Monday, December 30, 2019
How To Resist Peer Pressure - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1192 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/05/29 Category Society Essay Tags: Peer Pressure Essay Did you like this example? At some point in oners life, one is exposed to some form of peer pressure. Undoubtedly, most teenagers have moments where they do things to try to be cool and fit in with the popular kids. The pressure that is felt is very overwhelming and can cause them act in ways that they would normally not act. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How To Resist Peer Pressure" essay for you Create order For example, in the essay, White Lies by Erin Murphy in Models for Writers, an albino girl is bullied in school. She felt like she had to lie to her peers in order to be liked by them. Teens now are exposed to many harmful outlets that can have negative effects on their lives. The pressure to conform is very prominent among adolescents especially, but it is not limited to only teenagers. There are so many different reasons people are exposed to peer pressure, and it is fairly common in most school environments. Peer pressure has negative effects on the lives involved because it could cause a person to engage in dangerous activities, can cause decreased academic performance, and leads people to have negative opinions on themselves and things they enjoy. Peer pressure could cause a person to engage in dangerous activities. The pressure to fit in and be liked can be as simple as a friend telling another friend to try this alcohol. Some people are able remove themselves from the situation if they do not want to engage in the drinking, while other people feel like they have to say yes in order to be liked. Another example of this pressure is seeing a close friend engage in something dangerous and feeling an internal pressure that would cause one to want to engage in that same activity. According to an article entitled, Tight-Knit Teammates May Conform to Each Otherrs Behavior, it talks about the peer pressure that is not directly stated. In a study with NCAA athletes, researchers found that the more closely a player identified as being a part of their team, the more likely they were to conform to their teammates behavior. This was true for both risky and positive behaviors. (Teammates May Conform to Each Otherrs Behavior). This illustra tes the internal pressure that is felt when one is close with their friends or teammates. They feel like they should do the same thing because their teammate or friend did it. There are some situations in which the need to conform can have a positive outcome, but there are a lot more situations that can produce negative results. Secondly, peer pressure can cause decreased academic performance. This is fairly common in middle school and high school students because they are in a different environment, there is a lot more social pressure to make new friends, fit in and be liked by them. In an article talking about academics and peer pressure, Lowry writes, These parents may not have the credentials of the esteemed researchers, but they see the focus on academic achievement shift as social pressures to fit in as class clown or social butterfly are embraced. The students academic achievement was decreasing because they felt the need to neglect their academics in order to be accepted by peers or friends. This change normally occurs during the transition from elementary school to middle school or high school. A lot of kids feel like they have to be the most popular student in school and have the most friends. The important thing for school is to focus on the education and having an overall memorable experience. W ith friends, learning that quality over quantity is very significant. A person could have 30 friends that do not talk very often versus a person having three or four really important friends that talk quite often and help each other. Making and having friends is an important part of being in school, but it should not shift the focus away from the academics. Peer pressure can also lead a person to have negative opinions on themselves and certain things they used to enjoy. In the essay, White Lies, from Models for Writers, an albino girl named Connie is bullied by students in her school. She develops a very negative opinion on herself because people were bullying her for something that she had no control over. So, after being bullied quite a bit, Connie told her peers that her father got a new job working for a candy company and that she could get candy for them. She started taking orders from kids and they began to stop teasing her. The other Lebanese girl who was in the same class thought she saw Connie and her mother at 7-Eleven buying all the candy for the kids in her class. (Murphy 210-211). In this situation, Connie was experiencing a lot of bullying and probably felt so awful after being called horrible names, so she made up a lie to get the kids in her class to like her. Preschoolers also experience a small form of peer pressure. After they begin interacting with other children, preschoolers are conforming their ideas and feelings about certain things. They are altering their feelings on foods that they had previously enjoyed eating, after hearing one of their peers say that food is gross. (Lowry). Peer pressure is very widespread and is even evident in preschoolers, who are only between the ages of three and five years old. When a person hears someone talk badly about a certain thing they enjoy, it makes them feel bad about liking it so they sometimes will change their opinion on it. With the example about preschoolers and food, it may not be as prominent but the child most likely felt bad about liking that food so they changed their opinion to be more like their peer. New research is indicating that peer pressure has some form of a positive side to it. As far as the research goes, I agree that there can be some form of positivity that could come from peer pressure. For example, a friend could help motivate another friend to improve their grades or do something positive. The research was done by a Psychologist named Laurence Steinberg. He had participants playing a computerized card game in room by themselves and separately with people their age in the room. He basically found that teenagers learn faster and efficiently when they are in the company of their peers or people their own age. (Paul). Personally, I believe that there is a larger amount of negative aspects in terms of peer pressure. The research is interesting and there is something to be learned from it, but the constant pressure and need for individuals to conform is at large. So many kids feel like they have to conform in order to fit in with the popular crowd. I think we need to do a better job in explaining that one does not have to conform and do things that one would not normally do to fit in with a certain group of people. If a group of people is going to put an individual at risk then there is no reason to try and be friends with them.
Sunday, December 22, 2019
The Issue Of Adolescent Homosexuality - 2435 Words
In todayââ¬â¢s society, it is very difficult for some teenagers to be who they truly are because of the risk of being ostracized and isolated by their peers. There are certain pressures and prejudices imposed by a predominately heterosexual society on homosexuals, and especially on homosexual teens, that can cause teenagers to suppress their preferences. These stereotypes can influence if a teen is willing to openly reveal their sexual identity and because society has become so absent- minded to the mannerisms commonly used to describe homosexuals such as queer, fag, and dyke and the offensive nature of these words/phrases, this project will help assist with opening the minds of my peers to help eliminate biases, stereotypes, and prejudices associated with being gay. There are several reasons why adolescent homosexuality needs to be addressed not only in schools but in the country as well. First of all, suicide rates among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students have incre ased over the years, bringing the total to up to 30 percent (the estimated 5,000) completed youth suicides annually, according to the CDC. Secondly, bullying in America continues to be a problem not only among youth but among adults as well. Finally, students need to be more open-minded about the sexuality of their peers and that sexuality extend further than a typical high school. I chose project because I have both family and friends who are homosexual and I find itShow MoreRelatedAcceptance of Homosexuality Essay995 Words à |à 4 PagesAcceptance of Homosexuality Introduction Homosexuality, unlike many other psychological issues, is not associated with starting at birth. For the most part, it is an issue dealt with mostly by adolescence and adults. That is not to say that it does not become an issue sooner, it is just to say that it most commonly occurs later in life. 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The September 14, 1992, issue of Newsweek published a poll revealing that most Americans still regard homosexuality as unacceptableRead MoreThe Public View On Homosexuality937 Words à |à 4 PagesHomosexuality has been in the media as being something negative because it strays from the norm and makes people feel uneasy, but the media is forever changing. The public view on homosexuality is changing for the better due to the Supreme Courtââ¬â¢s Ruling on the legalization of same-same marriage. As a result from this, adolescents feel like there is now an environment that is ready and willing to accept the LGBT community as a whole and help individuals nourish the idea of self-acceptance. More andRead MoreHomosexualiy and the Catholic Church Essay1568 Words à |à 7 PagesFor us in Scotland homosexuality is one of the most prominent issues in Church and society today. Gay-rights advocates and activists are pushing a strong political agenda from the left#8212;job benefits for dome stic partners, civil recognition for gay marriages, the right to bear ones own children via reproductive technologies, equal access to adoption, anti-discrimination statutes. At the same time, the government has changed legislation regarding the teaching about homosexuality in Schools. SirRead MoreHuman Sexuality And Sexual Orientation1544 Words à |à 7 Pagessexual orientation. In cultures and societies today, as well as in the past, there is usually an emphasis on a specific orientation as a norm, and typically heterosexuality is perceived as such. This in turn generates a wide range of reaction to homosexuality, from its being seen as ââ¬Å"unnaturalâ⬠in moral terms, to ideas of it as threatening the stability of a culture. In recent years, however, new perspectives are emerging which strongly support that sexual orientation is by no means so easily defined
Saturday, December 14, 2019
ELIS and IP Models of Information Seeking Free Essays
string(119) " factor in information seeking behavior, confirmed by the results of studies done on blue collar workers and teachers\." Library and information science has changed greatly since the 1970s with current research focusing more on how ordinary people behave in everyday life when seeking information (Savolainen, 1995) rather than studying the habits of professionals such as those in the legal, medical and engineering professions. With this shift in focus, new models were required to explain information seeking characteristics based on the innate differences between these two groups. One of the resulting models with great influence in the field of information science, based on its numerous citations, is the Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS) paradigm first introduced by Reijo Savolainen (1995). We will write a custom essay sample on ELIS and IP Models of Information Seeking or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nearly ten years later, Pamela McKenzie (2003) created a second, differing model of information seeking referred to as Information Practices (IP) using peoplesââ¬â¢ everyday behavior as a basis. While both models are effective in their portrayal of how an individual seeks information in everyday life, ELIS and IP put a different degree of focus on stressing differing degrees of emphasis on the functions of human personality, context, and problem solving practices to explain an individualââ¬â¢s information seeking practices. Before comparing their similarities and contrasting their differences a brief explanation of each method and its assumptions, main concepts, the context in which they are used and can serve as real-life practice in information science will be examined. Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS) The ELIS model is based on the assumption that individuals have their own preference for which sources they are comfortable using and the socially conditioned patterns by which they behave. Central to the model is the concept that way of life, as defined by Savolainen, means ââ¬Å"the order of thingsâ⬠(Savolainen, 1995) such as the division between oneââ¬â¢s work and leisure time, consumption of goods and services and leisure activities. Human beings give preference to certain practices over others in going about their daily lives. This definition comes from Bourdieuââ¬â¢s (1984) idea of habitus, or a system of thought that is determined by social and cultural factors as well as characteristic evaluation and perception, which are individually internalized. If a person does not maintain his preferences, or ââ¬Å"mastery of lifeâ⬠according to the ELIS model, his life will become disordered. When a problem out of the ordinary occurs which needs to be solved, his mastery of life will take over so as to actively seek information which is considered effective and practical to solve it. This same process occurs when an individual is seeking information. According to Savolainen, there are four types of life mastery used in the ELIS model which include optimistic-cognitive, pessimistic-cognitive, defensive-affective, and pessimistic-affective. All types exist in concert with a positive outlook from optimistic thinking on one end of the spectrum while a negative outlook as the result of dictating emotions takes place on the opposite end. An individualââ¬â¢s way of life directs how he will seek out information and also the converse is true: that information seeking will determine mastery of life when used in context. Components that influence context include such things as personal values and attitude, social networking, material assets, cultural and cognitive influences, as well as the individualââ¬â¢s current situation in life. In addition to this mastery of life typology, Savolainen (1995) states that these components have influence over how an individual will seek to solve problems. Two types of information are defined in the ELIS model. Passive monitoring of events such as news and weather reports from printed media which give an individual information regarding his everyday life is considered ââ¬Å"orienting informationâ⬠. Such everyday data is represented in the ââ¬Å"project of lifeâ⬠box in the ELIS model. On the other hand, ââ¬Å"practical informationâ⬠seeking serves the purpose of finding a solution for a specific problem that interrupts an individualââ¬â¢s ordinary life. A personal approach to mastery of life is used to seek either orienting or passive information. Savolainen (1995) takes a leap in explaining certain aspects of mastery of life. His research assumes that all humans share an innate desire to achieve this mastery of life and that when problems occur they will naturally seek information to solve the issue. The fourth type of mastery of life, pessimistic-affective or, more literally, ââ¬Å"learned helplessnessâ⬠is described with the caveat that systematic information could play a part in the information seeking behavior, characterized by the use of emotional responses and lack of judgment, in certain individuals. Perhaps this is another type of mastery of life in and of itself. Another assumption made by Savolainen (1995) in his ELIS model is that there are only two simple divisions of an individualââ¬â¢s life; he is either at work or at play. There are several other categories that could be used such as those who are unemployed, those who job seeking, and those who do seasonal work (who would enjoy a huge proportion of leisure time). Therefore, in these cases, his assumptions based on a personââ¬â¢s division of work and leisure become moot. Savolainen (1995) admits to identifying a couple more assumptions that might interfere with his research. One is the importance of way of life as being a significant factor in information seeking behavior, confirmed by the results of studies done on blue collar workers and teachers. You read "ELIS and IP Models of Information Seeking" in category "Essay examples" He also made a point to recognize that he assumed mastery of life style plays a key role in a personââ¬â¢s response to problems and also when they are seeking information but evidence suggests that mastery of life by itself does not always dictate behavior. Research was performed by Savolainen in Finland using a sample of the middle class and working class populace and conducting themed interviews. Eleven industrial workers and the same amount of teachers were questioned regarding their methods of seeking orienting information from the media for their everyday life needs. The subjects were asked to relate a recent problem and how they went about solving it with the results analyzed and assessed for their relevance to the ELIS model. Savolainen (1995) hypothesized that social class would be a determining factor in information seeking but found instead that this only creates an outline on which to base their way of life. Information Practices McKenzieââ¬â¢s (2003) more recent IP model is quite different in its approach.à Similar to Savolainenââ¬â¢s ELIS model, the theory behind IP encompasses a variety of components. McKenzie first came up with the ideas behind IP when observing the information seeking practices of women expecting twins. Responding to Erdelezââ¬â¢s 1999 (from McKenzie, 2003) challenge for ââ¬Å"more holistic and detailed toolsâ⬠to use when modeling information seekersââ¬â¢ behavior, McKenzie (2003) sought a more current overview of information seeking in everyday life by non-professionals as well as acknowledging that individuals often use ââ¬Å"non-activeâ⬠practices when encountering information. This led to her theory which would ultimately uncover the various ways people behave, and interact, when armed with new information. McKenzie (2003) claims there is a flexibility often used when seeking information and that the process is not totally linear. McKenzieââ¬â¢s IP model assumes four modes of information practice with two phases encountered within each. The individual uses flexibility and complexity and these traits are incorporated in each mode and phase. The four modes are active seeking, active scanning, non-directed monitoring and proxy. The first type of seeking identifies a source while the second is only semi-directed combined with observation. Non-directed refers to encounters with information that was not formerly expected while seeking by proxy is defined as using an intermediary source to get to the end result. At least one of these modes is used by individuals who then interact to the information with varying behavior. A breakdown in communication or a barrier to the proper connection can occur during information seeking in any of these manners. There are additional ways for an individual to connect with a source of information as well as interact with the information itself. Active seeking occurs during searches when supplemental data is uncovered, usually in response to an acute need, which was not part of the seekerââ¬â¢s original intent. This then redirects him to other possibilities and new information. Connection with this information gives an individual cause to interact with it by using a list of pre-formed questions or topics previously considered. By being positioned in a space where information can be shared or one can be exposed to information via electronic sources, a connection is made through the process of active scanning. Listening as well as observing others and scanning the material at hand are several methods of interaction with the information. On the other hand, non-directed monitoring is more like an unexpected, unintentional encounter with useful information during the course of everyday life. Observation and listening in on conversations between other people are ways of interacting with the information. Lastly, connection by proxy is a result of using information sources such as friends who lay claim to certain information and act as intermediaries to this information or through an interpersonal referral system. Interaction in this mode occurs when the information given takes on the form of advice, diagnosis of a problem, or instructions. Along with the ELIS model, the IP model also makes several assumptions. The four modes of information seeking seem to be rather narrow. Avoidance may be considered an additional mode, as is the case when information comes to a person who may not desire to receive it, such as a traumatic medical diagnosis. The ways of interacting with information that McKenzie (2005) outlined in the IP model are limited in scope as well. Assuming an individual uses their own context during interactions with information as she suggests, then a wide variety of personalized traits and behavior should come into play. Consequently, there cannot be a limited number of types of interactions; they would be infinite. Certainly the fact that McKenzie (2005) performed her research on a restricted number of pregnant women might influence the results and her interpretation of them. The sample subjects used in the research were a group of 19 Canadian women who were all expecting twins at the same time. Using epistemological orientation of discourse in her methodology, McKenzie reasoned that the subjects were motivated to seek necessary information (as new mothers) but also considered generically representative of their community at large. The subjects were allowed to answer interview questions freely and with no limitations and this information, along with diary entries, used to obtain the necessary qualitative data to complete the study. The expectant mothers were asked to not only share their behavior when seeking routine information but to reflect on any differences that occurred during critical incidents in the information seeking process or their interactions with it. Compare and Contrast Both the ELIS and IP models are based upon theories which attempt to explain the behavior of non-professionals in their everyday lives when seeking information of both critical and non-critical status. The two models include the key component of individual context and its power over the information seeking process. McKenzie (2003) refers in positive terms to Savolainenââ¬â¢s earlier research and its breakthrough concepts in the studying of information seeking behavior in non-professionals in her treatise on the IP model, giving him credit for a novel approach. The IP model, while it takes note of the role of individual context, does not offer any further elaboration on the plethora of these factors that most likely exists. While McKenzie (2005) refers to individual context, she does little more than that in using it to explain behavior. Conversely, the ELIS model revolves around the theory of individual context and a personââ¬â¢s social standing, morals, values, attitude and current life situation. These factors are obviously an integral part of how a particular person seeks information as well as how he orders his life. In terms of the importance of context, Savolainenââ¬â¢s ELIS model has included a richer diversity of theory into the concept, which is one of its strengths. Both McKenzie (2003) and Savolainen (1995) include mention of an individualââ¬â¢s personality traits in explaining their information seeking behavior. This factor obtains importance as a part of mastery of life typology in the ELIS model in its references to characteristics of optimism and pessimism in the first two types, explaining positive or negative reaction to information that is found during a systematic and cognitive-oriented approach. His mastery of life, too, is reflected in this personality trait, extending it to other applications. The use of emotion as a response to the life process and problem solving characterizes the third and fourth types of mastery of life; people who fall into these categories do not think logically about their behavior. Thus the ELIS model can be considered to contain psychological theory in addition to theories regarding information seeking behavior. The IP model, on the other hand, assumes an individual patterns their behavior based on personality traits without actually furthering understanding on this dimension, merely stating that users connect with information through very active or less direct modes. Interactions that occur are the result of using both cognition and emotion in seeking information. There must first be an individualistic understanding of information to allow for active seeking and scanning. Non-directed or proxy modes are used by those who interact as a result of emotion. Using Savolainenââ¬â¢s (1995) fourth mastery of life type as a comparison, it would leave no other option but to consider the pessimistic-affective type to use the proxy mode due to the fact that he ââ¬Å"does not rely on his abilities to solve everyday life problemsâ⬠, according to McKenzie. Those who are considered systematic personalities, however, may also use the monitoring and proxy modes. Both the ELIS and IP models are also alike in their treatment of information seeking techniques and practices. While each employs its own terminology in explaining information seeking behavior, many of the concepts are similar. For instance, with the ELIS model, Savolainen (1995) explains that people seek information on an everyday basis to orient aspects of their lives by using passive monitoring to monitor its passage. In the IP model, this concept is similar to what McKenzie (2003) terms passive monitoring and in fact she makes reference to this likeness in her research. Practical information is explained by both models also. The ELIS model refers to this as information sought in use of a problem. In the IP model, this same concept is referred to as the intermediary or proxy method of seeking information. McKenzie (2003) offers further insight by defining this process as a way of gathering information from friends or other personal sources. The ELIS model simply fails to describe this. Conclusion There are significant factors available in study of both the ELIS and IP models which aid in further understanding of how ordinary people search for information during the course of their everyday lives. As Savolainen (1998) suggests, mastery of life typology can be employed in the understanding of how people use their own context to perceive information as well as their perception of how competent they are in performing a search. Both models are relevant as use in deeper investigation into specific populations which exhibit unique behavior. Future research to delve deeper into the context concepts of the ELIS model would be beneficial. Additional study of individual concept and interaction behavior based on the IP model are also warranted based on the ability to further pinpoint motivation in information seeking. While the gap in more comprehensive research exists, the concepts in both the ELIS and IP models are relevant and valid as an aid for those studying Information Science as well as in other areas of study of human behavior including sociologists and psychologists. It will be exciting to find what further insights are gained from future exploration of both Savolainenââ¬â¢s and McKenzieââ¬â¢s models on information seeking behavior. à How to cite ELIS and IP Models of Information Seeking, Essay examples
Friday, December 6, 2019
English Literature Primary Schools of Britain
Question: Discuss about the English Literaturefor Primary Schools of Britain. Answer: Introduction The concerned assignment aims to establish a critical review regarding the aspect of curriculum in England in the present scenario. More specifically, the discourse will concentrate chiefly on the National curriculum of the primary schools of Britain and its prime features. To construct a coherent understanding regarding the existing curriculum activities of the primary schools in Britain, the assignment has considered making a brief evaluation of different perspectives regarding National curriculum. Additionally, the concerned review will analyze Englands historical and political background regarding National curriculum. However, in terms of reviewing the act of national curriculum for primary school, attributes regarding assessment, curriculum structure and contents are going to be considered with high priority. Curriculum Concept The term curriculum has numerous perspectives though fundamentally the term is indicative of a program for study that is offered by educational centers following their individual prospects. In this respect, it is to say that the word curriculum has formulated from the Latin word Currere that means, to run. In other words, curriculum is the word that refers the particular racecourse of experiences, which helps children to development from the stage of being immature to adult (Harrison and Pittard 2015.). On the other hand, curriculum is perceived as the overall study to which learners are exposed through school activities. Nevertheless, as per the contents, curriculum involves planned activities for the student, a program of intended outcomes of learning and cultural preservation. As per the perspective of Michael Apple, curriculum could not be perceived only as a accumulation of knowledge that could be gained through text and classroom learning. It is more of a distinct segment of the selective tradition that generates an individuals or a groups vision regarding legitimate knowledge (Lewis 2014). On the other hand, in the words of Hendricks and Wangerin (2016), curriculum performs as a fruitful attempt to share necessary principles of educational proposal. Additionally, curriculum is the open form of critical scrutiny and an effective interpretation of practice. However, in this respect, it has to be noted that curriculum is various times conceptualized as a particular syndrome that set aims and plan implementation strategy for measuring results. However, in this case it has to be kept in mind that this particular concept is only possible for the closed systems. On the contrary, according to the postmodern perspective, curriculum is open, flexible and gives i mportance on local context (Zipin 2013). Based on this perspective of curriculum, everyones view is given the same value. Therefore, the concept that says that curriculum is an aspect that helps to expose learners through school studies should be regarded with utmost priority. Nevertheless, there is another concept regarding curriculum that states that curriculum is an amalgamation of certain knowledge and a convenient organization of social program in school. Furthermore, this particular concept implicates that curriculum is a phenomenon that socially, dynamically and politically constructed. According to this concept, curriculum highlights those messages about knowledge, which are valued by the influencing social groups. However, according to Bartlett and Burton (2016), instead of the postmodern perspective of curriculum, there are three others, which are technical, practical, critical and postmodern. According to the technical perspective of curriculum, it is an effective tool for accomplishing unquestioned goals. On the contrary, the practical perspective indicates that curriculum is an experiment that gives focuses on educational values. Probably, the critical perspective is the most crucial of all that says that curriculum is related with political f ramework and therefore it a curriculum should be politically fair (Reiss and White 2013). It can be said after considering each of the concepts regarding curriculum, that Curriculum is a phenomenon that holds both knowledge and social life within the framework of individual school culture. This conceptual approach is found to be most relevant as it refers curriculum as a space for acquiring knowledge and having the opportunity for social interaction. On the other side, the post-modern perspective of curriculum is probably the most approachable and relevant in the current world as the postmodern perspective of curriculum gives significance on the local context and redesigns the power relations according to that norm. Curriculum in Britain Historical and Political Bbackground of National Curriculum in England The historical or chronological background of National Curriculum in England can be traced back to 1960s when the entire concept of curriculum has been introduced as a mixed ability of teaching. In that era, in terms of progressive education, some schools of England implemented the child-oriented methods and used curriculum as a subjected integrated tool. However, in the year 1965 secondary schools gain comprehensivisation in terms of curriculum and some of the comprehensive schools were found to retain the subject-based or subject-oriented curriculum (Cooper 2014). It has been this particular era that comprehensive schools innovated the Mode III of CSE. However, the most interesting occurrence regarding this aspect taken part in the 1960, when the former minister of Education, David Eccles made the official suggestion that government should take influential part in the space of curriculum. However, the unfortunate fact about the historical and political influence upon National Curriculum of England survived the economic recession of 1970s due to which several questions raised regarding the failure cases of several youngsters and the money spent on education. It is required to be said in this sense that the National curriculum of England undergone an eventual critical treatment from the contemporary political background in a chronological manner. On the other hand, it has been unfortunate that in the time of recession of year 1970, the politicians completely blamed the teachers for every failure case of education, as they believed that teachers were having unnecessary curriculum supremacy and freedom (Barber and Graham 2013). Nevertheless, Britains National Curriculum experienced a huge change, which has been brought up by the Great Debate of 1976. More elaborately, the former labor minister James Callaghan at the Ruskin college of Oxford strongly raised his voice for e stablishing potential link between industrial aspects and education, which is named as the Great Debate of 1976 (Kelly 2009). Alongside, his debate continued to argue for the teachers responsibility and enhanced rate of efficiency that took place in the educational spending. On the other hand, probably the most unfortunate year for National Curriculum of Britain has been year 1979 when the entire country suffered with a relatively conservative government, which shifted the perspective of parliament from social democracy to the free politics of market. Moreover, the new nature of government started to acknowledge education as the pivotal source of socio-economic problems. Thereafter, the education policy of new right took place whose premises regarding National Curriculum found dependant on measurement of individual achievement of the learners, competition among the schools based on tests and privatization (Goodson 2013). On the other hand, the new education policy considered the parental choice of national curriculum and the shift of education responsibility from government to schools. Most importantly, this has been the initial time from when the government started to measure schools curriculum performances through frequent inspections and league table s. Possibly the most eye-catching incident regarding the National Curriculum of England had been the Education Reform Act, which has taken place in the year 1988. The act modified the entire National Curriculum and introduced a convenient as well as maintainable format for educational and social development for the young inhabitants. According to the new act, National Curriculum became objectives-led and subject based (Echlin et al. 2014). The act regulated compulsory enrollment of all children belonging to 5-16 age group into the state schools and the act implemented the KS (key stages). The facilities of mandatory testing after each KS and the compulsory publication of the test results came through the implantation of this distinct act. National Curriculum for Primary School Prior to review the National Curriculum for Primary school in Britain, it is essential to understand that the prime aim of the curriculum in regards to Primary school is to provide a balanced education to children between the ages of 5-16. Therefore, it can be said that the National Curriculum for Primary school has designed their aim by appropriately following the Education Reform Act 1988. However, the review of this curriculum has considered assessment, structure of the curriculum and contents of the aspect as three chief traits of the curriculum prospect of primary schools. Assessment It has been remarked before that the National Curriculum for primary schools have designed each of their aspects according to the principles of the Education Reform Act of 1988 in Britain. Following the principle that says that test after each KS is essential; the curriculum has implemented the SATS (Standard Assessment Test). On the other hand, in form of assessment, children are obliged to give national tests at the age of 7 for KS1 and at the age of 11 for KS2. In KS1, learners skills regarding reading, speaking, writing, mathematics, science listening skills are assessed, whereas in KS2 three main subjects English, Mathematics and Science (Priestley and Biesta 2013). Hence, it is understandable that the national curriculum for primary education in Britain is found to follow the way of measuring whether their growth per KS is reaching the expectation level or not. It has been found that the testing process of the primary curriculum for primary education fundamentally aims for obj ectives, which are To monitor progress of each of the student To finally indicate the exact level of achievement To assess the teaching process To properly compare achievements through the external organizations In this regard it is to be noted that possibly the most impressing attribute of this curriculums assessment feature is that at the very initial stage, phonics or vocal test is taken for the children between the age bars of 5-7 (Goodson 2013). However, it has to be noted that the assessment framework should have been more creative as the assessment procedure only concentrates on three staple subjects. Therefore, there stays an uncertainty about whether in the secondary level the pupils could adapt with several new subjects or not. Curriculum Structure The rudimentary structure of the primary curriculum is found to have four key stages, which are KS 1 For the age group of 5-7 for one and two year KS 2 For the age group of 7-11 for 3 to 6 years KS 3 For the age group of 11-14 for 7 to 9 years KS 4 For the age group of 16 for 10 to 11 years In this respect, it is to mention that the UK government in the year 2010 introduced the performance measure structure for primary curriculum Ebacc (English Baccalaurate) for better achievements regarding the existing primary curriculum (Cole and Hill 2013). The framework includes subjects such as Language, History and Geography instead of Mathematics, English and Science. Therefore, it could be said that with the introduction of EBacc, the government has finally able to break down the traditional limitation of subjects, which will help the pupils to understand wider field of theories regarding social science, language and geographical aspects in the secondary level (Priestley and Biesta 2013). Contents Content of national curriculum of Britains primary school is another major facet that requires to be reviewed as per the fact that the content wise the curriculum includes creative class room practices and a wide list of subjects. With the help of ICT and TAs (Teaching assistant) most of the primary schools accomplishes the primary purpose of this curriculum (Bourne 2013). The subjects are the pillars of knowledge and along with the upper mentioned three fundamental subjects; the content includes foundation subjects like - Technology Music Art Physical education History Geography It is needless to say that the extension of the subjects could not have been possible without the implementation of EBacc (Long 2016). However, the rudimentary classification between the core subjects and newly included foundation subjects implicates a hierarchical structure of knowledge. The reason to critically analyze three of these features of the considered curriculum as the entire purpose of the curriculum fundamentally depends on these three premises. Without a proper structure, appropriate yet relevant contents and without a convenient testing procedure, the whole approach of national curriculum for primary level could not have been successful. Conclusion The review has highlighted some vital facets which depicts a transparent condition of the existing national curriculum for the primary level of UK. It could be deduced from the review that curriculum for the primary schools have undergone a good amount of change and currently with the help of EBacc framework is running with potency. Moreover, the determinants of the concerned curriculums success are found to be its content, assessment procedures and rudimentary framework. Most importantly, it is a fact worth acknowledgeable that the entire framework and its policies have been found to follow the Education Reform Act. References Barber, M. and Graham, D. eds., 2013.Sense and Nonsense and the National Curriculum (RLE Edu B)(Vol. 12). Routledge. Bartlett, S. and Burton, D., 2016.Introduction to education studies. Sage. Bourne, J. ed., 2013.Thinking through primary practice. Routledge. Cole, M. and Hill, D., 2013.Schooling and Equality: fact, concept and policy. Routledge. Cooper, H., 2014.The teaching of history in primary schools: Implementing the revised national curriculum. Routledge. Echlin, P.S., Johnson, A.M., Holmes, J.D., Tichenoff, A., Gray, S., Gatavackas, H., Walsh, J., Middlebro, T., Blignaut, A., MacIntyre, M. and Anderson, C., 2014. The Sport Concussion Education Project. A brief report on an educational initiative: from concept to curriculum Special article.Journal of neurosurgery,121(6), p.1331. Goodson, I.F., 2013.School subjects and curriculum change. Routledge. Harrison, C.V. and Pittard, S.K., 2015. Teaching-Learning Strategies in a Concept-Based Curriculum [Innovation Center].Nursing Education Perspectives. Hendricks, S.M. and Wangerin, V., 2016. Concept-Based Curriculum: Changing Attitudes and Overcoming Barriers.Nurse Educator. Kelly, A.V., 2009.The curriculum: Theory and practice. Sage. Lewis, L.S., 2014. Outcomes of a concept-based curriculum.Teaching and Learning in Nursing,9(2), pp.75-79. Long, R. and Boulton, P., 2016. Language teaching in schools (England). Long, R., 2016. Religious Education in schools (England). Priestley, M. and Biesta, G. eds., 2013.Reinventing the curriculum: New trends in curriculum policy and practice. AC Black. Reiss, M. and White, J., 2013.An aims-based curriculum: The significance of human flourishing for schools. IOE Press. Zipin, L., 2013. Engaging middle years learners by making their communities curricular: A funds of knowledge approach.Curriculum Perspectives,33(3), pp.1-12.
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