Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Critique Article - Math for the young child or any math critique Essay
Critique Article - Math for the young child or any math critique article that deals with children - Essay Example There is immense value to the content of the article as it summarizes the results of the four year long researches on developingà theà ââ¬ËBigà Mathà forà Little Kidsââ¬â¢ pre-kindergarten and kindergarten mathematics program. The authors present ââ¬ËBigà Mathà forà Little Kidsââ¬â¢ as theà product of their effort from 1998 to 2002, to develop ââ¬Å"a research-based and developmentally appropriate early childhood mathematics programà forà all pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children.â⬠(Balfanz, Robert. et al, 2003, p. 264). The program consists of an all-inclusive set of sequenced learning activities and the lesson units of this program includes numbers, shapes, patterns and logic, measurement, operations on numbers, and spatial relations. The program, as the authors claim, combines mathematics into the daily routines and other early learning areas of the children such as music, art, movement, reading, writing, and science. It also presents mathematical symbols and words in the most cautious and meaningful ways aiming at the childrenââ¬â¢s lighthearted but purposeful learning of Mathematics. In their article, the authors not only provide the theoretical and research based evidences to the effectiveness of the program, but more significantly the evidences of the practical success of the ââ¬ËBigà Mathà forà Little Kidsââ¬â¢ from their observed results. After introducing the program the ââ¬ËBigà Mathà forà Little Kidsââ¬â¢ in detail, the authors deal with its research base which includes psychological and educational research as well as the design principles. They maintain that every child is capable of learning mathematics at aà youngà age based on their researches. According to the authors, it is important to provide the children with adult guidance along with opportunity for play and they also specify that low-income children should
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
How E-Commerce Has Changed the Way to Do Business Research Paper
How E-Commerce Has Changed the Way to Do Business - Research Paper Example This essay will also give a brief history concerning E-Commerce and also state the advantages and disadvantages of E-Commerce to customers/ businesses. Earlier on, E-Commerce was branded as the facilitation of marketable business electronically by means of technologies like Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). These technologies were introduced early in the 1970s. Technological advancement led to introduction of other systems like automated teller machines (ATM), telephone banking, airline reservation system and credit cards which are also forms of E-Commerce (Reynolds, 2009). In the early 90s, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web which profoundly altered a scholarly telecommunication system to a global communication system named www or the internet (Plant, 2012). In time, many European and American business firms offered their services through the Worldwide Web. Since then, people are much conversant to E-Commerce with the ability to purchase various goods through the internet using electronic payment services and secure protocols. As defined earlier, E-Commerce is the process of buying and selling products and services from the internet, especially the World Wide Web. When retail selling is used, then the term e-tailing can be used. E-Commerce is divided into several categories. They include E-tailing, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), business-to-business transactions, gathering and use of demographic data through Web contacts, E-Mail and fax and the security of business transactions (Plant, 2012). E-Commerce has a number of benefits to customers and other businesses. They include efficient buying and selling procedures as well as an easy way of finding products. Buying and selling of products is not limited. The customers are able to purchase products and get services 24 hours daily. E-Commerce also allows customers to select products from various providers without the need of moving physically from one point to ano ther. This process, therefore, cuts down the rate associated with processing, inventory management, marketing, customer care and information storage (Reynolds, 2009). This in turn, reduces the burden influenced by infrastructure to conduct businesses. This form of business is easier to start and run. Moreover, this invention allows more customers to find products and services without hypothetical geographic boundaries. Lastly, there is no need for physical company setups since the business is run on a network. Since the early 1990s, the internet has tremendously grown as a technologically enthusiastic tool to many corporations. Improvement in technology and other forms of E-Commerce also came in play. There are four principal categories of E-Commerce business models. They are business to consumer (B2C), business to business (B2B), consumer to business (C2B) and consumer to consumer (C2C) (Plant, 2012). In E-Commerce, there are eight unique features that enable this web shopping proc ess run successfully. They are global reach, ubiquity, richness, universal standards, interactivity, personalization and customization and information density (Plant, 2012). Ubiquity is the leading factor in the success of any E-Commerce business. Online stores never close and they are available every time and anytime. Global reach is also essential in ensuring a successful E-Commerce busines
Monday, October 14, 2019
That Was Then This Is Now English Literature Essay
That Was Then This Is Now English Literature Essay Hinton states that she is a private person who is not comfortable talking about her personal life. She has revealed, however, that she enjoys reading (writing, taking classes at the local university, and horseback riding. She currently resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband David Inhofe, aà software engineer,à whom she married in the summer of 1970à after meeting him in her freshman biology class at college.à In August 1983, they became parents to Nicolas David Inhofe, who has worked aà sound effects recordistà on the movieà Ice Age: The Meltdown. Title explanation: The title is That was then , This is now. The title has a lot to do with the content of the book. Mark, Bryon and their friends have much to do with this two times , Then and Now. At the end of the book when Bryon visits Mark in the prison, he uses the words That was then, This is now Place: This story is set inà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦..(place) This story is set in the US The US has about 307,212,123 residents (2009). In the US they use the dollar. The president of the US is the famous Barack Obama. The capital of the US is Washington DC. The US also has a motto ; In god we trust. Time: I cant find where this story takes place , not even on the internet ! The time that is covered in the story isà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.. (one year? two months? one day?). Quote from the book to prove your point The time that is covered in this story is about a half year. In the begin of the story passed about 1 month , than you can find in the book i quote ; From that moment she could not see him for a couple of months.à I think thats about 4 months. Together make 5 months. Thats almost a half year. Main characters: Describe (at least two of) the main characters. The main characters are Mark and Bryon. Mark ( 16 Year) Hes small and compact, with strange golden eyes and hair to match and grin likes a friendly lion. Hes also very strong, stronger then you thought he would be. In the story he had no concept of right and wrong. He thought that he did not have to obey the laws because they were just words written down. Mark doesnt change throughout the story, he is always the same guy. The same thing as for Bryon counts for Mark. But the difference from being a friend of Mark is that I really dont think that I ever could or would have been his friend. Because his behaviour is so different from mine. I think I never would have met him or talked to him in the first place. Bryon ( 16 year) Bryon is a strong guy. He has dark hair and dark eyes. Bryon is a Street-Gangster , he is in difficult times. He comes in contact with Girls , Drugs and Street-Gangs. Bryon is sick of his Gangster life. He will began a hole new life. He became a very clever teenager. Looks Personality Does the character change in the book? if yes: explain how and why!! Plot: Write a summary of no more than 500 words! Mark and Bryon are very good friends. Mark lives next to Bryon, but when the parents of Mark killed each other when they were both very drunk, Mark goes to live at Bryon and his parents. The mother of Bryon is really sick, she is in the hospital. Mark and Bryon have some problems with the money because they must pay the surgeries from the mother of Bryon. Bryon and Mark have some difficult times. They have good friends but also enemies. M M is one of those friends Bryon and Mark. ( They give MM that name because he eats a lot of MMs ). Mark and Bryon have to sell the car because they have money problems. On a night Mark , MM and Bryon goes to a Pub . MM proposes for Cathy to Bryon , Bryon was immediately falling in love. Bryon and Cathy have a good time together. There is a dance where Bryon want to go with Cathy but ha didnt have a car. He asks Charlie if he could borrow his car . Bryon and Cathy go together to the event. They have a great time. At one point they hear there is a serious accident happened. To the great alarm at Bryon there is something wrong with Mark! Curtis, a close friend of Bryon shouts that there is something wrong with Mark. Mark must go to the hospital he has 10 stitches , he was hit by a beer bottle. Some time later Mark completely refreshed. Mark and Bryon are back together and have a desire to play some poo l. They go to the pub (Charlies). There were also a couple of Mexican guys at the pool table. Mark and Bryon losses, but later in the evenin they have more luck and they are winning. The boss of the bar (Charlie) said that the pub was closing. The Mexicans left the pub. But when Bryon and Mark came out there was a gun in their focus. Charlie had a gun and tried to save Bryon and Mark. Mark and Bryon were relieved but saw those hopes go up in smoke, a Mexican with his gun aimed at Charlie he fired and Charlie died instantly. Later, when Cathy, Bryon, Mark, and M M go out M M would assume not go home and walk away from his friends. M Ms friends are worried, there are a few months past. The friends of M M try to find him but they cant. On a day Mark told to Bryon that he knows where M M is. Bryon and Mark go together to the hippie home they see M M. Later they also go with Cathy who can not bear to see her brother so. MM goes bad and Bryon calls an ambulance for him. After that Bryon discovers that Mark is dealing drugs. Mark is in prison. Bryon hate him for ever. Favourite part: Copy ( = type!!) your favourite part/scene from the book. And, more importantly, explain WHY you like it so much. Favourite part ; He laughed then , and his eyes were the golden, hard, flat eyes of a jungle animal. Like a friend once said to me, That was then , this is now. I broke out out in a sweet and was suddenly glad of the walls and the guards and the bars. I think if he could have , Mark would have killed me. This was at the end of the book. I like this part very much because you did not expect this. The good friendship of Bryon and Mark are going broke in this part. Here you get to know that they hate each other. A kind of revelation, always very exciting to read. Essential words: A list of words you really need to know, because they are used a lot. At least 5. Explain their meaning in English Street gang = A street gang is a group of normally young people about sixteen year. They are Often on the street sometimes they make things break or do other things that are not allowed. Drugs = Drugs is a narcotic agent, many people become addicted to drugs. Dollar = A dollar is a coin unit , they use the dollar in the US. Prison = A building where people imprisoned for their crimes. Borrow = temporarily without payment of a slightly different usage and the return. My verdict: Give your opinion on the book. See instructions on how to write a good verdict Introduction : This is my verdict. In the next paragraphs you can read why i like/dont like this book. I hope you enjoy. Paragraph 1 I like this book very much . Its an exciting book , i like that. It is constantly going on , with this book you dont get bored. I read the book very fast . Because its very exciting the hole time. Paragraph 2 The book is quite credible. Something happened in real life, just not very often. In the book they use weapons. In most countries they have a gun ban. But that makes it original. Paragraph 3 I think the book is very original because its not really a happy ending. In the majority of the book is generally well off, thats not the case in this book. Conclusion All my three paragraphs are positive , so thats a easy conclusion I like the book very much . Especially because its a very exciting book. Optional assignment: Choose an assignment from the list. Really making an effort is important hereà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦. Extra assignments Make a drawing (picture)/ collage of the main character. Write down what you think of this person. (at least 100 words) Write an interview with one of the characters in the book (at least 25 open questions, which means that you cannot answer with a simple yes or no; include the answers in your interview) Draw a detailed map of the area in which the story is set. Write a letter to one of the characters in the book, and let the character write a letter back. Write a review for a magazine; use at least 150 words. Make a small site about the book. Draw a comic about a scene from the book, and make sure that you include text!! Think of a different ending for the book and write it. In the style of the book, of course! Write a part of the diary of one of the characters in the book (at least 3 entries!) Make little files on 3 of the characters in the book. A little picture and detailed information should be included. Do you have another suggestion?Tell your teacher How to write a good verdict How to express your opinion about a book. Teachers dont like it when you say you liked the book, because it was niceà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦, or when you say something like: I hated that book, because it was stupid. It may all be true, but we like to hear more from you. It may be difficult to pick out exactly what it was that irritated you, or what kept you reading for hours on end. So here is a list of things that might be helpful to express your likes or dislikes about the book you just read: Think about what actually happened in the book Think about the characters in the book Think about the structure of the book Think about the language that was used in the book Professional critics do roughly the same thing! They come up with arguments about: the structure of the story, the credibility (=geloofwaardigheid) and the ethical (right and wrong) aspects of the book. They talk about whether it is an original, whether it brings about certain emotions, whether the author manages to reach the goals he set himself and finally, they comment on the style used by the author. VERDICT: Write an English essay in which you express your opinion about the book you have read. Your essay should consist of an introduction, 3 paragraphs that give your arguments (supported by examples from the book) and a conclusion. Taken from Metropool, literatuur voor HAVO/VWO bovenbouw, basisboek, published by Wolters Noordhoff Groningen, edited by Corrie Joosten, Elout Roeland, first published in 1999. ISBN 90 01 20565 8
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Aboriginal People of Newfoundland :: American America History
The Aboriginal People of Newfoundland The Beothuk people of Newfoundland were not the very first inhabitants of the island. Thousands of years before their arrival there existed an ancient race, named the Maritime Archaic Indians who lived on the shores of Newfoundland. (Red Ochre Indians, Marshall, 4.) Burial plots and polished stone tools are occasionally discovered near Beothuk remains. Some people speculate that, because of the proximity of the artifacts to the former lands of the Beothuk, the Maritime Archaic Indians and the Beothuk may have been related. It is not certain when the Beothuk arrived on the island. In fact little is actually known about the people, compared to what is known about other amerindian civilisations, only artifacts and stories told by elders tell the historians who these people really were. Some speculate that they travelled from "Labrador to Newfoundland across the strait of Belle Isle, which at one time was only 12 miles wide. By about 200 AD the Beothuk Indians were probably well settled into Newfoundland."(Red Ochre, 8) The Beothuk were not alone on Newfoundland wither. The Dorset Eskimos, who came from Cape Dorset regions of the north around 500 BC also shared the island. They presumably had contact with the Beothuk, exchanging tools or engaging in battle. In any case the Dorset Indians died out leaving Newfoundland empty to the control of the Beothuk people who now had no enemies and a wide vast territory. The Beothuk, although part of the Algonkian family developed their own language and culture. The 400 words that are still known from their language prove their Algonkian heritage. The development of their culture was a great success. The success of the Beothuk people as a whole was in part because of their skills in fishing, hunting and travel. They were the "only amerindian group to navigate on the high seas."(Grabowski lecture Oct 4,`96.) This was because of the construction of their canoes. Normally paddling on the high seas is dangerous, but Beothuk canoes were so designed to with stand high waves and stay accurately on course. The canoes "were made of a frame work of spruce and then covered with birch bark."(Red Ochre, 9) They curved high at the sides and a sharp bottom acted as a keel. The high sides protected as a barrier from wave swamping the boat. Because of hunting expeditions on the Funk islands, 60 kilometres from shore, ocean travel was evident and sea worthiness was essential.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
The Gains and Losses of Educating Rita :: Educating Rita Willy Russell Plays Essays
The Gains and Losses of Educating Rita The purpose of my essay is to explain, in considerable detail, the gains and loses of Educating Rita for it being a two-handed play. The play, ââ¬ËEducating Ritaââ¬â¢, written by Willy Russell is very entertaining, although there are only two characters, hence the reason it is a two-handed play. The grounds on which I found it entertaining is based upon the basic plot outline which consists of Rita, a working-class Liverpool girl, with a hunger for education and Frank, her lecturer, attempts to do just that, but, their relationship changes, they become close. Close in the sense by not sharing your average perception of a student and teacher relationship. They drink and smoke together. This soon changes when Ritaââ¬â¢s knowledge expands with the help of Frank and summer school. Summer school also helps to boost Ritaââ¬â¢s confidence enabling her to socialise with educated people like herself. Rita divorces her husband, Denny, and gets a new flat mate called Trish. Trish has a great influence on Rita until, she discovered, Trish tried to commit suicide. Rita and Frank soon fall out however; Frank still enters her for an exam. This concludes in Rita passing her exam and fulfilling her dream of an education. She soon becomes Frankââ¬â¢s friend again. Other characters, such as Trish and Denny are never seen but talked about. All the scenes, throughout the play, are set in the Open University where Rita is being taught. To help me carry out this essay I watched the film, ââ¬ËEducating Ritaââ¬â¢, in order to identify any gains and losses for the two ââ¬â handed play. After having read the play and seen the movie I am struck by the large number of differences. Many small details have a great impact on how the story can and is being perceived. The movie offers a great deal of background information on events that are relevant to the play. This is an example of a big loss for ââ¬ËEducating Ritaââ¬â¢ being a two-handed play. By seeing the deleted scenes of the play you get a greater understanding of the sequence of events. Being unable to see the deleted scenes may have lead to confusion and misinterpretation resulting in the play not achieving its full potential. The play is much more predictable in the sense that numerous actions will not take place on stage. For example, nothing taking place outside Frank's office can be seen by the audience. All action is unavoidably confined within the office. At the point in the play where Frank invites Rita to his home for dinner the audience are not set up for anything
Friday, October 11, 2019
The Future Economy
Imagine yourself living the dream of being an entrepreneur. You are a business man of the 21st century; you have a popular product that many firms want to purchase. You feel financially secure with your future because of the amount of buyers for your product. Then 5 years go bye, and the once abundant number of firms has dwindled down to a couple of major corporations. You try to think to yourself how did this happen? You then realize that all the little companies that fought for your business, and helped you get the highest capital are gone. They were acquired by or merged with larger firms. You know that when this happens the market gets smaller and there are less people to buy your product. With fewer options of companies to sell your product to, comes a smaller amount of profit for you. Two more years go bye and the market gets more concentrated, the remaining giants can now offer you any price they want. If you choose not to accept it, you donâ⬠t sell your product. Your dreams of being your own boss and selling a quality product for a fair price are fading away. Some people may think that this story couldnâ⬠t happen, but mergers and acquisitions take place everyday in the corporate world. This story that I just told you about is real. Instead of being about business men of the 21st century my article was about the beef cattle farmers of southwestern Wisconsin. The article talks about Virginia-based Smithfield foods, acquired American Foods Group and Packerland Holdings Co. Smithfield is the nationâ⬠s largest pork processor; they have a 20% market share. Besides the two recent acquisitions Smithfield also has ownership of Cudahy-based Patrick Cudahy Inc. As a result of this Smithfield will now be the nationâ⬠s forth-largest beef processor, with a 9% market share. Smithfieldâ⬠s merger is part of an overall consolidation among the nationâ⬠s larger food processors, which includes the companies of the nationâ⬠s beef industry. Wisconsin is known to many people as the dairy state because of our cheese and milk production. While this is true, when the dairy cows get older and there milk production drops they get sold to beef processors. Due to this, Wisconsinâ⬠s number of beef cattle has been increasing. Wisconsin had 1.29 million dairy cows as of July 1, according to the Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service. The state had 260,000 beef cattle, a 2% increase from July 2000. If I had the other three firms information on the market value they have. I could figure out if the market is highly concentrated or somewhat competitive using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index which you showed us in class. Wisconsin beef producers are definitely concerned about the latest news of Smithfieldâ⬠s plans involving Packerland and American Foods. Tom Thieding, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation said, ââ¬Å"Any time in a consolidation, you just lose the marketing and price opportunity.â⬠State Agriculture Secretary Jim Harsdorf also expressed his concern about the consolidation saying ââ¬Å"we need to make sure thereâ⬠s still opportunity and competition out there, or the producers are the ones who are going to see their margins cut.â⬠The nationâ⬠s livestock sector is already highly concentrated, a point that is made repeatedly by farm organizations and others. Serious questions have been raised about vertical and horizontal integration and market power that puts small livestock producers at a disadvantage and puts consumers at risk. The farmers know that the Smithfield acquisitions further concentrate U.S. meatpacking and eliminate an important competitor in the purchase of livestock, very likely resulting in lower prices for producers. Smithfield believes that it must consolidate in order to keep up with other companies and to provide for their customers. But to make a profit the beef and pork processors will be under pressure to pay fair prices to farmers. But the farmers have a very important role in this equation, they supply the product. If the farmers donâ⬠t have an economic incentive to produce, the processors will not be able to deliver to their customers. Smithfieldâ⬠s plan to buy American Foods could be reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice to address the possibility of an antitrust. As we learned in class the antitrust policy tries to promote competition and discourage collusion. But Smithfield believes that American Foods is small enough that the deal wonâ⬠t need regulatory review. The deal with Packerland foods was reviewed and approved by the federal government. Smithfield believes that they are a growing company; they will not approach the size of industry leaders IBP, ConAgra and Excel. To beef producers the debate is not theoretical. Mike Riechers, a cattle farmer in southwestern Wisconsin said he believes the competition among cattle buyers dropped in 1998 after Packerland took over the operations Murco Foods. With Smithfield buying Packerland and American Foods farmers are concerned that competition could drop even further. In conclusion, consolidation is taking many other forms: ââ¬Å"mergers,â⬠ââ¬Å"partnerships,â⬠ââ¬Å"integration,â⬠and similar terms are being used to describe a variety of business arrangements that result in the same final product: fewer people making decisions in agriculture. In many ways, agriculture is just catching up with the rest of the business world, which has been consolidating at a record pace for the past several years. Meanwhile the farmer will become a grower, providing the labor and often some of the capital, but never owning the product as it moves through the food system and never making the major management decisions. Most consumers already put no thought into the financial cost of growing the hay that fed the cow that ends up on your plate.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Research Study on Gender Bias in Education
Gender Biases in Education: Math Nicole S. Tester Bryant University Abstract This research project conducted was to find out whether women were more affected by gender based expectations than men. This was done by giving both young men and young women a simple standardized math test which most likely they had all been taught and exposed to in the past. This particular test was designed to be at or below the performance level of most college students. There was two versions of the test instructions, with one version providing information about men typically outperforming women on the test, and the other version stating the opposite.These instructions were used as a form of deception to prove my hypothesis. My hypothesis was that women would be more affected by this deception than would the men. My results proved otherwise. Results showed there was little difference in the way the women and men performed on these tests on either version. The ANOVA testing showed these clear results. Do es Performance Reflect Success? Gender biases are present in the American culture. Women are put in a stereotype as the one to stay at home cleaning and cooking while men are believed to have to bring home the paychecks. How we live though is not the only area with gender biases.There are biases when it comes to sports, who can do what jobs and even education. Women are believed to be better at the education aspects having to do with words and comprehension while men are believed to be better at numbers or math. In the research world there is much controversy on whether the bias presented is true or not. Researchers have not been able to support this belief or disregard it due to the many conflicting results. A study done with the purpose of determining whether gender expectations still exist in present time, resulted in the idea that more and more genders are becoming equal in education (Jordan 2008).It was found that both sexes are more likely than ever to complete their high scho ol education and even be able to obtain higher degree. The study also showed the gender gap in scores on the National Association of Education Progress becoming more and more narrow over time. Jordan does not refute the idea of gender bias in education but supported the idea that it is diminishing. These two researchers on the other hand, Fisher (2008) and Johnston (2005), have studies supporting their beliefs that gender biases in teaching are simply a myth.Both constructed research to support the idea that neither females nor males perform differently according to gender expectation or that these gender expectations are implemented at all. Fisher more, specifically, researching in math and Johnston in math and education. Chapman (2012) and Goetz (1996) though, both have studies that seem to prove otherwise. Chapman conducted a study, in Canada, which lead to the belief that gender discrepancies in teaching and education focus more positively on females. Chapman believes males are the ones taking losses in education expectancies.Goetz on the other hand, researched and came up with results which led him to believe American educators focus their attention more on males allowing them a positive advantage. After learning so much from previous research it can be accurately inferred that the gender bias in education does exist. A psychologist, Ghandi (2006) stated in his study the truth behind the bias. He used this truth to conduct a study in which he found that women not only believe the bias but are subject to it when they are told they will fail due to their gender.This particular study is what laid down the foundation for my research study. All of the above researchers knew the biased existed and all tried to support it or disprove it. This research project has one purpose; to find out not if gender biases exist but whether women are affected by these gender based expectations more than men. In many colleges and universities women are very comfortable with the ir gender; they are powerful, and successful. There are clubs devoted to womenââ¬â¢s sexuality, success, and even fashion senses.There are awards given to women who have gotten superior grades, been offered great jobs, or are simply a success. Knowing this, what I want to learn is whether these women who are so highly praised and allowed the same success as men are still subjects to gender based expectations, more specifically in learning and education. In my study I will be deceiving the participants into thinking that only women will be successful in this study or to another group I will be saying only men will be successful. The way this will be done is by using simple high school level math tests. Before he test I will be falsely informing half of my participants (equal number of females and males) that only men will pass this test, and then I will repeat this with the other half of my participants but falsely informing them of the opposite. The fact that I will play on women ââ¬â¢s vulnerability will allow me to learn whether these very empowered and successful women will still be so after being told they will fail before even trying. My hypothesis is that these women will be affected by such a statistic and depending on the false statistic they get, they will fulfill it. Methods ParticipantsForty eight undergraduate volunteers (24 males and 24 females) from Bryant University took part in this study. The average age of participants was recorded at 20. 22 years (SD=1. 13). No cultural or ethnic backgrounds were recorded. With help from different psychology professors a general description was given out within psychology classes and volunteers were recruited. To these participants in particular extra credit was allotted. The rest of the participants were recruited through word of mouth and e-mail in which they were once again given a general description of the study and asked whether they would be willing to volunteer.Each participant was tested indivi dually and required approximately 15 minutes to complete study. Materials The study consisted of participants completing a standardized math test, four survey questions, and a deceptive article which can all be found in the appendix. The math test was found in an SAT math test practice site. This math test worked as the channel for the dependent variable (result on the test). The survey questions asked were simply used for collecting information. The questions did not ask sensitive information or anything that would put any participant at risk.Finally, the short article was written by myself and is completely fictional. It falsely informed the participants on information regarding SAT tests and reported false statistics on men outperforming women for half of the studies and the opposite for the other half. This was used as the deception part of the research which inconspicuously provided the participant with the independent variable (whether females or males pass this test) Procedur es Forty eight students were recruited (24 females and 24 males) from Bryant University as the participants of my study.They were all recruited through psychology classes in which Professors gave a brief overview of what my study entailed and from there proceeded to recruit. The participants recruited in such a manner were rewarded with extra credit points in their class. The rest of the participants were recruited through word of mouth and group e-mails. With each participant recruited I have a brief explanation of what the study was comprised of, what it entailed, and more specifically what each participant would have to contribute. Once I recruited all participants which were necessary I began the research itself.At the start of their participation, each participant was handed a consent for in which they were asked to read thoroughly and if they agreed to the terms and conditions they were to sign and date. In the consent form participants were informed of their ability to leave the study at any time, their entitlement to any information and debriefing, on the confidentiality of the study and many more safety factors. To show the validity of the form I signed and dated on the same page each participant did right in front of them.Each participant agreed to the consent form allowing the study to continue. Once the consent form process was finished I would hand each participant the study packet. At this point they were told that each study was to be completed alone. The packet started off with an article which was entirely false and used to deceive each participant. On it there was made up information on the performance of genders on the SAT test throughout the past years. Each participant was informed that they would not be able to continue with the packet if they did not read these instructions.Once the instructions were read each participant could continue to the next section which consisted of the survey questions. These questions were purely used to colle ct data for analysis. Once the second part was completed each participant would continue on to the math portion of this study. The math portion of the test was a high school level standardized math test previously tested by college level participants. Each participant completed the math portion and would come to me to hand it in. when each individual would approach me I made sure to let them know the true nature of the study and informed them of the deceit.It was very important that no participant left the study with the false idea of one gender outperforming the other. I made sure each participant was thoroughly debriefed and had any questions they had answered. Results The data were analyzed using an ANOVA with the alpha level set at . 05. The main effect of gender participation was not significant, ? (1,44)=. 12, p=. 73, ? 2=. 003 and the main effect of gender test taking was not significant, ? (1,44)=. 00, p=1. 0, ? 2=. 00. However, the interaction between the gender participati on and gender test was marginally significant, ? (1,44)=2. 97, p=. 9, ? 2=. 06. Figure 1 shows a cross-over interaction in which the two variables almost perfectly interact. My hypothesis stated that womenââ¬â¢s scores would be more affected by the test gender and the deception then would the menââ¬â¢s. The results of the tests did not vary according to the gender of the participant or gender of the test. My hypothesis was not supported by the above data. There was, however, a notable factor in the results and the fact that they were similar in score for both genders. Discussion No significant main effect for test gender or participant gender occurred in this study.When taking a math test right after reading a deceitful article about the tendency of males or females to outperform the opposite sex, neither genderââ¬â¢s score seemed to be affected. This particular result is not what I predicted in my original hypothesis. Straying away from my belief that women would underperf orm the men once they were deceived into believing they would be outperformed, the results disproved my hypothesis. This outcome is consistent with the research of Fisher (2008) and Johnston (2005) in finding there is no significant gab in the performance of females and males in the subject of math.The results are not consistent though with those findings by Ghandi (2006) a researcher whose findings state that women do poorly on math when they are told their gender is to blame. Some factors which may have led to the inconsistency between my hypothesis and my results can be attributed to the limitation when conducting this research. Being part of such a small university, my research was very limited in the sample size it could use. Three thousand undergraduate students was a small population to choose just forty eight participants from.This also lead to what I believe was a biased sample since each and every participant was also my friend. The fact that the participants had a relatio nship with me could have caused an over performance level which would not usually happen. Some internal validity which should be looked at was the fact that many variables were simply not recorded. These factors include the race and ethnicity of the participant, whether English was their native language, if they understood the deceiving article in the start, and whether they understood every question asked in the math portion.Another internal validity factor is the way in which data was recorded. If this study were to be repeated, observation should definitely be an alternative way of recording data. There was so much happening as I observed each and every participant complete my study. Participants would get frustrated or smile the whole way through. Sometimes they would try to help each other out when I looked the other way or simply just guessed the answers since they did not want to be taking a math test.Using a standardized that does not give anything in return to these partici pants, should not have been my only source of data since it was not the best way to find results. Regardless of the limitations, new studies and research in the field of gender differences in education have resulted with outcomes very similar to mine. Although my hypothesis was not supported, the consistency it has with the studies of Fisher (2008) and Johnston (2005) only come to show that this study will be supporting much research in the psychology world.My results will be one more way to support the idea that there is little or no difference in gender performance in math. In addition to replicating my results, future research might extend the finding by examining other subjects in the world of education. Expanding the testing to be possibly in language, critical thinking, sciences and also math may give a better understanding on whether there is a discrepancy in womenââ¬â¢s performance when they are told they are going to fail. Future research might also want to expand their sample by moving to younger generations in school, possibly in igh school, and older generations in and out of school. By doing so the outcome may result more accurately and allow a better understanding of the prediction. In conclusion, gender performance on standardized math tests do not have a direct link to the subject or the belief that one gender will outperform the other. After testing 48 participants (24 female and 24 male), giving each the same exact standardized math test but deceiving each to think they would outperform or underperform the opposite sex, no gender seemed to truly outperform. Each gender resulted close to equal.The results did not support my hypothesis but it led the way to a new hypothesis and a completely new approach to this study. References Goetz, J. (1996). In Education Expert: Classroom Gender Bias Persists. Cornell Cronicle. Retrieved from http://www. news. cornell. edu/chronicle/96/4. 25. 96/gender. html. Jordan, J (2008) The Myth of Gender Bias in School. Retrieved March 8, 2012. From http://www. parentdish. com/2008/05/20/the-myth-of-gender-bias-in-school/ Fisher, M (2008) Study: No gender differences in math performance. University of Wisconsin-Madison News. Retrieved from http://www. news. wisc. edu/15412Johnston, T (2005) No evidence of innate gender differences in math and science, scholars assert. Stanford University News. Retrieved from http://news. stanford. edu/news/2005/february9/math-020905. html Gandhi, U. (2006) Gender bias in math skills doesnââ¬â¢t add up, scientists say. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www. theglobeandmail. com/news/technology/science/article197902. ece Chapman, A. (2012) Gender bias in education. Research Room. Retrieved from http://www. edchange. org/multicultural/papers/genderbias. html Table 1 Cross over interaction [pic] Appendix Survey questions Male/ Female (circle one)Date of Birth __________ Anticipated graduation year __________ Have you ever taken a standardized test (e xample: SAT) Math questions (standardized test) http://www. majortests. com/sat/problem-solving-test01 1. Of the following, which is greater than ? ? [pic]A. 2/5 [pic]B. 4/7 [pic]C. 4/9 [pic]D. 5/11 [pic]E. 6/13 2. If an object travels at five feet per second, how many feet does it travel in one hour? [pic]A. 30 [pic]B. 300 [pic]C. 720 [pic]D. 1800 [pic]E. 18000 3. What is the average (arithmetic mean) of all the multiples of ten from 10 to 190 inclusive? [pic]A. 90 [pic]B. 95 [pic]C. 100 [pic]D. 105 pic]E. 110 4. A cubical block of metal weighs 6 pounds. How much will another cube of the same metal weigh if its sides are twice as long? [pic]A. 48 [pic]B. 32 [pic]C. 24 [pic]D. 18 [pic]E. 12 5. In a class of 78 students 41 are taking French, 22 are taking German and 9 students are taking both French and German. How many students are not enrolled in either course? [pic]A. 6 [pic]B. 15 [pic]C. 24 [pic]D. 33 [pic]E. 54 6. If f(x) = à ¦(x? ââ¬â 50)à ¦, what is the value of f(-5) ? [pic]A. 75 [pic]B. 25 [pic]C. 0 [pic]D. -25 [pic]E. -75 7. ( v2 ââ¬â v3 )? = [pic]A. 5 ââ¬â 2v6 [pic]B. 5 ââ¬â v6 [pic]C. 1 ââ¬â 2v6 [pic]D. 1 ââ¬â v2 pic]E. 1 8. 230 + 230 + 230 + 230 = [pic]A. 8120 [pic]B. 830 [pic]C. 232 [pic]D. 230 [pic]E. 226 [pic] 9. Amy has to visit towns B and C in any order. The roads connecting these towns with her home are shown on the diagram. How many different routes can she take starting from A and returning to A, going through both B and C (but not more than once through each) and not travelling any road twice on the same trip? [pic]A. 10 [pic]B. 8 [pic]C. 6 [pic]D. 4 [pic]E. 2 [pic] 10. In the figure above AD = 4, AB = 3 and CD = 9. What is the area of triangle AEC ? [pic]A. 18 [pic]B. 13. 5 [pic]C. 9 [pic]D. 4. 5 [pic]E. 3
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