Advertising research report Twisters Restaurant and Coca

Importance of a Market research to Twisters Restaurant Restaurant industry is very competitive. It is highly competitive because every restaurant tries its best to establish a competitive edge over its rival brands. Those restaurants that have succeeded in branding themselves appropriately had done so by employing diversified strategies to win bigger market shares. McDonald, Starbuck and King Burger are some of the most popular restaurants in the World.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Advertising research report: Twisters Restaurant and Coca-Cola specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These restaurants have used strategies such as differentiation, strategic pricing as well as proper branding through appropriate advertising to promote the awareness of their brands. Advertising is considered as one of the main strategy that is very instrumental in promoting company’s products/services (Katz, 2010). In order for a ny advertisement to be highly effective, there is a need to conduct a market research before selecting the kind of advertisement to adopt. Advertising research helps to identify the advertisements that are extremely efficient in motivating clients to purchase products or services. An advertisement research is very important as it indicates the most appropriate medium to use when advertising (Lake, 2012). There are different medium that can be used to effectively brand products or a services. The choice of the medium to use mostly depends on the behavior of the targeted people. Advertisements are nowadays published mainly on magazines or a newspaper, they are also broadcasted on Television, radio or published on the internet. Thus, in order to establish the most suitable advertisement for a particular company, product or service, it is advisable for such undertaking to be preceded by an advertisement research in order for effectiveness (Honomichl, 1986). Twister’s Pizza which is a newly founded restaurant has initially undertaken a very important step of promoting itself as well as its products and services through advertisement. The restaurant had greatly benefited from the advertisement that its agency had initially launched. The restaurant had benefited from increased sales that helped the restaurant to realize high revenues. The later discontinuation of the advertisement resulted in performance of the restaurant. Therefore, the loaming decision for Twister’s advertising agency to use the same advertisement it was initially using to brand the restaurant is subject to debate. The management can opt to give its advertisement agency the go ahead to launch the same advertisement they had used there before as a result of its past record of success in motivating customers to use the restaurant’s facilities as well as to buy its products.Advertising Looking for report on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By doing so, the management of Twisters restaurant and the advertising agency will assume that the new advertisement will be successful in bringing in more new customers into the restaurants as there before. Nevertheless, it is imperative to note that the new advertisement was meant to advertise a new restaurant that was not in existence there before. In addition, it is also important to factor in the ever changing customers likes and preferences. Although the former Twister’s advertising was very effective in bringing in new customers to the restaurant, it is apparent that those customers that visited the restaurant disappeared with the discontinuation of the advertisement. This was not in order since these customers were supposed to continue visiting the restaurant, despite the discontinuation of the advertisement as they were conversant with the quality of the services as well as the products offered by Twister Restaurant. Similarly, these custo mers were supposed to be more customers into Twister Restaurant through referrals if they were happy with its dishes and services. Therefore, that is why it is necessary for an advertisement research to be conducted to determine the nature of the advertisement the Twisters advertising agency should design and use to advertise Twisters Restaurant. There are two kinds of research that are conducted by companies in order to establish the most appropriate advertisement to undertake. Syndicate is one of the researches that is conducted by a company and is made available to other companies. Customized research is the other type of research that is conducted and is usually founded on certain criteria and is mostly conducted for a particular company and its results are private. Therefore, Twisters Restaurant requires conducting a customized research that will be tailored for the company and its results only available to appropriate stakeholders. The managements should recommend for a pre-te sting type of customized research that indicates in depth efficiency of an advertisement before it is officially launched. It is noted that the more the pre-testing is done the more it becomes easier to predict its results. The pre-testing research that will be conducted will help Twisters management as well as Twisters advertising agency note the level of attentiveness that customers show, brand linkage, motivation as well as entertainment ad communication that are most suited for the advertisement. This will be realized after the breaking down of the flow of emotions and attention and studying them separately in order to integrate them accordingly in the advertisement being developed. This will help to identify the weak points in the advertisements being developed and replace them. The tests are advisable to be applied during the storyboard phase of the ad that is being development. Introducing the tests at this early stage increases the predictive of the ad being developed.Advert ising We will write a custom report sample on Advertising research report: Twisters Restaurant and Coca-Cola specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At this juncture, the images generated will be selected and used as incorporated campaign print ad for greater reliability of the final advertisement produced. Moreover, the post-testing research should follow the pre-testing study. These studies can either be syndicated or customized. After conducting the pots-testing research over a long time span, it will show how the developed advertisement will promote the Twisters Restaurant products and services prior to its actual administering. This research will be very important to Twisters Restaurant as it will help to understand its brand linkage, awareness, preference, performance as well as product attitudes and usage. This research will either be conducted by telephone or internet and it indicate whether the finished advertisement will be ab le to achieve its intended objective (Young, 2005). Thus, it is imperative that the management of Twisters advertisement should request first for an advertising research to be conducted. Although this will cost the Restaurant extra costs, it will help to increase the reliability of the advertisement being used by making sure that the final advertisement developed will be very effective in motivating customers to visit Twisters Restaurant. This is because the advertisement research conducted helps the advertising agencies monitor the advertisement development in order to facilitate the effectiveness of the final advertisement. The high cotemporary changes in tastes and preferences of customers are difficult to track, but it is imperative for every single advertisement being developed to be preceded by an advertisement research in order to enhance the quality of the advertisement. It is from this line that Twisters Restaurant does not have other better option, but to recommend for an advertisement research to precede the development of the advertisement in question. Through this way, the advertisement that will be used by the Restaurant will be very effective. Importance of Coca-Cola advertisement in its branding process Coca-Cola is known as the most famous and biggest selling soft drink in the world. It was created in Atlanta, Georgia in 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton and patented in 1887. It was registered as a trade mark in 1893. Surprisingly, after two years later, it had proliferated to the United States of America. Nowadays, Coca-Cola has become a universal soft drink in the World where it is sold in all regions in the globally. Coca-Cola is thus regarded as the most persistent and highly loved brand in history. It is also regarded as the longest surviving brand that we have currently. The success of Coca-Cola can be attributed to its highly effective advertising and marketing strategy. Coca-Cola has ever relied on its advertisement to promote as well as t o market its brand. That is the strategy that Coca-Cola has used to remain at the top as one of the l present leading successful company.Advertising Looking for report on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Coca-Cola has been in the market for more than a century (Arandilla, 2012). Its advertisements have been very effective and thus affected the pop culture as well as the World at range. The first Coca-Cola advertisement published in a newspaper did not show a lot of creativity as well as art work. The second newspaper advertisement that was published was an improvement of the first one and it was longer and more persuasive ad than the first one. The ad promoted Coca-Cola as a refreshing, exhilarating, delicious as well as invigorating drink. During this era, there were no acts that regulated advertisements that were being used. Thus, the ad was tailored in such a manner to exaggerate about Coca-Cola. The developed claimed Coca-Cola as an intellectual beverage, temperance drink that was considered to cure headache as well as neuralgia (Krugman, 1977). The Coca-Cola ad continued to improve with time. Because of the government regulations, Coca-Cola marketing department stopped using in formation such as Coca-Cola can cure headache that was deceptive. Instead, the advertising agency came up with strategic slogans such as ‘I can buy the world a coke’ which were very instrumental in selling Coca-Cola within America as well as in the other parts of the World. In 2006, Coca-Cola came up with a very instrumental campaign ad whose theme was on encouraging people to consume Coca-Cola. The campaign provoked people to take Coca-Cola in order to feel happy and to be positive. The ad encouraged people to love everyone and view the world in full color. This message touched many people and many people embraced Coca-Cola brand as it promoted a very essential value of love to the society (Thorson Moore, 1986). The research about the proliferation of Coca-Cola Worldwide was very informative. The study has shed light on how effective appropriate use of advertisement can be in the branding process. Coca-Cola used very captivating ad that greatly moved many people. The Coca Cola advertising agency is very effective in conducting its advertising research. The research helps the agency to establish the level of attentiveness that customers show, brand linkage, motivation as well as entertainment and communication that are most suited for the advertisement. Through this method, the agency is in a position to develop ads that are very effective in persuading more people to consume Coca-Cola. This information that was gathered from this research is very reliable. The reason why the information gathered can be considered as true and valid is because of the linkage of the high extent of Coca-Cola advertisement and how it has promoted the awareness and sale of its products worldwide. Coca-Cola Company has used appropriate slogans to encourage people to consume Coca-Cola. Some of the messages that Coca-Cola advertising company has used in branding itself teaches very essential values to the society. For example, the messages about taking Coca-Cola in order to be happy, positive and to love everybody were very effective in promoting Coca-Cola. Therefore, the information gathered is very relevant to the planning advertisement as it will inform them about the importance of effective advertisement in the branding process. Both Twister’s marketing management and twisters advertising management will stop taking the advertisement process for granted and instead advocate for an advertisement research to be conducted initially in order to establish the most appropriate advertisement to adopt. Similarly, the Twisters management will learn that advertisement is very imperative in the branding process after learning how it has helped Coca-Cola in becoming the longest surviving as well as the most successful company worldwide. Therefore, in future Twister’s management will stop considering the money it uses for advertisement as a waste, but instead, it will take it as an appropriate investment. Through this process, the restaurant w ill never discontinue the advertisement process any longer, but instead it will always enhance the advertisement process. Through this way, the restaurant will augment its sales greatly and extend its operations to other regions to become among the most successful restaurants in the world. Reference List Arandilla, R. (2012). Coca-Cola Advertisement Throughout the Year. Web. Honomichl, J. J. (1986). Importance of Marketing Research. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Business Books. Katz, H. (2010). The Media Handbook. A complete guide to advertising media  selection, planning, research, and buying. 4th ed. New York: Prentice Hall. Krugman, H. (1977). Memory Without Recall, Exposure Without Perception. Journal  of Advertising Research, 45, 3, 34-46. Lake, L. (2012). Advertising research. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-advertising-research-4043416 Thorson, E. and Moore, J. (1986). Integrated Communication: Synergy of  Persuasive Voices. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Asso ciates, Inc. Young, E. (2005). The Advertising Research Handbook. New York: Prentice Hall. This report on Advertising research report: Twisters Restaurant and Coca-Cola was written and submitted by user Dinah Soar to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on The Last Paper

In the case study â€Å"The Late Paper,† Kim is the person most responsible for her failing grade in Psychology 101. Ranked in order of descending responsibility are Philip, Arnold, Cindy, Mary, and Professor Freud. Kim may be smart in her psychology class but it doesn’t seem like she is as smart about the responsibility she had. The only right thing she had done was finish the paper on time but what good did that do when she still didn‘t turn it in on time. Professor Freud told her students that the term papers had to be handed to her no later then noon on December 18 and if failed to do so then they had failed in the class course. Kim knew all this no matter what, she should have known and turned it in on the day she had finished the paper. When her friend Cindy had came and offered her to join her for an end-of-semester celebration, she should have kindly told her that she had things to do and if they really wanted her to go then she had to first turn in the term paper to her teacher and then they could be on their way. Surely the party they had to go wouldn’t be any different if they went 15 to 30 minuets late. Instead Kim had chosen to join Cindy and her friends. Thinking she would turn in her paper on time. Fine, we’ll let that mistake pass. That night she should have at least came home early from the celebration and taken the responsibility which was to wake up early the next day to have time to turn in the paper. Instead, what dose she do? She comes home at 4:30a.m. but fails to get up early and leaves only 30min till 12:00 to turn in her paper. Smart! O.K., so she’s not though enough to demand her husband to give back the keys to the car but she could have at least spoken to Professor Freud herself, and made 100% sure that it was alright if she was a little late with her paper because she was having car trouble. Instead she takes... Free Essays on The Last Paper Free Essays on The Last Paper In the case study â€Å"The Late Paper,† Kim is the person most responsible for her failing grade in Psychology 101. Ranked in order of descending responsibility are Philip, Arnold, Cindy, Mary, and Professor Freud. Kim may be smart in her psychology class but it doesn’t seem like she is as smart about the responsibility she had. The only right thing she had done was finish the paper on time but what good did that do when she still didn‘t turn it in on time. Professor Freud told her students that the term papers had to be handed to her no later then noon on December 18 and if failed to do so then they had failed in the class course. Kim knew all this no matter what, she should have known and turned it in on the day she had finished the paper. When her friend Cindy had came and offered her to join her for an end-of-semester celebration, she should have kindly told her that she had things to do and if they really wanted her to go then she had to first turn in the term paper to her teacher and then they could be on their way. Surely the party they had to go wouldn’t be any different if they went 15 to 30 minuets late. Instead Kim had chosen to join Cindy and her friends. Thinking she would turn in her paper on time. Fine, we’ll let that mistake pass. That night she should have at least came home early from the celebration and taken the responsibility which was to wake up early the next day to have time to turn in the paper. Instead, what dose she do? She comes home at 4:30a.m. but fails to get up early and leaves only 30min till 12:00 to turn in her paper. Smart! O.K., so she’s not though enough to demand her husband to give back the keys to the car but she could have at least spoken to Professor Freud herself, and made 100% sure that it was alright if she was a little late with her paper because she was having car trouble. Instead she takes...

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Biology Lab Report - Essay Example There is necessity, especially in sports, where athletics are continuously striving to better themselves, to understand the relationships between cardiovascular fitness and exercise. Though the aforementioned cardiovascular responses to exercise and the factors that influence them are very complex this laboratory report contrives to seek relationship between one such response – heart rate – with exercise in a time-dependent manner. The Step Test will be applied to a total of ten subjects divided into two groups of five each. One group will be allowed to have more than six hours of sleep while the other will be allowed to have less than six. The hypothesis will be tested by counting the heart rates of the subjects at regular intervals during the test and compared to assess whether it holds true. Each subject steps up and down a low platform about 8 inches from the ground. He/she steps up and down for 3 minutes at the rate of 30 steps per minute. Each step is comprised of an up and down at a constant rate. A metronome is used to ensure that the stepping is constant for each subject. Each subject’s pulse rate will be measured using three fingers pressed over the radial artery in the wrist. The pulse rate will be tested for 30 seconds and multiplied by 2 to get the heart rate per second. There will be a count before the test (normal pulse rate) and another immediately after (pulse rate after stress). The subject should be made to sit quietly during the counting. The pulse rate for each subject should be counted at intervals of 30 seconds after the test till it returns to normal. There should be the first count immediately after the test and, thereafter, the next count should be made after 30 seconds rest. Thus, there should be alternate 30 seconds counts followed by 30 seconds rests till the rate returns to normal. The average heart rate

ANISHINABBE STUDIES ( FINAL PAPER) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ANISHINABBE STUDIES ( FINAL PAPER) - Essay Example At the time of its passage in 1876, the law was primarily a consolidation of numerous laws regarding the Native Indians previously enacted by the British colonial government in North America. However, currently, the scope of the act is wide ranging covering governance of the Indians such as the Anishinabbe, native lad use, education, healthcare among other aspects of the aboriginal lives. This paper presents an expanded perspective of the Indian Act with particular emphasis to its possible connections or impact on the people of Anishinabbe. The original justification of the Indian act was to assimilate the members of the first nations into the Canadian civilization through a process known as enfranchisement. Prior to a federal recognition as an Indian within Canada or the broader U.S, a person should be in a position to abide by very unique government regulation standards. In this light, the Canadian Indian Act has more meaning than a set of laws that have managed to control every perspective of Indian life for more than a century. In the capacity of a regulatory regime, the act provides a means through which people can understand Native identity whilst coordinating a conceptual framework which has been key in shaping the current Native lives in a manner that looks rather familiar and tending to natural. This paper explores different aspects of the Indian Act including the amendments and policies that have been enacted through the Indian Act. The Indian Act refers to Canada-based federal law governing in matters regarding bands, status as well as Indian reserves. The Act has a broader scope that revolves around issues like governance, education, healthcare as well as land use. History reveals a paternalistic and highly invasive perspective of this act, since it grants the Canadian federal government the authority to control and oversee the affairs plus daily lives of all reserve communities and

Doubt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Doubt - Essay Example The play has utilized many symbols to represent certain elements which either constitute or supplement the core theme of the play. The title of the play itself is ideally framed to contain the key theme that the play intends to communicate. The subtitle ‘parable’ communicates to the audience that it has an inner symbolic message to convey. The whole play is casted in the background of the Catholicism. The play starts with Father Flynn delivering the holy sermon. The pulpit which is set on the stage, ideally serves as a symbol of Catholicism, which is the foundation of the play. However, two very important identifiable symbols used in the play are the rigid and strict approach of Sister Aloysius and one another symbol is the unconventional behavior of Father Flynn as a priest. Quite often in the play Sister Aloysius is found arguing or stating a point strongly. In either case she is found with her fists closed. This is a symbol to represent how closed the existing system was. It is notable throughout the play that Sister Aloysius is very dedicated towards the students. She is portrayed as a very strict principal who is very rigid on each and everything which happens in the school and with the students. Authoritativeness is her norm of teaching. She is a symbol of a system which works on set norms and does not divert from those.

Why Science is Difficult to Learn

Why Science is Difficult to Learn Johnstone (1991) confirms that science was once easy to learn and teach. This was a time before modern scientific advancements when everything was clearly defined and separated into distinct sections and no learner was asked to apply their knowledge to an abstract situation. But Johnstone asks: Was this science? There seems to be an inherent idea held within society that science is difficult to learn. This essay will highlight some of the barriers to learning science and address why the idea is held that science is difficult to learn; it will then progress to identify some strategies which could be used in order to lower these barriers and make science more accessible. Part One Why can science be difficult to learn? Through classroom observations and wider reading it is apparent that there are many different barriers to learning science. These barriers can be due to many different factors; cognitive development, practical, financial and psycho-social; especially motivation and relevance of the subject material. Appendix 1 shows the 10 hardest GCSEs ranking chemistry, physics and biology as 7, 8 and 9 respectively. The research shows that the sciences are difficult to learn when compared to other subjects studied at the same level; but why is this the case? Cognitive demand In 1956 Benjamin Bloom proposed a hierarchy of educational objectives which ordered cognitive processes from simple to higher order thinking skills (Capel et al, 2009, p.254). The taxonomic pyramid (Appendix 2) shows knowledge retention as the basic foundation for higher order cognitive ability with analysis, synthesis and evaluation shown as high level skills. It should be noted that within science, knowledge retention and understanding, although low on the hierarchy, can involve a great deal of information for learners to process. For example when learners start secondary school at 11 years old they are introduced to scientific equipment they have never seen before and have no idea what it is called. Yet they need to be able to recall the name of apparatus and understand their uses within a practical investigation. Science lessons in many secondary school settings aim to incorporate as much practical as possible in order to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. This type of investigative learning requires the learners to access and use higher cognitive skills such as analysis and evaluation hence making the requirements of the lesson much more difficult. It is the conclusion and evaluation of investigative work that is the most valuable in assisting pupil progress yet inevitably the most difficult and challenging. From this it is evident that higher order cognitive skills are required and used much more frequently in science than in many other subjects hence making it more difficult. Jean Piagets cognitive development theory (1963) linked a childs maturation with cognitive ability. Capel et al (2009, p.254) states: He saw intellectual and moral development as sequential with the child moving through stages of thinking driven by an internal need to understand the world. In a secondary school science lesson, based on Piagets development theory, it would be appropriate for the teacher to assume that the learners would be in one of the final two stages: concrete operational or formal operational. You can see from the diagram in Appendix 3 that the concrete operational phase covers from 7-11 years old and suggests that learners can think logically; at 11 years old they can then apply their ideas to abstract situations and become concerned about the future. If you were to assume that all learners followed these stages in the rigid format implied, then it would be correct to assume that all learners in a year 7 class would be able to use logical thought processes yet their ability to apply their logic to new abstract situations and make hypothesises would still be quite limited. This causes problems with learning the Key Stage 3 (KS3) science curriculum as it is full of abstract ideas which do not follow the learners logical thought processes. There are more abstract ideas in science than in any other subject and if learners are not yet in the final stages of cognitive development suggested by Piaget, they are going to find the context very difficult indeed. Learners in the concrete operational stage of development are going to experience barriers to their learning when their logical cognitive abilities are challenged by new abstract ideas. This conflict between different thought processes and accepting that their logical reasoning is in fact incorrect can be damaging and prevent further progress in their immediate learning. It takes time to teach abstract ideas and this is even more of a challenge if your learners do not reach the final stage of development. Piagets stages of development are rigid and somewhat flawed when applied to a real classroom setting where you can have 30 year 7 pupils all at varying levels of cognitive ability. Teachers will always have learners in their class who have progressed through the stages very quickly and have their own ideas and thoughts about many different abstract situations. On the other hand there will be pupils in the class who may never fully complete the final stage of development. The use of correct scientific language is difficult as learners may, through their own life experiences, hold different meanings for scientific words. These are known as heteronyms; words that have a different meaning in one context and then another in a scientific context. These alternative meanings make understanding more difficult, especially for learners where English is not their first language. It also means that learners can struggle to accept the scientific meaning hence making their learning more difficult. Research carried out in America by Sruggs and Mastropieri (1993 cited by Sullenger, n.d) indicated that over 750 scientific words were introduced from kindergarten through to sixth grade, and the story is no different in Europe. Science is a subject of high cognitive demand; learners will struggle to be successful in the subject if they are unable to access higher thinking and communication skills. If learners lack the vocabulary to share their scientific observations and explain their ideas they are going to underachieve; not through lack of understanding but through poor literacy. When relating these ideas regarding literacy and language to Piagets theory it can be noted that learners should be able to use language to represent objects during the pre-operational stage which is experienced from 2-7 years old. The abundance of difficult words used in science means that learners need to have well developed language skills and could experience a setback in their cognitive development. They need to do this whilst teachers are also expecting them to think logically and apply ideas to abstract situations. It is a lot to ask of an 11 year old especially one who is already behind in terms of their cognitive development. Osborne (1996, p274 cited by Henderson and Wellington, 1998) says of learning physics that it is: more akin to the learning of a foreign language than it is to the learning of historical facts. This is equally true of the other sciences. Everyone it seems considers science to be a practical subject but fail to realise the complexity of the language which needs to be learnt in the first instance. Orey (2010) discusses the educational implications of Piagets theory. They stress the importance of the consistency between the content of the lesson and the developmental stage of the learner. They also state that opportunities should be provided to allow learners of different developmental stages to work together. I have seen this method used in secondary school; it is called challenge groups and works well to allow learners to scaffold each others learning. This idea is also given strong focus by the work carried out by Vygotsky. Vygotsky (1962) believes in the importance of a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in order to develop higher level thinking skills. The ZPD is the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers (Vygotsky, 1978 cited by Chaiklin et al, 2003 p.39). Please see Appendix 4 for a visual representation of Vygotskys theory. The work of Vygotsky highlighted the importance of talking, and research in the UK has highlighted its importance to learning (Capel, 2009). Communication is the essence of the socio-cultural experience when students are learning and problem solving. Through language and culture, teachers and students negotiate meaning (Connell and Charles, n.d). Vygotsky strongly believed that talking and socialisation facilitate higher order thinking skills; however the idea of requiring full social interaction in order to learn can become problematic when trying to apply the ideas in the average secondary school science lesson. Group work can easily take place in small, safe classrooms with small class sizes however when there is only one teacher to over 30 learners in a science lab this can become much more difficult. It can become even less practical during experiments and investigations where health and safety is of upmost importance. It is clear from the analysis of these three different learning theories that the content of the science National Curriculum requires learners to use higher level cognitive skills in order to learn and achieve in the subject. These skills can take a long time to develop and learners need a lot of practice before they become competent high level thinkers and have the language skills necessary to access higher cognitive skills such as analysis and evaluation. In is also clear that social interaction is very important however in practice it can be limited in a laboratory especially when class sizes are large. Practical and financial barriers Based on personal observations, and discussions with staff from various secondary schools, it is clear that some science departments are limited in their delivery of the National Curriculum based on the availability of equipment/ resources and their cost. This can have an impact on the quality of teaching and learning which can take place and therefore support the idea that science is difficult to learn. It is beneficial for learners to experience science within a laboratory not only for safety and practical reasons but also to help pupils put science into a real-life context and help with understanding of the relevance of the subject. It is not a surprise however that fitting laboratories is very costly as is replacing old equipment and replenishing resources for use in practical investigations. Laboratories not only require the usual resources provided in a normal classroom such as interactive whiteboards and a teacher computer, which are very costly, they also require specialist desks and stools, an isolated gas, electricity and water supply, fume cupboards and space; space for the equipment, space for the large class sizes and most of all space so learners can work safely. The question is can learners still experience an outstanding lesson and learn science when not in a laboratory. I would say that a huge amount of appropriate learning can take place outside of the laboratory if good technology is available; however learners need to experience scientific theories in context in order to develop and confirm their own ideas. For example it is very easy to teach the structure of the heart in an ordinary classroom and learners will be able to repeat the knowledge in an exam; but give a learner a heart to dissect and suddenly their understanding is much greater. Another barrier to learning in science can be the availability of specialist staff such as lab technicians. As with everything extra staff comes at a cost but it is essential to have well trained, experienced technicians if the department is going to deliver science in such a way that is conducive to learning. Technicians are of upmost importance when it comes to delivering practical lessons. Teachers would not be able to deliver their lesson effectively if it was not for the vital support offered by the technicians. If there is not enough money available to employ technicians then there would be a massive impact on learning. In these times of financial difficulty there needs to be a balance between where cuts are made in order to have the least impact on learning. A huge barrier to learning can be caused by the teacher themselves. If the teacher lacks confidence in their abilities, has poor subject knowledge and is not effective in their transmission of information then the content of the lesson is going to be even more difficult to learn. Teaching science is a demanding job with most teachers expected to teach across four disciplines at KS3 (biology, chemistry, physics and earth sciences) and at least 2 disciplines at KS4. To be competent in all these areas and to be competent in their delivery requires great cognitive ability and perseverance. Effective teachers in the future will need to deal with a climate of continual change (McBer, 2000, p.4). Research carried out by McBer (2000) on behalf of the DfEE found that there were 3 main factors linked to the effectiveness of the teacher which influenced learning and progress: teaching skills, professional characteristics and classroom climate. The research identified that effective teachers use their professional knowledge in order to use appropriate and effective teaching skills effectively and consistently, successfully apply subject knowledge and incorporate the use of the national numeracy and literacy strategies. It is again made clear from the research that science is a very difficult subject to teach consistently to an outstanding level; made more difficult than other subjects by its diverse nature and large content across the 4 disciplines. This raises the question: is science difficult to learn because of poor teaching, or because the teachers have so much content to cover with potentially little resources at their disposal? Psycho-social barriers Due to the continuous variation of social context within a classroom environment learners are frequently involved in unfamiliar learning situations (Boekaerts, 2002). In some learners this creates a sense of challenge; for others it causes uncertainty and some level of distress. Boekaerts (2002, p.8) states that: Students try to make sense of novel learning situations by referring to their motivational beliefs. Motivational beliefs refer to the opinions, judgements and values that students hold about objects, events or subject-matter domains. The research she carried out found that motivational beliefs can result from a range of different experiences: direct learning, observation, verbal statements by teacher, parents of peers and social comparisons. As a teacher you can have a vast range of different abilities within your class; ability can have a direct impact on the motivation of the learner. It is quite often found that higher ability students show greater self-motivation to learn than their peers who have special educational needs or struggle with certain subjects. It is important that as a teacher to know the motivational level of your students and encourage those who lack motivation to be more engaged in the lesson. It is important to know which learners have developed unfavourable motivational beliefs about a topic as this can greatly impact on their learning. Another barrier which contributes to a lack of motivation is the learners perception that the science topic is not of relevance to them. If a learner can see how the topic is of relevance to them or to their future aspirations or even if they just consider it useful they will definitely be more motivated to learn; therefore a teacher must consider the relevance of a topic to their learners and if necessary find an innovative way to make it relevant. Staver (2007, p17) states: Cognitive learning theory emphasizes the importance of learning something new by relating it to things that are already meaningful and familiar. Science teachers must remember that their own intrinsic motivation to learn science is likely not shared by many of their students, whose motivation is more likely activated instrumentally, by connecting science to things that are already familiar and important to them. It is especially important to motivate females in science as they often find it more difficult to find relevance in the topic especially when studying physics. It is important that teachers set high expectations for learning as this will directly influence that learning (Staver, 2007). It is important that expectations are high for all students regardless of their gender, background or cognitive ability; special educational needs or gifted and talented. Part 2: What can Science teachers do to help? Past surveys have found that Some 51% of teenagers think science lessons are boring, confusing or difficult (BBC News Online, 2005). This view has not changed and research is showing that if anything learners are finding science more difficult and do not recognise its importance or relevance to everyday life. Todays teenagers are the scientists of tomorrow so things need to change in order to make science more accessible and enjoyable for all. Lowering the language barrier The correct and appropriate use of language is important across the curriculum regardless of the subject. In Part One literacy and language were highlighted as a barrier to learning due to the complexities of its use in a scientific context. Henderson and Wellington (SSR. 1998 p.35) quote from the science national curriculum: Pupils should be taught to express themselves clearly in both speech and writing and to develop their reading skills. They should be taught to use grammatically correct sentences and to spell and punctuate in order to communicate effectively. This was interpreted and adapted by the QCA to state that pupils should be taught to use appropriate scientific vocabulary to describe and explain the behaviour of living things, materials, and processes. Vygotsky highlights the importance of talking and listening as part of socialisation to facilitate higher order thinking skills. It has been highlighted that it is important to let learners speak not only to the teacher but to each other, and learn through speaking (Henderson and Wellington, 1998). Learners must be provided with opportunities to communicate and collaborate with their peers in order to explore their own ideas on a certain topic (Henderson and Wellington, 1998) as well as develop their language skills. Discussion-based learning is important in developing the learner not only in a science lesson but also socially. This helps to lower the language barrier as learners gain a lot from their peers who can usually word complex scientific concepts in a simple way a teacher never could. Some learners will not like this style of teaching and will find it embarrassing to talk to their peers even if in small groups rather than to the whole class. It is important that the teacher facilitates the discussion and thinks carefully about the groups. It would be useful to group learners based on their abilities as mentioned in Part One using a method observed called challenge groups. A great deal of science teaching involves the teacher telling and there is little opportunity for pupil talk. How can we be sure that the class have understood the science if they are given no chance to discuss, exchange ideas, or interpret? (Henderson and Wellington, 1998 p.36). Grouping pupils of varying abilities in order to discuss different scientific concepts helps to scaffold the learning of weaker pupils and secure the knowledge of the more able pupils. It is important that the teacher ensures the correct terminology and language is used which can sometimes be difficult especially in a laboratory where seating arrangements are not always ideal for group/class discussions. For lower ability groups who struggle with literacy it is important to use other strategies to ensure they are able to fully access the content of the lesson. The teacher could use visual representations of the words in order to assist understanding. They could use diagrams to show methods rather than a list of words if the learners struggle to read and use wordmats and glossaries to help support the learners in their written work and spellings. It is important that the spelling of key terms is addressed consistently and is a cross-curricula responsibility for all staff. Developing thinking skills From reading and applying the learning theories in Part One and based on my observation in school it is apparent that many secondary school learners are behind in their cognitive development and will struggle to access higher cognitive skills in lessons. Focussing on methods to improve critical thinking skills and problem solving skills highlighted by Blooms Taxonomy is important in order for learners to gain confidence and competence in their scientific knowledge and understanding. Ideally these skills need to be written within the scheme of work for each topic and the best way to improve these skills is through investigation and problem solving tasks. This can have an impact on lesson time available to cover all of the content but is a crucial factor which needs to be accounted for. Without developing these crucial thinking skills at KS3 learners are going to struggle to access the more demanding content covered at KS4. It would be ideal if these skills were covered across all subjects however different departments may have different delivery techniques which could cause further confusion. In order to address the development of thinking skills a new initiative emerged in 1995 called Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE). The intervention was based partly on the theories of Piaget; it was designed to accelerate development so that pupils progress from concrete thinking to formal operational thinking by the end of the two-year programme (Jones and Gott 1998). The programme was aimed at year 7 and 8 pupils who were previously identified as vulnerable in terms of cognitive ability. Please see Appendix 5 which details the five stages of the CASE approach. The stages encourage learners to use discussion to resolve cognitive conflicts and reflect on their own thinking before applying their new ideas to abstract contexts. It is easy to see the influence of Vygotsky as well as Piaget in the application of CASE. A very important part of the intervention is giving learners time to think before they answer. All too often teacher expects an immediate answer therefore not allowing learners time to process any new information. The principles of CASE have also seen success in both English and Maths (Angus Council, 2001). The results clearly show an improvement in the attainment of pupils who received CASE intervention however the results also show that females benefit from an earlier intervention than boys (Shayer 1999); this could have huge implications for policy in mixed gender schools. The fact that this intervention appears to have been used in only the core subjects: science, English and maths, appears to reinforce the view that these subjects are more difficult to learn as they require higher order thinking skills and intervention to achieve them. Over the past 17 years CASE has helped learners to overcome the demands of the content of the science National Curriculum. In schools where CASE was applied up to 25% higher grades were seen in English, maths and science when compared with non-CASE schools (Shayer 2000). Conclusion It is clear that the teaching and learning of science is difficult due to the high cognitive skills which are required in order to understand the subject content and apply knowledge to answer questions on abstract situations. The language skills required in order to access these higher skills in science cause a barrier to learning along with other barriers such as a lack of motivation from learners who cannot see the relevance of science in their everyday lives. Applying the learning theories of Bloom, Piaget and Vygotsky can help schools to employ strategies to try to overcome these barriers. It is important that interventions such as CASE continue to be used as well as other strategies to encourage the uptake of science based subjects in further education especially by females. Science is difficult to learn; however this makes the sense of achievement, both as a teacher and a learner, even greater. Word Count: 3,999 References: Angus Council (2001) Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education. Monifieth High School, Angus. Last accessed on 28th December 2012 from http://www.cognitiveacceleration.co. uk/documents /ca_stories /secondary/developing_science_in_KS3.pdf Atherton, J. S., (2011) Learning and Teaching; Piagets developmental theory [Online] last accessed on 27 December 2012 from http://www.learningandteaching.info /learning/piaget.htm BBC News, 2005. Science dull and hard, pupils say. [Online] (Last updated 16th June 2005). Last accessed on 28 December 2012 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/ education/4100936.stm. Boekaerts, M., (2002). Motivation to learn. Educational practices-10. International Bureau of Education. Available at http://www.ibe.unesco.org. Capel, S., Leask, M., and Turner, T., (2009) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School. 5th Ed. Oxon: Routledge Chaiklin, S., (2003) Vygotskys educational theory in cultural context, Chapter 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Henderson, J., and Wellington, J., (1998) Lowering the language barrier in learning and teaching science. [pdf] School Science Review, 79(288). Last accessed on 28th December 2012 from https://www.ase.org.uk/journals//1998/3//SSR288Mar1998p25.pdf Johnstone, A. H., (1991), Why is science difficult to learn? Things are seldom what they seem. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 7, 75-83. Jones, M., and Gott, R., (1998): Cognitive acceleration through science education: alternative perspectives. International Journal of Science Education, 20:7, 755-768. McBer, H., (2000) Research into Teacher Effectiveness, A Model of Teacher Effectiveness. DfEE Research Report No216. Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from https://www.education.gov.uk/ publications/ eOrderingDownload/RR216.pdf. Orey, M., (2010). Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology. Switzerland: The Global Text Project. Retrieved from http://textbookequity.com/oct/Textbooks /Orey_ Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.pdf on 27th December 2012. Richardson, K., (n.d) Cognitive Development and Learning [online]. Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from midnightmelody.pbworks.com. Shayer, M., (1999) Cognitive acceleration through science education II: its effects and scope, International Journal of Science Education, 21:8, 883-902. Shayer, M., (2000) GCSE 1999: Added Value from schools adopting CASE intervention. Centre for the Advancement of Thinking, Kings College, London. Staver, J. R., (2007). Teaching Science. Educational practices-17. International Bureau of Education. Available at http://www.ibe.unesco.org Sullenger, K., (n.d) Fostering Higher Levels of Scientific Literacy: Confronting Potential Barriers to Science Understanding .University of New Brunswick. Appendix 1: Image taken from http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/languages-are-the-hardest-gcses-research-finds-13423306.html Appendix 2: Image taken from http://www.bio.unc.edu/Courses/2009Summer/Biol202/ Appendix 3: Image taken from http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/piaget.htm Appendix 4: Image taken from http://cadres.pepperdine.edu/omcadre6/BookProject/vygotsky.htm Appendix 5: Image taken from http://www.cognitiveacceleration.co.uk/documents/ca_stories /secondary/developing_science_in_KS3.pdf Bibliography Anon (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Book 1, Cognitive domain [online]. Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from http://centeach.uiowa.Edu/materials/Taxonomy%20of%20 Education%20Objectives.pdf Cimer, A., (2012) What makes biology learning difficult and effective: Students views. Educational Research and Reviews Vol. 7(3), pp. 61-71. Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR Jenkins, E. W., (2000) Changing science teachers work: a question of professionalism. School Science Review 81(297). Last accessed on 27th December 2012 from https://www.ase.org.uk/journals Palmer, A. J., (2001). Fifty Modern Thinkers on Education: From Piaget to the Present. London: Routlledge. Appendix 1 10 hardest GCSEs 1. Latin 2. German 3. Spanish 4. French 5. Statistics 6. Vocational engineering 7. Chemistry 8. Physics 9. Biology 10. IT Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Stages of Cognitive Development Stage Characterised by Sensori-motor (Birth-2 yrs) Differentiates self from objects Recognises self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally: e.g. pulls a string to set mobile in motion or shakes a rattle to make a noise Achieves object permanence: realises that things continue to exist even when no longer present to the sense (pace Bishop Berkeley) Pre-operational (2-7 years) Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and words Thinking is still egocentric: has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others Classifies objects by a single feature: e.g. groups together all the red blocks regardless of shape or all the square blocks regardless of colour Concrete operational (7-11 years) Can think logically about objects and events Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9) Classifies objects according to several features and can order them in series along a single dimension such as size. Formal operational (11 years and up) Can think logically about abstract propositions and test hypotheses systematically Becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future, and ideological problems Appendix 4 http://cadres.pepperdine.edu/omcadre6/BookProject/images/vyg1.gif

Tourism is of major economic and social significance Essay -- Personâ€e

Tourism is of major economic and social significance. More than 720 million tourists spend $480 billion annually in places outside their own country (WTO, 2004). This is one of the largest items in the world’s foreign trade. The significance of tourism has been recognized in both developing and developed countries. This can be seen in the establishment of sophisticated and well resourced government departments of tourism , widespread encouragement and sponsorship of tourism developments, and the proliferation of small business and multinational corporations contributing to and deriving benefits from the tourism industry. In 2005, the tourism sector accounted for 3 % to 10% of the GDP of developing countries. The contribution of tourism to economic growth and development is reflected in the form of exports since it represents 40 percent of all xports of services, making it one of the largest categories of international trade (UNWTO, 2006). There is widespread optimism that tou rism might be a powerful and beneficial agent of both economic and social change, some even advocating that it might be a force for world peace. Indeed, tourism has stimulated employment, investment and entrepreneurial activity, modified land use and economic structure, and made a positive contribution to the balance of payments in many countries throughout the world. At the same time, the growth of tourism has prompted perceptive observes to raise many questions concerning the social and environmental desirability of encouraging further expansion. Do the expenditures of tourists benefit the residents of destination areas? Is tourism encouraging prostitution, crime and gambling? Does tourism rejuvenate or erode the traditional arts and crafts of host culture... ...o contain a mixture of both positive and negative strands and affect both hosts and guests (Opperman, Chon 1997; Cooper et al. 1998). As a result, in spite of the fact that some researchers regard socio-cultural change as one of the evils of tourism development, any form of economic development will, by definition, carry with it implications for social structure and cultural aspects of the host population (Cooper et al. 1998) Though originally most of the research tended to look at rural areas in the English speaking world (e.g., Long et al., 1990; Murphy, 1985) and then subsequently with reference to the impact of tourism on the communities and indigenous people (e.g., Ryan & Aicken, 2005), more recent research has looked at tourism impacts in the non-English-speaking world among the cultural representatives of those countries (e.g., Eraqi, 2007).