research in Teaching 2.1 Belief Research In the mid-1970s a new body of research began to emerge that worked to describe teachers thoughts, judgments and decisions as the cognitive processes that shaped their behaviors (Calderhead, 1996, Clark and Peterson, 1986; Dann, 1990). As a consequence of this, a surge of interest in the area of teacher belief systems has appeared (Pajares, 1992). This research â€Å"has helped to identify the nature and complexity of the teachers work , and helped to provide ways of thinking about the processes of change and support† (Calderhead, 1996, p.721). Researchers found that teaching could not be characterized simply as behaviors that were linked to thinking done before and during the activity but rather that the thought process of teaching included a much wider and richer mental context. As Shavelson and Stern (1981, p.479) explained, research on teacher cognition made â€Å"the basic assumption that teachers thoughts, judgments, and decisions guide their teaching behavior†. Kagan (1990, p. 420) noted that teacher cognition is somewhat ambiguous, because researchers invoke the term to refer to different products, including â€Å"teachers interactive thoughts during instruction; thought during lesson planning, implicit beliefs about students, classrooms and learning; reflections about their own teaching performance; automized routines and activities that form their instructional repertoire; and self-awareness of procedures they use to solve classrooms problems†. Currently, there is increasing recognition that the beliefs individuals hold are the best indicators of the decisions they make during the course of everyday life (Bandura, 1986). Pajares (1992, p. 307) argues that the investigation of teachers beliefs should be a focus of educational research and can inform educational practice in ways that prevailing research agendas have not and cannot. Educational researchers trying to understand the nature of teaching and learning in classrooms have usefully exploited this focus on belief systems. The research of Jakubowski and Tobin (1991) suggests that teachers metaphors and beliefs not only influence what teachers do in the classroom, but that changes in these same metaphors and beliefs can result in changes in their practices. A belief can be defined as a representation of the information someone holds about an object, or a â€Å"persons understanding of himself and his environment† (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975, p.131). This object can â€Å"be a person, a group of people, an institution, a behavior, a policy, an event, etc., and the associated attribute may be any object, trait, property, quality, characteristic, outcome, or event† (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975, p.12). While Rokeach (1972) defined a belief as â€Å"any simple proposition, conscious or unconscious, inferred from what a person says or does, capable of being preceded by the phrase ‘I believe that† (p.113), Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) defined a belief system as a hierarchy of beliefs according to the strength about a particular object. Researchers exploring teachers beliefs at the primary and secondary levels have used a number of definitions: â€Å"the highly personal ways in which a teacher understands classrooms, students, the nature of learning, the teachers role in the classroom, and the goals of education† (Kagan, 1990, p. 423); â€Å"psychologically held understandings, premises or propositions about the world that are felt to be true† (Richardson, 1996, p.103); and â€Å"generally refer to suppositions, commitments and ideologies† (Calderhead, 1996, p.715). Beliefs play an important role in many aspects of teaching as well as in life. They are involved in helping individuals make sense of the world, influencing how new information is perceived, and whether it is accepted or rejected. Teachers beliefs are a term usually used to refer to pedagogic beliefs or those beliefs of relevance to an individuals teaching (Borg 2001b). Teacher beliefs have been identified by Kagan (1992a) as tacit, often unconsciously held assumptions about students, about classrooms, and the academic material to be taught. The literature on teacher knowledge and beliefs from the primary and secondary levels has developed a number of terminological differences. Kagan (1990, p.456) highlighted this problem by noting: â€Å"Terms such as teacher cognition, self-reflection, knowledge and belief can be used to refer to different phenomena. Variation in the definition of a term can range from the superficial and idiosyncratic to the profound and theoretical†. The use of these varying terms makes it difficult to investigate in this area of teacher cognition. Pajares (1992) addressed this difficulty: Defining beliefs is at best a game of players choice. They travel in disguise and often under alias-attitudes, values judgments, axioms, opinions, ideology, perceptions, conceptual systems, preconceptions, dispositions, implicit theories, explicit theories, personal theories, internal mental processes, action strategies, rules of practice, practical principals, perspectives, repertories of understanding, and social strategy, to name but a few that can be found in the literature. (p.309) Defining beliefs is not a very easy task. There is a â€Å"bewildering array of terms† as Clandinin and Connelly (1987, p. 487) put forward including teachers teaching criteria, principles of practice, personal construct/theories/epistemologies, beliefs, perspectives, teachers conceptions, personal knowledge, and practical knowledge. 2.1.1 Belief Research in English Language Teaching The concept of belief, which has been a common feature of research papers in education for the past decade, has recently come into favor in ELT. In the field, various terms have been used to refer to the term ‘belief: pedagogical thoughts (Shavelson and Stern 1981), perspective (Zeichner, Tabachnick, Densmore, 1987), theoretical orientation (Kinzer, 1988), image (Calderhead, 1996), theoretical belief (Kinzer, 1988; Johnson, 1992; Smith 1996). Terms used in language teacher cognition research include theories for practice (Burns, 1996) which refer to the thinking and beliefs which are brought to bear on classroom processes; philosophical orientation and personal pedagogical system (Borg, 1998) which corresponds with stores of beliefs, knowledge, theories, assumptions and attitudes which shape teachers instructional decisions; maxims (Richards, 1996) to comprise personal working principles which reflect teachers individual philosophies of teaching; images (Johnson, 1994) which means general metaphors for thinking about teaching that represent beliefs about teaching and also act as models of action; conceptions of practice (Freeman, 1993) to cover ideas and actions teachers use to organize what they know and to map out what is possible; BAK (Woods, 1996) which includes the concepts beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge, In all those studies the core term on which there is focus is â€Å"belief†. Despite the popularity of the term, there is no consensus on meaning yet. The definition set forth by Rokeach (1968) claims that a belief is any simple proposition, conscious or unconscious, inferred from what a person says or does and knowledge is a component of belief. Rokeach uses the term ‘attitude to refer to the beliefs teachers have about constructs. Richards and Lockhart (1996, p.30) state that â€Å"teachers beliefs systems are founded on the goals and values that teachers hold in relation to the content and process of teaching, and their understanding of the systems in which they work and their roles within it†. These beliefs and values serve as the background to much of teachers decision making action and hence constitute what has been termed the â€Å"culture of teaching†. Richards and Lockhart (1996) summarize those teachers beliefs systems, which are derived from a number of different sources. They are, a) their own experience as language learners, b) their experience of what works best for their learners, c) established practice, d) personality factors, e) educational based or research-based principles, f) principles derived from an approach or method (pp.30-31). Borg (2001b) discusses three aspects of the term belief: The truth element-drawing on research in the philosophy of knowledge, a belief is a mental state which has as its content a proposition that is accepted as true by the individual holding it, although the individual may recognize that alternative beliefs may be held by others. This is one of the key differences between belief and knowledge must actually be true in some external sense. The relationship between belief and behavior most definitions of belief propose that beliefs dispose or guide peoples thinking and action. Conscious versus unconscious beliefs on this point there is disagreement, with some maintaining that consciousness is inherent in the definition of belief, and others allowing for an individual to be conscious of some beliefs and unconscious of others. The field of language teaching has been one of tradition and transition since its beginning hundreds, indeed, by some accounts, thousands of years ago (Kelly, 1969; Howatt, 1984; Richards and Rodgers, 1986). Even though a much newer pursuit than the teaching of languages such as Greek and Latin or Chinese, the teaching of the English language has already been through many transitions in methodology. What are now considered traditional methods were once the innovations of their time, characterized by the attitudes and values of their creators, who recommended that other educators abandon one method and choose another, with unquestioning optimism, as though this latter method were the solution to their classroom concerns (Clarke, 1982). In the past 50 years alone, English language teaching has gone through a whirlwind of transitions in its methodology, from grammar translation to direct method, to audiolingualism, to cognitive code, and a host of variations in each. In recent years, the most substantive transition in English language teaching has taken place through a collection of practices, materials, and beliefs about teaching and learning that are known by many different names, e.g. communicative methodology, communicative language teaching, and the communicative approach (Richards and Rodgers, 1986). Contemporarily, English teaching methodology is going through yet another transition. This transition, frequently referred to as the `post method condition (Kumaravadivelu, 2001), Research in the area of teacher thinking has grown rapidly particularly since the 1980s, with the consequence that the literature is vast and is often focused on very specific aspects of teaching. Nevertheless, the research concerned with teachers implicit theories of teaching and learning, particularly concerned with epistemological and pedagogical beliefs is of considerable relevance to research in language teaching (Kagan, 1992a; Pajares 1992). The reasons are: first, educational beliefs have shown to influence teaching practice (Kagan 1992a) and learning outcomes. Second, methods used to investigate relationship between beliefs and/or conceptions and teaching practice and the ways of analyzing data, are of interest. By the mid 1980s, a rising view of teaching began to highlight the complex ways in which teachers think about their work as being shaped by their prior experiences as students, their ‘personal practical knowledge (Golombek, 1998). More recently the notion of work context has been recognized as central in shaping teachers â€Å"conceptions of their practices† (Freeman, 1993). Language teaching is defined as a dynamic process, which arises out of the meeting and interaction of different sets of principles: different rationalities. In this sense, a rationality is the inner logic which shapes the way in which participants perceive a situation and the goals which they will pursue in this situation (Tudor, 1998). Tudor proposes that to understand language teaching, a first step is to explore the different rationalities which are present in each situation in order to discover the reality the participants involved in. There are four different types of rationalities: those of the students and teachers, socio-cultural rationalities and then the rationality of methodology. While describing teacher rationalities, Tudor (1998) argues that research into subjective needs has led us to appreciate the uniqueness of each learners interaction with their language study. More recently something similar about the teachers has been realized. They, too will perceive and interact with methodology they are implementing in the light of their personality, attitudes, and life experience and the set of perceptions and goals which these give rise to. For this reason there is a need to listen to the teachers voices in understanding classroom practice. There is a need to understand teachers perceptions and the way in which these perceptions influence teachers classroom behaviors. The maxims (Richards, 1996) or the pedagogic principles (Breen et al.2001) teachers use are important in understanding their pedagogical actions. The reality of classroom teaching is how the teachers interpret official curricula or the recommended materials. Teachers are not skilled technicians who dutifully realize a given set of teaching procedures in accordance with the directives of a more or less distant authority. They are active participants in the creation of classroom realities and they do this on the basis of their own attitudes and beliefs, and their personal perceptions of interaction with their teaching situation. All teachers hold beliefs about their work, their students, their subject matter, and their roles and responsibilities. They are individuals with their personal perceptions and goals, which go to shape the rationality which will guide their actions in the classroom and their interaction with the context in which they are operating (Tudor, 1998, p. 324). A major goal of research on teachers thought processes is to increase our understanding of how teachers think and behave in the classroom. The drive for this area of research comes from the assumption that what teachers do is a reflection of what they know and believe, and that teacher knowledge and teacher thinking provide the underlying framework or schema which guides teachers classroom practices (Sutcliffe and Whitfield 1976, Westerman 1991, Flowerdew, Brock Hsia 1992, Kagan 1992a, Richards and Lockhart 1994, Bailey 1996, Woods 1998, Borg 1998, Richards 1998). Therefore, in order to understand teaching, we must understand how thoughts get carried into actions (Clark and Yinger 1977, Shavelson and Stern 1981, Clark and Peterson 1986, Johnson 1992, Nunan 1992). Pajares (1992) reviewed research on teacher beliefs and argued that ‘‘teachers beliefs can and should become an important focus of educational inquiry (p. 307). He then sketched numerous facets of beliefs and acknowledged that a variety of conceptions of educational beliefs appear in the literature. Citing Nespors (1987) influential work, he suggested that ‘‘beliefs are far more influential than knowledge in determining how individuals organize and define tasks and problems and are stronger predictors of behavior (p. 311). Studies on teacher beliefs have slowly gained prominence, especially with regard to teacher change issues. Guskey (1986), for example, examined 52 teachers who participated in teacher development programs and concluded that change in teachers beliefs ‘‘is likely to take place only after changes in student learning outcomes are evidenced (p. 7). In contrast, Richardson, Anders, Tidwell, and Lloyd (1991) found that change in beliefs preceded change in practices. The current view is that relationships between beliefs and practices are interactive and ongoing (Fullan, 1991; Richardson, 1996). Richardson (1996) even states that ‘‘In most current conceptions, the perceived relationship between beliefs and actions is interactive. Beliefs are thought to drive actions; however, experiences and reflection on action may lead to changes in and/or additions to beliefs (p. 104). Pajares (1992) promoted 16 ‘‘fundamental assumptions that may reasonably be made when initiating a study of teachers education beliefs (1992, p. 324). These assumptions include among others, the notions that (a) beliefs are formed early and tend to self perpetuate, persevering even against contradictions caused by reason, time, schooling, or experience; (b) individuals develop a belief system that houses all the beliefs acquired through the process of cultural transmission; (c) beliefs are instrumental in defining tasks and selecting the cognitive tools with which to interpret, plan, and make decisions regarding such tasks; (d) individuals beliefs strongly affect their behavior; and (e) knowledge and beliefs are inextricably intertwined (for complete discussion of all 16 assumptions, see Pajares, 1992, pp. 324-326). 2.2 Teacher Knowledge Research Meanwhile doubts arose also from the scientific community about a conception of professionalism that asked professionals (such as teachers) to just apply the theories and insights provided by others. Schà ¶n (1983, 1987) analyzed the work of various groups of professionals and concluded that they applied a certain amount of theoretical knowledge in their work, but that their behavior was not at all ‘‘rule governed and that they had no straightforward way to determine which behavior was adequate in specific circumstances. Schà ¶n contrasted this principle of ‘‘technical rationality to the principle of ‘‘reflection-in-action, which pertained to the thinking of the professional during professional activity and implied a continuing dialogue with the permanently changing situation. This situation does not present itself as a well-defined problem situation. On the contrary, defining the problem is itself one of the most difficult tasks of the professio nal. This recognition of the centrality of the teacher and the teachers knowledge and beliefs regarding each educational process, including educational innovations, is relatively recent (Calderhead, 1996). Birman, Desimone, Porter, Garet (2000), for example, searched for key features of effective professional development and, based on their research, reported that professional development should focus on deepening teacher knowledge in order to foster teacher learning and changes in practice. Similarly, Hawley and Valli (1999) considered the expansion and elaboration of teachers professional knowledge base as essential for their professional development. In the literature about teacher knowledge, various labels have been used, each indicating a relevant aspect of teacher knowledge. The labels illustrate mainly which aspect is considered the most important by the respective authors. Together, these labels give an overview of the way in which teacher knowledge has been studied to date. The most commonly used labels are ‘‘personal knowledge (Conelly and Clandinin, 1985; Elbaz, 1991), indicating that this knowledge is unique; ‘‘the wisdom of practice (Schwab, 1971), and in more recent publications, ‘‘professional craft knowledge (e.g., Brown and McIntyre, 1993; Shimahara, 1998), referring to a specific component of knowledge that is mainly the product of the teachers practical experience; ‘‘action oriented knowledge, indicating that this knowledge is for immediate use in teaching practice (Carter, 1990); ‘‘content and context related knowledge (Cochran, DeRuiter, King, 1993; Va n Driel, Verloop, De Vos, 1998); knowledge that is to a great extent ‘tacit (Calderhead and Robson, 1991); and knowledge that is based on reflection on experiences (Grimmet and MacKinnon, 1992). It is important to realize that in the label ‘teacher knowledge, the concept ‘knowledge is used as an overarching, inclusive concept, summarizing a large variety of cognitions, from conscious and well-balanced opinions to unconscious and unreflected intuitions. This is related to the fact that, in the mind of the teacher, components of knowledge, beliefs, conceptions, and intuitions are inextricably intertwined. As Alexander, Schallert, and Hare (1991) noted, the term ‘knowledge is mostly used to encompass ‘‘all that a person knows or believes to be true, whether or not it is verified as true in some sort of objective or external way (p. 317). This is particularly relevant with respect to research on teacher knowledge. In investigating teacher knowledge, the main focus of attention is on the complex totality of cognitions, the ways this develops, and the way this interacts with teacher behavior in the classroom. Following Pajares (1992), knowledge and beliefs are seen as inseparable, although beliefs are seen roughly as referring to personal values, attitudes, and ideologies, and knowledge to a teachers more factual propositions (Meijer, Verloop, Beijaard, 2001). 2.2.1 Teachers Knowledge and Beliefs About Teaching In his extensive review of the literature, Calderhead (1996) found that many different kinds of knowledge have been described as underpinning effective teaching. The main forms are those related to the subject being taught, to teaching methods, and to the ways in which students develop and learn. The extent to which teachers have conscious access to this knowledge is, however, far from clear. Some researchers argue that much of this knowledge is implicit or tacit, derived from experience rather than from any conceptual framework. The research concerned with teachers implicit theories of teaching and learning, particularly work concerned with epistemological and pedagogical beliefs, which reflect their experiences, is of considerable relevance to research in language teaching (Kagan, 1992a; Pajares 1992). First, educational beliefs have shown to influence teaching practice (Kagan 1992a) and learning outcomes. Second, methods used to investigate relationship between beliefs and/or conceptions and teaching practice and the ways of analyzing data, are of interest. Pajares (1992) attempts to clarify the confusion with the distinction between knowledge and belief. However, as many researchers have found, it is not so much that knowledge differs from beliefs, but that beliefs themselves constitute a form of knowledge. In his attempts to characterize beliefs, Nespor (1987) provides some distinctions between beliefs and knowledge. He singles out four features of the construct previously identified by Abelson (1979) and considers them in relation to teachers: Existential presumptions or personal truths are generally unaffected by persuasion and are perceived by the teacher as being beyond his/her control or influence. Alternativity is a feature of beliefs that would include situations such as when teachers attempt to establish an instructional format of which they have no direct experience but which they might consider ideal. Belief systems can be said to rely much more heavily on affective and evaluative components than knowledge systems. Teachers values and feelings often affect what and how they teach and may conflict with their knowledge. Belief systems are composed mainly of episodically stored material which is derived from personal experience, episodes or events which continue to influence the comprehension of events at a later time. Whereas beliefs reside in episodic memory, knowledge is semantically stored. A further distinction between beliefs and knowledge, notes Nespor (1987, p.313), is that, while knowledge often changes, beliefs are static. As well, whereas knowledge can be evaluated or judged, such is not the case with beliefs as there is usually a lack of consensus about how they are to be evaluated. Furthermore, there do not appear to be any clear rules for determining the relevance of beliefs to real world events. While there is no doubt other distinctions can be made between the two constructs, a better understanding may be gained by exploring the relationship between the two and by considering beliefs as a form of knowledge. This form of knowledge could be referred to as personal knowledge. Kagan (1992a) refers to beliefs as a particularly provocative form of personal knowledge and argues that most of a teachers professional knowledge can be regarded more accurately as belief. According to Kagan, this knowledge grows richer and more coherent as a teachers experience in classrooms grows and thus forms a highly personalized pedagogy or belief system that actually constrains the teachers perception, judgment, and behavior. In terms of beliefs being personal knowledge, Kagan explains: A teachers knowledge of his or her profession is situated in three important ways: in context (it is related to specific groups of students), in content (it is related to particular academic material to be taught), and in person (it is embedded within the teachers unique belief system) (p.74). Like Clark (1988) who equates ‘implicit theories with beliefs, Nespor (1987) explains how beliefs become personal pedagogies or theories to guide teachers practices: Teachers beliefs play a major role in defining teaching tasks and organizing the knowledge and information relevant to those tasks. But why should this be so? Why wouldnt research-based knowledge or academic theory serve this purpose just as well? The answer suggested here is that the contexts and environments within which teachers work, and many of the problems they encounter, are ill-defined and deeply entangled, and that beliefs are peculiarly suited for making sense of such contexts. (p.324) Munby (1982) also equates implicit theories with teachers beliefs. Clark and Peterson (1986) in their review of the literature on teachers thought processes, argue that teachers theories and beliefs represent a rich store of knowledge. Teachers make sense of their complex world and respond to it by forming a complex system of personal and professional knowledge and theories which, as Kagan (1992a) describes, are often tacit and unconsciously held assumptions about students, classrooms and the material to be taught. 2.2.1.1 Beliefs, Assumptions, Knowledge Throughout this study the term BAK is used as an inclusive term to refer to beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge. Therefore, the following section describes the rationale behind using this term. In the discussion so far, approaches which divide aspects of teacher cognition were examined in separate categories. A more recent strand of research, however, challenges the categorical distinctions outlined above. Woods (1996) suggests that these dichotomies do not accurately reflect the relationship between Teachers beliefs, assumptions and knowledge and their practices in the classroom. In order to take appropriate action, people need to understand; and to understand they need knowledge about the world and specifically about the situation they are in (Woods, 1996, p. 59). Woods (1996) develops a multidimensional cycle of planning and decision making within teaching. He describes three phases of assessment, planning and implementation which operate recursively to inform different hierarchical levels of the teaching process going from the most local level of discrete events in the lesson plan to the most global level of whole course planning (p. 139). Woodss analysis of interview data suggests that knowledge structures and belief systems ‘‘are not composed of independent elements, but [are] rather structured, with certain aspects implying or presupposing others (p. 200). Woods proposes a model to signify the evolving system of beliefs, assumptions and knowledge (BAK) that recursively informs or is informed by the context of teaching: the BAK was part of the perceiving and organizing of the decisions. Woods has demonstrated that language teachers create and maintain background networks of beliefs, assumptions and knowledge which constitute a valid theory of teaching and learning. These background theoretical networks are grounded in every level of routine classroom practice in much the same way that educational theory is grounded in the systematic collection of empirical data. This construct (BAK) is supported by MacDonaldo, Badger and White (2001). They also suggest that while there is some support for a categorical di stinction between theory and practice in language education, it is suggested that the beliefs, assumptions and knowledge of teachers are in fact inextricably bound up with what goes on in the classroom. 2.3 Research on the Relationship between Teachers Beliefs, Instructional decisions, and Practices Beliefs are manifested in teaching practices because teachers instruction tends to reflect their beliefs. Pajares (1992) and Richardson (1996) investigated the relationship between teachers beliefs and their teaching practices, concluding that teachers beliefs were reflected in their actions, decisions and classroom practices. Kagan (1992a) also supported Pajares and Richardsons claim that teachers beliefs served as a vital role in influencing the nature of the instruction. In her study, Johnson (1992) examined the relationship between ESL teachers defined, theoretical beliefs about second language learning as well as teaching and instructional practices during literacy instruction for non-native speakers of English. Three tasks, such as an ideal instructional protocol, a lesson plan analysis, and a beliefs inventory were used to determine how much ESL teachers beliefs were reflected in skill-based, rule-based, and function-based orientations. The findings in Johnsons study showed that ESL teachers defined beliefs were congruent with their theoretical orientations, and teachers with different theoretical orientations gave quite different instruction for ESL students. Therefore, her study concluded that overall, teachers had different teaching approaches, selections of teaching materials, and images of teachers and students according to their beliefs about learning and teaching. For example, a teacher whose dominant theoretical orientation was function-b ased focused generally on comprehending the main idea, following a pattern of pre-reading as well as post-reading questions, and discussion as usual reading activities in her instruction. In addition, Smiths (1996) study explored the relationship between nine experienced ESL teachers beliefs and their decision-making in classroom practices. The result of her study showed that teachers articulated theoretical beliefs were consistent with their instructional planning and decisions. For example, those teachers who believed in communication of meaning as a primary goal in learning a language designed and implemented tasks which promoted student-interaction and meaningful communication, such as small-group or pair activities. Golombek (1998) examined how two in-service ESL teachers personal practical knowledge informed their practice through a description of a tension each teacher faced in the classroom. The teachers personal practical knowledge informed their practice by serving as a kind of interpretive framework through which they made sense of their classrooms as they recounted their experiences and made this knowledge explicit. The results of this study suggested that L2 teacher educators should recognize that L2 teachers personal practical knowledge is embodied in individuals. For this reason, personal practical knowledge is important to acknowledge in L2 teacher education practice and research. Similarly, in his article Borg (2001a) presents two cases which illustrate the extent to which teachers perceptions of their knowledge about grammar emerged as one of the factors which influences teachers instructional decisions in teaching grammar. The two case studies suggested clearly that teachers self-perceptions of their knowledge about grammar had an impact on their work. Two conclusions emergi Beliefs, Assumptions, Knowledge (BAK) Research in Teaching Beliefs, Assumptions, Knowledge (BAK) Research in Teaching 2.1 Belief Research In the mid-1970s a new body of research began to emerge that worked to describe teachers thoughts, judgments and decisions as the cognitive processes that shaped their behaviors (Calderhead, 1996, Clark and Peterson, 1986; Dann, 1990). As a consequence of this, a surge of interest in the area of teacher belief systems has appeared (Pajares, 1992). This research â€Å"has helped to identify the nature and complexity of the teachers work , and helped to provide ways of thinking about the processes of change and support† (Calderhead, 1996, p.721). Researchers found that teaching could not be characterized simply as behaviors that were linked to thinking done before and during the activity but rather that the thought process of teaching included a much wider and richer mental context. As Shavelson and Stern (1981, p.479) explained, research on teacher cognition made â€Å"the basic assumption that teachers thoughts, judgments, and decisions guide their teaching behavior†. Kagan (1990, p. 420) noted that teacher cognition is somewhat ambiguous, because researchers invoke the term to refer to different products, including â€Å"teachers interactive thoughts during instruction; thought during lesson planning, implicit beliefs about students, classrooms and learning; reflections about their own teaching performance; automized routines and activities that form their instructional repertoire; and self-awareness of procedures they use to solve classrooms problems†. Currently, there is increasing recognition that the beliefs individuals hold are the best indicators of the decisions they make during the course of everyday life (Bandura, 1986). Pajares (1992, p. 307) argues that the investigation of teachers beliefs should be a focus of educational research and can inform educational practice in ways that prevailing research agendas have not and cannot. Educational researchers trying to understand the nature of teaching and learning in classrooms have usefully exploited this focus on belief systems. The research of Jakubowski and Tobin (1991) suggests that teachers metaphors and beliefs not only influence what teachers do in the classroom, but that changes in these same metaphors and beliefs can result in changes in their practices. A belief can be defined as a representation of the information someone holds about an object, or a â€Å"persons understanding of himself and his environment† (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975, p.131). This object can â€Å"be a person, a group of people, an institution, a behavior, a policy, an event, etc., and the associated attribute may be any object, trait, property, quality, characteristic, outcome, or event† (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975, p.12). While Rokeach (1972) defined a belief as â€Å"any simple proposition, conscious or unconscious, inferred from what a person says or does, capable of being preceded by the phrase ‘I believe that† (p.113), Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) defined a belief system as a hierarchy of beliefs according to the strength about a particular object. Researchers exploring teachers beliefs at the primary and secondary levels have used a number of definitions: â€Å"the highly personal ways in which a teacher understands classrooms, students, the nature of learning, the teachers role in the classroom, and the goals of education† (Kagan, 1990, p. 423); â€Å"psychologically held understandings, premises or propositions about the world that are felt to be true† (Richardson, 1996, p.103); and â€Å"generally refer to suppositions, commitments and ideologies† (Calderhead, 1996, p.715). Beliefs play an important role in many aspects of teaching as well as in life. They are involved in helping individuals make sense of the world, influencing how new information is perceived, and whether it is accepted or rejected. Teachers beliefs are a term usually used to refer to pedagogic beliefs or those beliefs of relevance to an individuals teaching (Borg 2001b). Teacher beliefs have been identified by Kagan (1992a) as tacit, often unconsciously held assumptions about students, about classrooms, and the academic material to be taught. The literature on teacher knowledge and beliefs from the primary and secondary levels has developed a number of terminological differences. Kagan (1990, p.456) highlighted this problem by noting: â€Å"Terms such as teacher cognition, self-reflection, knowledge and belief can be used to refer to different phenomena. Variation in the definition of a term can range from the superficial and idiosyncratic to the profound and theoretical†. The use of these varying terms makes it difficult to investigate in this area of teacher cognition. Pajares (1992) addressed this difficulty: Defining beliefs is at best a game of players choice. They travel in disguise and often under alias-attitudes, values judgments, axioms, opinions, ideology, perceptions, conceptual systems, preconceptions, dispositions, implicit theories, explicit theories, personal theories, internal mental processes, action strategies, rules of practice, practical principals, perspectives, repertories of understanding, and social strategy, to name but a few that can be found in the literature. (p.309) Defining beliefs is not a very easy task. There is a â€Å"bewildering array of terms† as Clandinin and Connelly (1987, p. 487) put forward including teachers teaching criteria, principles of practice, personal construct/theories/epistemologies, beliefs, perspectives, teachers conceptions, personal knowledge, and practical knowledge. 2.1.1 Belief Research in English Language Teaching The concept of belief, which has been a common feature of research papers in education for the past decade, has recently come into favor in ELT. In the field, various terms have been used to refer to the term ‘belief: pedagogical thoughts (Shavelson and Stern 1981), perspective (Zeichner, Tabachnick, Densmore, 1987), theoretical orientation (Kinzer, 1988), image (Calderhead, 1996), theoretical belief (Kinzer, 1988; Johnson, 1992; Smith 1996). Terms used in language teacher cognition research include theories for practice (Burns, 1996) which refer to the thinking and beliefs which are brought to bear on classroom processes; philosophical orientation and personal pedagogical system (Borg, 1998) which corresponds with stores of beliefs, knowledge, theories, assumptions and attitudes which shape teachers instructional decisions; maxims (Richards, 1996) to comprise personal working principles which reflect teachers individual philosophies of teaching; images (Johnson, 1994) which means general metaphors for thinking about teaching that represent beliefs about teaching and also act as models of action; conceptions of practice (Freeman, 1993) to cover ideas and actions teachers use to organize what they know and to map out what is possible; BAK (Woods, 1996) which includes the concepts beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge, In all those studies the core term on which there is focus is â€Å"belief†. Despite the popularity of the term, there is no consensus on meaning yet. The definition set forth by Rokeach (1968) claims that a belief is any simple proposition, conscious or unconscious, inferred from what a person says or does and knowledge is a component of belief. Rokeach uses the term ‘attitude to refer to the beliefs teachers have about constructs. Richards and Lockhart (1996, p.30) state that â€Å"teachers beliefs systems are founded on the goals and values that teachers hold in relation to the content and process of teaching, and their understanding of the systems in which they work and their roles within it†. These beliefs and values serve as the background to much of teachers decision making action and hence constitute what has been termed the â€Å"culture of teaching†. Richards and Lockhart (1996) summarize those teachers beliefs systems, which are derived from a number of different sources. They are, a) their own experience as language learners, b) their experience of what works best for their learners, c) established practice, d) personality factors, e) educational based or research-based principles, f) principles derived from an approach or method (pp.30-31). Borg (2001b) discusses three aspects of the term belief: The truth element-drawing on research in the philosophy of knowledge, a belief is a mental state which has as its content a proposition that is accepted as true by the individual holding it, although the individual may recognize that alternative beliefs may be held by others. This is one of the key differences between belief and knowledge must actually be true in some external sense. The relationship between belief and behavior most definitions of belief propose that beliefs dispose or guide peoples thinking and action. Conscious versus unconscious beliefs on this point there is disagreement, with some maintaining that consciousness is inherent in the definition of belief, and others allowing for an individual to be conscious of some beliefs and unconscious of others. The field of language teaching has been one of tradition and transition since its beginning hundreds, indeed, by some accounts, thousands of years ago (Kelly, 1969; Howatt, 1984; Richards and Rodgers, 1986). Even though a much newer pursuit than the teaching of languages such as Greek and Latin or Chinese, the teaching of the English language has already been through many transitions in methodology. What are now considered traditional methods were once the innovations of their time, characterized by the attitudes and values of their creators, who recommended that other educators abandon one method and choose another, with unquestioning optimism, as though this latter method were the solution to their classroom concerns (Clarke, 1982). In the past 50 years alone, English language teaching has gone through a whirlwind of transitions in its methodology, from grammar translation to direct method, to audiolingualism, to cognitive code, and a host of variations in each. In recent years, the most substantive transition in English language teaching has taken place through a collection of practices, materials, and beliefs about teaching and learning that are known by many different names, e.g. communicative methodology, communicative language teaching, and the communicative approach (Richards and Rodgers, 1986). Contemporarily, English teaching methodology is going through yet another transition. This transition, frequently referred to as the `post method condition (Kumaravadivelu, 2001), Research in the area of teacher thinking has grown rapidly particularly since the 1980s, with the consequence that the literature is vast and is often focused on very specific aspects of teaching. Nevertheless, the research concerned with teachers implicit theories of teaching and learning, particularly concerned with epistemological and pedagogical beliefs is of considerable relevance to research in language teaching (Kagan, 1992a; Pajares 1992). The reasons are: first, educational beliefs have shown to influence teaching practice (Kagan 1992a) and learning outcomes. Second, methods used to investigate relationship between beliefs and/or conceptions and teaching practice and the ways of analyzing data, are of interest. By the mid 1980s, a rising view of teaching began to highlight the complex ways in which teachers think about their work as being shaped by their prior experiences as students, their ‘personal practical knowledge (Golombek, 1998). More recently the notion of work context has been recognized as central in shaping teachers â€Å"conceptions of their practices† (Freeman, 1993). Language teaching is defined as a dynamic process, which arises out of the meeting and interaction of different sets of principles: different rationalities. In this sense, a rationality is the inner logic which shapes the way in which participants perceive a situation and the goals which they will pursue in this situation (Tudor, 1998). Tudor proposes that to understand language teaching, a first step is to explore the different rationalities which are present in each situation in order to discover the reality the participants involved in. There are four different types of rationalities: those of the students and teachers, socio-cultural rationalities and then the rationality of methodology. While describing teacher rationalities, Tudor (1998) argues that research into subjective needs has led us to appreciate the uniqueness of each learners interaction with their language study. More recently something similar about the teachers has been realized. They, too will perceive and interact with methodology they are implementing in the light of their personality, attitudes, and life experience and the set of perceptions and goals which these give rise to. For this reason there is a need to listen to the teachers voices in understanding classroom practice. There is a need to understand teachers perceptions and the way in which these perceptions influence teachers classroom behaviors. The maxims (Richards, 1996) or the pedagogic principles (Breen et al.2001) teachers use are important in understanding their pedagogical actions. The reality of classroom teaching is how the teachers interpret official curricula or the recommended materials. Teachers are not skilled technicians who dutifully realize a given set of teaching procedures in accordance with the directives of a more or less distant authority. They are active participants in the creation of classroom realities and they do this on the basis of their own attitudes and beliefs, and their personal perceptions of interaction with their teaching situation. All teachers hold beliefs about their work, their students, their subject matter, and their roles and responsibilities. They are individuals with their personal perceptions and goals, which go to shape the rationality which will guide their actions in the classroom and their interaction with the context in which they are operating (Tudor, 1998, p. 324). A major goal of research on teachers thought processes is to increase our understanding of how teachers think and behave in the classroom. The drive for this area of research comes from the assumption that what teachers do is a reflection of what they know and believe, and that teacher knowledge and teacher thinking provide the underlying framework or schema which guides teachers classroom practices (Sutcliffe and Whitfield 1976, Westerman 1991, Flowerdew, Brock Hsia 1992, Kagan 1992a, Richards and Lockhart 1994, Bailey 1996, Woods 1998, Borg 1998, Richards 1998). Therefore, in order to understand teaching, we must understand how thoughts get carried into actions (Clark and Yinger 1977, Shavelson and Stern 1981, Clark and Peterson 1986, Johnson 1992, Nunan 1992). Pajares (1992) reviewed research on teacher beliefs and argued that ‘‘teachers beliefs can and should become an important focus of educational inquiry (p. 307). He then sketched numerous facets of beliefs and acknowledged that a variety of conceptions of educational beliefs appear in the literature. Citing Nespors (1987) influential work, he suggested that ‘‘beliefs are far more influential than knowledge in determining how individuals organize and define tasks and problems and are stronger predictors of behavior (p. 311). Studies on teacher beliefs have slowly gained prominence, especially with regard to teacher change issues. Guskey (1986), for example, examined 52 teachers who participated in teacher development programs and concluded that change in teachers beliefs ‘‘is likely to take place only after changes in student learning outcomes are evidenced (p. 7). In contrast, Richardson, Anders, Tidwell, and Lloyd (1991) found that change in beliefs preceded change in practices. The current view is that relationships between beliefs and practices are interactive and ongoing (Fullan, 1991; Richardson, 1996). Richardson (1996) even states that ‘‘In most current conceptions, the perceived relationship between beliefs and actions is interactive. Beliefs are thought to drive actions; however, experiences and reflection on action may lead to changes in and/or additions to beliefs (p. 104). Pajares (1992) promoted 16 ‘‘fundamental assumptions that may reasonably be made when initiating a study of teachers education beliefs (1992, p. 324). These assumptions include among others, the notions that (a) beliefs are formed early and tend to self perpetuate, persevering even against contradictions caused by reason, time, schooling, or experience; (b) individuals develop a belief system that houses all the beliefs acquired through the process of cultural transmission; (c) beliefs are instrumental in defining tasks and selecting the cognitive tools with which to interpret, plan, and make decisions regarding such tasks; (d) individuals beliefs strongly affect their behavior; and (e) knowledge and beliefs are inextricably intertwined (for complete discussion of all 16 assumptions, see Pajares, 1992, pp. 324-326). 2.2 Teacher Knowledge Research Meanwhile doubts arose also from the scientific community about a conception of professionalism that asked professionals (such as teachers) to just apply the theories and insights provided by others. Schà ¶n (1983, 1987) analyzed the work of various groups of professionals and concluded that they applied a certain amount of theoretical knowledge in their work, but that their behavior was not at all ‘‘rule governed and that they had no straightforward way to determine which behavior was adequate in specific circumstances. Schà ¶n contrasted this principle of ‘‘technical rationality to the principle of ‘‘reflection-in-action, which pertained to the thinking of the professional during professional activity and implied a continuing dialogue with the permanently changing situation. This situation does not present itself as a well-defined problem situation. On the contrary, defining the problem is itself one of the most difficult tasks of the professio nal. This recognition of the centrality of the teacher and the teachers knowledge and beliefs regarding each educational process, including educational innovations, is relatively recent (Calderhead, 1996). Birman, Desimone, Porter, Garet (2000), for example, searched for key features of effective professional development and, based on their research, reported that professional development should focus on deepening teacher knowledge in order to foster teacher learning and changes in practice. Similarly, Hawley and Valli (1999) considered the expansion and elaboration of teachers professional knowledge base as essential for their professional development. In the literature about teacher knowledge, various labels have been used, each indicating a relevant aspect of teacher knowledge. The labels illustrate mainly which aspect is considered the most important by the respective authors. Together, these labels give an overview of the way in which teacher knowledge has been studied to date. The most commonly used labels are ‘‘personal knowledge (Conelly and Clandinin, 1985; Elbaz, 1991), indicating that this knowledge is unique; ‘‘the wisdom of practice (Schwab, 1971), and in more recent publications, ‘‘professional craft knowledge (e.g., Brown and McIntyre, 1993; Shimahara, 1998), referring to a specific component of knowledge that is mainly the product of the teachers practical experience; ‘‘action oriented knowledge, indicating that this knowledge is for immediate use in teaching practice (Carter, 1990); ‘‘content and context related knowledge (Cochran, DeRuiter, King, 1993; Va n Driel, Verloop, De Vos, 1998); knowledge that is to a great extent ‘tacit (Calderhead and Robson, 1991); and knowledge that is based on reflection on experiences (Grimmet and MacKinnon, 1992). It is important to realize that in the label ‘teacher knowledge, the concept ‘knowledge is used as an overarching, inclusive concept, summarizing a large variety of cognitions, from conscious and well-balanced opinions to unconscious and unreflected intuitions. This is related to the fact that, in the mind of the teacher, components of knowledge, beliefs, conceptions, and intuitions are inextricably intertwined. As Alexander, Schallert, and Hare (1991) noted, the term ‘knowledge is mostly used to encompass ‘‘all that a person knows or believes to be true, whether or not it is verified as true in some sort of objective or external way (p. 317). This is particularly relevant with respect to research on teacher knowledge. In investigating teacher knowledge, the main focus of attention is on the complex totality of cognitions, the ways this develops, and the way this interacts with teacher behavior in the classroom. Following Pajares (1992), knowledge and beliefs are seen as inseparable, although beliefs are seen roughly as referring to personal values, attitudes, and ideologies, and knowledge to a teachers more factual propositions (Meijer, Verloop, Beijaard, 2001). 2.2.1 Teachers Knowledge and Beliefs About Teaching In his extensive review of the literature, Calderhead (1996) found that many different kinds of knowledge have been described as underpinning effective teaching. The main forms are those related to the subject being taught, to teaching methods, and to the ways in which students develop and learn. The extent to which teachers have conscious access to this knowledge is, however, far from clear. Some researchers argue that much of this knowledge is implicit or tacit, derived from experience rather than from any conceptual framework. The research concerned with teachers implicit theories of teaching and learning, particularly work concerned with epistemological and pedagogical beliefs, which reflect their experiences, is of considerable relevance to research in language teaching (Kagan, 1992a; Pajares 1992). First, educational beliefs have shown to influence teaching practice (Kagan 1992a) and learning outcomes. Second, methods used to investigate relationship between beliefs and/or conceptions and teaching practice and the ways of analyzing data, are of interest. Pajares (1992) attempts to clarify the confusion with the distinction between knowledge and belief. However, as many researchers have found, it is not so much that knowledge differs from beliefs, but that beliefs themselves constitute a form of knowledge. In his attempts to characterize beliefs, Nespor (1987) provides some distinctions between beliefs and knowledge. He singles out four features of the construct previously identified by Abelson (1979) and considers them in relation to teachers: Existential presumptions or personal truths are generally unaffected by persuasion and are perceived by the teacher as being beyond his/her control or influence. Alternativity is a feature of beliefs that would include situations such as when teachers attempt to establish an instructional format of which they have no direct experience but which they might consider ideal. Belief systems can be said to rely much more heavily on affective and evaluative components than knowledge systems. Teachers values and feelings often affect what and how they teach and may conflict with their knowledge. Belief systems are composed mainly of episodically stored material which is derived from personal experience, episodes or events which continue to influence the comprehension of events at a later time. Whereas beliefs reside in episodic memory, knowledge is semantically stored. A further distinction between beliefs and knowledge, notes Nespor (1987, p.313), is that, while knowledge often changes, beliefs are static. As well, whereas knowledge can be evaluated or judged, such is not the case with beliefs as there is usually a lack of consensus about how they are to be evaluated. Furthermore, there do not appear to be any clear rules for determining the relevance of beliefs to real world events. While there is no doubt other distinctions can be made between the two constructs, a better understanding may be gained by exploring the relationship between the two and by considering beliefs as a form of knowledge. This form of knowledge could be referred to as personal knowledge. Kagan (1992a) refers to beliefs as a particularly provocative form of personal knowledge and argues that most of a teachers professional knowledge can be regarded more accurately as belief. According to Kagan, this knowledge grows richer and more coherent as a teachers experience in classrooms grows and thus forms a highly personalized pedagogy or belief system that actually constrains the teachers perception, judgment, and behavior. In terms of beliefs being personal knowledge, Kagan explains: A teachers knowledge of his or her profession is situated in three important ways: in context (it is related to specific groups of students), in content (it is related to particular academic material to be taught), and in person (it is embedded within the teachers unique belief system) (p.74). Like Clark (1988) who equates ‘implicit theories with beliefs, Nespor (1987) explains how beliefs become personal pedagogies or theories to guide teachers practices: Teachers beliefs play a major role in defining teaching tasks and organizing the knowledge and information relevant to those tasks. But why should this be so? Why wouldnt research-based knowledge or academic theory serve this purpose just as well? The answer suggested here is that the contexts and environments within which teachers work, and many of the problems they encounter, are ill-defined and deeply entangled, and that beliefs are peculiarly suited for making sense of such contexts. (p.324) Munby (1982) also equates implicit theories with teachers beliefs. Clark and Peterson (1986) in their review of the literature on teachers thought processes, argue that teachers theories and beliefs represent a rich store of knowledge. Teachers make sense of their complex world and respond to it by forming a complex system of personal and professional knowledge and theories which, as Kagan (1992a) describes, are often tacit and unconsciously held assumptions about students, classrooms and the material to be taught. 2.2.1.1 Beliefs, Assumptions, Knowledge Throughout this study the term BAK is used as an inclusive term to refer to beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge. Therefore, the following section describes the rationale behind using this term. In the discussion so far, approaches which divide aspects of teacher cognition were examined in separate categories. A more recent strand of research, however, challenges the categorical distinctions outlined above. Woods (1996) suggests that these dichotomies do not accurately reflect the relationship between Teachers beliefs, assumptions and knowledge and their practices in the classroom. In order to take appropriate action, people need to understand; and to understand they need knowledge about the world and specifically about the situation they are in (Woods, 1996, p. 59). Woods (1996) develops a multidimensional cycle of planning and decision making within teaching. He describes three phases of assessment, planning and implementation which operate recursively to inform different hierarchical levels of the teaching process going from the most local level of discrete events in the lesson plan to the most global level of whole course planning (p. 139). Woodss analysis of interview data suggests that knowledge structures and belief systems ‘‘are not composed of independent elements, but [are] rather structured, with certain aspects implying or presupposing others (p. 200). Woods proposes a model to signify the evolving system of beliefs, assumptions and knowledge (BAK) that recursively informs or is informed by the context of teaching: the BAK was part of the perceiving and organizing of the decisions. Woods has demonstrated that language teachers create and maintain background networks of beliefs, assumptions and knowledge which constitute a valid theory of teaching and learning. These background theoretical networks are grounded in every level of routine classroom practice in much the same way that educational theory is grounded in the systematic collection of empirical data. This construct (BAK) is supported by MacDonaldo, Badger and White (2001). They also suggest that while there is some support for a categorical di stinction between theory and practice in language education, it is suggested that the beliefs, assumptions and knowledge of teachers are in fact inextricably bound up with what goes on in the classroom. 2.3 Research on the Relationship between Teachers Beliefs, Instructional decisions, and Practices Beliefs are manifested in teaching practices because teachers instruction tends to reflect their beliefs. Pajares (1992) and Richardson (1996) investigated the relationship between teachers beliefs and their teaching practices, concluding that teachers beliefs were reflected in their actions, decisions and classroom practices. Kagan (1992a) also supported Pajares and Richardsons claim that teachers beliefs served as a vital role in influencing the nature of the instruction. In her study, Johnson (1992) examined the relationship between ESL teachers defined, theoretical beliefs about second language learning as well as teaching and instructional practices during literacy instruction for non-native speakers of English. Three tasks, such as an ideal instructional protocol, a lesson plan analysis, and a beliefs inventory were used to determine how much ESL teachers beliefs were reflected in skill-based, rule-based, and function-based orientations. The findings in Johnsons study showed that ESL teachers defined beliefs were congruent with their theoretical orientations, and teachers with different theoretical orientations gave quite different instruction for ESL students. Therefore, her study concluded that overall, teachers had different teaching approaches, selections of teaching materials, and images of teachers and students according to their beliefs about learning and teaching. For example, a teacher whose dominant theoretical orientation was function-b ased focused generally on comprehending the main idea, following a pattern of pre-reading as well as post-reading questions, and discussion as usual reading activities in her instruction. In addition, Smiths (1996) study explored the relationship between nine experienced ESL teachers beliefs and their decision-making in classroom practices. The result of her study showed that teachers articulated theoretical beliefs were consistent with their instructional planning and decisions. For example, those teachers who believed in communication of meaning as a primary goal in learning a language designed and implemented tasks which promoted student-interaction and meaningful communication, such as small-group or pair activities. Golombek (1998) examined how two in-service ESL teachers personal practical knowledge informed their practice through a description of a tension each teacher faced in the classroom. The teachers personal practical knowledge informed their practice by serving as a kind of interpretive framework through which they made sense of their classrooms as they recounted their experiences and made this knowledge explicit. The results of this study suggested that L2 teacher educators should recognize that L2 teachers personal practical knowledge is embodied in individuals. For this reason, personal practical knowledge is important to acknowledge in L2 teacher education practice and research. Similarly, in his article Borg (2001a) presents two cases which illustrate the extent to which teachers perceptions of their knowledge about grammar emerged as one of the factors which influences teachers instructional decisions in teaching grammar. The two case studies suggested clearly that teachers self-perceptions of their knowledge about grammar had an impact on their work. Two conclusions emergi