Research Topics: Education Issues

Successful Recruitment And Selection Process At Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Introduction Being accepted in a job is a great accomplishment for a person. It entails the combination of a good personality and a well established recruitment practice. People have different kinds of jobs; it may be office based, people based or more on field duty. Hong Kong Polytechnic University is a well known University with a rich heritage and history. The University offers a wide range of courses. These courses make sure that it meets industrial, commercial and community needs. Aside from education, the University offers consultancy, professional training and research services. This is done to make sure that the firm has a good relationship with the business and industrial sectors.  The school aims to make sure that its students will have professional competency. Through competency the students wile learn to be independent minded and be good communicators. As part of being competent the school wants to make sure that the students will have a global outlook.  In teaching the students, the University makes use of credit based system. In such system, the students are allowed to alter the pace of their study through choosing the subjects they believe are appropriate for them at the moment. Graduates of the university have created their own niche in different private and public institutions. The graduates have learned much from the university and have promised to share their expertise so that Hong Kong’s economy will continue to thrive.  This paper describes the job position and the roles of the writer in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.  This paper will also reflect on the successful recruitment and selection process the writer has experienced.    The job position and role Over the years, the term job design has been used interchangeably with terms such as task design and work design. In general, this usage is usually meant to convey an approach to structuring the individuals’ jobs so as to optimize such organizational outcomes as efficiency, quality, and productivity with such individual outcomes as satisfaction, motivation, and personal growth. Job design includes job enrichment, job enlargement, job characteristics models, and social information processing perspective (Sternberg & Zhang 2001). A job is regarded as a formal set of task elements influenced by an organization’s prime beneficiaries. Roles include both formal and emergent task elements. An emergent task element may eventually evolve into a formal task element if there is consensus among members of a role set that the element is necessary or if the prime beneficiaries decide that the task should be formally established for all job incumbents. It is the motivational basis of job design that gives the topic its essential identity and focus. The goal of some approaches has been to learn how to design jobs so as to improve motivation. Regardless of how it is cloaked, the basic thrust of most job design theory and research has rested on the premise that job design and motivation are linked. The implicit belief that has guided this work has been that the design of jobs can be altered so as to motivate job incumbents to work harder, do higher quality work, do more work, and be more satisfied as a result of having worked. The task demands and pressures of a job shape a person’s adaptive orientation. Personal jobs, such as counseling and personnel administration that require the establishment of personal relationships and effective communication with other people demand a diverging learning style (Greenberg 1994). My position is Assistant Officer in The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. My roles include providing administrative support to postgraduate programs offered by the school whether such program is in Hong Kong or in the Chinese mainland. With the role of providing administrative support I can reach out to related student activities, research matters and central exercises. In connection with this role is my role of assisting in general office administration. My other role is to provide secretarial service to committees and meetings. Another role is to engage in the planning, coordination and implementation of promotional and marketing activities. Moreover a role of mine is to assist in the planning and co-ordination of visits and events permitted by the school. A role that I play is to serve as a bridge between the University’s internal departments and external organizations. Lastly my role is to perform other duties that will be given to me by the Director, the School Secretary or any of their delegates. The roles that I have contribute to my personal and professional growth.  The roles that I have contribute well to the goals of the school. It makes sure that the school will run effectively and efficiently. My roles also help in increasing the skills that I had. The roles hone my skills and knowledge about the schools. The roles give me the opportunity to understand how the school works and how I fit in the whole school system. Furthermore the roles that I have make sure that I can have a better relationship with people. In my roles I am able to communicate with various people. In communicating with them I get to understand them better and thus have a better relationship with them.      Key elements in the selection and recruitment process Recruitment process Perhaps because descriptive recruitment research has been very limited in recent years, there has been little discussion of why recruitment practices so often fall short of applicant expectations. Nevertheless, it is important to examine this question so that appropriate remedies might be constructed. One reason experiences fall short of expectations lies in the sometimes naive nature of those expectations. For example, the typical applicant wants organizations to make early contact, but not at the expense of meaningful feedback about employment chances or detailed information about what vacancies will look like 6 months down the road (Farr, Schuler & Smith 1993). Similarly, the ideal recruitment program should be quick in reaching its own decisions, but slow in demanding the applicant’s. One of the more obvious sources of divergence between applicants’ expectations and organizational behaviors is that applicant and organizational objectives do not always coincide. For example, although applicants may want feedback that permits early elimination of low-probability alternatives, organizations may not want to discourage second choices before receiving answers from their firsts (Farr, Schuler & Smith 1993).  Similarly, although applicants may want maximal time to feel comfortable with their job choices, organizations may need to press for decisions so as not to lose other candidates. Nevertheless, conflicting objectives seem inadequate to explain the substantial number of cases where applicants are kept dangling for months with no feedback, or those where recruiters come off not just as ineffective but as hostile, arrogant, embarrassing, or worse. Despite a considerable literature on how recruitment might be improved, actual recruitment practices have been rather impervious to recommendations arising from research and theory: no surveys, experiments, or utility models have had a noticeable impact on practice. In a world of scarce resources and competing demands, it seems unlikely that most recruitment programs will make significant strides toward greater effectiveness until applicants become increasingly scarce and recruiting base rates plunge below a satisfactory level. Many of the attraction and public relations failures of recruitment result from inadequate attention to program administration (Arthur 2001). Successful recruiting efforts require effective participation from many individuals, not just from recruitment support staff. And yet the vast majority of individuals who are counted on to impress applicants have never been trained to do so, have never been consulted about how to sell jobs or generate applicants, and receive no feedback on how well they do at any of the tasks surrounding recruitment and selection. A well-managed recruitment process would commence at a carefully chosen time that takes into account the organizations unique costs and benefits of early versus late entry into the market (Pollitt 2004). Performance would be evaluated on substantive as well as procedural bases through monitoring of applicant impressions; line manager opinions, job offer and acceptance rates, and post hire success of a recruiter’s referrals. Hiring managers and administrative staff would also be trained to appreciate the applicant’s perspective to understand the importance of providing timely information, exercising flexibility in scheduling, and ensuring prompt follow-up. Where applicant expectations cannot be met prompt explanations would be offered and compensatory actions taken to minimize negative fallout. All organizational representatives throughout the process would be mindful of the fact that even rejected applicants can have an impact on the company through their roles as future consumers, and as storytellers to other applicants and consumers (Denton 1992). I came to know of the job through referral from my previous job. The qualifications for the job includes a recognized degree from the applicant; several years of relevant post-qualification experience; an excellent command of written and spoken English and Chinese; good computer literacy and good communication and interpersonal skills After analyzing the qualifications for the position, I then applied to the University’s HR department. After the qualifications and other information have been analyzed by the university’s HR group, I was then contacted by the HR group of the University for the Initial Interview.  The initial interview focused on knowing me at an initial level.  The interview was done in a small room. It was one on one interview with the HR group of the University. A member of the HR group first read my Resume and asked questions about my credentials.  She asked about my former occupation, my former school and why would I want to join the University. She also asked situational questions. This type of questions focused on giving difficult situation and what would I do to surpass such situation. The next part of the recruitment process includes the selection of probable employees.   Selection process The traditional selection process often doesn’t do the job because it is based on emotional attraction rather than an assessment of the traits and characteristics that actually predict performance. One of the problems with the traditional hiring process is that while interviewing candidates, technical managers typically focus their questions and conversations on the areas in which they are most comfortable, which is technical expertise. So they focus on assessing technical skills, and if candidates are technically strong they will think that they are excellent candidates (Zwell 2000). Unfortunately, it isn’t necessarily so. Another common problem with the selection process is that hiring managers often begin the hiring process saying that a particular technical skill, background, or work experience is a requirement for the job. They are steadfast in their insistence on the importance of the skill, background, or experience, and rule out candidates who do not have it. Then one of two things frequently happens: Either someone is hired who has the skill or background but lacks the competency to do the job well, or at some point the hiring managers hire someone they were referred to who fits none of the technical and experience criteria but who they believe is a really good guy (Zwell 2000). In other words, they abandon the technical criteria and hire a seemingly competent person, dumbfounding all the HR resources that have been dedicated to finding a highly competent person in the first place. To hire the best person for each and every job in the organization, one needs a comprehensive program to attract, select, hire, and retain top quality employees (Barrett 1998). Managers need to be educated and influenced so that they understand the need for and the benefits of a rigorous selection process. They need to be educated and trained so that they understand the process and can use it to improve the quality of their hiring decisions. They need to become advocates for the process so that they will obtain the cooperation of their interview teams to put in the time and effort to contribute their talents to the assessment process. Orienting hiring managers includes explaining the importance of behavioral competencies; the nature and benefits of competency-based selection; the proposed steps in the hiring process; the role of the interview team; and the options and choices available to hiring managers in each step of the process (Barrett 1998). The selection process of Hong Kong Polytechnic University used interactive means wherein I was put in varying degrees of interview with the members of the organization. The hr team of the university asked various types of questions and I was given considerable time to provide answer to the questions. The hr team made sure that there would be minimal pressure for me and the other applicants. The questions of the HR team of PCCW aimed on understanding further my background particularly my educational achievements, my former employers, and other personal information.  The other questions of the HR team focused on determining how do I work, my work ethic, how will I relate with all kinds of individuals in the organization, how will I survive a stressful event and how will I handle various situations in the company.  The hr team adjusted to every type of answer I gave.   Steps in the selection process In the selection process four steps are used by university.  The first step includes comparing the similar traits the current company’s employees have. In doing this the organization gains knowledge of which trait they will deem as the most important requirement for the applicants. The company gathered data about their productive employees and they singled out the trait that unifies them, the company then checked if the applicants have such trait. The university had a tally of all traits of their best employees and then they cross referenced of the applicant. The second step includes the use of proven handwritten or computerized tests to determine which among the applicants have the best chance to perform well in the organization.  The handwritten or computerized tests concentrated on determining the human skills of the participants and it determined the best traits of the participants. The third step includes the interview with high ranking members of the university. This is done to determine how the applicant would maintain their composure amidst the pressure from high ranking members of the organization. The questions in the third step are harder than the other interviews since this is the final interview and it is a factor in making hiring decisions. The last step is the analysis of all data acquired. In this step the members of the hr group of the university is on the process of determining which applicant fits the position.  In this step the applicants were analyzed to see which fits well the available position and which applicant have the trait needed by the university. I was able to pass all parts of the selection process and was able to impress the interviewers.   Effectiveness of such recruitment and selection process Research indicates that recruitment and selection practices influence applicant reactions and recruitment outcomes. For example, recruiters who are perceived by job applicants to be informative and knowledgeable, as well as warm, personable, and friendly, have been found to elicit more positive reaction. Emotions have an important role to play in understanding how recruitment and selection practices influence job applicants’ attitudes and behavior (Williams 1995). Recruitment and selection procedures can be designed to elicit certain emotions, and these emotions may at least partially mediate the impact of recruitment and selection on pre- and post entry attitudes and behavior. This also means that emotions can be stimulated during anticipatory socialization, thereby paving the way for post entry socialization. Strategies for personnel, recruitment and selection, compensation and classification, labor relations, training, health benefits, and health promotion must begin to focus on the issue of balance rather than focus on specific requests from within the organizations. This is not a statement of indifference or insubordination; rather, it is a statement that strongly suggests that HR professionals stop discounting their own gifts and their own focus as they hear requests from organizations for strategies to respond to issues from within the organization (Garcia & Kleiner 2001). Currently the area of recruitment and selection focuses on getting employees on board in an organization to meet the specific needs of the organization in a specified job. Where organizations are heavily regulated, rules of fairness and equity are frameworks that structure how the organization recruits and selects individuals for the position through some selection criteria. These has the earmarks of being successful unless the organizational leadership is more focused on getting the person that matches their own style, thereby potentially thwarting a fair and equitable process in the recruitment and selection cycle (Sisson & Storey 2000). Often, organizational leaders need a strong, committed HR director to tell it realistically that it should be fair and equitable. Each and every time a director or staff member violates tenets of the discipline, the effectual empowerment of the field of human resources and the employees dissipates. Recruitment and selection also encompass testing and validation as critical to the appearance of equity. Unfortunately, all tests focus on balancing the tasks of the position with the creation of items for assessing an applicant’s ability to perform the tasks. Issues of adverse impact, fairness, and closeness of the item on the test to the actual issues of the job are always at question. HR departments continually look for strategies to make the tests fairer, focusing on even tighter closeness of the item to the work performed. In virtually every area, the question of reality is challenged. Organizations make decisions around the tests based on the compliance and litigation success of the firms offering excellent tests (Sisson & Storey 2000). The blended-skills process for recruitment and selection suggests that recruitment and selection become a value-laden process focusing on blending individuals with skills that mirror the values of organizations rather than specific skills that meet jobs. Most managers will state that they can train an employee to perform specific roles; what they cannot instill in employees are the values that drive the organization and the heart that dictates congruence with those organizational values (Kanfer, Klimoski & Lord 2002). Often, HR professionals state that they are generalists when, in actuality, they have prepared themselves to become specialists in compensation, recruitment and selection, training and organizational development, employee relations, and labor relations. Central to this change has been a two tiered process of creating generalists: HR professionals with skills in all the areas and experts who serve as collaborators to the staff of human resources with specialties in each area. The team managers were selected because they were experts in the disciplines of human resources with the skills to function effectively as team leaders with a generalist mind-set (Kanfer, Klimoski & Lord 2002). Referral type of recruitment helped well in my case and application for the job. Referral gave me an edge over the other applicants. This type of recruitment makes sure that the applicant has been tried and tested by other firms. The selection procedure of the university focused on knowing me thoroughly and identifying desirable attitude that I have.  The selection procedure carefully dissected me as an applicant and then analyzed my qualities that set me apart from the others.  The selection procedure was aligned with the purpose of the selection process. The selection procedure used communication techniques ranging from personal communication to the use of advanced selection technologies such as interactive and automated communication systems. Conclusion My position is Assistant Officer in The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. My roles include providing administrative support to postgraduate programs offered by the school whether such program is in Hong Kong or in the Chinese mainland. Another role is to engage in the planning, coordination and implementation of promotional and marketing activities.  I came to know of the job through referral from my previous job. After the qualifications and other information have been analyzed by the university’s HR group, I was then contacted by the HR group of the University for the Initial Interview. Referral type of recruitment helped well in my case and application for the job. Referral gave me an edge over the other applicants. The hr team of the university gave various types of questions and I was given considerable time to provide answer to the questions. The hr team made sure that there was minimal pressure given me. The questions of the HR team of PCCW focused on knowing my background particularly on my educational achievements, my former employers, and other personal information. The selection procedure of the university focused on knowing me thoroughly and identifying desirable attitude that I have.  The selection procedure carefully dissected me as an applicant and then analyzed my qualities that set me apart from the others.  Being in an Assistant officer is not an easy position, having that position requires a lot of responsibility. I have to make sure that the University operates well and someone can coordinate with internal and external forces. In this job I have to make sure that I meet the standards set by my superiors.   References Arthur, D 2001, The employee recruitment and retention handbook, AMACOM, New York.   Barrett, RS 1998, Challenging the myths of fair employment practices, Quorum Books, Westport, CT.   Denton, D 1992, Recruitment, retention, and employee relations: Field-tested strategies for the ’90s, Quorum Books, Westport, CT.   Farr, JL, Schuler, H & Smith, M (eds.) 1993, Personnel selection and assessment: Individual and organizational perspectives, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ.   Garcia, BL & Kleiner, BH 2001,’How to hire employees effectively’, Management Research News, vol. 24, no. 6, p. 37.   Greenberg, J (ed.) 1994, Organizational behavior: The state of the science, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ.   Kanfer, R, Klimoski, RJ & Lord, RG (eds.) 2002, Emotions in the workplace: Understanding the structure and role of emotions in organizational behavior, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.   Pollitt, D 2004, ‘Recruiting for success: Challenges and solutions’, Human Resource Management International Digest, vol. 12, no. 7, p.26.   Sisson, K & Storey, J 2000, The realities of human resource management: Managing the employment relationship, Open University Press, Philadelphia.   Sternberg, RJ & Zhang, L (eds.) 2001, Perspectives on thinking, learning and cognitive styles, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ.   Williams, LC 1995, Human resources in a changing society: Balancing compliance and development, Quorum Books, Westport, CT.   Zwell, M 2000, Creating a culture of competence, Wiley, New York. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Successful Recruitment And Selection Process At Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Introduction Being accepted in a job is a great accomplishment for a person. It entails the combination of a good personality and a well...

Teenage pregnancy and its effect on female student’s performance

TEENAGE PREGNANCY AND ITS EFFECT TO FEMALE STUDENTS PERFORMANCE             A teenage student would not want to be pregnant in this stage of life but sometimes it happened due to their own personal reasons. In many countries where students and parents do not have much family ties and children are engage so much to peer pressure and exploitation. In this stage of their life they tend to pro create and wander about what seems to be unknown and basically leads to many vices especially girls who have experience drugs, alcoholism, smoking and basically young relationship that leads to early pregnancy.       Unknowingly early pregnancy is a worldwide problem especially among students, sometimes it is a personal choice, sometimes it is a result of abuse, and sometimes these children rebel against their parents that leads to early sexual relationship and therefore pregnancy, but most of the time students are not aware of the implication that it may bring anxiety and hopelessness inside school and at home especially when they have no one to go on to. In Kristine’s case she was deeply in love with his boyfriend when she was 15 years of age she felt like nobody has given her the importance in life and she was indeed happy when she was with him.       Until finally unexpected thing happen when she was 16 she got pregnant, it was in his fourth year high school grade when his boyfriend has gone out and nowhere to be found. Kristine was very frightened that she began to quit school. And when his parents found out she was cursed to live alone she began to look for work in a restaurant but later discharge when the employer found out that she was pregnant, her classmate wouldn’t let her live with them and when she experience hardship she committed suicide. This is an actual scene that can happen in a student who has experience early pregnancy in life.       A teenage pregnant student may experience anxiety and hopelessness due to the fact that they cannot support themselves a 14 or 16 year old high school girls are usually dependent from their parents and may have a hard time feeling of guilt and conscience that they may not be able to focus on her study. In the case of Cheryl she lost his friends and experience shame inside school when she got pregnant some student have discriminated her but she still remains in silence and solitude. There are also times that she would cry in school because she has become a daily victim of gossip, until finally when she gave birth, she decided to quit school and lost her social life since she will be the one to take care of her children still she wanted to go to school but she couldn’t.       Unbelievably in Fraser High School in Memphis there are 90 simultaneous experiences of student’s early pregnancy that is about 11 percent of their high school class and this dire eventuality has definitely alarmed the school to change their position to reform school and focus on moral values and sex education to inform the students about the responsibility of this cases and why things have been happening in this institution and other programs to bring together the parents, teachers and students about the problem. The social welfare division in the city of Memphis has also distinguishes their needs to extend help to student who have experience this kind of problem.  Some of these students still striving high school while some have given birth and already quit school. Teacher have been blaming the media and technology about the problems but some parents have focused on the lack of academic reforms but none have given then the real direction to reduce problems but this programs can give a benefit of the doubt that future students will never face or will eliminate such problems that degrade their school to prove that their school is focused on the quality of education which is their goal. It is expected that these students will experience hardship and will struggle in learning that they are feared of non attendance and non performance, no projects, no thesis in school and they does. Some have even revoked their initiative to continue schooling.       The Students themselves must be responsible about the condition that they have created. The role of parents and guardians can play a big part in teaching their children about their responsibility and their character development although schools themselves are the institution that should manifest in the students personality, sometimes the confidence and trust that focused on the material and luxury of life and needs of the students are sometimes transcribed as more important that they have forgotten to inculcate the value of the children which is more important.                     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Teenage pregnancy and its effect on female student’s performance

TEENAGE PREGNANCY AND ITS EFFECT TO FEMALE STUDENTS PERFORMANCE A teenage student would not want to be pregnant in this stage o...

Self-review versus review center; A Perceptual Analysis

Self-review versus review center; A Perceptual Analysis   There is no right or wrong in choosing to follow a self-review or going to a review center.  The choice is entirely personal and depends on what you think will be effective to help you study.  Finances is also another consideration which factors into the decision between self-review or a review center.  Examining the pros and cons of each would be a good way to decide if either or is suitable to your needs.  The ultimate decision is yours. Review centers cost money.  This depends on the type of review center and where it is located.  Generally review centers in the city cost more than those in suburban locations.   If one decides to attend a review center outside of their place of residence, then they would need to tack on the cost of dormitories or boarding houses, transportation, food, and other living expenses on top of the cost for the basic review fees.  Another consideration about joining a review center is convenience and practicality.  If the review center is located far away, you could be away from your family for more than 6 months.  Hence emotional anxiety may affect your studying.  Choosing a review center closer to home will reduce the worries and stress of finances and emotions. Review centers also work on a set schedule.  This can be awkward for fixing schedules as the times for the review centers are usually not flexible.  There are also rules which students are expected to abide by at these centers.  Oftentimes it may feel a wee bit too structured.  The school setting may also feel strange during vacation months.   Quality instruction and good guidance are two bonuses to be had at review centers.  The review leaders are knowledgeable about the type of tests that will be administered and thereby pattern the reviews to learn the skills so their students will excel at the exams.  Some of the skills which will be honed at the review centers include problem-solving techniques, critical thinking skills, and answering strategies.   Some centers may even be able to customize the program according to the students needs. Self-study is more cost-effective.  You will not have any expenses for fees, transportation and other costs which you will encounter if you decide to attend a review center.  You have the luxury of studying at your own time and at your pace.  There is no pressure to choose a review center.  And you will not have any emotional anxieties to further worry you which may detract from your attention on studying. However, self-study demands discipline.  You have to have discipline to manage your time to allot to studying.  Confidence is also necessary.  You need confidence to admit if you need more help or if you think you have studied sufficiently.  Resourcefulness is also imperative.  You need to be able to manage finding other sources if you need to supplement your study material. Each and every one of us has our own style of studying.  However there are guidelines suggested for self-study.  The following is from Howard Richman’s 11free study tips (http://www.soundfeelings.com/free/studying.htm, retrieved 30 April, 2011.): “1 Study in Short, Frequent Sessions. It has been proven that short bursts of concentration repeated frequently are much more effective than one long session. So, even if you only have 10 minutes, DO IT. Take a break. Then study another 10 minutes. This “distributed learning” approach is highly efficient because it honors the way the brain likes to work. The brain needs recovery and recharging time for “protein synthesis.” The rest periods are when your brain assimilates your effort. They are a powerful tool which many teachers do not acknowledge. To sit and study for hours and hours is not only boring; it creates fatigue, stress, and distraction. You cannot learn if you are fatigued, stressed, and distracted! 2 Take Guilt-Free Days of Rest. This follows the same principle as above, but on a longer, daily time cycle. The reason for resting is to refresh oneself. However, if you feel guilty (“I really should be studying”) then your precious rest period has been used to create more stress. The brain will not absorb new data if it is stressed. On days off from studying, really enjoy yourself and do not feel bad about not studying. 3 Honor Your Emotional State. Do not study if you are tired, angry, distracted, or in a hurry. When the brain is relaxed, it is like a sponge and it naturally absorbs data without effort. If you are emotionally stressed, your brain literally repels data. Forcing yourself to sit and study when your mind is on other things is a complete waste of time! 4 Review the Same Day. When you learn something new, try to go over the points the same day. If you wait a few days and then make efforts to review the material, it will seem much less familiar. However, a quick review later in the day will tend to cement the information into your brain so that the next “official” study session; you will recognize it and it will seem easy. 5 Observe the Natural Learning Sequence. Think of the activities you did when you were in nursery school. Using your whole arm, you probably performed the song that goes: “Put your right hand in, Put your right hand out.” Then, in kindergarten, using your hand, you might have been asked to draw lines or circles with crayons. Later, in first grade, now holding the pencil with your fingers, you drew smaller lines and circles to create letters. Believe it or not, this natural learning sequence, moving from large to small, coarse to fine, still remains effective even though we are now older. When you study, if you try first to grasp the big picture and then fill in the details, you often have a more likely chance of success. 6 Use Exaggeration. Why does a baseball batter warm up by swinging two or three bats? Why do runners sometimes strap lead weights to their legs? In both cases, exaggeration during practice makes the final result seem easy. This concept can be applied to studying anything. For example, if you are studying spelling, exaggerate the sound of the letters to help to remember them. So for studying purposes, “naive” would be pronounced “NAY -IVY.” By getting used to this exaggerated pronunciation, the correct spelling seems obvious. 7 Prepare Your Study Environment. If you require certain elements in your environment to help you study, try to always make these a priority. For example, do you need special lighting, silence, music, privacy, available snacks, etc.? Pay attention to what works for you and repeat it each time you study for best success. 8 Respect “Brain Fade.” It is normal for the brain to have an attrition rate and to forget things. This does not mean that you are stupid! Instead of getting mad about this fact, you should expect it and deal with it accordingly. See your brain as depositing layers of knowledge. As you place more information on top, the lower levels become older and less available to your immediate recall. The trick here is simply to review. Since we can anticipate the eventual fading of our memory, creating a review aspect to our study session will solve the problem. Once every two or three study sessions, simply review older material that you will still need to remember. Often, a quick overview is sufficient. Sometimes, a complete detailed study session of the older material is required. “Brain fade” is completely normal. (Unless you are gifted with a photographic memory, which is extremely rare.) 9 Create a Study Routine. Generally, if you schedule certain times of the day to study, you will get into a routine and accomplish more. If you just “fit it in” during your day, chances are that there will never be any time. An effective way to do this is to literally mark it down in your datebook calendar as if you have an appointment, like going to the doctor. For example: “Tuesday 3-4:30 P.M. — Study.” 10 Set Reasonable Goals. One of the main reasons people do not reach their goals is because they set them too high. If you set goals that are manageable, even if they seem too simple, you get in the habit of accomplishing them and gradually you can set higher goals. Also, recognize the difference between long-term and short-term goals. Set your vision on the long-term dream, but your day-to-day activity should be focused exclusively on the short-term, enabling steps. 11 Avoid the Frustration Enemy. Ironically, the quicker the person’s nervous system, the faster they learn. Yet, this fast nervous system also works overtime in being self-critical. So they are the ones who always think they aren’t going fast enough! In contrast, the “Type B,” less intense person who learns slower yet is more self-accepting, ends up ultimately learning the material in a shorter period of time. This is because he/she doesn’t waste energy blocking, getting upset, and thinking that they’re not good enough — they simply keep moving forward at a slower (but un-blocked) pace.” Self-study, review center, a combination of both perhaps- this is your decision as the student to make.  No one can make the decision for you on what will be effective to your review sessions.    Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Self-review versus review center; A Perceptual Analysis

Self-review versus review center; A Perceptual Analysis There is no right or wrong in choosing to follow a self-review or g...

EFFECTS OF TEACHER, CURRICULUM AND STUDY HABITS BASED FACTORS ON PERFORMANCE IN FURTHER MATHEMATICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

EFFECTS OF TEACHER, CURRICULUM AND STUDY HABITS BASED FACTORS 	ON PERFORMANCE IN FURTHER MATHEMATICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS   	 	Concerns regarding the low math achievements have been an issue with school 	personnel and have been the subject of many write-ups in journal articles, 	conference presentations, popular press and reports by official 	governments.  Actions to improve these scores have been put in place 	by a) writing or rewriting standards, b) 	“ratcheting up” current standards, c) building accountability systems that 	include all students, d) developing programmatic interventions, e) extending 	the school year, and f) implementing effective instructional management 	systems. Research on teaching has linked instructional environment and 	achievement.  (Spicuzza, Richard et al. 2001) 	 	In a 	study of the perceptions of students and teachers on the causes of poor 	academic performance among secondary school students in Ogun State, Nigeria, 	 	 	Responses of teachers showed that teachers’ qualification and students’ 	environment do not influence students’ poor performance but teachers’ 	methods of teaching influence poor academic performance. Students’ response 	on the other hand showed that while teachers’ qualification and students’ 	environment influence students’ poor performance, teachers’ method of 	teaching and learning materials do not. (Askihia, O.A.  229.) 	 	Study 	habit, skill, and attitude inventories and constructs were found to rival 	standardized tests and previous grades as predictors of academic 	performance, yielding substantial incremental validity in predicting 	academic performanc3.  Study  motivation and study skills exhibit the 	strongest relationships with both grade point average (GPA) and grades in 	individual classes.  (Crede, Marcus.  2008)  	 	Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an 	international assessment of mathematics and science learning in eight 	graders, conducted on a 4-year cycle by the International Association for 	the Evaluation of International Achievement (IEA), in collaboration with 	Statistics Canada and the Educational Testing Service and participating 	countries.  (Else-Quest, Nicole M.  et al. 104.)  	Curriculum, 	measurement, and education experts from around the world worked together to 	create the assessment frameworks, item pools, and questionnaires. TIMSS is 	based on the curricula of schools around the world, and is organized to 	investigate how students are provided educational opportunities, and the 	factors that influence how students make use of these opportunities. Having 	its basis in the curricula of schools around the world, TIMSS intends to 	investigate three levels: the intended curriculum; the implemented 	curriculum; and the achieved curriculum. The intended curriculum is defined 	as the mathematics and science that societies intend for students to learn 	and how education systems are organized to meet this demand; the implemented 	curriculum is what is actually taught in classrooms, who teaches it, and how 	it is taught; the achieved curriculum is what students have learned. The 	various questionnaires seek information on the intended and implemented 	curriculum; the assessment seeks to ascertain what students know.  (TIMSS.  	Wikipedia.) 	 	 	The next set of TIMSS is being administered between February 2009 and May 	2010.  The participating countries are as follows for the 2011 testing:  	More than 60 educational systems participate. These include:  Armenia, 	Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium (Flemish 	Community), Botswana, Canada (Alberta, Ontario and Qúebec), Chile, Chinese 	Taipei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, Georgia, Germany, 	Ghana, Honduras, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, 	Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, 	Malaysia, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern 	Ireland, Norway, Oman, Palestinian National Authority, Poland, Portugal, 	Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovak 	Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, 	United Arab Emirates (also Abu Dhabi and Dubai as benchmarking systems), 	United States, Yemen.  (TIMMS 2011.  Trends in International Mathematics and 	Science Study 2011.) 	 	 	From the data collected by the USA on their TIMMS results for 2007, the 	conclusions were as follows for 4th and 8th grades 	(Overview and Key Findings Across Grade Levels.  National Center for 	Education Statistics 5):   	Achievement- 4th 	Grade 	·        	Among the 26 	participating nations at this grade level, U.S. students scored above the 	international average in mathematics, and were outperformed by 7 countries. 	·        	In science, U.S. 	students were outperformed by one country, Korea. 	·        	In 	mathematics,U.S. students’ performance exceeded the international average in 	Whole Numbers; Fractions and Proportionality; Data Representation, Analysis 	and Probability; Geometry; and Patterns, Relations and Functions. Our 	students were below the international average in Measurement, Estimation, 	and Number Sense. 	·        	In science,U.S. 	fourth-grade students were outperformed by one or two other nations in Earth 	Science; Life Science; and Environmental Issues and the Nature of Science. 	In Physical Science, U.S. students were outperformed by 5 other nations. 	·        	If an 	international talent search were to select the top 10 percent of all fourth 	graders, 9 percent of U.S. fourth graders would be included in mathematics, 	and 16 percent would be included in science. 	Achievement- 8th 	Grade 	·        	U.S. students 	scored below the 	international average of 	41 nations in mathematics . 	·        	U.S. students 	scored above the 	international average in 	science. 	·        	In mathematics, 	U.S. students 	scored at about the 	international average in Data Representation, Analysis and Probability; 	Algebra; and Fractions and Number Sense; and below the international average 	in Geometry; Measurement; and Proportionality. 	·        	In science, U.S. 	students scored 	above the international 	average in 	Earth Science; Life 	Science; and Environmental Issues and the 	Nature of Science. They 	scored at the international average in Chemistry and in Physics. 	·        	If an 	international talent search were to select the top 10 percent of all eighth 	graders, 5 percent of U.S. eighth graders would be included in mathematics, 	and 13 percent. 	  	Curriculum- 4th 	Grade 	·        	The number of 	topics included in U.S. textbooks and curriculum guides was above the 	international average in fourth-grade mathematics and somewhat below the 	international average in fourth-grade science. 	  	Curriculum-8th 	Grade 	·        	The U.S. 	eighth-grade mathematics curriculum 	is less focused than 	other countries based on an analysis of the intended curriculum in each of 	the 41 TIMSS countries. The U.S. eighth-grade science curriculum more 	closely reflects international practices. 	·        	Compared to 	Germany and Japan, the U.S. eighth-grade mathematics curriculum appears less 	advanced based on the topics covered and the time devoted to 	each topic. The content 	being taught in U.S. eighth-grade mathematics classrooms is at about a 	seventh-grade level in comparison to other countries. However, the TIMSS 	study did not assess the level of advancement in the U.S. eighth-grade 	science curriculum. 	·        	In the TIMSS 	videotapes of instructional practices, 40 percent of U.S. eighth-grade 	mathematics lessons included arithmetic topics such as whole number 	operations, 	fractions, and decimals, 	whereas 	these topics were much 	less common in Germany and Japan. In contrast, German and Japanese 	eighth-grade lessons were more likely to cover algebra and geometry. 	  	  	Teaching 	·        	Eighth-grade U.S. 	mathematics teachers’ typical goal is to teach students how to do something, 	while Japanese teachers’ goal is to help students learn how to do something 	and also understand mathematical concepts so that they can solve future 	problems. 	·        	Ninety-five 	percent of U.S. teachers stated that they were either “very aware” or 	“somewhat aware” about current ideas in the teaching and learning of 	mathematics. However, in the videotape study only a few teachers were 	observed to apply the key concepts of current reform measures in their 	classrooms. The TIMSS findings suggest that Japanese rather than U.S. or 	German lessons more often resembled the recommendations of experts and the 	U.S. reform movement. U.S. lessons typically focused on acquiring 	mathematical skills rather than conceptual understanding, and were less 	coherently presented. 	·        	Developing 	mathematical concepts – that is proving, deriving, or explaining in some 	detail – is rare among U.S. teachers in comparison to German and Japanese 	teachers. U.S. teachers rarely developed mathematical concepts, in contrast 	to German and Japanese teachers who usually did. The average percentage of 	topics that were developed was 22 percent in the U.S., whereas the average 	was 77 percent in Germany and 83 percent in Japan. 	·        	In the judgment 	of independent mathematics and mathematics education experts, none of the 	U.S. lessons evaluated in the TIMSS videotape study was considered to 	contain a high-quality sequence of mathematical ideas, compared to 39 	percent of Japanese lessons, and 28 percent of German lessons. 	·        	New teachers in 	the U.S. receive less on-the job training and mentoring than do new teachers 	in Japan and Germany. 	  	  	For further 	information please refer to the statistics on 	 	http://nces.ed.gov/pubs99/1999081.pdf. 	  	  	  	  	  	  	    	    One would think that the United States would be leading with top marks on the TIMMS exams with their country’s superior resources and the amount of money spent on education which exceeds many of the other countries who are taking the same tests.  The causes for the low scores are attributed to the weak math and science curricula in the US Middle Schools.  A more insightful explanation was once proffered by Jean McLaughlin, president of Barry University who said “The public schools lack focus; instead of concentrating on education, they dabble in social re-engineering”. That assessment was confirmed by the superintendent of the country’s fourth largest school district in Miami-Dade, Florida who said “Half our job is education, and the other half is social work”. (International Test Scores.) The curricula at the middle school level in countries other than the USA shift from basic arithmetic and elementary science towards the subjects of chemistry, physics, algebra and geometry.  The poorer nations teach at least half-year of algebra and half-year of geometry to every eighth-grader.  In the USA the students continue to review arithmetic and continue to study earth science and life science rather than moving on to chemistry or physics.  Hence by the time American students are ready to graduate from high school, they are performing badly in science and are significantly weaker than their peers in other countries.  Weaknesses in teaching performance in physical sciences increase over the years. U.S. textbooks treat topics with a “mile-wide, inch-deep” approach, Schmidt said. A typical U.S. eighth-grade math textbook deals with about 35 topics. By comparison, a Japanese or German math textbook for that age would have only five or six topics. Contrasts did elsewhere between French and American  math books show more innovative approaches to finding, for instance, the volume of a pyramid. Fractions don’t lend themselves to computerization, so they’re relegated to an importance slightly above Roman numerals. Calculators are here to stay, so kids breeze through long division. They concentrate on how to use math rather than how to do math, and with less entanglement in social philosophy.  (International Test Scores.) Robert Pondisco of  Core Knowledge quoted, “”Suggesting that great schooling is all about teachers is like suggesting that great restaurants are all about waiters. If the food is lousy, the service doesn’t matter. And make no mistake, the food is lousy. We continue to put thin, tasteless gruel on the menu, and blame the waiters when the customers leave hungry.”  (Smollin, Melanie.)  Teacher quality or curriculum?  That is the question.  It seems that the US education system will not improve without making a difference in one or the other.  Susan Engel, a senior lecturer in psychology and the director of the teaching program at Williams College, recommends that elementary schools adopt a more narrow and deeper curriculum focused on helping children develop essential skills “like reading, writing, computation, pattern detection, conversation and collaboration—a curriculum designed to raise children, rather than test scores.” If children are able to master these foundational ways of thinking and behaving instead of wasting time on fact memorization and regurgitation, they would then be prepared to learn almost anything in high school and college.  (Smollins, Melanie)  On the other hand, teachers who are talented and passionate would bring out the children’s passion for learning as well.  Teacher quality is very important, but so is curriculum.  Hence focus on how teachers teach and also on what they teach will be the key to improving the children’s education.  Both need to be tackled at the same time. Study skills are very important to doing well in school.  Getting good grades is a combination of three things:   motivation, dedication, and planning.  (Inong.  2008.)  Motivation is the key to success.  Motivation for students usually come in the form of ‘if you do well you will be rewarded with …’  But it is a technique that works.  Motivation that comes in this form is usually effective for the short run.  Long-term motivation involves more in –depth thinking which focuses on various issues such as have the student ponder on the “what do you want to do in 5 years time” scenarios and help them get motivated to achieve those goals.  Dedication is applying yourself to whatever you are doing.  One must realize that time must be apportioned so that there is enough time to accomplish everything.  Planning your schedule ahead of time is good practice for students on time management skills.  Students can learn how to put aside time for everything and how to allot more time for things they have problems with.  Revision is the mother of retention after all.  Doing a little bit of review every day over what you’ve learned that day is better than trying to cram everything the night before a big test! Joan Inong (2008) suggestions to some helpful tips to get good grades are the following: 1.Never study at the last minute. It boggles your mind and memory. Study the night before but not too hard; just enough to give you a basic overview of things. If you’ve been reading the material for thirty minutes every day, you won’t need to study four or five hours the night or day before the test. 2.Get plenty of sleep. Don’t rely on coffee and caffeine. Your body will get used to it and trying to kick the addiction later on will leave your body and mind in a slump. 3.Write on your English books. If they’re borrowed textbooks from the school, keep a separate notebook for each class handy and write as you read or after every chapter. But, if it’s a book you’ve bought, then write in the margins. Simply underlining or highlighting leaves you with no insight on the text at all. Write your opinions and questions on the margins and you’re interacting with the text. 4.Know how you study. Do you study well by yourself, or with a group? If you like to study with a group, then make sure that you’re exchanging ideas and information and not just having daily conversations. When you study, do it so that you aren’t easily distracted. Set aside a place for yourself as a “study corner.” Make sure that there aren’t any distractions, and keep a timer on hand. Some people will say they can’t study if they don’t listen to music or if the TV’s not on. Personally, I’m one of these people, but I can safely say that I always got my work done on time, and managed to sleep before 10 o’clock every night. If you can’t do this, keep your study space quiet. 5. Take frequent breaks between study times. Study or read for twenty-five minutes, then take a five minute break. Studying or reading at intervals refreshes your eyes and mind. If you take too much information in too little time, you’re more likely to forget the information. Everyone is special and approaches studying in a different way.  Besides studying is not the only contributor to success.  Being a well-rounded person is success.   References:   Asikhia O. A.  Students and Teachers’ Perception of the Causes of Poor Academic Performance in Ogun State Secondary Schools [Nigeria]: Implications for Couselling for National Development.  European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 13, Number 2 (2010) 229.  Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from www.eurojournals.com/ejss_13_2_08.pdf   Credé, Marcus and Kuncel,Nathan R.  Study Habits, Skills, and Attitudes: The Third Pillar Supporting Collegiate Academic Performance.  Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from http://pps.sagepub.com/content/3/6/425.abstract   Highlights from TIMSS: Overview and key Findings Across Grade Levels.  National Center for Education Statistics, US Dept of Education.  Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs99/1999081.pdf   Inong, Joan.  Getting good grades in high school:  Secrets of Success. March 05, 2008.  Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from http://www.helium.com/items/910036-getting-good-grades-in-high-school-secrets-of-success   International Test Scores. Poor US Test Results Tied to Weak Curriculum.  (n.d)  Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from http://4brevard.com/choice/international-test-scores.htm   Linn, Marcia C.; Shibley-Hyde, Janet; Else-Quest, Nicole M.  Cross-National Patterns of Gender Differences in Mathematics:  A Meta-Analysis.  Psychological Bulletin 2010.  Vol 136. No. 1 104-127.  2010. Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/bul/136/1/103/   Smollin, Melanie.  Improve Curriculum or Teacher Quality? It’s a False Choice.   2010.  Take Part: Inspiration to Action.  Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/03/02/curriculum-vs-teacher-quality-a-matter-of-priorities-     Spicuzzaa, Richard et al.  Effects of Curriculum-Based Monitoring on Classroom Instruction and Math Achievement doi:10.1016/S0022-4405(01)00087-5 Received 7 December 2000; accepted 13 July 2001 Available online 4 December 2001.  Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V6G-44KKSS9-5&_user=10&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2001&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1739980959&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=58c972f1cb8fa7141954273289aaed4e&searchtype=a   TIMSS 2011.  International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.  Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from http://www.iea.nl/timss2011.html   TIMSS. Wikedpedia.  Retrieved 4 May, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trends_in_International_Mathematics_and_Science_Study Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

EFFECTS OF TEACHER, CURRICULUM AND STUDY HABITS BASED FACTORS ON PERFORMANCE IN FURTHER MATHEMATICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

EFFECTS OF TEACHER, CURRICULUM AND STUDY HABITS BASED FACTORS ON PERFORMANCE IN FURTHER MATHEMATICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDEN...

Drug Abuse in Schools of South Africa

Drug Abuse in Schools in South Africa   Sadly, the availability of drugs in schools has increased over the decade although the overall usage of illegal drugs has decreased.  Drugs are still easy to obtain and the students know who to contact to get them.  he Bureau of Justice reports that 85% of teens say they know where to get marijuana and 55% know how to get amphetamines. Knowledge of drug availability is similar regardless of race or location. Students living in rural, suburban, and urban areas all reported similar levels of drug availability at about 35% overall. Even more frightening is that 29% of students say that someone has “offered, sold, or given them an illegal drug on school property.”  Some officials believe that the percentages of actual drug abuse are low because of the number of teenagers that have dropped out or are truant are not represented in the survey. These teenagers often have a higher involvement with drugs than those still in school.   (Mc Entire) The most common substance abused is Alcohol.  This is usually the effect of the glamour of the substance by the media.  The teenagers end up trying to emulate the ‘coolness’ associated with alcohol.  The next most common drug used by teens is cigarettes.  Followed by Marijuana and then Inhalants.  Inhalants are more prevalent with middle school children as they are cheap and easily purchased.  Inhalants cover anything from paint thinners, glues, spray paint, whipped cream dispensers, hair sprays, and various other common household items.  Prescription drugs have also been on the rise.  The majority of prescription drug addicts begin because of drugs prescribed for personal or family-related stress. South African students are vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse.  Sadly, the numbers are on the rise in all grade levels.  Alcohol is readily available in South Africa, even to school age students. There is approximately one liquor outlet for every 190 people, according to the report Substance Abuse in South Africa: Focusing on Young Persons. The report contends that school-age youths have an easy time securing alcohol from supermarkets, bottle stores, shebeens and bars. (McFadden) Donna McFadden of eHow reports that the number of substance abusers differs by gender, geographic location, school-status, age and social class according to the Mental Health & Substance Abuse Medical Research Council Binge drinking is a popular pastime of some high school students. The two groups with the highest rates of binge drinking are white males (39 percent) and colored females (26 percent). Both of these groups are in the middle class. Males and females from other classes and races engage in binge drinking as well, albeit at a lower rate. The National Policy on Drug Abuse Management in Schools: Sample from South Africa report states, “school communities are particularly vulnerable and drug use by learners is on the increase in both rural and urban schools, including primary schools.” The report contends there is a high “correlation between drug abuse and other anti-social and high-risk” behavior.  (McFadden) A Mail & Guardian article is especially depressing.  It reports that Substance abuse at Gauteng schools is frightening.  “The substance abuse in these schools is frightening … we’re going to search every pupil in every school in Gauteng,” Faith Mazibuko’s spokesperson, Thapelo Moiloa, said.  police spokesperson Warrant Officer Kay Makhubele said about 100 officers and 100 community patrollers conducted the raids at Lavela High School in Zola, Moletsane Secondary School, Letare High School in Jabulani and Fontanas High School in Emndeni.  Police seized dagga, Mandrax tablets, a bottle of vodka, 10 cell phones containing pornography, DVDs of pornography, lip ice containing dagga and knives.  (Mail & Guardian) The Central Drug Authority was created in 2000 to address the problem of substance abuse. The Central Drug Authority oversees and implements the National Drug Master Plan. The plan requires government departments to develop mini drug master plans, local drug committees and provincial drug forums. Other preventative measures include ongoing research to provide the information needed for the successful development of substance abuse prevention programs.  (Mc Fadden)   References: Mc Entire, Teresa.  Drugs in Schools.  S.A. Private Schools.  Retrieved 26 May, 2011 from http://www.saprivateschools.co.za/articles/drugs-in-schools-south-africa.html McFadden, Donna.  Substance Abuse in South African Schools.  eHow.com  Retrieved 26 May, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/about_6521986_substance-abuse-south-african-schools.html Substance abuse at Gauteng schools is frightening.  Mail & Guardian online.  10 February, 2011.  Retrieved 26 May, 2011 from http://mg.co.za/article/2011-02-10-substance-abuse-at-gauteng-schools-is-frightening Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Drug Abuse in Schools of South Africa

D rug Abuse in Schools in South Africa Sadly, the availability of drugs in schools has increased over the decade although the overall...