Life Factors free essay sample

It is caused by a faulty gene that controls the movement of salt and water in and out of the cells within the body. Cystic Fibrosis affects the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, by clogging them with thick sticky mucus. This makes it hard to breathe and digest food. If two carriers have a child, the baby has a 1 in 4 chance of having Cystic Fibrosis. Each week, five babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis and each week, two young lives are lost to Cystic Fibrosis. A the moment half of the CF population will live past 41 years of age, and improvements in treatments mean a baby born today is expected to live even longer. Cystic fibrosis is transferred from the parents through genes. Caucasians (white European) are more common to be a carrier of CF. There is three types of screening for Cystic Fibrosis: newborn screening, carrier testing and antenatal testing. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Factors or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page New born testing The test is a heel-prick to sample blood as part of the normal Guthrie test carried out on all children. The sooner CF is diagnosed, the sooner appropriate treatment can begin. Carrier Testing They will take a simple mouthwash to determine if you are a carrier. This is important if a relative has CF or is a known carrier. It is very important to have the test if one of the partners is a known carrier. Antenatal Testing This test is used early in pregnancy to tell whether a baby has Cystic Fibrosis. It is normally offered to mothers who are recognised as being at a high risk of having a child with Cystic Fibrosis. Implications are miscarriage and premature labour. Other tests Other tests for Cystic Fibrosis are the sweat test (people with CF have more salt in their sweat, which can be detected) or a genetic test, which is a swab taken by gently rubbing the inside of the cheek to check for the search of the faulty CF gene. Cystic Fibrosis is an unpredictable life event, because there is still the chance of a child with a gene defected mother to come out totally healthy. Cystic Fibrosis will affect a person in various life events. Cystic fibrosis causes a build of thick mucus in the lungs and when the thick mucus builds up, it gets stuck in the airways, which causes problems. When this happens: * Breathing passageways become blocked and air can’t get through. * The lungs, nose and sinuses will get infected because of the growth of bacteria in the mucus collection. In some CF patients nasal polyps may develop. Reproductive Organs Cystic fibrosis affects the reproductive organs of men and women differently. Men: are almost always infertile because the thick secretions in the sperm canal cause a blockage that prevents sperm from getting through. Women: are often able to conceive but may have decreased fertility because of thick cervical mucus blocking the entry of sperm. Loneliness – When som eone can’t do the same things that their friends are doing, go to the same places, and they have overprotective parents, it can take a toll on somebody. Many parents, in an attempt to protect their children from the outside world, keep their children inside the house and in their direct supervision at all times. While doing this it is understandable that the parents are just trying to keep their kids healthy, it can make the cystic fibrosis sufferer feel alone. Parents should make sure that their children have fun but safe activities to do with their friends. They can’t keep them locked up forever. Growth – Children that have cystic fibrosis are not going to grow as fast as their peers, and that can make them feel inadequate. While everybody else begins to grow in height during puberty, for a CF patient the growth spurt can come several years later, if at all. Many children will feel embarrassed about this, and the other kids at school are not going to make things any easier. Classmates that are unaware that somebody has this disease can often be cruel and teasing and bullying may occur. Hospital – Cystic fibrosis can often force children to spend several weeks in the hospital if complications occur. When this happens, the patient will be missing a good portion of schoolwork and time with their friends. Luckily, sometimes there are teachers that go to hospitals to teach those that are missing time from school, but that does not always happen. Not being able to live a normal life can cause cystic fibrosis patients to worry about their futures and wonder how they are going to be able to hold down a job. Teens with CF report being depressed for many reasons. Feeling physically unwell, being frustrated by the challenges of endless daily treatments, experiencing negative side effects from medications, missing major life events (sports, parties, concerts, proms) due to hospitalizations, and feeling different from their peers. Teens with CF are more prone to anxiety and depression, and a lack of sleep can worsen the situation. Few teenagers achieve the recommended nine hours of sleep each night, and because of the CF, their sleep may be regularly disrupted because of their medications and coughing. In addition to putting them at greater risk of infection, the lack of sleep can lead to dramatic mood swings. Adolescence is a time of experimentation, and this may include many things: new hair colors, body piercings, styles of dress, drug and alcohol use, and sexual activity. Just because some suffers of CF it doesn’t mean that they are immune to the pressures of the above experimentation. Unfortunately, the physical and emotional impact of this experimentation can sometimes be much harder for teens with CF. Sometimes peer pressure is not the issue. Teens with CF have said they use alcohol or drugs to self medicate due to depression and anxiety, and to seek a temporary relief from the challenges of the disease. Depression also contributes to self-harm, namely â€Å"cutting,† as well as eating disorders. Biological: Of, relating to, caused by, or affecting life or living organisms: biological processes such as growth and digestion. Is related by blood or genetic lineage, i. e. mother gives birth to her biological child. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is a predictable life event, because you can’t for sure be certain that the child will have that defect after the mother consumed alcohol When a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy she risks giving birth to a child who will have mental and physical deficiencies, for his or her entire life. Yet many pregnant women do drink alcohol. Signs and Symptoms: * low birth weight * small head circumference * failure to thrive * developmental delay * organ dysfunction * facial abnormalities, including smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, and indistinct philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip) * epilepsy * poor coordination/fine motor skills * poor socialization skills, such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups * lack of imagination or curiosity learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills * behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety At birth, an alcohol-affected baby may suffer withdrawal from alcohol and any other drugs the mother uses. This is known as neonatal abstinence syndrome. The baby may also have either poor muscle tone (a floppy baby) or rigid muscle tone. Infants with FAS/E may have trouble with sleeping and with sucking and swallowing. There are some behavioral patterns that are associated very often with FAS. A good example is that of an â€Å"attachment disorder. † An attachment disorder is a complex problem that occurs in children who have not had the opportunity to form a close and trusting relationship to an adult in the way children usually do. Some of the characteristics include overly â€Å"friendly† behavior, running away, and withdrawal from caregivers. Because many children with FAS spend time in difficult environments, or have multiple placements, many of them develop attachment disorders. Children and adolescent with FAS may be developmentally delayed, have mental retardation or have problems with specific learning differences or disabilities. These conditions are often associated with social, emotional, behavioral, and academic problems. When these and other facts are not identified early in life, children may be viewed as being deliberately â€Å"bad† or having â€Å"emotional† problems when, in fact, they are unable to act in ways that caregivers ask them of. Environmental: It relates to the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition. Pollution: Pollution is unpredictable because not every area will be as polluted as others. The air obviously won’t be a 100% clean no matter where people go but in some areas there will be more pollution because there is a motorway in the area which produces a lot of fumes and toxins. On the other hand if people live in villages where there is just really space to live for example 200 people the pollution will be minimized because there are not as many people that can pollute the air. The environment plays a very important role in a person? s development through life. There are a few physical effects pollution can have on an individual. Pollution, in its many forms, can have immediate and long-terms effects on the bodys systems and the overall health. Exposure to pollution also affects an individual quality of life, and can increase the risk of certain chronic diseases. The physical effects of pollution on some one? s health depend on the type of pollution to which they are most frequently exposed, including air, water or noise pollution. Short-term physical health effects of air pollution include the following: eye, nose and throat irritation, upper respiratory infectionsincluding bronchitis and pneumoniaheadaches, nausea, allergic reactions and xacerbation of medical conditions, such as emphysema and asthma. Long-term physical health effects of air pollution may include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer and heart disease. Long-term exposure to air pollution may even cause damage to your brain, nerves, liver or kidneys. Pollution can leave someone highly depressed and anxious, which can lead to tiredness, sw eating, headaches, loss of appetite or overeating. People get frustrated because they don’t know what to do against the pollution. People will avoid going out, so that they don’t inhale the toxic fumes, which will decrease their social activities. They might fall out with friends because they are always declining invitations. Others will be depressed and feel less worthy of living opportunities. Socioeconomic: This is a combination of social and economic factors. Like social are friends and partners, and economic is about money, living conditions and etc. Education Education is predictable, because the law in the UK says that every child needs to be educated for at least 18 years. Education is very important in an individual’s development. It teaches us how to count, read, write and socialize. It prepares us for our future choices we want to take and helps us get there. When children start school they can be quiet nervous and upset because of the new people they will meet. They will make new friends and start socializing with different kind of other children. There cognitive skills will improve and there vocabulary will grow day by day. Education will give them an awareness on how the world functions and that the world and people are not perfect, and sometimes don’t are like they seem. It will make people feel good when they finished their education and can now start the job they wanted to do. Some children will get quiet attached to their teachers and that can be very upsetting for them when they change schools. Starting education might as well mean that they need to move because the travelling distance to even the nearest school might be too far. Parents can get quiet stressed because it is a major change in their routine as well to bring the children into school every morning. The parents will need to help with homework and will need to attend parents evenings which can be long and boring sometimes. People might be failing there education which can lead to epression and anxiety that they won’t get a job with their current education. Parents will be disappointed in them and might even put a heavier strain on them, which can bring them to breaking point. Marriage: Marriage is predictable because almost every person will want to marry in future and have children. Marriage is a very good way to understand how others might feel, because marriage means compromise. Peop le that are married can have joy and happiness in their life, spending it with someone else. Marriage can raise peoples confident and self-image in various ways. It will build a mutual understanding of the other person and make people stronger and believe in themselves. If a person is going through a rough time, the partner which they are married to can be there supportive foundation which gives them strength to face the problem and deal with in a healthy way. Being married can as well help in financial situations because both parties will put their income into the household to keep it going. On the other hand marriage can be stressful and painful, because of financial issues, differences between the two partner’s families, arguments and etc. To be married can be really hard on some people which can lower their self-esteem and confidence. If as well partners are always arguing they will feel unloved by their partner and this will lower there self-image because they will feel unloved. Having children can have a strain on a marriage as well because of the stress the parents will be under because of lack of sleep and rest. That’s the reason that before people marry they should have built a strong foundation on which there marriage can stand no matter what comes there way. Unpredictable- Death of family member: The death of a family member can be devastating for a family. It can leave the family unit broken and in despair due to the loss of a loved one. However it can make you a stronger family unit because the family will support and unite with each other through this difficult time. People will get depressed which can develop to clinical depression which can be life threatening for the person. People could have suicide thoughts because they want to be with the family member that past away. Some people will isolate themselves from society and family, because they don’t want to talk to anyone or because they think that they can’t be happy or can’t laugh after what happened. This can ruin families that have been really close before the death of the family member. There could be arguments about the heritage and who gets the money or â€Å"who should† get the money from the diseased family member. It will strip people’s happiness and will shatter their self- esteem and confidence. Some people might get really angry and defensive at everything people say and might have outbursts of different emotions. The family might start struggling with their finances because the person that died was the primary income provider. And that will cause a lot of extra stress on the family which can make it fall apart. And in some countries education is not free and people have to pay a big amount to send their children to school, and if they don’t have any money the children will stay uneducated. People might not be able to from new relationships because they fear that that person will leave and they will be in pain again. Because people will be worried about their other loved ones dying which can make them very overprotective and make the family feel suffocated. This can have a really bad affect because people will try to avoid that person because f there clinginess. Lifestyle Lifestyle plays a delicate role in the development of individuals and as well on individual’s life expectancy. People that choose to smoke harm themselves physically and mentally. Smoking does not have any benefits the only thing it does is destroy some one’s life. Smoking affects not just smokers but as well people around them (passive smoker). Organs that get affected the most are: Lungs: Smoking is the wide most spread reason for impaired lungs. Long exposure to the smoke will paralyze and disable the lungs to clean the respiratory system. Smoke from cigarettes; generate harmful chemicals such as tar. This chokes the alveoli and tissues in the respiratory track. It leads in the production of mucus, which in turn assists the microorganisms to thrive. Strong smokers will more likely get flu, cough and cold, bronchitis, cancer, emphysema, and various other deadly respiratory illnesses. Heart: Smoking is as well fatal for the heart. A smoker’s heart will beat faster and harder, in time of high stress and depression. The damage is similar to a person having high cholesterol. As the heart beats fast, it results in high blood pressure. Mouth and Nose: Smokers will gradually lose the ability to smell and taste. There are high chances of smokers getting mouth and gum cancer which can affect someone’s life in a really bad way. The worst effect smoking can have on someone is a breakdown of jaws and tongue, which will leave the person not able to talk and communicate effectively. Skin: Smoking squeezes and restricts the blood vessels to the skin. It as well lowers the rate of the blood flow to different parts of the body. A smoker’s skin is very likely to start wrinkling earlier then suppose too. Smoke as well doesn’t smell pleasant so friends might try to avoid their friends that are smoking because they don’t want to passive smoke and as well find the smell disturbing. Smoking is banned in almost every indoor space so smokers would always have to leave the room to have a cigarette. For the individual it might be very hard to give up that bad habit and it will make them feel frustrated with themselves and depressed. It as well is an expensive habit, so money goes out of the window to. It will put a strain on the family dynamic because of the constant money output for expensive cigarettes.

Menos Paradox and The Theory essays

Menos Paradox and The Theory essays Menos Paradox and The Theory of Recollection Menos paradox is an argument in the form of a question. As it is written Meno asks, How will you look for something when you dont know what it is.. or even if you come right up on it, how will you know that what you have found is the thing that you didnt know? Socrates states it more simply, A man cannot try to discover either what he knows or what he does not know. This is the matter for inquiry. Socrates stated, He would not seek what he knows for since he knows it there is no need of the inquiry, nor even what he does not know, for in that case he does not even know what he is to look for. Socrates solves this through the theory of recollection. As Socrates stated 82D, the soul has learned everything, so that when a man has recalled a single piece of knowledge -learned it, ...there is no reason why he should not find out all the rest, ...for seeking and learning are in fact nothing but recollection. The theory that the soul has learned everything implies that teaching and inquir y, are simply remembering latent knowledge, thus making it possible to inquire and to be taught knowledge that one was not aware that one had. Menos paradox is, as Socrates states, a trick argument. Socrates tells Meno that he knows this argument and refines Menos paradox by stating it in a different way than Meno originally asked or brought up the argument. Socrates asks how one would look for something when one doesnt know what it is or that it exists; and if one were to find what it is that one were looking for, how would one know that one found it when one didnt know what it was that one was looking for in the first place? This is a circular yet rational and important question. It presents the problems or complication for teaching, such that; the goal of teaching is for the one being taught to learn and to le...

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words - 2

Leadership - Essay Example luated from its capability to identify the core business objective of the organization and driving all the business aspects towards achieving such objectives. However, before evaluating the effectiveness of leadership, it is important to analyze the origin of leadership. According to Adeniyi & Adeniyi (2010), there is no definite conscience regarding the origin of leadership. It is considered to be a conceptual framework, prevailing in the societal environment that is involuntarily understood across the social and organizational cultures. As the origination of leadership is said to be unknown, in order to obtain an explicit idea about leadership and its foundation, individuals have to rely on the notions and viewpoint of the eminent researchers. Such secondary sources of information regarding the origin of leadership can be accessible from various standard and internationally recognized books and journals. Methodical study of such information will provide clarity regarding the evolution of social and organizational leadership. Considering the evolution of leadership, a large number of theories and practices have been developed over a period of time in order to establish the underpinning rationale of such concepts. Mumford (2006) has identified that in Sanskrit literature, the theories of ten types of leadership was mentioned. Characteristics of such different types leadership depends upon specific sets of dissimilar traits that distinguishes one leadership characteristics from another. King, Johnson & Vugt (2009) are of the opinion that the basis of such characteristics the researchers had developed trait theory of leadership which indicates that a successful leader can be identified by showing his interests, capabilities, and personality traits. In general, in order to become a successful manager, a person must possess certain traits such that the person must be high achievement oriented and should be self-confident so that he can motivate his team in order to

Global Politics and Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Politics and Economics - Essay Example The present generation lives under the international system based on the belief in global unity; which will eventually enable the world to organize its affairs from the view point of international character. This is an important achievement of twentieth century. This, however, does not mean that political world unity already exists or that we have anything like world government either immediately or in the near future. Capitalism has been successful in nurturing technological innovation, in promoting initiative, and in creating wealth and increasing poverty. Many economists are agreed that in general capitalism can be a powerful engine for development. But, political interests and specific forms of capitalism can have different results. The monopoly capitalism of the colonial era for example was very destructive. Likewise, there is growing criticism of the current model of corporate and its version of globalization and capitalism that has resulted. There may indeed be merit to various arguments supporting global integration and cooperation. But politics, corruption, geopolitics, as well as numerous other factors need to be added to economic models, which could prove very difficult. Economics is sometimes separated from politics and other major issues, theory can indeed be far from reality. There is an important difference between liberal politics and liberal economics. But this distinction is usually not articulated in the mainstream. The thinkers of the Enlightenment, such as Thomas Jefferson, Tom Paine, John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx never doubted that the future for every nation in the world was to accept some version of western institutions and values. A diversity of cultures was not a permanent condition of human life. It was a stage on the way to a universal civilization, in which the varied traditions and culture of the past were superseded by a new, universal community founded on reason. (John Gray 1-2) With the Cold War over, politicians, economists and others have been promoting unfettered free trade and free market ideology, pushing it to an even wider international arena to facilitate international trade. Since the Cold War has ended, it is almost no surprise that today's globalization has come in the form we see it - that is where it would have been had the Cold War not got "in the way". The World Wars were related to expanding trade avenues and holding on to them. Throughout the Cold War, there contained a global threat to market democracies: now we should seek to enlarge their reach. (Anthony Lake 71) The achievement of transformation is the overriding objective today of transnational organizations such as the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Free trade and free markets are essentially about making trade easier by allowing the market to balance needs, supply and demand. Within a nation, it can be a positive engine for development. While

Intelligence Definition and Measurement Paper Essay - 1

Intelligence Definition and Measurement Paper - Essay Example Again, things seemed to fall in a common sense pattern throughout this test. This test was also presented in a multiple choice format. It seemed standard for an intelligence test, but it does seem that if a person is not honest or does not know himself or herself well, the results of the test could be thrown off. As for me, I did felt that the test matched my personality; I am an outgoing person that enjoys going out and having fun, and this did reflect strongly in the test. The dictionary meaning defines intelligence as "the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge by means of thought and reason." This definition, like many of the psychological definitions of psychology, comes across as a bit too rigid. Intelligence is, in fact, a very open term, and this needs to be considered. The tests above do demonstrate this concept. Therefore, the theory that seems to fit these tests the best, and the theory that seems to make the most sense is Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. This is because Gardner takes a look at intelligence in a bit more open concept, actually categorizing different forms of intelligence. Intelligence therefore no longer becomes something about being â€Å"smart,† it is actually encompassed in a human’s senses as well. The eight intelligences described by Gardner are: Gardner’s theory has become quite popular, and the tests above actually rated people by these categories. Therefore, I feel strongly that the tests are reflecting on Gardner’s theory. By breaking intelligence into categories and demonstrating that several items can makeup intelligence, the concept makes much more sense to people, and allows them to see that intelligence is about far more than stereotypical book smarts. All three tests above were standard, and very reliable and valid as far as the overall test results were concerned. Nothing really surprised me and I did feel that the tests

Reflection On Formative Assessment Education Essay

Reflection On Formative Assessment Education Essay For my reflection on learning I am going to discuss writing assignment 01. I feel that I did a pretty good job with writing assignment 01, however, theres always room for improvement. The easiest part of the assignment was ofcause the multiple choice questions which I answered using mostly the general knowledge that I have gathered over past few years of studying Business Management; the second part of the assignment was to write a literature review which was a more challenging task to accomplish. Academic writing is not an easy task and often takes years to master fully. So at this stage, I wanted to be well on my way to becoming a better writer and a researcher. I believe that I have improved on both my academic writing and organizational skills. After going through week 4s content, I had set goals for myself to become better at organizing information, such as sourcing literature and writing about the information. I had hoped to have a better understanding of what a literature review is in order to incorporate this knowledge into my paper, as well as improve on my own ideas, and I feel like I have done that. According to Badenhorst (2010, p. 16) Writing is currency in academia. It doesnt matter how many ideas we have. If we cant transform those ideas into something material, we have nothing worth trading. Therefore, I had also wanted to be clearer when coming up with ideas in a concise, logical and integrated manner so that the person reading could easily follow my argument and understand what I am trying to say. And once again, I feel that I have done just that too. The general feedback that I got on my first assignment was positive. Some of suggestions that I had received from you were, Very good review. Evidence that the literature was studied and integrated in to the review. You should review the APA style referencing. As you cited some of the references wrong in the text. Always cite correctly. So I went back to revise the document that was given to us in the beginning of this module, namely, An Abridged Guide to the APA Referencing Style. I have learned that when citing a paraphrase within the text of an assignment, the surname of the author followed by a comma and the year of publication should be given wholly or partly in round brackets. If referencing a direct quote a comma and page number after the year should be added. I am now more comfortable with using the APA style referencing and hopefully wont be repeating the same silly mistakes I made in this assignment. References: Badenhorst, C. (2010). Productive writing becoming a prolific academic writer. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers. Reflection on learning in Assignment 02 I believe assignment 02 was a real chance for me to test my knowledge and ability to reach the outcomes of the module. I say this because of the nature of this assignment. In general I used to perceive multiple choice types of questions as an opportunity to gain easy extra marks. However, few questions in, I soon realized that assignment 02 was one of the most challenging assignments that I had to complete this year. That is why I was relieved and pleasantly surprised upon the release of the final marks. According to the results, I have gotten 42 correct and 8 incorrect answers. Looking back on the assignment 02, I feel as though I was well-equipped in the majority of the questions in the assignment, especially on answering the questions relating to quantitative and qualitative designs, due to thoroughly going through the work in Week 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. I feel like my weak point in the multiple choice assignment was that I may have fallen for the distracters. The reason why I have gotten some of the questions wrong is because I struggled in interpreting the idea of the text and choosing one correct answer. Also, most of the questions that I got incorrect had to do with either sampling or data collection. After this assignment I have learned the importance to have a good understanding of measurement process, like levels of measurement, reliability and validity. Researchers need to understand the values they attach to the information they collect. I believe that the tools I learned in this module have made me develop as a researcher and better prepared me for the future. 2.2 Weekly self-evaluations Include the two qualitative questions as self-reflections here for any three weeks of your choice. In addition to including the content that you provided during the specific weeks, also add a further reflection on how you feel about your answers at this point in time, now that you look back at these reflections: Nr Week Self-reflections 1A 2 Describe how you are finding this section of the module and the way in which it was presented. What did you like and what helped you to understand the material? On the other hand were there things that you did not understand properly in the way they were presented. How do you think we can improve our presentation and activities around this part of the work for this module? 1B 2 2A 4 Based on this weeks chapter, which content did you find easy to understand? What helped you to understand the material? What sections did you not understand properly? How do you think we can improve our presentation and activities around this part of the work for this module? In one or two paragraphs, explain the extent to which you are comfortable with your knowledge and understanding of the content of this introductory chapter 2B 4 3A 7 In one or two paragraphs, tell us how challenging you found the content of this weeks work? Are you coping with the workload each week? What are you doing to help reach the targeted learning goals each week? 3B 7 2.3 Reflection on the value of research As an honours student, an employee or employer in an organization, or a citizen of a country, you must make many decisions every day. Good, informed decisions require knowledge. What are the sources of our knowledge? Some of it is acquired through formal education in honours and masters programs in social work, or from attending on-going education programs. It may come from reading articles in professional journals, textbooks, or through online searches. It may also come from senior level experts who have been successful social workers for many years. Factually, much of the knowledge derived from these sources has one characteristic in common it is all derived from doing good research (Bryman Bell 2007, p.4). Conducting research is the most reliable method of acquiring new knowledge about business and learning. Alternative ways of knowing such as common sense, intuition, authority and tradition, have proven less useful for advancing our understanding of the complex process of learning (Mallick 1999, p.5). In the last 40 to 50 years, the value of research has attained a great deal of respectability amongst educators, politicians, business people, and other who often turn to researchers in the quest for reliable and valid information for making decisions (Mallick 1999, p.3). By teaching students the best ways to conduct research, they will be equipped to acquire the knowledge needed for making good, informed decisions in whatever social system level they may become employees or even potential employers. However, understanding how research should be conducted has a second benefit as it allows social workers or citizens of the country to critically and knowledgeably evaluate the research methods of others (e.g. leaders, politicians) and, thus, assess the credibility of the findings and recommendations that they generate. References: Bryman, A., Bell, E. (2007). Business Research Methods, Oxford University Press, New York Mallick, K. (1999). Researching Education: Perspectives and Techniques, Routledge, London 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, almost all curricula in the social studies contain at least one course in statistics. So given the importance of this discipline as a basic knowledge to understand the modern world, it is necessary to do some form of a research on the students attitude to statistics, as this could be an obstacle or an advantage in their learning process. From school, to home, to the workplace, statistics have become a part of our everyday life. In many circles, computer knowledge and competence in statistics is perceived as essential skills. In the beginning of their studies, many of the students are still not fully aware that they are required to study research methodology and statistics as an entire module in order to complete their degree. The emphasis placed on statistics and research related skills without a doubt virtually always surprise them. Some of the students even develop a phobia or an anxiety towards this academic subject that they tend to feel nervous and uncomfortable when they are required to deal with statistics and research related problems. In order to get a thorough understanding about Unisas students attitude towards research methods and statistics, this research will aim at investigating the factors influencing their attitude, by looking at anxiety, self-efficacy they put into studying statistics as well as their academic achievement. 2.0 Literature review In order to understand the implications of this research, an explanation of the key variables found in the literature review must first be discussed. 2.1 Students attitudes toward statistics The readiness of students to start courses in statistics can, apart from mathematical and intellectual ability, also be viewed in terms of emotional and attitudinal factors (Coetzee 2010, p.1). Attitude toward statistics can be defined as a combination of a students attitude toward the use of statistics in their field of study and the students attitudes towards the statistics course (Coetzee 2010, p.1). Although some students show a positive attitude toward statistics, evidence reveals that unfavourable responses far outweigh any favourable responses (Coetzee 2011, p1). Perepiczka et al. (2011) has reported that students often enter statistics courses with negative views or later develop negative feelings regarding the subject matter of statistics (p.100). According to Perepiczka et al. (2011), statistics courses are regarded by most students as an obstacle to obtaining their degree. These same students often delay taking their statistic courses until they cannot postpone it further. Researchers also found that students negative attitudes toward statistics is an influencing factor in low student performance in statistics courses (Perepiczka et al., 2011, p.101). 2.2 Statistics Anxiety In this study statistics anxiety is one of the three factors that influence students attitude towards statistics. Researchers documented a large amount of information on statistics anxiety over the years. For example, there are multiple definitions of statistics anxiety available in the literature. Elliot and Dweck (2005) defined statistics anxiety as the feeling of anxiety encountered when taking a statistics course or doing statistical analysis (p.243). According to Onwuegbuzie, DaRos, and Ryan (1997) statistics anxiety refers to the apprehension that occurs as a result of encountering statistics in any form at any level (p.28). The existing literature also identifies situation specific nature of statistics anxiety, ranging in intensity from mild to severe. While the mild form of statistics anxiety may induce only minor discomfort, severe forms can result in nervousness, panic and worry (Alauddin Butler, 2004, p.202). According to Onwuegbuzie (2000), majority of graduate students in the social sciences appeared to experience high levels of statistics anxiety, and it was found to be higher among female graduate students in comparison to their male colleagues. Statistics anxiety may be a critical factor in influencing and attaining a students academic and professional goals. Baloglu (2003) identified three categories of variables, situational, dispositional, and environmental, that are related to statistics anxiety (p.856). Situational experiences are factors that surround the student, which includes previous statistics experiences. Dispositional experiences are intrapersonal factors that include psychological and emotional characteristics made up of issues such as perfectionism and perception of abilities at developmental stages in life (Baloglu, 2003, p.856). Environmental experiences are interpersonal factors related to the classroom experience (Onwuegbuzie Daly, 1999), which can include the students experiences with the professor. 2.3 Self-Efficacy to Learn Statistics Perepiczka et al. (2011) defines general self-efficacy as ones judgments of his or her capabilities to organize and carry out courses of action required to attain specific types of performances. In other words self-efficacy to learn statistics is a persons confidence in his or her ability to successfully learn statistical skills necessary in a statistics course. Perepiczka stated that self-efficacy beliefs are manifested from four primary sources, which include the following: personal accomplishments, vicarious learning experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. These primary sources lay the foundation for building the concept of self-efficacy to learn statistics. There is a lot of information available on self-ability or self-efficacy related to academic achievement (Balogu, 2003, p.858). However, little is known specifically about self-efficacy to learn statistics. Perepiczka (2011) investigated whether self-efficacy to learn statistics is related to performance in a statistics course and whether self-efficacy to learn statistics increased during a 12-week introductory statistics course. One hundred and three students from a large university partook in the survey. Perepiczka (2011) stated that there was a positive relationship between statistics self-efficacy and academic achievement as well as an increase in self-efficacy to learn statistics over the duration of the course. 2.4 Relationship between Attitude and Academic Achievement There are indeed numerous researches conducted on testing the relationship between attitude and academic achievement. Based on the previous literature, there is a general agreement that attitude could be regarded as a significant determinant of ones academic achievement. Most of these researches illustrated the more positive ones attitude towards an academic subject, the higher the possibility for him/her to perform well academically (Lilian, 2012, p. 156). The same applies vice-versa, students that previously have been performing well in mathematics field, generally have a more positive attitude towards statistics. In a research conducted in the U.S, the academics studied the relationship between students attitudes and academic achievement in college mathematics by inviting 218 freshmen to complete a set of questionnaire. The result indicated that students attitudes were highly correlated with their achievement in college calculus (Lilian, 2012, p. 156). In another longitudinal study also conducted in the U.S., the researchers assessed the relationship between attitude towards mathematics and achievement in mathematics. It was found that attitude had a powerful influence on students academic achievement (Lilian, 2012, p. 156). 3.0 Problem statement Statistics at a tertiary level is often a daunting task facing students undertaking these courses. This attitude amongst students have been shown to directly influence their motivation to study, achievement in statistic modules, and overall enrolment in statistics courses that are not compulsory, especially in the final year of undergraduate degrees and postgraduate years of study. Students attitude towards statistics is essentially either positive or negative, but remains a multifactorial issue. The most common factors that are assessed are preconceptions about statistics, environmental factors (e.g. age, gender, etc.), previous mathematical experience, mathematical aptitude, beliefs, interests, the number of years elapsed since students last statistics course etc. Students with a negative attitude tend to focus only on the method of assessment which only serves to increase their test anxiety. Since students attitudes toward examinations and other non-cognitive factors can affect their performance levels in statistics courses (Onwuegbuzie, 2000), Students also view some forms of assessment as more anxiety inducing than others, thus affecting their performance in the assessments. A programme of assessment also should include means for determining students impressions of the relevance and fairness of the assessment process (Onwuegbuzie, 2000) to determine what can be done to reduce assessment anxiety. Students with positive attitudes towards statistics tend to have a higher performance in statistics courses than students with negative attitudes. With this in mind, it would be an excellent idea for lecturers teaching statistical courses to promote a positive attitude towards statistics, not only as a professional tool, but also a something that can be used every day as a central skill. It might also be plausible that the first goal in teaching statistics should be to reduce the fear of statistics before introducing the course work (Coetzee 2010, p.2). 4.0 Objectives of the research This study primarily has two main objectives. First, the current research intends to test whether attitude is significantly related to anxiety and self-efficacy. Second, the study aims to test whether attitude serves as a mediated factor between anxiety, self-efficacy and academic achievement. From the specified research objectives, the following research questions are derived: What is the graduate student attitude toward statistics? What is the graduate student self-efficacy level? What is the graduate student statistics anxiety? What is the graduate student level of academic achievement? Does attitude play a role in affecting students academic effort? Does self-efficacy play a role in affecting students academic attitude? Does students academic attitude play a role in affecting their academic achievement? Does attitude play a mediating role between anxiety, self-efficacy and academic achievement? What is the extent of the relationship, if any, between graduate students self-efficacy to learn statistics and statistics anxiety and the attitude towards statistics? 5.0 Method of investigation 5.1 Research design In the current research, quantitative research method will be implemented. Concerning the primary data collection method, self-completed questionnaire will be used because it is comparatively timesaving and has the benefit of collecting responses from a large group of subjects with a relatively low cost. 5.2 Sampling Students of both the genders will constitute the population of this study. The study population will consist of all honours students registered for a course in research methodology at a distance education institution in 2012 (N = 2340). The primary reason for targeting students registered for this subject is due to the fact that all of them have almost completed the research methods and statistics course; hence it will be easier for them to answer the survey questions. Concerning the sampling method, convenience sampling and snowball sampling will be used in the process of selecting samples from the target population. Regarding convenience sampling, it is a sampling method in which samples are selected on the basis of easy availability. Since I as the researcher am also an honours student at a distance education institution I can easily approach students studying the same course via online forums, email, etc. After distributing the questionnaires to those students that i personally will come in touch with, I will then invite the respondents to further recruit or encourage the subjects from among their acquaintances to fill out the questionnaire to boost participation, and this is known as the snowball sampling. 5.3 Data collection Ethical considerations An introductory letter explaining the purpose of the study will go with each questionnaire. The participants will also be assured in the letter about the confidentiality and the non-disclosure of information that they will provide. Additionally, respondents will not be required to provide sensitive or detailed personal information, like their full name. Instead, respondents will only need to indicate their gender, race, major and year of study. In order to further guarantee anonymity, and so there is no way for a researcher to identify which questionnaire belongs to which respondent, further measures will be implemented. Participants will not be required to hand in the questionnaire to the researcher directly but to put the completed questionnaires in a collection pile. The questionnaires will be made up of some open and closed questions as well as some multiple choice questions. Also, a meeting with the respondents will be arranged at the selected Unisa venue. At this session the objective of the study will briefly be explained and any questions that the respondents might have will be answered. The respondents will then be encouraged to complete the questionnaire during the meeting. If a participant requests a removal from the study at any time, he or she will be removed immediately. 5.4 Data analysis As one of the main aims of this research is to establish weather a relationship exists between students attitude towards statistics with respect to statistics anxiety, self-efficacy as well as academic performance, correlational analyses will be conducted. Correlational studies are those in which an attempt is made to relate two or more variables to each other. However, there is a caution by researchers that a correlation between variables does not necessarily allow us to claim that the values of one variable cause changes in the values of another variable (Linden, 1982, p.17). A simple linear regression analysis will be computed in order to determine which variables predicted students attitudes towards statistics. In this analysis, a single variable depends on or is influenced by one or more variables (Linden, 1982, p.17). In analysing the relationship between the variables, reliability test will be conducted to estimate the reliability of the scales adopted in the current study. Descriptive statistics will be used to show the demographic characteristics of the respondents. And finally, the multiple regression analyses will be used to estimate the prediction power of statistics anxiety and self-efficacy on attitude; and the prediction power of attitude, self-efficacy, and statistics anxiety on academic achievement. 6.0 Conclusion The present research further supports that there is a direct relationship between attitude, anxiety, and self-efficacy and academic achievement as suggested in past literature. It is detected that attitude has a direct effect on academic achievement while self-efficacy also has a direct effect on academic achievement. Researching predictors of graduate students statistical self-efficacy beliefs is important to identifying possible barriers to professional growth and development. Exploring how statistical self-efficacy beliefs relate to predicting future academic expectations, performance, effort, persistence, and course selection also is important to explore as a means of promoting professional development (Perepiczka et al., 2011, p.106). Teaching graduate students how to reduce their anxiety and improve their attitude will likely enhance their value of statistics and further encourage their professional development in the profession that requires work with statistics.

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My fourth question to my interviewees was: What is the best way to handle a bullying situation in school settings? Tamar stated first thing is to take immediate action when bullying is observed. Respond in a timely manner to all reports of bullying. Provide protection for students who are bullied. Establish support programs and resources for both the target and bully. These Strategies include establishing classroom rules against bullying, holding regular class meetings to discuss bullying at school. Karen said develop policies that define bullying and provide appropriate responses to the problem. Apply school rules, policies, and sanctions fairly and consistently. Establish an effective system for reporting bullying, including adults who can be relied on to respond responsibly and sensitively. Explicitly, teach students to understand bullying and the consequences. In addition, Karen stated, â€Å"I do not believe that Green River Community College is doing all the things I mentioned† these comment made me go â€Å"HUH†? Ali’s response was to partner with law enforcement and mental health agencies to identify and address cases of serious bullying. Promote the norm for a bully-free school throughout the entire school community. Engage students to help promote the norm of a bully-free school. My fifth question to my interviewees was: What can the community partners do to help promote bully-free climate here at, Green River Community College? Tamar said community members can participate in problem-solving groups or ant-bullying policy committees here at the college. Community members can also share positive cultural perspectives, norms, and expectations as models for students. Promote norms that show the community does not tolerate bullying... ...g is allowed to continue, which it can have strong consequences effect. Green River Community College needs to redesign their curriculum in promote anti-bullying climate in ways that highlights the anti-bullying message clearly to all students and faculties. One smart and efficient strategy to create an anti-bullying environment will be conducting public announcements to offer an ideal way for student campaigns that promote anti-bully-free campus. This is also a way to encourage students to report bullying and teach them how to get help if they feel threatened. Also the college’s web site is a technology based way to communicate expectations of student behavior and show how bullying will be perceived and dealt with at the college. Posting the policy and notifying students, staff, and parents prevent misunderstanding and ensure clarity of intent for all concerned.