Business overview of Deloitte Consulting

Business overview of Deloitte Consulting Deloitte Consulting is one of the worlds largest consulting firms, with 12,000 consultants serving more than one-third of the Fortune Global 500 in more than 30 countries. Its a powerful firm that incorporates all types of services in its business from research through implementation. More importantly through the eyes of its employees it is seen as a humane, balanced, and enjoyable place to work, where talent can rise quickly. The firm which started out as Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) was initially an international accounting firm, founded in 1845 by former bankruptcy clerk William Welch Deloitte. As the firm began to grow there was increased pressure on the business to separate from their parent accounting firms, and a new strategy had to be put in motion. In March of 2003, the firm announced it had ended discussions to separate its consulting practice from the parent accounting firm, reasons included a tight credit market and poor economic conditions. Deloitte Consulting, is now fully merged back into its parent company, which is now known simply as Deloitte. The company today competes with other large and mid-size consulting firms for the business of companies that do more than $500 million in sales. Its known primarily for its one stop shop designs that deliver executable strategies that it will help implement for clients of all sizes. Some of these clients include Boeing, GM, Chevron Texaco, and ret ailer The Gap amongst other. One of the ways Deloitte stands out form its competitors is by providing clients with a more personalized contract which takes into mind their short and long term goals as well as other factors. By have well trained consultants and project staff the firm is able to initiate strong conversation and detailed research. They are able to collaborate better and are more responsive to their needs. Deloitte has services in five service areas. The firm integrates process capabilities and service lines into each service area. Deloitte consultants work with eight industry groups in three geographic regions. When new people are hired into one of the regional offices they generally work in a particular geographic region. When starting your career with Deloitte, as you become more familiar with the processes ways of doing things youll gradually specialize in a service line and industry group. However as with any small or large organization you will initially work within different areas and on different project types. The four key business areas the company operates in include : Audit Financial advisory, Tax Consulting Market Position Deloitte Consulting is seen as one of the leaders in the industry competing with other large and midsize consulting firms. Since its had a reputation of quality service and commitment to its clients they have been able to provide a wide range of general management and information technology consulting services all around the world. One of the main strengths the firm has is in operations consulting, as well as strategic planning, financial management, and productivity. Deloitte Consulting is in the top 3 consulting firms in the world with other firms such as, IBM and Accenture. based on Consultants News estimates, which include revenue from both Deloitte Consulting and DTT. On the other hand, some research firms have listed Deloitte Consultings revenue the highest amongst its competitors; this would rank Deloitte Consulting (independent of DTT) at number six on the following list. In 2009 Deloitte as the worldwide leader in the consulting marketplace based on aggregate revenue, growth and market share for 2009. http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-global/Local%20Assets/Documents/Press/deloitte_vol2_article3.pdf *This picture indicates the revenue growth for the top 10 consulting firms* In a recent report Deloitte has been able to be the leader in the industry for the following reasons. These are seen as attributes of successful firms who compete in the industry. Ability to scale their business and IT consulting services to various providers who span across several geographical regions and domains. There is a chance for buyers on a global scale to have the ability to offer a broad array of consulting services addressing these initiatives which is broad in scope but tailored to their clients needs which is often seen as critically important. Having the right type of consultants with the right mix of skills, incorporating such qualities as multicultural and multi domain change management, while at the same time offering a deep business process understanding for a large number of industries. There is the concept of stability. The company year after year has had a solid balance sheet and financial growth within the business and IT consulting service provider are critical because buying organizations must mitigate the risk of failing to complete a project or initiative. Lastly is Strategy. Consulting service providers continually evolve their business strategy through reorganizing, reskilling of their resources and redefining service outcome. This is the differentiating proposition fort Deloitte. Deloittes consulting practices have outpaced growth of the consulting market for the past five years, and we believe this recognition is a testament to Deloittes successful execution of a broad services strategy delivered through a focused, collaborative approach. Client executives have faced exceptional challenges in the past two-plus years, and we are proud of the way Deloitte teams have worked with them in innovative ways to help meet those challenges. As the recovery takes hold, that same commitment to responsible innovation will support Deloitte clients in capitalizing on new opportunities. http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_UA/ua/press/ua-pressreleases-en/42ea841c3adf8210VgnVCM100000ba42f00aRCRD.htm ACG service offering http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_LU/lu/industries/ims/invest-hedge-funds/im-service-offering/advisory-consulting/index.htm Consulting Services Deloitte operates a wide range of consulting services allowing each client to be fully taken care of. They operate in three regions,(east. central, west). Deloitte is headquartered in New York, but is divided into three regions with individual offices in each. In addition they are organized into eight industry groups. The company has expertise in a wide array of functional areas and serves most big-ticket industries: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Energy, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Financial services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Health care à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Manufacturing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Public sector à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Communications and media, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Consumer business à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Real estate Five Service Areas To service the above, Deloitte is broken into five service areas, each of which integrates process capabilities. They include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Enterprise applications à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Human capital, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Outsourcing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Strategy and operations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Technology which has many service lines Each area of the consulting services has associated service and sub service lines, which are numerous and constantly changing based on client demand. Some of them, such as financial management or change leadership, may even cut across several industries, complicating the organization. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Enterprise applications: PeopleSoft, Oracle, SAP. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Information technology services: CRM, SAP à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Infrastructure: information strategies, systems integration à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Outsourcing: information technology outsourcing, business process outsourcing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People: change leadership, educational services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Process: mergers and acquisitions, program leadership, reengineering, shared services, supply chain results à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Strategy and financial management: strategy, strategy enterprise management, reorganization services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cross-service-line initiatives: BRPR initiative, ERPs second wave, e-business, Career Progression Working at Deloitte can be a great place to work. If your ambition is to have a long term career in consulting and provide the highest value to clients at the end of the day this is the place to work. Compensation, Vacation, and Perks Since the economy hit a standstill a few years ago the salaries while still competitive offered by Deloitte have taken a hit. Although insiders say things are looking up. New analyst salaries are in the $55,000 to $70,000 range. MBA starting salaries will be $95,000 to $120,000. Because Deloitte recruits at more business schools than many of its competitors, salaries may vary. New Deloitte employees get 23 days of personal time off (PTO) each year.PTO includes vacation, sick, and personal time. Taking 1 or 2 weeks off in a row is usually allowed, but taking all 4 weeks in one shot will depend on your team and office. Assuming its scheduled in advance, vacation is generally considered sacred, even if your client suffers an unforeseen matter-antimatter reaction. New employees can take advantage of the 401(k) plan; Uncle Deloitte will benevolently match a portion of your contributions-up to 25 percent of the first 6 percent you put in. On a less fiscal note, a program called third Friday fly back encourages consultants to get back to the ranch for the third Friday of every month for schmoozing and continuing education of general or special interest. The company has a philosophy which states its its your career, where do you want to take it? They stress the fact of extensive and continued training. Career progression is based on ability. On average people are promoted every two to four years as they develop their skills and capabilities, and have worked on different projects.. On the job skills or required skills To be successful at Deloitte Consulting, a person must demonstrate the competencies and attributes that they look for in a future candidate. These include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The ability to think clearly, logically, and with insight à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A quick mind and a high level of energy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Common sense and judgment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Skill and sensitivity in dealing with people à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The ability to secure the cooperation of others and persuade them to act à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Flexibility and a sense of humor à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The desire to broaden ones career focus beyond a specific technical or functional skill à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The self-confidence to work effectively with people at all management levels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Initiative, drive, and persistence The company sees unfulfilled potential as a waste of time and tries to keep it to a minimum. Because of this a tailored program of continuous personal and career development features strongly within everyones individual Deloitte experience, irrespective of their seniority. We provide a fantastic array of formal, informal and web-based learning options. Generally speaking, you can expect, as an experienced professional, to have between six and ten days of allocated training every year, typically including technical training, skills development, industry knowledge building and computer-based training. As a result youll acquire and develop a significant array of professional and personal skills thatll equip you to meet the many and varied challenges However, development isnt just about attending courses. Youll learn most by working on challenging projects with outstanding people. Weve invested in building the coaching capability of our staff so these real-time learning opportunities can be fully realized. So, rest assured, we make sure every ounce of your potential is recognized and exploited to everyones advantage, especially yours. The Recruiting Process The recruiting process is very structured and competitive. Deloitte recruits at many of the top undergraduate and B-schools to acquire the best and brightest to tackle their most complex business problems. To be considered for an initial interview, candidates must post their resumes on Deloittes website through their schools career center. It is a detailed application process which tells Deloitte about your background, skills and if you are a suitable candidate. If a undergraduate school isnt on the Deloitte site, it is a good idea to locate a recruiter at another institution. Expect the selection process to take one to two rounds, with one to three interviews in each round. Reportedly, candidates from prestigious schools often have their pick of regional offices. Not from Harvard? If you want to work in a different region, seek advice on doing so from your campus recruiter. Transferring an offer to another office is not easy or swift, although insiders say the firm has tried to accommodate new hires or their spouses. Undergraduates Students looking to apply should keep in mind that A strong GPA is important to Deloitte, although not as important as intelligence, poise, business savvy, relevant experience, and internships. Recruiters like well-rounded, self-motivated types with communication and leadership skills. All majors, from economics and business to liberal arts, have a shot at business analyst positions. For systems analyst positions, engineering, mathematics, and computer-science majors have an advantage over techy novices, who are often viewed as requiring a great deal of catch-up. For project analyst positions, economics or business majors with budgeting experience are preferred.36 Getting Hired MBAs MBA recruiting is conducted centrally. Recruits from Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, University of Chicago, UCLA, and some regional schools feed all U.S. Deloitte offices. While the on-campus recruiting process is the best way to get on the interview list, company recruiters say theyre willing to interview any motivated, qualified applicant. Unlike other big firms that base interviews on resume screening, Deloitte is more interested in what you exhibit in person. Team-as in team player-is the magic word. Professionalism, flexibility, and humor go a long way. Expect a mix of behavior and case questions thatll probe your analytical strengths and work accomplishments and determine your ability to fit in. Experienced Candidates- Deloitte is always looking for people with experience outside of consulting. They arent above occasionally luring staff away from competitors, either. Although MBA programs are the primary source of general management consultants, many health-care practitioners come from industry. Experienced hire recruiting is done first on a regional basis, then on a more detailed industry level. Experienced hires must have very well-defined experience in our service line, says one recruiter. The challenging work and long hours are paired with what Deloitte believes is a unique consulting industry characteristic: a workable lifestyle. Its consultants spend fewer hours away from home than its rivals (a 3-4-5 standard-a maximum of 3 nights in a hotel and 4 days at the client in a 5-day week. The firm also promotes a down-to-earth company culture that includes title-less business cards, mandatory use of first names from the CEO on down, and a strong emphasis on fitting in. The latter refers to having a Deloitte personality, which apparently trumps both GPA and raw intellectual horsepower early in the university recruiting process. Ideally, arrogant types are expunged in the first interview; hopefully only nice guys and gals get in. Training Every new hire goes through what many current employees call consulting boot camp. Both undergrads and MBAs attend similar intensive, 2-week training programs. For undergrads, the first week is devoted mostly to developing fundamental consulting skills and includes local office procedures and logistical information. The second week focuses more on a specific area. At that time, managers themselves may lead the training for some industries. The same progression of general to specific is true with MBA training; the technical services are separated from the business services. Although training is intensive, much bonding goes on during the downtime. In the meantime, you are also working like a lunatic to prepare to take on the job. In addition, new systems analysts may participate in an additional 3 to 8 weeks of training, depending on their service line assignment. Insiders say that all training programs are much more relevant than they were a few years ago. One of the important points about Deloittes career path is that they offer a reasonably clear career path all the way up to the title of partner. There is a notion of up or out isnt unheard of, and its a rarity that people stay frozen at one level. Undergrads hired as business analysts or systems analysts receive significant continuing education and typically stay for 2 or 3 years. Next they often attend B-school and return wiser and richer-once theyre back on salary (and their loan has been forgiven if theyre a business analyst). Business analysts chosen to stay on for the third year are promoted to consultant. Systems analysts typically work 2 years until promotion to consultant. Those who stay 2 to 3 years could earn a promotion to senior consultant. Deloitte reimburses you for any further education you may wish to do including graduate school. Undergrads can also be hired into a project controllers program. Starting as project analysts, they are slowly promoted to project controller, senior project controller, and finally project controller manager. Project controllers may leave the program to join the consulting side, and they may be promoted as a systems analyst or consultant. First-year MBAs from top business schools who get hired as summer interns are usually offered full-time positions as senior consultants, often including tuition reimbursement for their last school year. Senior consultants are promoted to manager in 2 or 3 years. Some hard-working managers are rewarded with a 18-month tour of duty in another country-from Argentina to Hong Kong to New Zealand-through the Global Careers Development Program. This program, which includes language training, is considered more important as the company integrates international affiliates. After 3 years, managers have typically gained an industry specialization and move up to senior manager. After 4 years, MBAs can choose from two tracks: partner or director the director position was designed to retain bright individuals who seek to focus on a technological career without the responsibilities of leading major projects or bringing in new business. New industry hires come in at every level, from consultant to partner, commensurate with previous experience. Alas, a few misguided souls do leave the firm (turnover is between 12 and 16 percent). Insiders report that alumni generally do not seek greener pastures at other consulting firms, suggesting that leaving Deloitte is more a rejection of the lifestyle than of the firm. Many go to work for clients, and others find opportunities in small start-up businesses. On the Job Roles Analyst The responsibilities of analysts dont differ fundamentally from those of senior consultants or even more senior people. At first you might be asked to do some backstage work, with little chance of harming a multimillion-dollar relationship, but the goal is to get you out in front of the client early on, where youll be adding value left and right. Often, analysts produce deliverables (the real-world analog of homework assignments), which managers and partners review and revise. Insiders say this is where you can prove yourself: This method allows superlative performers to really shine, since their first drafts may actually become final or close-to-final drafts for clients. Once you excel at these assignments, the scope of your responsibilities increases. Analysts have been known to run sizable chunks of a project and even entire small projects, with responsibility for five or more team members. In my experience, the degree of independence given to an analyst is directly proportional to your ability to handle the workload, says one insider. Here are some typical duties: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gather data through client interviews, research, and observation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Conduct operational and financial analysis of data à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Present findings to team members à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Persuade managers to adopt your recommendations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Research and prepare sales proposals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Recruit more analysts à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Systems analysts: design and test program modules Project Controller The project controller program-which contributes to the consulting program but is distinct from it-was started in 1995 in Orange County and subsequently went national. Project controllers work with project teams to measure progress and maintain budgets. They also coordinate with clients to ensure efficient use of the project teams resources. Heres a general overview of a project controllers tasks: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Manage finances for the project, including budget à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Develop and maintain a work plan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Analyze profitability and time utilization, ensuring optimal resource usage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Document and organize project progress à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Report project status à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ensure that the team is communicating properly and maintain team morale à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work on human resource management-for example, develop project support processes and human resource orientation processes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Prepare client presentation materials 18 Senior Consultant Senior consultants are expected to exercise their management skills and use a lot of other gadgets from that MBA toolbox. You will often have primary responsibility for a small project team or a small part of a larger team that includes clients and analysts. One senior consultant estimates that over the course of a day you will spend 20 percent of your time with Deloitte teammates, 30 percent working independently, and 50 percent with clients. Specifically, you will à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Determine and evaluate the appropriate analysis to be done. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Manage and guide analysis in progress. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Interpret the results of the teams analysis. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Prepare and deliver presentations to Deloitte Consulting and client management. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lead visioning and brainstorming sessions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Woo MBA candidates during recruiting season. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Participate in office initiatives such as the development of new divisions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ IT practitioners: manage systems development through design, programming, testing, and implementation. Partner A partner is actually an owner of the business. Our partners are the primary shareholders of Deloitte. Part of their commitment is to grow the business and sell our services to clients. To become a partner within our firm, it takes experience, leadership, a strong work ethic, and a passion for quality and client service Conclusion Deloitte Consulting is one of the worlds largest consulting firms, with 12,000 consultants serving more than one-third of the Fortune Global 500 in more than 30 countries. Its a powerful firm that incorporates all types of services in its business from research through implementation. More importantly through the eyes of its employees it is seen as a humane, balanced, and enjoyable place to work, where talent can rise quickly. The firm which started out as Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) was initially an international accounting firm, founded in 1845 by former bankruptcy clerk William Welch Deloitte. As the firm began to grow there was increased pressure on the business to separate from their parent accounting firms, and a new strategy had to be put in motion. In March of 2003, the firm announced it had ended discussions to separate its consulting practice from the parent accounting firm, reasons included a tight credit market and poor economic conditions. Deloitte Consulting, is now fully merged back into its parent company, which is now known simply as Deloitte. The company today competes with other large and mid-size consulting firms for the business of companies that do more than $500 million in sales. Its known primarily for its one stop shop designs that deliver executable strategies that it will help implement for clients of all sizes. Some of these clients include Boeing, GM, Chevron Texaco, and ret ailer The Gap amongst other. One of the ways Deloitte stands out form its competitors is by providing clients with a more personalized contract which takes into mind their short and long term goals as well as other factors. By have well trained consultants and project staff the firm is able to initiate strong conversation and detailed research. They are able to collaborate better and are more responsive to their needs. Deloitte has services in five service areas. The firm integrates process capabilities and service lines into each service area. Deloitte consultants work with eight industry groups in three geographic regions. When new people are hired into one of the regional offices they generally work in a particular geographic region. When starting your career with Deloitte, as you become more familiar with the processes ways of doing things youll gradually specialize in a service line and industry group. However as with any small or large organization you will initially work within different areas and on different project types. Bibliography PUT IN APA FORMAT http://www.wellesley.edu/Activities/homepage/consultingclub/wetfeet%20-%20deloitte_consulting.pdf http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedStates/Local%20Assets/Documents/us_consulting_2010annual401kbenchmarkingsurvey_121510.pdf https://community.bus.emory.edu/club/GCA/Shared%20Documents/deloitte.pdf https://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Cyprus/Local%20Assets/Documents/Recruitment%20Services.pdf The Almanac of American Employers 2007 By Jack W. Plunkett Write up the corporate ladder: successful writers reveal the techniques that By Kevin Ryan Likely Contents: Personal Positioning Statement (for guidance, take a look at http://www.csom.umn.edu/page2343.aspx )

Challenges and Opportunities for Ob

ORB PQ Chapter 3 : Attitudes and Job Satisfaction1. Which of the following answer choices is the best definition of attitude? a. Attitudes indicate how one will react to a given event. b. Attitudes are the yardstick by which one measures one’s actions. c. Attitudes are the emotional part of an evaluation of some person, object or event. d. Attitudes are evaluative statements concerning objects, people or events e. Attitudes are a measure of how the worth of an object, person or event is evaluated. 2. The belief that â€Å"violence is wrong† is a evaluative statement. Such an opinion constitutes the component of an attitude. . cognitive b. affective c. reflective d. behavioral e. reactive 3. The _____ component of an attitude is the emotional or feeling component of that attitude. a. affective b. cognitive c. behavioral d. evaluative e. reaffective 4. The following are possible actions that an individual may take if they behave in a way that is inconsistent with an attitude that they hold: I: change the behavior II: change the attitude III: rationalize the behavior IV: ignore the inconstancy Which of these actions are the most likely to be taken? a. Either I, or II b. Either III or IV c. One of I, II or III . One of I, III or IV e. One of II, III or IV 5. Any incompatibility between two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes results in _____. a. organizational dissonance b. cognitive dissonance c. attitudinal clarification d. values clarification e. affective reactance 6. The theory of cognitive dissonance was proposed by ______________. a. Maslow b. Festinger c. Hofstede d. Skinner e. Pavlov 7. â€Å"Dissonance† means ______________. a. reactance b. constance c. resistance d. consistency e. inconsistency 8. According to Festinger, people will seek a(an) ________________________. a. ariable state with variable dissonance b. stable state with maximal dissonance c. unstable state with maximal dissonance d. unstable state with minimal dissonance e. stable state with minimal dissonance 9. Festinger proposed that the desire to reduce dissonance is determined by three factors including the_________________. a. values of the elements creating the dissonance b. degree of influence the individual believes he or she has over the elements c. degree of positive affect the person has toward the behavior d. fact that values and attitudes will vary over the short term e. wareness that dissonance exists 10. The primary organizational implication of cognitive dissonance theory is that it helps to predict _____. a. overall job satisfaction for employees b. the likelihood of a given employee engaging in impression management c. the overall level to which the workforce will accept gender, racial or other types of bias d. the willingness of the workforce to accept company rules and work practices e. the propensity to engage in attitude and behavioral change of the workforce 11. Which of the following is not a moderating variable of the A-B relationship? . direct experience b. consistency c. specificity d. accessibility e. importance 12. The theory that attitudes are used, after the fact, to make sense out of action that has already occurred is best explained by ______________. a. cognitive dissonance b. escalation of commitment c. self perception theory d. uncertainty avoidance e. organizational commitment 13. The E. M. Foster quote, â€Å"How can I know what I think ‘til I see what I say? † reflects the notions captured by ______________ theory. a. cognitive dissonance b. escalation of commitment c. self perception d. ncertainty avoidance e. social affirmation 14. The degree to which a person identifies with his or her job, actively participates in it, and considers his or her performance as being important to self-worth is _________________. a. job satisfaction b. job involvement c. job stability d. organizational commitment e. social embeddedness 15. ________________ can be defined as a positive feeling about one’s job resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics. a. Job satisfaction b. Job involvement c. Job stability d. Organizational commitment e. Social investment 16.In her work in the publishing industry, Vera seeks out new authors who she considers promising. In the past two years she has found a number of new writers whose work she thought was exceptional, and immersed herself in the task of helping them shape their manuscripts for submission to her managers for publishing. Although she was extremely proud of the results, none of the authors she worked with were chosen for publication. Vera believes that the decision not to publish these authors was based on personal rivalries within management, rather than the quality of her writers’ work.She is extremely frustrated, dreads coming into work each morning and is seriously thinking of resigning. How can Vera’s job attitudes best be described? a. low job satisfaction and low job involvement b. low job satisfaction and high job involvement c. high job satisfaction and low job involvement d. high job satisfaction and high job involvement e. low organizational commitment17. Organiza tional commitment is defined as ___________________________. a. the degree to which an employee identifies with the organization they work for and its goals b. n employee’s belief that the organization they work for will go to considerable lengths to ensure that its employees are treated fairly c. the degree to which an employee’s sense of fulfillment and self worth is related to their job d. the amount of effort an employee will make in order to keep or advance their position in an organization e. the degree to which an employee believes their work impacts their organization18. Of the following, the best predictor of turnover is ______________. a. job satisfaction b. job involvement c. organizational commitment d. cognitive dissonance e. ffective dissonance19. The following are methods of measuring employee attitudes: I. a one-question global rating II. a summation score made up of a number of job facets III. a 360? battery Which of these methods are the best to use i n order to measure job satisfaction? a. I only b. II only c. III only dI and II are equally as good e. II or III are equally as good20. The following statements are about the relationship between job satisfaction and customer satisfaction for frontline employees who have regular customer contact: I. employee satisfaction is positively correlated to customer satisfaction II. employee satisfaction has no correlation to customer satisfaction III. satisfied customers tend to raise employee satisfaction Which of these statements are true? a. I only b. II only c. III only d. I and III e. II and III21. Actively and constructively attempting to improve conditions, including suggesting improvements and discussing problems with superiors would be what type of response? a. exit b. voice c. loyalty d. neglect e. reification22. Quietly continuing to do your work when you know things won’t improve, is what type of response to dissatisfaction? a. exit b. oice c. loyalty d. neglect e. social voice23. Maria is dissatisfied with the way that her manager treats her. She has quit her job and found a new position with another firm. She has expressed her dissatisfaction through __________. a. exit b. voice c. loyalty d. neglect e. social voice24. Henry is dissatisfied with his job but believes that his supervisor is a good man who will do the right thing. Henry has decided that if he just waits, conditions will improve. Henry’s approach to this problem is termed ________. a. exit b. voice c. loyalty d. neglect e. reificationSCENARIO-BASED QUESTIONSMrs. Jonas believes strongly that it is important that worker’s rights be respected, and that one of the more important ways of doing this is to ensure that all workers be properly documented. She is supervising a contracting company that is building a new warehouse for her company. While doing this she discovers that many of the workers employed by the contractor are undocumented aliens working for well below minimum wage.25. Mrs. Jonas is likely experiencing _____. a. cognitive dissonance b. unresolved anger c. ethical evasion d. uncertainty avoidance e. social pressure 6. In this situation Mrs. Jonas has a/an _____ that is in conflict with a/an _____. a. behavior; behavior b. attitude; attitude c. social need; social interest d. social need; social need e. behavior; attitude27. Mrs. Jonas can be expected to relieve the discomfort she is experiencing by _____. a. deciding this issue is unimportant b. rationalizing that it is not her problem since she is not the contractor c. attempting to stop the contractor using undocumented workers d. coming to accept that using undocumented workers does not harm workers’ rights e. any of the aboveEmployees at Acme Express are dissatisfied with working conditions, salary, and the general attitude of management. Mark, Susan, and Toni are good friends who work at Acme, yet each seem to be reacting differently to the problems at work.28. Toni has decide d that she’ll just get a new job and get away from the problem. Toni is dealing with her dissatisfaction through _____. a. exit b. voice c. loyalty d. neglect e. acceptance29. Susan has composed a list of concerns along with her suggestions for improving conditions. Susan is dealing with her dissatisfaction through ________. a. exit b. voice c. oyalty d. neglect e. acceptance30. Mark believes that his manager is a good person and will work things out if Mark just gives him time to do so. Mark is dealing with his dissatisfaction through _____. a. exit b. voice c. loyalty d. neglect e. acceptanceDESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONS1. Explain the concept of job satisfaction and discuss how job satisfaction can impact employee productivity, absenteeism and turnover.1. Discuss Cognitive dissonance and Self – Perception Theories and examine their significance in understanding relationship between Attitude and Behavior ( A – B Relationship) ___________________ Challenges and Opportunities for Ob International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities Vol. 3, No. 2 (2012), pp. 139-147 www. irssh. com ISSN 2248-9010 (Online), ISSN 2250-0715 (Print) The Constructivist Theory in Mathematics: The Case of Botswana Primary Schools Thenjiwe Emily Major (Corresponding Author) Department of Educational Foundations University of Botswana Private Bag- 00702, Gaborone Botswana- 00267 E-mail: [email  protected] ub. bw Boitumelo Mangope Department of Educational Foundations University of Botswana Private Bag- 00702, Gaborone Botswana- 00267 E-mail: [email  protected] ub. w (Received: 13-10-11 / Accepted: 12-4-12) Abstract This paper is based on a large research study that compared teacher quality and student performance in Southern Africa countries of Botswana and South Africa. In this paper we explore the extent to which the primary school teachers in Botswana use the constructivist approach in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Data was collected through classroom videotaping. Sixty out of the 64 mathematics teachers teaching at least one mathematics lesson, and more than one third of the teachers were videotaped twice.A total of 83 mathematics lessons were videotaped. The results of the study indicated that a large percentage of lessons observed required learners to simply recall rules, while a very small percentage of the lessons observed required learners to investigate or explore relationships between mathematical ideas. Keywords: Constructivism, mathematics, active learning, Botswana, passive learning. Introduction Constructivism is a learning theory describing the process of knowledge construction.Knowledge construction is an active, rather than a passive process. Constructivists believe that knowledge should not be just deposited into the learners’ minds; instead it should be constructed by the learners through active involvement in the learning process. Hausfather (2001) noted that, Constructivism is not a method. It is a theory of knowledg e and learning that should inform practice but not prescribe practice. By its very nature, constructivism emphasizes the Thenjiwe Emily Major et al. 140 mportance of the teaching context, student prior knowledge, and active interaction between the learner and the content to be learned. (p. 18). In the constructivist perspective, knowledge is constructed by the individual through his/her interactions with the environment. Unlike the traditional mode of learning whereby the teacher plays an active role in the teaching/learning environment, and learners passively receive the content, constructivists believe the learning should be centered on the learner.This has been acknowledged by Simon (1995) that â€Å"we construct our knowledge of our world from our perceptions and experiences, which are themselves mediated through our previous knowledge† (p. 115). When teachers believe that learners are empty vessels to be filled with the information from the authority, then teacher domina tion will always exist in the teaching learning environment. According to Freire (1970) the domination of the teacher is referred to as the ‘banking concept’ education.The banking concept sees the teacher as the only source of information. It is important that teachers should actively involve learners in their teaching to enable the students to construct knowledge. According to the Educational Broadcasting Corporation (2004) â€Å" in the classroom teaching, constructivist view of learning can point towards a number of different teaching practices†¦it means encouraging students to use active techniques (experiments, real-world problem solving)† (p. 1).Kennedy (1997) also noted that â€Å"what students learn is greatly influenced by how they are taught† (p. 2). Mathematics by nature is a subject that requires learners to be fully engaged in order for learning to take place. Therefore, this paper explores the extent to which learners were given the oppo rtunity to construct their own knowledge in the mathematics lessons. Statement of the Problem Botswana students need to learn mathematics differently than the current practices employed. Research has revealed that most teachers in Botswana end to present mathematics knowledge to the learners to swallow and regurgitate when needed, and not with the aim of helping them to develop independent skills to construct their own mathematics knowledge (The Report on the process of learning in Botswana: An in-depth study of the quality of mathematics teaching in sixth grade classrooms and its effect on learner achievement, 2011). Teachers have also been discovered to have insufficient skills to present maths skills to learners (The Report on the process of learning in Botswana, 2011).Teachers, therefore, must change their instructional techniques for learners to be actively engaged in their own learning and not passive recipients. Learners must learn to communicate and think mathematically. For future educational growth, , Botswana needs learners who are creative, analytic, problem solvers. Such skills can be promoted at the school level through the constructivist approach. Review of Literature Constructivism The constructivist theory to teaching and learning has been broadly addressed in a number of researches in mathematics education (Katic, Hmelo-Silver & Weber, 2009; Steele, 1995).According to this theory, students do not just passively receive information but constantly create new knowledge based on prior knowledge in conjunction with new experiences. As opposed to the traditional approaches where students learn by copying â€Å"word for word† what teachers say, constructivism has shifted to a more radical conception of teaching and learning whereby learners’ fresh ideas are brought to class, acknowledged, and enhanced through a variety of teaching and learning techniques that actively engage them.A number of studies have shown the effectiveness of the constructivist approach in teaching and learning in contrast to the traditional drilling and reciting approach (Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, & Chinn, 2007; Steele, 1995). A study by Steele, (1995) on â€Å"A construct visit Approach to mathematics teaching and learning†¦.. † revealed that using constructivist International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol. 3, No. 2 (2012), 139-147 141 learning strategies has positive gains. For example, such strategies tend to create an exciting environment for students to learn mathematics and enhance their self-esteem.According to this study, when students learn to construct their own knowledge, they tend to have control of mathematical concepts and think mathematically. Another study by Katic, Hmelo-Silver & Weber, (2009) on Material Mediation, suggest that materials can help to motivate and mediate the participants’ collaborative problem solving discussions. In this study, Katic, et al. , teachers used a variety of resou rces to solve a mathematics problem and construct explanations about the learning process; they, then, posed questions about the problem to clarify their solutions.This is a method that is encouraged in social theories like constructivism, as it generally assists in keeping the learners on task. Although constructivist learning theory does not tell us how to teach mathematics, a teacher with a constructivist background can facilitate learners’ construction of knowledge by applying different constructivist teaching approaches that are in aligned with this learning theory. This type of mathematics teaching forms the basis of this study.Nevertheless, a number of studies in Botswana on teacher centered versus learner centered approaches have revealed that teacher centered approaches are dominant in Botswana classrooms (Prophet, Rowell, 1993; Republic of Botswana, 1993; Tabulawa, 1997, 1998). For example a study By Tabulawa, (1997), on Pedagogical Classroom Practice†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ has indicated that students in the classrooms have been shown to be passive recipients of knowledge, which means that they are not given the opportunity to construct their own knowledge.The commission on Education (1977) has also highlighted this as a major concern in the education system of Botswana. According to this policy, teachers have a tendency to dominate in the classroom as most of the information transmitted to students is often too abstract and mostly requires them to memorize. This policy in a way was calling for a radical change in the classroom practices to allow for students’ growth through teaching and learning that is learner driven.Tabulawa, (1998) has also indicated a concern on the perceptions that teachers have that influence their classroom practices. In addition, Tabulawa, noted that there are certain factors that influence teachers to be dominant in the classrooms such as â€Å"teachers’ assumptions about the nature of knowledge and the ways it ought to be transmitted and the perceptions of students†. These factors are worrisome as they tend to perpetuate teacher centered approaches as opposed to learner centered practices.The study is out to find out the extent to which teachers apply the constructivist theory of teaching and learning when teaching mathematics. This is a theory that has been proven beyond reasonable doubt to enhance students’ independent learning. Methodology Sampling To address the objective of the study, the researcher used data from Human Research Science Council (HRSC) -Stanford- University of Botswana Regional Education Study that was conducted in 2009/10 as a comparative study on teacher quality and student performance in Botswana and South Africa.Out of 60 sampled schools in Botswana, data was obtained from 58 schools and 64 classrooms (two math classrooms in six of the schools taught by the same teacher in each school). The sample focused on 5 districts in Botswana, namely; low-incom e schools in five districts within 50 kilometers of the South African border, Gaborone (18 schools, 617 students), Kgatleng (16 schools, 495 students), Lobatse (6 schools, 152 students), South East (10 schools, 305 students), and Southern (8 schools, 205 students). InstrumentationData was collected through videotaping 83 standard six mathematics teachers teaching at least one mathematics lesson. More than one-third of the teachers were videotaped twice. The filming was done at the middle and towards the end of the year by trained personnel of the Thenjiwe Emily Major et al. 142 Botswana team from the University of Botswana. Teachers whose classes were videotaped were informed in advance about the research team visits. They were further told that the videos will only be used for the study. Data AnalysisThe videotape analysis was also done by well trained personnel from the University of Botswana and the U. S. A. From various video analyses conducted, the levels of cognitive demand we re selected based on the relevance of this paper since the focus was on the thinking process in which the learner was engaged. The ‘level(s) of cognitive demand’ in which learners were engaged in during the lesson were derived from a rubric in Stein et al. ’s (2000) classification of higher and lower cognitive demand. These are: Lower Level Demand 1.Memorization: Memorization recollection of facts, formulae, or definitions 2. Task requires the recall of previously learned material. Or the committing of facts, formulas or definitions to memory. Task cannot be solved using procedures because procedures do not exist or the time frame in which task is to be completed is too short to use a procedure. Tasks involve exact reproduction of previously seen material and what is reproduced is clearly and directly stated. Task has no connection to concept or meaning that underlies the facts, rules, formula, or definition being learned or reproduced.Processes without Connectio ns: Performing algorithmic type of problems and have no connection to the underlying concept or meaning Task is algorithmic. Use of procedures either is specifically stated or its use is evident based on prior instruction, experience, or placement of task. Task leaves little ambiguity about what needs to be done and how to do it. No connection or explanation of the concept is needed. Task focuses on producing correct answers rather than developing mathematical understanding. Higher Level Demand 3.Processes with Connections: Use of procedures with the purpose of developing deeper levels of understanding concepts or ideas Task requires use of procedures to develop deeper understanding of the concept. Task suggests pathways to follow that are broad general procedures rather than algorithms that are opaque with respect to underlying concepts. Tasks are usually represented in multiple ways (e. g. visual diagrams, manipulatives, symbols, problem situations) Connections among the represent ations builds meaning to concept. Tasks require some thinking, although using a procedure t cannot be followed mindlessly. Students need to engage in conceptual ideas to successfully complete the task. Doing Concepts and Processes: Doing mathematics complex and non-algorithmic thinking, students explore and investigate the nature of the concepts and relationships Task requires access of relevant knowledge, self-reflection on actions, exploring concepts, processes and relationships in non-algorithmic activity. Task demands self-monitoring or self-regulation of thinking. – 4. – International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol. 3, No. 2 (2012 139-147 (2012), 147 143 –Task requires analysis of constraints that may limit possible solution strategies and solutions. Task is unpredictable due to nature of solution process required. The focus in this component (the levels of cognitive demand) is the thinking processes in cognitive which learners engage in the observed lessons. In a constructivist classroom, learners are expected to think at a very high level, – as they are actively involved in their own learning. Apart from the analysis of the levels of cognitive demand, the data analysis members also s made some observations on how students interacted with the teacher.They made notes on these observations. Findings Levels of cognitive demand in classroom teaching in a sample of Botswana School 90 80 70 Percent of Lessons 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Memorization Procedures without connections Procedures with connections Doing mathematics The findings of the study indicated that 7. 3. 5% of the lessons required learners to recall a fact which in fact is memorization, 85% of the lessons do procedures without connections, and 23% do procedures with connections and only 3% students explore and investigate the nature of the concepts and relationships.From the video note observations, the data indicates that in most lessons teachers asked the s tudents questions and allowed the whole class to call out the answers. These findings concur with Arthur’s (1998), that â€Å"I observed many teacher dominated classroom procedures, in teacher-dominated particular lengthy recitations of questions by teacher and answers by individual or whole class† (p. 314). When teachers are the only ones asking questions and students being the s† respondents, learning is no longer centered on the learner but more on the teacher.Discussions From the findings it is evident that teachers used the procedural teaching and students learned by memorizing facts. When learners do the rote learning they are not encouraged to think critically and to construct their own knowledge as the teacher is the one who provides the one content for them. Memorization in Botswana classrooms is very common as evidenced by previous researchers such as Fuller and Snyder (1991), Arthur (1998), Tabulawa (2004, 1998, Thenjiwe Emily Major et al. 144 and 1997 ).Arthur and Martin (2006) in their study on comparative classroom teaching and learning found that most teachers in Botswana â€Å"ask low-level factual questions, with few opportunities for pupils†¦learners do not exercise their reasoning powers or imaginations† (p. 195). As data has indicated that lessons were predominately recalling of facts and procedures without any application to real life situations, one may assume that learners were not constructing their own knowledge but were simply spoon-fed by teachers. The National Commission on Education of Botswana (1977) also oncurs with this study that learning is mostly memorizing and recalling of facts which, in a way, does not add any value to the learning process. One of the goals of vision 2016 is for the education system of Botswana to provide quality education that would enable Batswana to adapt to the changing needs of the country as well as the global changes. This vision goal can be achieved if teachers adapt to theories such as constructivism that allow learners to explore and come up with their own solutions to the problems.Memorization and imitating teachers will not give Botswana learners sufficient wisdom to survive independently in this world of socio-political and economic unrest. From the data, one concludes that learners were not given tasks that challenged their thinking and the construction of their own knowledge. Henningsen and Stein (1997) noted that Mathematical tasks are central to students' learning because â€Å"tasks convey messages about what mathematics is and what doing mathematics entails†(NCTM, 1 991, p. 24). The tasks in which students engage provide the contexts in which they learn to think about subject students. p. 525) matter, and different tasks may place differing cognitive demands on Indeed if learners are given tasks that encourage memorization of ideas, according to Stein et al. ’s (2000) levels of cognitive demands, the learners are at the lowest level. In this level students are given formulas to memorize and just follow procedures without making any connections to real life situations. For example, in one of the videos the teacher was teaching the topic â€Å"area†. This is how she taught the lesson; first she asked the learners the meaning of the word area.Learners could not define the word, and instead of the teacher defining it, she gave the learners the formula for solving the area of a square. She then drew some shapes on the board, solved one as an example and then asked the learners to use the formula to find areas of the rest shapes. Indeed using the formula given, most learners were able to find the areas of the shapes drawn by their teacher. But can the learners apply the idea to real life? The procedure may be correct. However, did the learners make any connections to real life?From the analysis of the data it is evident that most tasks given to the learners only concentrated on the low levels of c ognitive demand. The task focused on producing correct answers rather than developing mathematical understanding. Various reasons such as examination driven curriculum may have contributed to Botswana teachers delivering facts (giving lower level tasks) to learners rather than allowing learners to think and construct their own knowledge. The centralized curriculum as well as examinations does contribute to teacher-domination as teachers are more concerned with completion of the syllabus at a given period.Arthur and Martin (2006) acknowledged that â€Å"pupils examination success provides access to further education in Botswana† (p. 192) forcing teachers to rush through the syllabus. This has also been confirmed by Tabulawa, (1998), that teachers’ perceptions of students and the goals of schooling have a direct influence in the way teachers teach because teachers see themselves as the main transmitters of knowledge, while students are passive recipients who must memoriz e and produce during examinations.Another reason may be the large numbers of teacher to students’ ratio which then encourages delivering of facts rather than allowing learners to construct their own knowledge. In a constructivist learning environment, learners learn best by discovering their own knowledge. Teachers encourage higher – level thinking so that students can reach beyond the simple factual response. Moreover, in a constructivist classroom, learners are encouraged to summarize concepts by analyzing, predicting, justifying, and defending their ideas.Cobb (1999) noted that â€Å"constructivist learning theory predicts that knowledge encoded from data by learners themselves will be more flexible, transferable, and useful than knowledge encoded for them by experts and transmitted to them by an instructor or other delivery agent† (p. 15). International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol. 3, No. 2 (2012), 139-147 145 In constructivism knowledge co nstruction is emphasized rather than knowledge reproduction. Knowledge construction helps the learners to remember what they have learned.The second highest level of cognitive demand encourages ‘use of procedures with the purpose of developing deeper levels of understanding concepts or ideas’. For learners to master the content, constructivist believe that higher order thinking skills and deeper understanding should be emphasized in the learning environment. Learners develop into critical thinkers if they are actively involved in the learning process and are encouraged to apply the concepts to real life situation. By this, learners are making meaningful connections.Learners can use their experiences to construct new information if given the opportunity to practice in the teaching/learning environment rather than having facts poured into them by the one in authority. The role of the teacher is to serve as a facilitator. The highest level of cognitive demand calls for doi ng mathematics complex and nonalgorithmic thinking, students explore and investigate the nature of the concepts and relationships. Tasks that learners are supposed to be engaged in should help them explore the relationship between concepts they are learning and reality.For, example, if learners are doing ‘area’ as a topic of study, let them explore the idea and find out how the topic can be applied in real life situations. Teachers should provide tasks that will lead the learners to explore, discover, and apply the concepts. Richard cited by Simon (1995) noted that It is necessary [for t he mathematics teacher] to provide a structure and a set of plans that support the development of informed exploration and reflective inquiry without taking initiative or control away from the student. The teacher must design tasks and projects that stimulate student to ask questions pose, problems, and set goals.Students will not become active learners by accident but by design through the use of the plans that we structure to guide exploration and inquiry. (118) It is, therefore, the responsibility of every teacher to plan activities that require high level of cognitive demand. It is important to note that high levels of cognitive demand require students to use their prior knowledge as advocated by the constructivists. Henningsen and Stein (1997) contended that â€Å"connections with what students already know and understand also play an important role in engaging students in high-level thought processes† (p. 27). For students to perform tasks that require critical thinking and applying of concepts, experience or prior knowledge used as a base is crucial. The findings in this study indicate that teachers did not engage the learners on tasks that required them to use higher levels of cognitive demand. These findings concur with what Prophet and Rowell cited by Fuller and Snyder (1991) that teachers in Botswana classrooms â€Å"ask for factual information through sentence completion exercise with pupils individual or in chorus simply adding the missing word.Students are rarely asked to explain the process or the interrelation between two or more event† (p. 276). This is a clear indication that teachers in Botswana classroom give learners tasks that are mostly associated with the low level of cognitive demand of which the constructivist theory does not encourage. The theory of constructivism also values the uniqueness of every learner. Students learn differently. The teacher, as the facilitator, should appreciate every learner’s strengths and weaknesses. Each learner should be given the opportunity to construct knowledge from his/her own experiences.Summary DeVries, Zan, Hildebrandt, Edmiaston, and Sales ( 2002) asserted that â€Å"teacherswho have been accustomed to teaching by telling and directing children’s work must shift from seeing themselves as central in producing learning to seeing thechild as centralâ⠂¬ (p. 36). From the study one concluded that there was a lot of spoon-feeding in most classes. Students were not given tasks that encouraged them to be doers and thinkers of mathematics, but rather to be consumers of mathematics concepts. Knowledge construction was very limited in most classes making learning more teacher-centered.Thenjiwe Emily Major et al. 146 The continued teacher domination in the Botswana teaching/learning environment will result in learners who cannot think deeply and critically. Knowledge is not passively received, but actively built up by the learners. Constructivism, therefore, encourages learners to be given the opportunity to construct their own knowledge from the previous experiences so at to be able to apply theory to practice and to make meaningful connections to what they learn to the real world. References [1] [2] J.Arthur, Institutional practices and the cultural construction of primary school teachers in Botswana, Comparative Education, 34(4) (19 98), 313-326. J. Arthur and P. Martin, Accomplishing lessons in postcolonial classrooms: Comparative perspectives from Botswana and Brunei Darussalam, Comparative Education, 42(2006), 177-202. S. K. W. Chu, K. Chow and S. K. Tse, Developing Hong Kong primary school students‘ information literacy and IT skills through collaborative teaching and inquiry PjBL, Library and Information Research, (2011), (In Press). T.Cobb, Applying constructivism: A test for the learner as scientist, Educational Technology Research and Development, 47(3) (1999), 15-31. R. DeVries, B. Zan, C. Hildebrandt, R. Edmiaston and C. Sales, Developing Constructivist Early Childhood Curriculum, (2002), New York: Teacher’s College Press. Educational Broadcasting Corporation, Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning, (2004), Retrieved on April 12 from http://www. thirteen. org/edonline/ concept2class/constructivism/index. html P. Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, (1970), New York: Herder a nd Herder.B. Fuller and C. Jr. Snyder, Vocal teachers, silent pupils? Life in Botswana classrooms, Comparative Education Review, 35(2) (1991), 274-294. M. Henningsen and M. R. Stein, Mathematical tasks and student cognition: Classroom-based factors that support and inhibit high-level mathematical thinking and reasoning, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 28(5) ( 1997), 24549. Hausfather, Where is the content? The role of content in constructivist teacher education, Educational Horizons, 80(1) (2001), 15-19. S. Hmelo, E. Cindy, R. G. Duncan and C. A.Chinn, Scaffolding and achievement in problem based and inquiry learning: A response to Kirscher, Sweller and Clark (2006), Educational Psychologist, 42(2) (2007), 99-107. E. K. Katic, Hmelo-Silver and K. H. Weber, Material mediation: Tools and representations supporting collaborative problem-solving discourse, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 21(1) (2009), 13-24. M. M. Kennedy, Defining an i deal teacher education program, Paper prepared for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, (March 1997), Retrieved on April 11 2011, from http://www. su. edu/~mkennedy/publications/Kennedy %20 to%20NCATE. pdf R. Prophet and P. M. Rowell, Coping and control: Science teaching strategies in Botswana, Qualitative Studies in Education, 6(3) (1993), 197-209. M. Simon, Reconstructing mathematics pedagogy from a constructivist perspective, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 26(2) (1995), 114-145. D. F. Steele, A construct! Visit approach to mathematics teaching and learning by fourth–grade teachers, Unpublished Phd Dissertation, (1995), University of Florida. M. K. Stein, M. S. Smith, M.A. Henningsen and E. A. Silver, Implementing StandardsBased Mathematics Instruction: A Casebook for Professional Development, (2000), New York: Teachers College Press. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] International Review of Social Sc iences and Humanities, Vol. 3, No. 2 (2012), 139-147 147 [18] [19] [20] [21] The Report on the process of learning in Botswana: An in-depth study of the quality of mathematics teaching in sixth grade classrooms and its effect on learner achievement, Unpublished Document, (2011).R. T. Tabulawa, Geography students as constructors of classroom knowledge and practice: A case study from Botswana, Curriculum Studies, 36(1) (2004), 53-73. R. T. Tabulawa, Teachers' perspectives on classroom practice in Botswana: Implications for pedagogical change, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 11(2) (1998), 249-68. R. T. Tabulawa, Pedagogical classroom practice and the social context: The case of Botswana, International Journal of Educational Development, 17(2) (1997), 189-204.

Self Development Assignment

This assignment is designed to help you understand yourself. In this course, you will explore who you are in terms of your personality, skills and values. Further, you will examine how you work and interact with others. In it, you will explore two areas of strength, two areas of weakness, and then you will develop a plan of action focused on one of your strengths and one of your weaknesses. It is expected that this assignment will contribute to your sense of self-awareness and thus help you make wise choices about your future. As part of our in-class activities, we will focus on self discovery. This will allow you to reflect and disclose those aspects of yourself that you feel are most likely to contribute to your abilities as a leader. Further, you will be encouraged to give and receive feedback from others. In addition, you will have the opportunity to delve into your areas for growth. For this assignment you will also reflect on two areas of weakness (or areas that you would like to develop). Understanding your strengths and your developmental needs should help you because a heightened sense of self-awareness should guide you to make career choices that capitalize on your strengths. The first step in this assignment is to identify two areas of strength and two for development. If you are already aware of your strengths and the areas in which you would like to grow, then you simply need to determine whether you are using appropriate terminology to describe them. If you are uncertain of your strengths and areas for improvement, then you will begin the assignment with an exercise in self-reflection. Increasing Self-Awareness Step 1 Once you have identified two strengths and two areas for growth, you should compare your list with the list of competencies in For Your Improvement (on reserve in the library). Step 2 1. Consider how you exemplify the strengths / areas for development. Provide concrete examples of how you demonstrate these strengths / weaknesses in your daily life (at work or at school). 2. Describe how each of the strengths/weaknesses impacts your performance at work and/or how it currently affects your performance at school. If you find that you cannot identify how the strength/weakness helps/hinders your performance, then re-consider why it is a strength or why you would want to improve the skill, or go back to step 1 and identify another area for development. Step 3 1. Select one strength and one area for improvement. 2. Drawing on theory, explain why the strength/developmental need might affect your current performance and/or how it might positively or negatively impact your future career. When considering theory, you will want to find research articles (academic ones) in support of your hypothesis that the strength will be of benefit to your career and that the area for development will negatively affect your performance (or alternatively, why improvement in this area will be necessary for your career). Developmental Plan The next part of the assignment is to develop a plan for improvement. Your plan should be realistic and you should provide a convincing argument for why you believe it will be effective. In order to be persuasive, I recommend that you support your plan with evidence (i.e., research the potential methods that can be used to improve a particular skill and include this evidence in your paper). 1. Develop a plan of action for capitalizing on one of your strengths. a. Develop a plan for how you believe you can capitalize on your area of strength. Use specific behavioural example(s) to indicate how your plan will give you an opportunity to use the competency to advance your career. The plan should be realistic and you should apply what you know about goal setting to ensure that the plan is likely to be motivating (e.g., consider whether your plan has SMART goals). b. You will need to indicate what would constitute career success and how your plan will bring you closer to achieving it. Further, you need to use research to convince the reader that your plan will be effective. 2. Develop a plan for how you believe you can improve one of your areas of weakness. 1. Use specific behavioural example(s) to indicate how your plan will be implemented. The plan should be realistic and you should apply what you know about goal setting to ensure that the plan is likely to be motivating (e.g., consider whether your plan has SMART goals). 2. You will need to indicate what would constitute improvement. You should explain the criteria for achieving proficiency on the competency. In addition, you should provide a specific behavioural example of how you would demonstrate improvement in your own life/career. 3. Research the plan. Look for evidence to support the idea that you can improve the identified skill and that your method is likely to be successful. If your idea has not been tested, then you should provide a theoretical explanation for why it will work. Please use academic theory and research to support your plan.

Essay about University Education Should Be Free - 1628 Words

Independent.Leadership.Equality. All of these are three characteristics as to what free university education can provide to citizens.Higher education should be free of charge for the citizens of the United States.In the US the average cost for colleges per year is $8,893. Many middle class and under class people cannot afford such costs. It is true that the government will give you grants but most of the time students never get funding from them (Emmons 3). Most people of today can hardly afford a car let alone the fees and tuition of college. Also, it could provide equality to all people. Allowing everyone an equal opportunity to go to college and make something of themselves. It provides a way for poorer families to break free from†¦show more content†¦Instead, citizens should be paid to go to college because they are going there to better themselves as citizens of the United States. Making new experiences for each individual is important. No one will enjoy the experience if they have crushing debts to worry about. Education should be out there to inspire peoples mind and not just filling their head with others perspective. Every individual has the right to learn and be educated, and have the opportunity to view this world in a different perspective and do something on their own. But the cost of education is so unaffordable to some mankinds that it is just ferocious for them to even consider paying those education bills off† (â€Å"Should Higher Free Education Should Be Offered to All for Free?† 4). If students were not stressed out over the cost, they could then focus they’re stress on leaning and getting educated. A student should only have to worry about exceling him or herself to their best ability without worrying about the price they have to pay to get their education. A public university is supposed to be meant for everybody but only those who can actually afford the price can actually go to it (Brady 4). Which therefore means that the government can’t call a university public if it not actually public (Brady 4). According to Brady Aaron,† When the roads that drive our economy and make modern life possible get too crowded or too congested, we expect the state toShow MoreRelatedShould College Education And Universities Have Free Education For High Graduates?863 Words   |  4 Pages Should college education and universities have free education for high graduates? Tuition should be free at colleges and universities for high school graduates because it allow graduates to have better employment opportunities, help graduate’s be debt free and help citizens that cannot afford to go to college the opportunity to go and have a better chance at life. 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