Environmental attitude and environmental behaviour

Environmental attitude and environmental behaviour Hypothesis In existing literature, environmental attitude is commonly understood as a cognitive judgment towards the value of environmental protection. Contrasting results have been found between environmental attitude and behaviour. While some researchers have claimed a positive correlation between environmental attitude and environmental behaviour (Kotchen and Reiling, 2000), others have concluded that the relationship is either moderate or tenuous (Davis, 1995). The contradictory results in studies of the relationship between environmental attitude and behaviour suggest that further studies are needed to confirm the relationship between environmental attitude and behaviour. Thus, based on the view in majority of the literature reviewed, our hypothesis is: H1: Eco friendly attitude positively impacts eco friendly behaviour. Though it has been debated whether awareness affects attitude or attitude affects awareness. But it is important to note that after developing an attitude, the awareness in terms of recognizing and observing different things about the topic comes into picture. This is especially valid for a country like India where these things are increasingly gaining understanding. Let us understand the impact of attitude on awareness through this simple example. A student has a class on environmental issues. To be specific, the teacher discusses an example of how pesticides enter the human body through food consumption and organic foods can help in reducing these toxic levels and lead to a healthy living. The student develops a positive attitude towards organic foods because of this knowledge. This positive attitude will lead to him subconsciously noting organic foods when in the superstore. This is what awareness is. Eco friendly attitude has an impact on the level of environmental awareness. Thus, based on the literature, our hypothesis is: H2: A positive attitude towards the environment will positively impact the level of environmental awareness. Eco friendly behaviour is defined to the consumption of products that are beneficial to the environment (Mostafa, 2007). Past studies have examined what factors affect environmental behaviour in general (Johnson et al., 2004). According to these studies, environmental awareness can be an important factor towards determining eco friendly behaviour. (Chan, 2001). Thus, based on the literature, our hypothesis is: H3: Environmental awareness positively impacts eco friendly behaviour. In this study we intend to explore the relationship between eco friendly attitude and behaviour. It has been generally seen that though environmental attitude is fairly high now, eco friendly behaviour does not show such high levels. This has been referred to as the attitude behaviour gap. (Alwitt and Pitts, 1996). Many studies have been conducted to explore this gap and what variables can be used to explain this. Environmental awareness is one of those variables. (Chan, 2001) This study explores the concept of environmental awareness as a factor that mediates the impact of attitude on behaviour. Thus, based on the literature, our hypothesis is: H4:Environmental Awareness mediates the relationship between eco friendly attitude and eco friendly behaviour. Certain literary works have evidenced that women reported significantly more participation in general environmental behaviour and specific green consumption than men (Maineri, 1997). Certain sample studies of western countries have shown that females express more positive attitudes towards the environment than males do (Tikka, 2007). Additional evidence also provides that women report stronger environmental attitudes than men across age and across 14 countries (Argentina, Canada, Columbia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, the United States and Venezuela) (Zelezny, 2000). A recent research conducted also claimed that female adolescent consumers scored significantly higher in environmental attitude (Lee, 2009). Equal numbers of males and females expressed a positive attitude towards organic foods according to study by (Dahm, Samonte and Shows, 2009). This finding varies somewhat from the literature, which identifies female s as being more aware and having stronger attitudes about organic foods. Thus, based on the literature, our hypothesis is: We have stated the hypothesis by breaking it into three sub-hypotheses. H5/A: The impact of eco friendly attitude on environmental awareness is more in case of Indian female consumers than their male counterparts. H5/B: The impact of environmental awareness on eco friendly behaviour is more in case of Indian female consumers than their male counterparts. H5/C: The impact of eco friendly attitude on eco friendly behaviour is more in case of Indian female consumers than their male counterparts. Research Design Methods Operationalization of Constructs and Variables The figure shows a diagrammatic representation of our research model. The definition of each of the constructs according to our interpretation is mentioned below. Eco-Friendly Attitude (EFA) Eco-friendly attitude (EFA) aims to measure the cognitive judgment of the respondent towards the value of environmental protection. It is the prerequisite to eco-friendly behavior (EFB). This is because the person should exhibit some environment friendly attitude before he takes definite steps towards improving the environment thus is considered as the independent construct in the model. Eco-Friendly Behavior (EFB) Eco-friendly behavior (EFB) measures respondents readiness to take specific actions for environmental protection. These include consumers willingness to buy organic products, products which are certified ‘environmentally-safe. High eco-friendly attitude may or may not lead to eco-friendly behavior and hence latter forms the dependent construct under study. Environmental Awareness (EA) Environmental awareness/consciousness (EA) measures the awareness level of the respondent about environment and current environmental problems. A person with high environmental awareness realizes that an effort is required, both at an individual level and organization level, to improve general environmental conditions. Gender The variable gender has been obviously taken into two categories male and female. Sample A sample of 180 students in the age group 20-30 years, doing a post graduate course in Business management or equivalent participated in a questionnaire which inquired about their attitude towards the environment, awareness and purchasing behavior regarding eco-friendly products. The sample consisted of 102 male and 78 female respondents. The questionnaire was administered through the Internet and responses were directly received. Measures The above mentioned constructs were measured by a five point Likert scale wherein respondents were asked to mark their responses from 1 (‘‘Strongly Disagree or ‘‘Not at all ) to 5 (‘‘Strong Agree or ‘‘definitely). Eco-friendly attitude (EFA): Respondents eco-friendly attitude was measured with a five-point Likert scale (1 indicates ‘‘Strongly Disagree 5 ‘‘Strong Agree) developed by Sweeney et al. (2001). The scale had 7 items. A sample item is ‘‘It is very important to raise environmental awareness among Indians. Eco-friendly behavior (EFB): Respondents eco-friendly behavior was measured with a five-point likert scale (1 indicates ‘‘Strongly Disagree 5 ‘‘Strong Agree) developed by Sweeney et al. (2001). The scale had 6 items. A sample item is ‘‘I often buy products which are labeled environmentally safe. Environmental awareness/consciousness (EA): Respondents environmental awareness was measured with a five-point Likert scale (1 indicates ‘‘Not at all 5 ‘‘definitely) developed by Vlosky et al. (1999). The scale had 5 items. A sample item is ‘‘I believe that environmental information on packaging is important. Gender was directly measured from a single question. The entire questionnaire is presented in Appendix A. Analysis We have first of all conducted a reliability test for each of the three scales. Then for the purpose of our mediation analysis we have used a four step method that was developed by Kenny et al. (1998) and Baron and Kenny (1986) for the purpose of mediation analysis. This consists of four steps. In the first step we have used Eco Friendly Attitude as the independent variable to predict the dependent variable Eco Friendly Behaviour using linear regression. In the second step we have used Eco Friendly Attitude as the independent variable and used it to regress Environmental Awareness. The third step comprises of regressing Eco Friendly Behaviour using Environmental Awareness as the predictor variable. The final step comprises of regressing Eco Friendly Behaviour using both Eco Friendly Attitude and Environmental Awareness to determine the mediating effect of Environmental Awareness. Results Reported in Table1 are the means, SD, correlations and internal consistency measure (Cronbachs ÃŽ ±). From the table we can clearly see that EA and EFB are very strongly correlated with each other. Even both of these are correlated with EFA but the extent of correlation of EFA is comparatively lower with EA and even lower with EFB hinting at a possible mediation of the EFA and EFB relation by EA. But a conclusive decision regarding the mediation can only be taken after we perform regression analysis for the same. Table 1: Means, SDs, correlations and Cronbachs ÃŽ ±. S. No. Variables Mean SD 1 2 3 Alpha (ÃŽ ±) 1 Eco Friendly Attitude 27.19 3.77 0.752 2 Environmental Awareness 19.52 3.7 0.606 0.797 3 Eco Friendly behaviour 18.89 4.47 0.457 0.738 0.847 Going forward, the regression analysis is presented in Table 2. In the first step we regress for EFB using EFA as a predictor or independent variable. The results show that the impact of EFA on EFB is significant (since p In the second step we regressed for EA using EFA as a predictor or independent variable. The results show that EFA significantly impacted EA (since p In the third step we regressed for EFB using the mediating variable EA as a predictor variable. The results again show a significant relation between the two which shows that the mediating variable here is significantly related to the criterion variable. Thus Hypothesis 3 is supported. In the final step we regressed for EFB using both EA and EFA as predictor variables to comment on mediation effect. EFA significantly affected EFB and EA as seen in step 1 and 2 but became non-significantly related to EFB in this step (p=0.795>>0.01). The same is emphasized by the fact that the significance of the impact of EA on EFB is still significant (p=0.000). Hence this shows complete mediation of the relation between EFA and EFB by EA. The mediation effect comes to 0.440 for EFA for its relationship with EFB. The Z-score using the Sobel calculator turns out to be 7.63 which is much greater than 1.96. Hence the mediation is significant at 1% level of significance (two-tailed). Hence hypothesis 4 is supported. Table 2: Regression Analysis Results for measuring the mediation effect. RÂ ² Unstandardized Î’ Standardized Î’ Significance Change in ÃŽ ² Step 1 0.209 0.542 0.457 0.000 Step 2 0.367 0.594 0.606 0.000 Step 3 0.545 0.893 0.738 0.000 Step 4 0.545 0.88 0.728 0.000 Step 4 0.545 0.02 0.017 0.795 0.44 Once the mediation analysis is completed we now move to analysis of another important part of our model which is moderation of the relationships between EFA, EA and EFB by gender. Table 3 shows the regression re-performed separately for the male and the female samples. The mediation analysis again is shown to be significant in both the cases taken separately as seen from the fact that the first three relations are significant and in the step 4, the relation between EA and EFB is still significant showing that full mediation exists. The mediation effect turns out to be 0.62 in case of females and 0.322 in case of males. The Z-score comes to 6.38 in case of females and 4.57 in case of males. This shows that the mediation is significant in both the cases. Table 3: Regression Analysis Results for measuring the mediation effect (Female/Male). RÂ ² Unstandardized ÃŽ ² Standardized Î’ Significance Change in ÃŽ ² Step 1 0.315/0.144 0.719/0.424 0.561/0.379 0.000/0.000 Step 2 0.519/0.262 0.839/0.427 0.720/0.512 0.000/0.000 Step 3 0.670/0.433 0.900/0.883 0.818/0.657 0.000/0.000 Step 4 0.671/0.435 0.947/0.844 0.861/0.628 0.000/0.000 Step 4 0.671/0.436 (-)0.076/0.064 (-)0.059/0.057 0.537/0.516 0.62/0.322 The standardized ÃŽ ² coefficient is shown for all the relationships in our model in the Figure 1 for both the male and the female set of respondents. The standardized coefficient clearly shows that for female respondents the impact of EFA on EFB is substantially higher than in the case of male respondents. The same is observed in case of the relationship between EFA and EA as well as between EA and EFB. Hence Hypothesis 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) are supported. the Male/ Female set of respondents. Discussions and Implications The study conducted above analyzed the impact of Eco Friendly Attitude on Eco Friendly Behaviour and mediation of the relationship by Environmental Awareness in the context of the Indian youth studying in the post graduate schools of the country. Very little study, if any, has been conducted on this topic in the Indian Context so much so that only in 2009 has research started in Asia-Pacific by Kaman Lee (2009) on the same. This report provides a valuable insight into the topic for marketers as well as for future studies conducted in India. As can been seen from the analysis conducted above Eco Friendly Attitude seems to have a positive impact on Eco Friendly Behaviour which is consistent with the study conducted by Kotchen and Reiling (2000). This is very logical in the sense that people with a favourable attitude towards eco friendly products can be expected to have eco friendly behaviour even in spite of the extra price may be monetary or opportunistic that they have to pay for such behaviour. To have a better understanding of the topic we introduced Environmental Awareness as another construct and tried to find its role as a mediator. The first conclusion that came out of the same was that an Eco Friendly Attitude would imply a higher Environmental Awareness. This is in direct agreement to the study conducted by Mittal (1989). The logic behind the same is that an attitude would act as a motivation for them to learn more about these products hence increasing their awareness. The next conclusion that comes directly from the results is that Environmental Awareness leads to Eco Friendly Behaviour. This is again consistent with the study conducted by Chan (2001). This makes sense because people with more awareness about eco friendly products can be expected to have favourable purchasing behaviour towards the same. The results also establish the mediation of the relation between Eco Friendly Attitude and Eco Friendly Behaviour is being mediated by Environmental Awareness which is consistent with the studies conducted by Alwitt and Pitts (1996). This stresses on the importance of bringing about awareness about Eco Friendly Products among consumers. The conclusion that can be drawn here is that awareness about these products is more important than only an attitude towards the same. The results also show gender specific implications for each of these relationships. From the analysis for female consumers impact of attitude on behaviour seems to be higher which is in direct accordance with the study conducted by various authors like Maineri (1997) etc. mentioned in the literature review. The same is true to the other two relationships between Eco Friendly Attitude Environmental Awareness and between Environmental Awareness and Eco Friendly Behaviour. This makes sense because prominently household purchasing is done by females and hence there is a higher probability of attitude being converted to purchasing behaviour. Again females have been seen to exhibit more seriousness towards such issues as expressed in the literature review and hence the case. India is set to see a substantial increase in the market for eco friendly products. The study has great relevance for Indian marketers because this study emphasizes on the fact that awareness plays a key role in behaviour. This is a positive boost to the importance of environment awareness campaigns in bringing about eco friendly behaviour. This justifies the use of such campaigns in the drive for to create a host of environment friendly consumers. The fact that the impact of such awareness on behaviour is more in case of female consumers hints to the marketers about the possible benefit of targeting that segment of the consumers. The obvious conclusion from the above research is that the benefit from conversion of awareness and attitude to behaviour would be more in case of female consumers and marketing campaigns should be made to influence this particular market segment. Limitations, Scope for Future Research and Conclusion Firstly the primary data collection was done among a restricted age group (20-30 years) and hence the same cannot be generalized for all the other age groups. Similar studies need to be conducted among other age groups as well. Secondly the same is valid for the educational background. As for the purpose of this study we had only approached students from B-Schools or other equivalent post graduate schools. Hence this result cannot be generalized for other sections of the society. Thirdly there might be an influence of cultural behaviour on survey results as the same is restricted to Indian cities. Hence for generalizability of the results, future studies should take into account the cultural influence on different variables. Fourthly The media used for the dissemination of the questionnaire in our case is internet because of the scarcity of time. Hence this might have restricted a few of the respondents from our target group. A parallel on-paper questionnaire could have provided a more comprehensive sample from the target group. But for the restricted category of people from which our sample was taken and which forms a substantial market for eco friendly products the results hold true. Thus for this section Eco Friendly Attitude positively impacts Eco Friendly Behaviour and the same is moderated by Environmental Awareness. The impacts are much higher in female consumers compared to male consumers. Hence female consumers should ideally be the target of marketers to eco friendly products who try to drive in awareness about eco friendly products to people having positive attitude towards the same.

Essay --

Children’s behaviors and reactions have always been so interesting to me. Studying Erikson, Piaget, and Kohlberg’s different theories on human development has given me a much deeper understanding of these behaviors. Although their theories are different, they do share three assumptions according to an article on SparkNotes.com: 1. People pass through stages in a specific order, with each stage building on capacities developed in the previous stage. 2. Stages are related to age. 3. Development is discontinuous, with qualitatively different capacities emerging in each stage† ("Psychology/Development," 2012, p. 1). While studying these three theorists it has affected my own idea of human development in two ways. Additionally, my view of how a patient has been raised has affected my nursing care. I admit that when I care for a child, a majority of the time I silently blame the parents for the improper actions of the child. It is easy for me to forgo disciplining an ad olescent patient. I often say to myself, it is not the child’s fault and excuse them for their behaviors, mainly because I believed that is how they were raised and they don’t know better. After learning about Erik Erikson’s theory on development, I realized that a child’s development is not solely dependent on the way the child was raised by their parents. There are other contributing factors in development, according to an article that compares Erikson’s views versus Freud’s titles Erik Erikson. McLeod (2013) states that Erikson, â€Å"emphasized the role of culture and society†, (p. 1) in the development of personality. After studying Erikson it has changed my understanding of why children behave and react in certain situations. In McLeod’s (2013) article it also mentions... ...n Simply Psychology, â€Å"children at this age like to explore the world around them and they are constantly learning about their environment† (McLeod, 2013, figure 2). Everything dangerous was kept in locked drawers and cabinet, so I thought the child would be safe roaming around the small exam room. Also, the incident involving the child’s eye was traumatizing to him and after the sutures are placed it would cause even more trauma. I explained to the parents that in order to instill autonomy into this child, they must allow the child to explore to overcome any fears that may be brought upon from this traumatic event. That is just one example of how I utilized Erikson’s theories into my nursing practice. I will continue to bring it into my plan of care, because I now have an understanding of why children react and behave in a certain way towards different situations.

The Weakness of Servant Leadership Essay -- Servant Leaders are Wimps

After reading various essays and commentaries on servant leadership I thought about a criticism of the theory that wasn't addressed in the readings. Are servant leaders taken advantage of and in certain instances seen as pushovers rather than true leaders? If we review the basic concept of servant leadership, my definition would be a leader who does what’s necessary to ensure his followers are successful. Is this what you really want from a leader? In my opinion that answer is no, you want a leader to exhibit these â€Å"I will help you by all means† characteristics in certain situations, but not all of the time. If this is done all of the time I see this â€Å"leader† as a targeted pushover. The lesson commentary referenced the role of parenthood as an example of servant leadership. â€Å"Parents serve their children’s needs so that the children can develop into healthy adults†¦so that they can help their own children develop† (Lesson 11 Comme ntary, p. 2 Houston). For us parents out there, we know that this can be a slippery slope. If you always come to the rescue of the child, they will not learn ...

Why Ban College Football

August 16, 2012 Why Banned College Football? Why banned college football? That’s the real question. College football truly means something to most Americans! Most college football players don’t even get paid to play the sport. Though there are many good arguments and opinions about banning the sport; I have yet to see an argument that considers the players individual situations. All the people who are against keeping college football only consider the academic purposes. The players show their hard work, commitment, and devotion to the sport.They play for the entertainment of Americans and talking it away would be a massive mistake. College football players don’t get a dime for there dedication to the sport. The young men that devote their time to play don’t get paid with money they get paid with an education. Young athletes benefit in the classroom from the sport every year. Some college football players don’t play for the fun of the game. Though ma ny athletes love the sport some don’t have a choice because it’s their only way to get an education for the future.College football is essential to the United States of America. Most people need to reconsider their choice in banning the sport. For example, banning college football is like banning candy from Americans. Of course you don’t actually have to have the candy but, like the sport it’s something majority of Americans want. The thought of banning the sport is a serious subject to countless Americans. If they were to decide to ban collage football they might as well ban the whole sport. There’s really no need in high school athletes to play football if there’s no future in it.On the other end of it, if there’s no college football then there’s no purpose of having the National Football League (NFL). No high school student would truly be physically of mentally ready to come out of high school straight in the NFL. Considerin g the banning of the sport is absolutely ridiculous. Through the good and bad times of America college football has always been around. Most schools are complaining because of funds but in all reality bigger school make good profit off the game. Instead of considering the issue maybe they should view another college sport in certain schools and universities.No offence, but most of the college budget issues don’t only come from football. Look at Cross Country for example; can you name five big name colleges cross country runners? Probably not. Therefore, instead of debating the issue of banning college football they should look at a less popular sport. In all conclusions, college football is important to the United States and probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The arguments and debates will continue but the sport means too much to Americans to just ban it.

History of education Essay

â€Å"Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed for a lifetime. † This adage is completely true in its meaning and substance. It means that if you educate a person, you are showing him the way to the future. You are giving the necessary training that helps him earn his bread and lead a better life for himself and his children in future. Education is the only way which distinguish human from the animal. According to Aristotle, the distinguishing feature of man is his moral sense. Man can learn from his experiences and from his experiences of others; he knows what is good and what is bad. He is capable of revising his judgements whenever he doesn’t agree with the circumstances of life. It is because of this reason that education became a part of the training of man. We are the superior because we contain the knowledge and the education which has only bought us in this condition. Education is described as the training and instructions given to the human. It also gives a person ability to develop character and mental power. It is compared to light that light up the darkness. In other words, it means that people become more aware of things in life and they see things from different perspectives. It also leads a person from mental bankruptcy to enlightenment. Education can be obtained formally and informally. The education we get at schools and colleges is termed formal education and the education ewe get at homes regarding family values and social relationships is called informal education. A Chinese proverb says, â€Å"If you are planning for a year, sow rice, if you are planning of ten years plant trees nut if you are planning of hundred years, educate people. † Education is the backbone of a society. It holds the foundations of civilizations and development. If the system of educating people is good in a country, the country makes rapid progress. This is the reason why millions of dollars are earmarked for education in the developed countries. The real purpose of education lies in disciplining our reasoning and emotion. If our emotions are not properly channelised, we are reduced to the status of animals. If our reasoning is not properly controlled, it my go wrong. Similarly, emotion and reason should have their due share in determining the personality of a person; otherwise man becomes a lopsided creature. At last, education is the important thing which we should not discourage. The real purpose of education can be achieved if it is not tagged with any other motion expect education. We all have the right to study and gave as much information as we can so let gather the knowledge and be educated.

Educational Development Theories

Understanding human development is considered the key towards maximizing the potentials of every student in the classroom. Developments in various fields, such anthropology, psychology, and biology have contributed largely to reinventing education in the last century. Research is given a central role in shaping â€Å"children’s education and experiences in schools† (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010, p. 4). The advances in related fields and the increasing support from research have prompted educators to be reflective and evaluative about pedagogy and curriculum in an effort to ensure that the best learning environment is provided. In short, teachers now have comprehensive tools to guarantee that no child is left behind. Any child that sets foot into the classroom carries with him/her a myriad of experiences and background; thus, making it essential to perceive the child in relation to the systems and dynamics that surround him/her. â€Å"All areas of development depend on the context of children’s lives—children’s experiences in families, schools, neighborhoods, community organizations, cultural and ethnic groups, and society at large† (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010, p. 5). Learning does not happen in isolation and it is how these various contexts that play out during developmental years that significantly affect his/her experiences in school. To illustrate the impact of context to development a case study is presented in this paper of an eight year old child, Tonya, attending first grade. After a discussion of the student’s classroom behavior, the developmental milestones for her age will be presented. These stages of development will be contextualized with the socio-cultural background of the student. Having created a picture of the circumstances of the student, I will then propose an analysis of the situation of the student drawing from educational development theories. Ethical considerations for the case study will then be discussed, followed by recommendations to improve the schooling and learning outcomes of the student. Tonya literally stood out in her class, not only because she was big for her age, but also because she was older than the rest of the class having been retained in kindergarten. At eight years old, she was attending a first grade class. Tonya was observed to display disruptive behaviors such as bossing and bullying other children, stealing items from others, or talking them into trading their things (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). The teacher received complaints from both students and parents that she was also stealing food from her classmate’s lunchboxes. Tonya’s behavior can be described as atypical for other children of her age, and required serious attention. The period from six to ten years old is often referred to as middle childhood. There is continued differentiation of fine motor skills, although the growth in height and weight slows down and only picks up later on during the adolescent stage. Development of fine motor skills is reflected in illustrations that are â€Å"organized and detailed and include some depth cues† (Berk, 2009, p. 7). Moreover, such developments allowed for wider range of activities in play, sports and household chores. Often, parents start to build responsibility among their children by assigning them chores at home such as cooking, cleaning, and looking after their siblings. Middle childhood is also a period of active neural developments that manifest in increasing integration of cognitive processes. They are learning to read and write, as well as perform basic mathematical computations (i. e. addition and subtraction). In addition, they are beginning to express themselves creatively. There is also a marked improvement in verbal expressions, and are becoming more aware of the concept of rules with peers and parents. Thus, they are learning to grasp the concepts of cause and effect better. The socio-emotional development of children from six to ten years old is marked by development of emotional states in relation to the people around them. This accompanied by an increasing social network of peers and friends. At this stage, children become more aware of pride and guilt, and are more likely to conform to good behavior. Pro-social behaviors are observed when dealing with peers, especially as they learn to build friendships based on trust and assistance. It can be deduced that at this stage, children start to develop their moral compass and respond to others with sensitivity and better judgment. In the case of Tonya discussed above, it is apparent that the socio-emotional milestone expected for her age group was not been met. Instead of displaying pro-social behavior, she is disruptive in class, and clearly is not developing friendships that are based on mutual trust and assistance. She is actually behaving exactly the opposite. In addition, having been retained in Kindergarten may be a good indicator of some cognitive delays as well. However, physically, she has developed as expected, and has the capacities and skills to perform manual tasks for her age. In fact, the report from the teacher emphasized the point that Tonya had to take care of her three-year old brother before going to school. Knowing Tonya’s family background was the key to helping her curb the problematic behavior in school. Her physical development coupled with the responsibilities she had at home required healthy food and supplement, which was not available for her because her mother had lupus, and her step-father was permanently disabled. Children’s experiences within their families are especially important to their health† (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010, p. 149). Tonya was not provided with essential dietary supplement which triggered her decision to steal food from her classmates. Moreover, although she was entitled to free lunches, she was not aware of this, and there was no adult who facilitated the process of availing this service. Tonya’s behavior severely disrupted the possibility of developing friendships. Her reputation made it difficult to gain the trust and respect of her peers. However, the teacher’s intervention helped Tonya discern what was right and wrong. Tonya responded to the intervention positively, and changed tremendously. Because of the situation at home, Tonya lacked a role model and the constant guidance of the parents to help her maximize her potentials, both cognitively and socio-emotionally. The change in Tonya’s behavior and understanding of the consequences of her actions are good indicators of sound judgment and comprehension skills. It is highly plausible that retention in Kindergarten may have been caused by socio-emotional problems, rather than cognitive difficulties. Drawing ideas from prominent educational theorists, Piaget, Vgotsky and Erickson, can be helpful to facilitate learning for Tonya, and hopefully accelerate her so she achieves the proper grade level for her age. Jean Piaget coined the term â€Å"concrete operational stage† for children ages seven to eleven years old. At this stage, children have developed the concept of â€Å"conservation. † â€Å"The child can think logically about very concrete objects, categories and principles† (Coon & Mitterer, 2010, p. 99). Thus, it is essential for the teacher to pay special attention to Tonya’s development of mathematical skills, and its relation to other subjects, such as science. Once she gains mastery, she will gain confidence as well in performing tasks, and this is essential for her to work towards reaching her expected levels. Providing Tonya with hands-on experiences will further facilitate her learning. Judging from the circumstances that surround Tonya, it is highly challenging for her to successfully develop according to the developmental milestones. As explained by Vygotsky’s (1978) zone of proximal development (ZPD), â€Å"human learning presupposes a specific social nature and a process by which children grow into the intellectual life of those around them† (as cited in Slee, 2002, p. 209). One of the contemporary proponents of ZPD, Wood (1988) further outlines the instructional options for mothers of children between four and five years old: â€Å"(i) general verbal encouragement; (ii) specific verbal instruction; (iii) assistance in choosing materials for a task; (iv) preparing materials for assembly in a task; (v) demonstration† (Ibid). With Tonya’s family background, maternal interaction has been limited, and from her early years, she has missed out on the developmental opportunities. Vygotsky’s (1978) ZPD highlights the role of the adult in facilitating the learning of children. Compared to Piaget however, he approaches the development in a more qualitative, rather than quantitative perspective and is more liberal on the expected abilities of the children. It highlights the role of the adult, and in the case study, Tonya’s teacher to provide the guidance that she is not able to acquire in the home. Furthermore, it will require effort in integrating Tonya in the class considering her past behavior towards her classmates. Vygotsky’s (1978) theory emphasizes the role of adults and peers in the learning of the individual. I consider it meaningful to highlight Erickson’s psychosocial theory because Tonya’s case is hinged on her socio-emotional experiences which have serious implications on her psychological state. At her age, the basic conflict as identified by Erickson is â€Å"industry versus inferiority† (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2010, October). School becomes more formalized, and children have to adjust to the new environment while meeting the demands in academics. Competence is achieved through successful attempts, while failure breeds feelings of inferiority. An eight year old joining a first grade class sets the stage for inferiority, and the teacher must be proactive in creating measures to make Tonya feel competent. Encouraging words and positive reinforcement can help her gain confidence and advance academically. At this point, it is highly important to focus on building her confidence first, so she is able to take risks and work further towards building her competencies. The role of the teacher in assisting students like Tonya always stands out. The teacher becomes the architect who shapes the conditions that will benefit the students more. Going back to the teacher’s narration in this case study, it may be observed that the intervention highly suggested by the principal violates the ethical standards set by the National Education Association. The principal’s suggestion of punishment which consisted of a month without recess not only puts the child in danger, but also becomes an additional cause for further disruptive behavior. The teacher though, may have violated the code as well by disclosing the decision of the principal in published material which has the possibility of causing harm to the principal’s profession. However, the teacher made a wise decision about visiting the family, and examining the conditions before taking any action. Doing so allowed her to find better solutions without compromising the health of the student. It is hoped that the teacher did not give her real name so as not to compromise the school and the principal. Although the problem was resolved, there were still administrative matters that she hopefully handled properly, and exercising due confidentiality.Reference http://www.nea.org/home/30442.htm

Media Depiction of Teenagers

Britain, the land of hope and glory, or maybe not. Media today seems to be painting an inept picture of Britain, the land of drugs and ASBO's. Are we really that bad? Can you seriously say that all teenagers are unbelievably badly behaved even when we're not! Sure, we as teenagers are sometimes bad and don't do homework, however, what about the adults who are mercilessly murdering innocent people? Have we simply forgotten about those? I hope not, I think that it's about time we started to remember those few adults and started to weigh the sides against each other. Fact is, whatever way you look at it, people are bad. There are a select few that sit on street corners, drinking vodka and use every swear word that is known to man at old ladies driving past in their little mini's. Yes, but at least we aren't on the M11 speeding at 100 miles per our and totalling three cars every five minutes. Yes, we aren't perfect but neither are these so called adults. So to say that we are all â€Å"little emperors† is that at all fair? No! Of course it isn't. It's only a small percentage of people, namely teenagers, who actually do these hanist crimes. So, stop giving just teenagers a hard time, all the time. Be fair for once and we may, just may, start treating you with the respect you all demand most of the time unfairly. A perfect example of a â€Å"Jeremy Kyle† teenager is a Miss Emily Travell, only fifteen, and pregnant with her second child, a regular in the local boozers and with a reputation not to be shouted about. Not a freshman to the police either, just recently was taken in for indecent exposure, however, I'm sure whenever she isn't drinking, taking unseemly powders, that she is really quite nice. Also there's a saying â€Å"You grow up like those who you're around†, what about that? Yes, ok, using Emily Travell as an example does actually show you what some, not all teenagers, get up to, however, she is only a very small percentage of the population that chooses to act in this appalling way. Most teens are actually really well behaved; they don't commit crime, they don't have underage sex and actually do act like teenagers should. However can you even define what a good teenager is anymore? If you look at most adults they aren't exactly the best role models in the world, so how are we supposed to act? Its confusing; you say act like your parents would; some do and get slated for it. Fact is, that we are teenagers and yes, I agree that neo excuse for anything we do wrong but I'm positive that when you were our age you would have acted the same, maybe you did things in different ways, however it's the same sort of principle. If you are fair in judging us then maybe we could return that small favour? Maybe that rebellious instinct that we are all born with is still there in you adults too? No one is perfect, that is a simple fact of life which won't be changing anytime soon, nor can you really determine what perfect is. Maybe, just maybe, if you were to stop squabbling amongst and actually, shock horror, started to act like adults, then maybe we might start taking you for real as a proper role model, not a fake one. Exams; how on earth would you know that they're getting easier? You're not taking them; we are and let me confirm that in no way, shape or form are they getting easier; quite the opposite really. Sorry and all but when you've been writing for days on end trying to desperately get your coursework done and then your plonked right in front of an hour writing exam, is that not a decent enough reason for us to be annoyed at the adult race who believes it great to get us to do a few tests here and a few more there? Also I would like to see each adult that has a problem with the current GCSE test difficulty to get out of their office and sit them; lets see if you all pass and if your opinion changes. I can bet it will. Frankly, GCSE's seem pointless because they're always changing therefore if were all being fair here, how on earth can you get a consistent reading which you can compare? Without a sure set of results you can't expect people to just take your word for the exams getting easier. Maybe if you stopped changing them every two days then we may just get something to use on a larger scale and from that we can show whether GCSEs are getting harder or as you say, easier. Although I suppose the adults, our parents, have forgotten the general idea that teachers may get better training than that of 1852, yes, they actually do. Remember those taxes you moan about too? That helps for their training to so don't be such a hypocrite. They get at least six, yes, count them, six training days a year. Surely that means that teachers are better qualified? Besides why would you want to mean now? You are never happy, you are grumpy and absolutely kill us however when we actually do something right for once they moan even more! It's a vicious cycle which we can't escape from. You really don't even give us a chance to get better since you don't help, you simply bombard our minds and emotions with rants about pointless things we don't need to hear for the 50th time. That's a great example of us being bitter because you talk too much. At the end of the day, we are trying our best to behave and get good grades, which is incidentally what you want us to do. If you want us to do something else, then simply say. We have no choice but to do it because we live under your roof. All we ask is that you are fair when you judge us because if I'm blunt, you haven't been and truthfully you've just made the situation worsen and made it deeper. At the end of the day when I sit down to watch the BBC news, I expect to see teenagers being unfairly slandered. I can only hope for the day when our children can see a completely different screen.