Using Assessment and Feedback Essay Example for Free

Using Assessment and Feedback Essay The purpose of this study is to determine if differentiated instruction has an effect on student achievement and multiple intelligences in a classroom. One of the best ways to address multiple intelligences in a classroom is for teachers to develop their understanding of the natural convergence of certain concepts. Dedicated teachers who are well practiced in a variety of strategies can more effectively address multiple intelligences in their classrooms. Direct instruction and differentiated instruction are two different teaching strategies. In direct instruction students work in whole group. The teacher explains the task to the students based on targeted learning outcomes. Students work in a large group on the required task in a timely manner. On the other hand, students who work in a flexible and/or cooperative group are guided with the strategy of differentiated instruction. The students in the group work together to master a set of skills depicted and explained in detail by the teacher. The teacher provides instruction based on the uniqueness of each student and his or her specific learning style. In differentiated instruction, students and teachers collaborate with one another to meet the targeted goals (Tomlinson, 2001). Teachers use differentiated instruction in the classroom by prescribing technology supported cooperation, which enhanced student achievement. Most important, significant increases occurred in student achievement for students in the treatment group who used Internet-based software that differentiated instruction based on student needs and targeted learning outcomes. In the same way, teachers who are trained to use CAI and cooperative learning in quality professional development programs notably and effectively can change their teaching practices. Technology-based instruction in the classroom requires training. High-quality professional development is ongoing staff development at the school site for administrators, teachers, and other instructional staff to understand student needs and improve results (National Staff Development Council, 2004). Teachers at the targeted school come to the table with varying levels of ability, technology skills, and knowledge of computers. Professional development is a key factor in providing teachers with the mechanics that assist in understanding and applying the technology in differentiated instruction. The staff at the targeted school receives monthly technology-based professional development. The goals of the professional development sessions are well defined. According to Joyce and Showers (2002), effective professional development includes ongoing modeling, practice, feedback, and reflection over time. In a typical coaching model, literacy coaches and teachers engage in a cycle of demonstration, observation, and reflection (Mraz et al. 2009). Together, both participants demonstrate, observe, reflect, and consider how such teaching decisions influence students. Another level of reflection occurs when the coach and teacher consider the learning outcomes of the students. As this happens, teachers develop a vested interest in coaching and start to see the benefits of reflection within their practice. Oftentimes, such awareness inspires teachers to continue their engagement in professional development and reflection. They become stakeholders in their own learning and seek ongoing support from their literacy coach. Differentiated support, based on teachers individual needs and learning styles, is crucial for the work of a literacy coach. Learning happens within teachers, not to them (Tomlinson McTighe, 2006). One-size-fits-all professional development focuses on the dissemination of the same information to teachers and does not consider application or individual learning styles. Yet teachers are unique in terms of their pedagogy, experience, and content knowledge. Therefore, learning should be differentiated to provide multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and sharing the information learned (Tomlinson McTighe, 2006). If teachers are expected to provide instruction responsive to students’ learning style needs, it is essential they be provided with the training and experience necessary to do so (Evans Waring; Honigsfeld Schiering, 2004). However, teachers who effectively implement the experiential approach do not focus on the hands-on nature of constructivist experientialism to the exclusion of serious mental involvement. Indeed, students must also interact mentally through reflection and conceptualization of their experiences (Kolb Kolb, 2009). The implementation of this involves active experimentation and concrete experiences in the hands-on stage and reflective observation and abstract conceptualization in the minds-on stage (Young, 2002). Traditionally assessments have been used to measure how much our students have learned up to a particular point in time (Stiggins, 2007). This is what Rick Stiggins alls assessment of learning and what we use to see whether our students are meeting standards set by the state, the district, or the classroom teacher. These summative assessments are conducted after a unit or certain time period to determine how much learning has taken place. Although Stiggins notes that assessments of learning are important if we are to ascribe grades to students and provide accountability, he urges teachers to focus more on assessment for learning. These types of assessment — formative assessments — support learning during the learning process. Thomas R. Guskey suggests that for assessments to become an integral part of the instructional process, teachers need to change their approach in three important ways. They must 1) use assessments as sources of information for both students and teachers, 2) follow assessments with high-quality corrective instruction, and 3) give students second chances to demonstrate success (2007). In differentiated classrooms everywhere, a resounding mantra is Fair is not equal; fair is getting what you need. Assessments enable us to determine what students need. But for our assessments to be accurate, we need multiple measures of student understanding. We need evidence gathered over time in different ways to evaluate how effective the teaching and learning process has been. Tomlinson and McTighe (2006) suggest that when we gather a photo album rather than a snapshot of our students, we can differentiate instruction based on a more accurate evaluation of our students learning needs (Dodge). A students opportunity to learn is the single most important student success variable that schools can control. This seems straightforward, but researchers have discovered that, in many schools, the learning continuum is divided into three disparate entities: the intended curriculum, the implemented curriculum, and the attained curriculum. The intended curriculum is content specified by school or external measures (e. g. , national content standards). The implemented curriculum is content actually delivered by teachers. And the attained curriculum is what students learn. While most parents (and educators) assume congruity between the three entities, the discrepancy between them is, in practice, often surprisingly pronounced, in part because when teachers use the textbook as the curriculum for a course and cannot cover all the material, they commonly make independent and idiosyncratic decisions about what should be covered — directly influencing the students opportunity to learn. Research on OTL establishes a compelling argument for curriculum articulation.

Life And Battles Of Saigo Takamori History Essay

Life And Battles Of Saigo Takamori History Essay The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori, written by Mark Ravina, chronicles Saigos life, from childhood that fashioned his courage to his own death at the Satsuma Rebellion. In pre-industrial Japan, samurai meant military nobility. This book is a biography of Saigo that explains many of the events leading up to the Restoration and the role the battle of Satsuma played in the Restoration. Saigo Takamori is revered as one of Japans most loyal and honorable samurai. Part of the legend for Saigo was the fate of his severed head. The other part of the legend is was he killed or did he commit suicide as an act of heroism. It is unclear what year Saigo was born. Some references have 1827, while others have 1828. Regardless of the year, Saigo was born into a samurai family that was very low ranked in Kagoshima. He was born into wealth or rank. He was educated at a local level. His became very educated in Chinese classics and Zen, as well as swordsmanship. His first job was as an assistant clerk in a country office. In 1854, at the age of 26, he was selected to journey the Daimyo Shimazu Nariakira to promote closer ties with the imperial court. This journey is where his political career began. Saigo went on many journeys with statesmen. In 1858, he was a part of the Ansei purge and fled with a priest. The preist and Saigo made a suicide pact. Saigo backed out of the pact, only after the priest had already committed to his end of the deal by drowning himself. Saigo survived the journey but was later exiled to Amami Oshima Islands. In 1862, he returned to political life, but was forced into exile once again. He was brought out of exile in 1864. He was called back to the main island to train a group of Satsuma warriors. Saigo was to help his lord fight for the restoration of the emperor. Saigo became one of the main leaders of the new Japan. In 1868, Saigo and his troops led a revolt to destroy and create a powerful new state. He became the leader in Meijis new government. Saigo was now an active member of the Meiji government. Although Saigo supported many of the Western-style reforms, he was torn by the sense that he was betraying his supporters. It was a desire for Saigo to die in service to his emperor. Saigo showe d great loyalty to the emperor and his followers. Unsure about the government he had helped to create, Saigo wanted to end his career with one last movement. In 1873, Saigo wanted to go to Korea and demand the Korean king recognize the Meiji emperor. He had every intention to draw his sword if he had to. Saigo never was able to move forward with his plan to have the Japanese emperor recognized. His plan was dismissed and treated as reckless. He was denied his chance to show his loyalty and courage to the emperor. He resigned from the government and returned to Satsuma, his native land Satsuma. Saigo opened up military like academy for the former samurai warriors. He trained the men in frugality, honesty, and courage. This group resented the modernization of Japan more so than Saigo. Saigo feared the impersonal, commercial and centralized nation would destroy samurai traditions of personal honor, regional loyalty, and social service. Japan in the 1870s was going through many changes of industrialization and social and political changes. This process is also known as modernization. Many people had negative views on Japan and its culture. In 1876, westerners considered the Japanese to be uncivilized people. They thought that Japan was inferior to Caucasians in culture, intelligence, and culture. Japan even paid some Westerners very well to sit on government seats. Often this visits were short lived. The views that outsiders had on Imperial Japan are one reason that Japan sought to do away traditions of the samurai. Every aspect of traditional Japan and been thrown to the side. Japan had begun to westernize itself; not to be confused with Americanize. Saigo felt as if the traditions of the past would die out. The very hurried and colossal changes to Japanese culture, dress, and society appeared to many samurai to be a treachery. In 1876, the Meiji government stripped samurais of their swords. In defining how a moder n Japan should be, members of the Meiji government decided to follow the footsteps of United Kingdom and Germany, basing the country on the concept of noblesse oblige. Samurai were not to be a political force under the new order. Saigos followers and students rose in rebellion. They had a mission to let their voice be heard with their swords. The students made Saigo their leader of this uprising. Old Japan and new Japan met in battle in 1877. Early in the uprising, the rebels seized several local armories. Many of the rebels officers were trained in modern methods. The fight initially lasted from February to September. The imperial army began its final attack around four in the morning in September. By 5:30 A.M., the imperial army had destroyed all the fortifications of the rebels. At roughly seven in the morning, Saigo and his troops descended from the hill to face the Japanese army. They knew they were outnumbered. They knew they would die. Saigo died from a bullet wound, but legend has it that he died by his own sword. This was a great samurai tradition to die with honor at the end of ones life. This tradition is known as seppuku, a samurai suicide ritual. An autopsy of Saigo later revealed that he was onl y shot in the hip and would have been in too much pain to commit suicide. The imperial governments victory was short lived. They had Saigos body, but his head was missing. His head was but off with one clean slice. If the government was unable to provide a head, then the victory is incomplete. In looking for Saigos head, the imperial army was honoring one of the oldest traditions. It is said that severed heads were to be presented and were a celebrated part of Japanese warfare. These heads were often a tribute to the lords. No one is sure exactly what happened to Saigos head immediately following his death. Some say Saigos manservant hid the head. The head was later placed with Saigos body after a government official found it. One ironic part of searching for Saigos head is that the imperial army was honoring a tradition that was officially banished by the emperor. The new Japanese army was to be based on modern nationalism, not feudal loyalty. So in a sense, the death of Saigo brought forth some old traditions that had been banished in early years. It is said that this rebellion, the War of the Southwest, was the bloodiest battle that Japan had ever seen. Saigos forces were defeated. Old Japan was defeated. Over 12,000 men on both sides were killed. This battle also nearly bankrupted the new imperial government. Financially, devastating the Satsuma Rebellion cost the government significantly, forcing Japan off the gold standard and triggering the government to print paper currency. The imperial army had to use every resource available, including shipping lines, rail transport, police forces, and volunteers. The Imperial Japanese Armies were drafted, but many samurai volunteered to be soldiers and many advanced to be trained as officers. Much of the Imperial Army officer class was of samurai origin and they were highly motivated, disciplined and exceptionally trained. The rebellion was also successfully the close of the samurai class. After this war in 1877, there were no more samurai uprisings in Japan. Twelve years after Saigos death, the imperial government, denounced Saigo as a rebel and a traitor. In 1889, the government exonerated Saigo of all his crimes, and restored him to his imperial court rank. Saigo is still a legacy today in popular culture. A modern movie that is loosely based on the history of Saigo was produced. Many people still find his actions heroic none the less. Saigo was a samurai warrior who lived and died to protect the traditions he was so fond of preserving. In life and death, Saigo exemplified all that was labeled as being admirable in the samurai. This book written by Mark Ravina gives one last look at the final days of feudal government and the exciting career of Saigo. He gave his life to keep the samurai traditions at the forefront of the Japanese government. His efforts and loyalty have had a lasting impact on Japan and the interpretations of the samurai way and tradition.

Positivism Interpretivism And Pragmatism Psychology Essay

Positivism Interpretivism And Pragmatism Psychology Essay Hussey Hussey say that methodology makes reference to the whole approach considered, as well as to the theoretical basis from which the researcher comes, and that method is the various ways by which data is collected and analysed. In this chapter, the reseacher has presented a brief review of the different research philosophies; positivism, interpretivism, and realism (Fisher, 2007), the philosophy that has adopted for the current research, the different research approaches; qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method and the approach adopted for the research. The other parts consist of the different types of research design; exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, and the research design adopted, the qualitative and quantitative phases consisting of sampling, data collection and data analysis, questionnaire design, validity and reliability, data analysis. The last part consists of the ethical issues and a conclusion. 3.2 Research philosophy As mentioned in the introduction, there are three main types of research philosophies, namely, positivism, interpretivism, and pragmatism (realism). 3.2.1 Positivism The term positivism was found by Comte in the nineteenth century and he related it to the force of science and of systematic thinking to understand and control the world (Fisher, 2007). The aim of positivism is to produce general rules to forecast behavior with a minimum margin of uncertainty. However, there are problems with this philosophy, one of which is that it can only predict average behavior of individuals in a group and not the behavior of each individual (Fisher, 2007). Nonetheless, research based on a positivist philosophy tends to be based on deductive theorising, where a number of propositions are generated for testing, with empirical verification then sought (Babbie, 2005). Considerable data are often required as a positivist study would favour the use of quantitative methods to analyse large-scale phenomena (Travers, 2001). Inherent in this overall approach to research is the view that it is possible to measure social behaviour independent of context and that social ph enomena are things that can be viewed objectively (Hughes Sharrock, 1997). Interpretivism This philosophy is on the other extreme of that of positivism. Researchers who adopt this philosophy consider reality as socially constructed, that is, their meaning of reality is affected by their values and their way to see the world; other peoples meaning; the compromises and agreements that come out of the negotiations between the first two (Fisher, 2007). Interpretive research has been classified as gnostic because it does not agree to the fact that there is the existence of a systematic analysis of any particular subject; instead, it gives importance to multiplicity, relativity and complexity (Fisher, 2007). It is an attempt to understand the processes by which we gain knowledge and so it has affinity with the original gnostic search for ones true self. A characteristic of interpretive research is that one cannot understand how others may make sense of things unless one has a deep knowledge of ones personal values and thinking processes, which in research terms the knowledge is known as reflexivity (Fisher, 2007). Realism Realist research is an approach that resembles to a large extent that of positivism but takes into consideration, and comes to terms with, the subjective nature of research and the paramount function of values in it (Fisher, 2007). Realism still aims to be scientific but makes fewer claims to knowledge that perfectly mirrors the objects of study. Researchers with this stance recognise that things such as strategy and job satisfaction cannot be measured and studied in the same way as can chemical and physical processes. However, they do believe that a worthwhile attempt can be made to fix these subjects and treat them as if they are independent variables. 3.2.2 Research philosophy adopted The correct choice and understanding of philosophical orientation is of extreme importance to allow the selection of the most convenient methodology to facilitate the gathering of the relevant data (Remenyi et al, 1998; Blaxter et al, 2004), especially as poor understanding of philosophical issues can seriously lower the quality of the research (Easterby-Smith, 2006). Having studied the different philosophical approaches and considered the nature of the current research, the researcher has decided an overall view of a students attitude and perception was necessary so as to get a better understanding of students views. This type of research required the participation of a large population sample, which in turn created large amounts of numerical and statistical data and information, which needed to be quantifiably analysed. When all these factors were taken into account, realism was the most appropriate philosophical approach to answer the research questions and meet the objectives of the current research. 3.3 Research approach 3.3.1 Quantitative approach Quantitative methods are most often associated with the positivist epistemology, and they consist of counting and measurement of events and statistical analysis of a body of numerical data (Mc Laren, 2012). An important feature of the quantitative method is the collection of numerical data (Jack Clarke, 1998) which can ultimately be subjected to statistical procedures (Carter 2000a). 3.3.2 Qualitative approach Qualitative research consists of the study of events in their natural settings, with a view to making sense of, or interpreting, events of how people interpret (Mc Laren, 2012). Normally, in the empirical type of approach the responsibility is on researchers to direct and control methods to attain objectivity, thus making sure that their findings are valid as their intentions and emotions would not be seen as a barrier with data collection and analysis (Mc Laren, 2012). Mixed method approach Mixed methods embrace a method and philosophy that combines the insights provided by qualitative and quantitative methods into a workable solution. Mixed methods research makes full use of the positive parts of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies by combining approaches in a single research study to enhance the scope of understanding (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, and Turner 2007). 3.3.2 Research approach adopted As mentioned by Bryman (2007), a combination of qualitative and quantitative results would lead to a better understanding of the data and help in a better way to answer to the research objectives. As the education sector research field keeps on changing, so too does its methods and therefore the researcher has used the mixed method approach for the current research. 3.4 Research design 3.4.1 There are three main types of research design, namely, exploratory, descriptive and causal. Exploratory design This design places a lot of emphasis on gaining ideas and insights. An exploratory study intends to explore what is happening; to seek new insights; to ask questions and to assess the phenomena in a new light (Robson, 2002, p59). It is important mainly when there is very little information known about the phenomenon. In a type of mixed-method design, the qualitative data are gathered first and a quantitative phase follows. The purpose of this kind of study is typically to use the initial, qualitative phase with a few individuals to identify themes, ideas, perspectives, and beliefs that can then be used to design the larger-scale, quantitative part of the study. Often, this kind of design is used to develop a survey. By using a qualitative component in the beginning, researchers are able to use the language and emphasis on different topics of the subjects in the wording of items for the survey. Doing so increases the validity of the scores that result because they will be well matched with how the subjects, rather than the researchers, think about, conceptualize, and respond to the phenomenon being studied. Explanatory design Explanatory study aims to find out the causal relationships between variables (Saunders et al., 2007). In an explanatory design, which may be the most common type, quantitative data are collected first and, depending on the results, qualitative data are gathered second to elucidate, elaborate on, or explain the quantitative findings. Typically, the main thrust of the study is quantitative, and the qualitative results are secondary. For example, this kind of design could be used to study classroom assessment and grading. A large sample of teachers could be surveyed to determine the extent to which they use different factors in classroom assessment and grading; this would provide a general overview of the teachers practices. In a second phase, teachers could be selected who represent extremely high or low scores on the factors in the survey. These teachers could then be interviewed using a qualitative method to determine why they used certain practices. Thus, the qualitative phase woul d be used to augment the statistical data and thus explain the practices. Descriptive design Descriptive study seeks to provide a clear picture about the phenomenon as it already occurs (Hedrick et al., 1993). Research using a descriptive design simply provides a summary of an existing phenomenon by using numbers to characterize individuals or a group where it assesses the nature of existing conditions (McMillan Schumacher, 1997). The purpose of most descriptive research is limited to characterizing something as it is. 3.4.2 Research design adopted Since a mixed method approach has been used for this research, a mixture of both exploratory and explanatory designs was used. 3.5 Qualitative phase Data to answer some questions was collected by using a qualitative approach. This allowed the researcher to get the opinion of Lower VI students about what they thought of private tuitions at S.C level (Appendix 2). 3.5.1 Sampling For this part of the study, a reasonable and useful sample of four schools was chosen as mentioned by Mcmillan and Schumacher (1997) who made the argument that a good sample was one where the participants were readily accessible. The four schools were chosen with one in each educational zone, where 10 students were selected to ensure adequate information (Marshall, 1998). Due to the fact that I have used focus groups to collect data, 10 students were a reasonable sample per school. 3.5.2 Data collection Focus groups For the qualitative part of the study, data was collected from Lower VI students of the four selected schools by focus group interviews. The focus groups for the students had been chosen since they took less time and more information was collected from different participants at the same time (Daymon Holloway, 2002). Another advantage of focus groups was that the information obtained from the participants was of good quality since the individuals in the group got ideas from others (McMillan Schumacher, 1997). The interview of each focus group was at least one hour and thirty minutes. A tape recorder was used to collect data which was later transcribed. 3.5.3 Data analysis The data which had been recorded in a tape was transcribed and analysed. 3.6 Quantitative phase The information collected from the qualitative interviews in Phase 1 was used in the development of a comprehensive and valid questionnaire for quantifying the views of students on private tuitions. The items derived from the qualitative interview transcripts was administered to a large sample of students, including boys and girls and factor analyzed to uncover the internal structure of the views of the students on private tuitions. 3.6.1 Sampling In this study, a mixture of purposeful and convenient sampling was used (McMillan Schumacher, 1997). In order to determine the sample size, confidence interval approach was used which is based on the building up of confidence intervals around the sample means by making use of the standard error formula (Malhotra Dash, 2007). By making use of the formula for determining the sample size for a population of 13902 students having taken part at the S.C examinations 2012, the researcher got a value of 384. As a result, a total of 400 questionnaires were distributed to students of Lower VI, both from State and P.S.S.A colleges in all regions of Mauritius. The questionnaires were distributed equally among boys and girls to avoid bias in the collection of data. 3.6.2 Data collection A letter was sent to each school to explain the purpose of the study and for permission to distribute the questionnaires to Lower VI students (Appendix 1). The questionnaire was handed personally to the selected students, the aims of the survey were explained and the filled questionnaires were collected after 2 days. 3.6.3 Questionnaire design Most of the time, questionnaires contain two types of questions open ended or closed (Sinnott, 2008). With open-ended questions the researcher gives the opportunity to the respondent as to how they write their answer making way to a more in-depth answer. However they are more difficult to classify into groups to facilitate analysis. A closed question will restrain the answer that may be given and usually asks the respondent to choose among a variety of possibilities given by the researcher. However, closed questions help the respondent to complete the questionnaire quickly and they also help the researcher to classify the information and analyse the data with great ease (Sekaran, 1992; McNeil et al, 2005). For this research, a survey questionnaire was designed for the collection of data which contains multiple options of Likert scaling from 0 to 4 for the variety of choice for the respondent (Appendix 3). The questionnaire consisted of six sections, with section A consisting of two questions on general information about private tuitions (number of hours students took private tuitions per week, number of subjects in which the students took private tuitions), section B consisting of nineteen questions on positive impacts of private tuitions at S.C level from the students point of view, section C consisting of ten questions on the negative impacts of private tuitions at S.C level from the students point of view, section D consisting of nine questions on the extent to which private tuitions at S.C level are replacing mainstream schooling from students point of view,section E consisting of two questions with respect to improvement of academic performance from the students point of view and the last section consisting of six questions concerning the demographic profile of the student. 3.6.4 Data analysis The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The answer for each question provided by the student was fed into SPSS version 20. The gender of students, type of school, the region in which the student lives, the attempt at S.C examination 2012, the socioeconomic status of the student, the number of hours during which the student took private tuitions per week, the highest educational attainment of the students parents were analysed by making use of pie charts and bar charts. For the sections B, C and D, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was done in order to group the answers obtained for the different questions into some main factors, with the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test being performed to verify whether EFA could be done. The different factors were found out by making use of the eigenvalue in SPSS version 20 which was set at a value of greater than 1. The factor loading of each variable forming part of each factor was also calculated by making use of the rotated matrix table in SPSS version 20. Some questions which were in the different sections had to be deleted due to cross loading, low loading factor, or theoritically the grouping of the question with others did not make sense. Secondly, hypotheses and sub-hypotheses were made for each research objective and each sub hypothesis was subjected to chi square testing where a crosstab was generated and the value of à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡2 and the p value were analysed, together with the phi value to see the degree of association, if ever. Objective 1: To find out the positive impacts of private tuitions on the overall development of the student at S.C level. H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions and the overall development of the student at S.C level. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions and the overall development of the student at S.C level. In order to test for the above hypothesis, the following sub-hypotheses were tested for the different factors found by EFA. Sub-hypotheses Factor 1: Economic/career benefits H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and economic/career benefits for the student in the future. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and economic/career benefits for the student in the future. Factor 2: Better academic performance and more efforts H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and better academic performance/more efforts. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and better academic performance/more efforts. Factor 3: Increased level of socialisation with friends Ho: There is no relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and increased level of socialisation of the student. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and increased level of socialisation of the student. Factor 4: Better quality of teaching in private tuitions H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and better quality of teaching. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and better quality of teaching. Objective 2: To find out the negative impacts of private tuitions on the overall development of the student at S.C level. H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions and the overall development of the student at S.C level. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions and the overall development of the student at S.C level. In order to test for the above hypothesis, the following sub-hypotheses were tested. Sub-hypotheses Factor 1: Negative psychological affecting students concerning private tuitions H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and the negative psychological factors affecting the student concerning private tuitions. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and the negative psychological factors affecting the student concerning private tuitions. Factor 2: Deterioration of health of the student who takes private tuitions H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and deterioration of the health of the student. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and deterioration of the health of the student. Factor 3: Lack of family and leisure time faced by student who takes private tuitions H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and lack of family and leisure time by the student. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and lack of family and leisure time by the student. Objective 3: To find out to what extent private tuitions are replacing mainstream schooling. Factor 1: Higher level of importance of private tuitions as compared to mainstream schooling H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and their level of importance from the students point of view H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and their level of importance from the students point of view Factor 2: More care and attention from private tutors than teachers at school H0: There is no relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and students getting more care and attention from private tutors. H1: There is a relationship between private tuitions at S.C level and students getting more care and attention from private tutors Finally, a multi regression analysis was carried out to investigate the whether there was a linear relationship between academic performance at S.C level, measured by the grade point average (G.P.A), and socioeconomic status of parents, intensity of private tuitions per week, region in which the student lived, and highest educational attainment of parents. The grade point average is calculated by dividing the aggregate that the student obtained at S.C examinations 2012 by six since the aggregate is calculated for the 6 best grades. The grade point average has a range of 1.00 to 9.00. The lower the grade point average, the better is the academic performance of the student. 3.6.5 Validity and reliability In this research, a mixed method approach was adopted which was an efficient way to collect data for specific variables of interest (Collis and Hussey, 2003). The survey questionnaire was developed to get data from students of Lower VI. Contact addresses and numbers were given in covering letter if participants encountered any problem (Appendix 1). It was assured that data would be confidential that can reduce the subject bias. Since the questionnaire was designed in a survey format, it did not face any observer error or bias. Furthermore, items of the survey instrument reliability were measured by the internal consistency method (Hussey and Hussey, 1997). This study applied Cronbachs coefficient alpha to measure the internal reliability of survey, where a value of greater than 0.6 showed fair to very good reliability. Validity of the research was concerned with the extent of research findings which represented what was really happening (Collis and Hussey 2003). In order to avoid low validity, a pilot study was conducted before full scale data collection. Through the pilot study language or any other misconceptions was removed. The validity of each question into the main factors done by EFA was checked by the factor loading in the rotated component matrix, where a factor of greater than 0.5 showed that the question was valid. 3.7 Ethical issues Ethical issues are very important to take into consideration when carrying out a survey. According to Neuman (1995), the researcher must protect human rights, control them and make sure that peoples interests are well respected. In this research, all ethical requirements were followed throughout all parts of the research. Before collecting data, permission was sought to the relevant institutions. The survey questionnaire along with supervisors letter was provided during personal visits. The participants were asked to participate on a voluntary basis and given the opportunity to withdraw from participation if they felt to do so. Participants were informed that when they have answered and returned the questionnaire, it was assumed that they agreed to participate in this study. All participants were given the assurance that the answers provided will be kept anonimous and strictly confidential. 3.8 Conclusion The chapter starts with an examination of the research process including the philosophical approaches of positivism and phenomenology leading to a debate on the nature of the current research resulting in a mixed method being decided on. Data for this study was collected from students of Lower VI through a survey questionnaire after the qualitative phase which consisted of focus groups interviews. Upon completion of the study, the data was given a code which was fed on to the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for Windows. Lastly, the ethical issues involved in this study were also presented.

No Privacy in America :: George Orwell 1984 Technology Essays

No Privacy in America Feeling the need to be â€Å"at the cutting edge of the new† and â€Å"the first on your block to have it† puts us in a race with ourselves to keep pace with the evolving technological world. Cell phones, e-mail, GPS, EZ-Pass, and the entire World Wide Web – all these inventions enable us to live in a world where people across the planet are only milliseconds away. All these new inventions, however, also have a drawback in common – they serve as locating devices for each and every one of us. Privacy has vanished. In George Orwell’s novel, 1984, Big Brother was a character of fiction. He was able to oversee everything and virtually controlled the daily lives of millions of people. Now, as we advance technologically, the thought of Big Brother watching over us isn’t so far-fetched. He could be the government monitoring the actions of you and your family, or he could be your boss at work secretly watching you when you think you’re alone. Or he could even be those closest to you, tracking your every move. Big Brother no longer has to work hard to monitor us, for we’re inadvertently providing his eyes and ears. There’s no question that cell phones are great inventions. I have one and take it with me everywhere I go. â€Å"Never leave home without it,† I tell myself. My cell phone allows me to stay in contact with everyone, all the time. I can call home when I’m out to let my parents know where I am, or I can call my friends to see where we’re going to hang out that night. I even have the New York Yankees scores text-messaged to my cell phone every three innings so I never miss a beat. The benefits of having cell phones are obvious, yet the drawbacks are something to ponder. In this new age of cell phones the concept of â€Å"getting away from it all† has virtually disappeared. When I was visiting a college in April of my senior year in high school, my cell phone rang at least twice each day with people from back home in New Jersey trying to contact me. Sometimes it was my friends calling just to see if I wanted to hang out that night, forgetting that I was 250 miles away.

Realism in Oedipus the King Essay -- Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Realism in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay will examine a feature of Sophocles’ tragedy which causes the reader to doubt the realism underlying the literary work. Specifically, the essay will consider the feasability of the belief at that time – that the Delphi oracle possessed credibility with the people.    At the outset of the drama the priest of Zeus and the crowd of citizens of Thebes are gathered before the royal palace of Thebes talking to King Oedipus about the plague which is ravaging the city. The king is sorely troubled and laments the sad situation. Then he says:    I have sent Menoeceus' son, Creon, my consort's brother, to inquire Of Pythian Phoebus at his Delphic shrine, How I might save the State by act or word. And now I reckon up the tale of days Since he set forth, and marvel how he fares. 'Tis strange, this endless tarrying, passing strange. But when he comes, then I were base indeed, If I perform not all the god declares.    From this passage it would appear that the king has full faith in the awaited advice from the oracle at Delphi. Is this notion historicaly accurate? Did Sophocles’ contmeporaries actually put such trust in their pagan gods and goddesses? As Brian Wilkie and James Hurt state in â€Å"Sophocles†: â€Å"Humanity in his plays is an integral part of a world-order that can be only partially understood at best. The cosmic system includes, besides human beings and nature, those darkly inscrutable forces identified – inadequately – as the gods and fate† (718). When Creon returns, he gives his report publicly:    CREON Let me report then all the god declared. King Phoebus bids us straitly extirpate A fell pollution that ... ...74). Cypselus consulted the oracle, and on the basis of its answer, set to work to make himself master of Corinth (376)which he ruled for many years.    Thus we have seen that Sophocles is not being imaginative when he bases the action of the tragedy Oedipus Rex upon the words of the oracle at Delphi. It is wholly consistent with historical data available from that time period of the fifth century BC.    WORKS CITED    Herodotus.   The Histories. Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt. England: Penguin Books, 1972.    â€Å"Sophocles† In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984.    Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedipus   

Mr. Darcy

Mr. Darcy  is an intelligent, tall, fine, handsome, wealthy and reserved gentleman, who often appears haughty or proud to strangers. Mr. Darcy has a strong moral fibre and a natural and somewhat embarrassed kindness. Mr. Darcy is the owner of the fictional estate of  Pemberley, he is described as the perfect landlord, a sensible and honourable manager of the estate. He has a great responsibility to keep the estate running – and the locals who depend on it for a livelihood are lucky to have such a good master.Mr. Darcy's inflated personal pride, snobbish indifference and arrogance causes him to consider  Elizabeth Bennet  as low-born and plain, â€Å"tolerable† and â€Å"not handsome enough to tempt him†. However, afterwards he becomes attracted to Elizabeth, and courts her clumsily while struggling against his continuing feelings of superiority. His arrogance and rudeness enhance his desirability, and they are reconsidered later as a sign of his repressed passion for Elizabeth. Pride and Prejudice Writing StyleSurprising Turns of Phrase, Sarcastic, Subtle, Pointed Austen is the total master of the slow, subtle burn. It's like poetry in motion – you just watch as sentence after sentence starts out nice and predictable and then – BAM! – right in the kisser. Let's watch and learn how a pro does it in this paragraph that introduces Sir William Lucas, Charlotte's dad: Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty.The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business, and to his residence in a small market town; and, in quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy hims elf solely in being civil to all the world.For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody. By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at St. James's had made him courteous. (5. 1) First we go swimmingly along, as Sir William is shown to be a well-off guy who even gets to make a speech in front of the king. Then, though, check out the long third sentence, as the narrator asterfully goes from Sir William's point of view (he now finds actually working for a living â€Å"disgusting† and moves to a house in the country) to an outside perspective on Sir William's growing egotism (all he does now is â€Å"think with pleasure of his own importance†), and then, finally, rounds it off with an amazing judgment on the way climbing the social ladder creates a useless man out of an industrious one (Sir William is free from the â€Å"shackles† of his work and now just spends his time b eing â€Å"civil†).Funny – but we're not done yet. The problem isn't really just that Sir William himself has become totally purposeless ever since getting his knighthood and becoming too high class for his business. The narrator next expands the issue further, pointing to the culture at large, which is more than happy to go along with Sir William and his new attitude.Check out how, because he's all fancy and titled, in the eyes of his neighbors he gets a fancier adjective to describe his behavior (instead of simply â€Å"friendly† he's become â€Å"courteous,† which also carries the pun of â€Å"court† (as in royal court) inside it – the place where Sir William has picked up his new status). By the ‘two themes' I assume you mean pride as one theme and prejudice as the other? Because there are many, many more themes to the text than that: don't be led astray into thinking they're the only ones (or the most important; the novel's title is somewhat arbitrary).One of my personal favourite ways Austen plays with language in P&P is how, once married, Charlotte Lucas is often lumped into conversation as if she is property and little more than an animal (the quote that comes to mind is something about Lady Lucas enquiring of the ‘welfare and poultry of her eldest daughter' after the visit to Rosings — apologies I don't have to text to hand to find the exact quote). If you're looking for Irony, look carefully at practically anything Elizabeth says, particularly in conversations with her mother.Elizabeth says an awful lot in jest, where as her mother is very literal and very closed-minded. In fact, any exchange that involves Mrs Bennet tends to include some irony as she never realises she is being laughed at. Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful? Ironic, arch, wry, full of witticisms and bon-mots, arm's length Reading this novel is kind of like having a conv ersation with someone who says snarky things in a deadpan voice while onstantly raising her eyebrow. You know what we mean? Austen is just so clearly amused by her characters and their nonsense and also totally committed to discretely pointing out their foibles. It's not that she hates them or is disinterested or anything, but her narrator definitely keeps a distance and functions as an observer who is always elbowing the reader to look at the next funny thing. Check out this description of the aftermath of Mr. Collins proposing to Charlotte: In as short a time as Mr.Collins's long speeches would allow, everything was settled between them to the satisfaction of both; and as they entered the house he earnestly entreated her to name the day that was to make him the happiest of men; and though such a solicitation must be waived for the present, the lady felt no inclination to trifle with his happiness. The stupidity with which he was favoured by nature must guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its continuance; and Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained. 22. 2) Both Charlotte and Mr. Collins are clearly mocked here, although, obviously, Mr. Collins is a much easier and bigger target. Look at the different ways the mockery works, though. First, we've got the overhead view, meaning the narrator takes in the scene and shows us the ridiculous in all its glory: it's funny to try to picture just how not â€Å"short† Mr. Collins's â€Å"long speech† would be. There's also that great joke in the idea that the proposal is â€Å"settled to the satisfaction of both† (because the satisfaction is kind of pragmatic since Charlotte is Mr.Collins's third choice and he is her choice only because he's got a job and a house and it beats living at mom and dad's). Next, we get to laugh at Mr. Collins more from Charlotte's point of view. Even though they aren't in quotes, the words about his â€Å"stupidity† and the lack of â€Å"charm† in his â€Å"courtship† are clearly her thoughts as he goes on and on in his pompous way. Finally, we circle back around to the narrator mocking the characters again, as we check out how Charlotte is going to deal with the fact that she can see how lame Mr. Collins is. Answer: she's going to wait as long as possible to actually get married. ) What’s Up With the Title? You know what's funny about this title? Well, you know how nowadays, the book jackets for novels written by the same author are usually really similar – same font, same general layout, and so on? (Think about those endless  John Grisham novels. ) That's because publishers are going for an if-you-liked-that-you'll-also-love-this approach. Pride and Prejudice  is basically the result of the same kind of thing, turn of the 19th century-style.Originally, the novel was going to be calledFirst Impressions, but after Austen hit the big time with the blockbuster sales of  Sense and Sensibility, her publisher asked if they could try for a little branding magic by sticking to the same title formula: noun-and-noun. This is all well and good, and sure enough, this new novel went over like gangbusters. Does anything change, though, about how we might see the novel when we go from the first title to the second? Well, with  First Impressions, readers are right off the bat being shown things from the characters' point of view.After all, it's Darcy and Elizabeth that are going be to be making and having these impressions, and, this title suggests, we're going to experience these impressions right alongside them. Also, think about what first impressions are all about – people interacting with each other. A novel called  First Impressions  puts the idea of people meeting with and reacting to other people front and center. The focus is on manners, behavio r, and outward appearance. Not to mention, oftentimes first impression are wrong. On the other hand,  Pride and Prejudice  turns the thing around 180 degrees.With a title like that, we're no longer looking at things through the characters' eyes. Instead, the title sounds like someone is being called names – and it's up to the reader to try to figure out who is who. The reader isn't buddy-buddy with the characters any more, but is instead totally supposed to be all judgy and superior from the get-go. With  Pride and Prejudice  as the title, our novel BFFs aren't Darcy or Elizabeth at all. Instead, our main pal is the narrator, who knows ahead of time that someone's full of pride and someone else is probably full of prejudice.Also, we've now moved into some deep psychological territory here. Feeling prideful and being prejudicial are things we do in the privacy of our thoughts, not things we wear on our sleeve. A novel named in this way makes readers immediately get rea dy for being all up in the characters thoughts, seeing how they make decisions and what their value systems are all about. Which title do you prefer? Why? ————————————————- Style Pride and Prejudice, like most of Jane Austen's works, employs the narrative technique of  free indirect speech.This has been defined as â€Å"the free representation of a character's speech, by which one means, not words actually spoken by a character, but the words that typify the character's thoughts, or the way the character would think or speak, if she thought or spoke†. [8]  By using narrative that adopts the tone and vocabulary of a particular character (in this case, that of Elizabeth), Austen invites the reader to follow events from Elizabeth's viewpoint, sharing her prejudices and misapprehensions. The learning curve, while undergone by both protagonists, is disclosed to us so lely through Elizabeth's point of view and her free indirect speech is essential  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ for it is through it that we remain caught, if not stuck, within Elizabeth's misprisions. â€Å". [8] Clear, Witty, Sarcastic In this dialogue-driven novel, wit and sarcasm predominate the text. Pride and Prejudice is often an exercise in reading between the lines, as Austen’s characters must almost always use polite language to mask their true intentions. The greatest exception is, of course, when Elizabeth chews Darcy out after his proposal. ) We’ll offer two examples up for you. Mr. Bennet’s response to his wife after she subjects him to a play-by-play of Mr. Bingley’s actions at the ball: â€Å"If he had had any compassion for me,† cried her husband impatiently, â€Å"he would not have danced half so much! For God's sake, say no more of his partners. O that he had sprained his ankle in the first place! † Mr. Bennet clearly doesn’t mean the se things. What he’s really saying is that he wishes his wife would spare him the details.The following snippet of conversation between  Lady Catherine  and Elizabeth takes place at the end of a long interrogation from Lady Catherine. â€Å"‘Upon my word,’ said her ladyship, ‘you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person. Pray, what is your age? ’ ‘With three younger sisters grown up,’ replied Elizabeth, smiling, ‘your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it. ’ Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence. See what we mean? Elizabeth dodges Lady Catherine’s question, but does so in the politest way possible. We call it†¦polite resistance, and it requires a great deal of quick thinking. STYLE Jane Austen's graceful, economical narrative style was un ique in her time. It was an era in literature given to flowery wordiness and emotional excess. Readers of the day could take their choice among collections of sermons to improve their minds, tales of sin and punishment to improve their morals, and horror stories to stimulate their circulation.Pride and Prejudice is told in a readable prose without a single superfluous word, and it frequently breaks into dialogue so lively and so revealing of characters that entire scenes have been lifted bodily from the novel and reproduced in dramatized versions for stage and screen. In some passages the author enters into the mind of one or another of her characters, most often into her heroine Elizabeth's, and there she reveals her character's capacity for humor and self-criticism. Austen's style is so deceptively lucid that we can hardly believe she submitted her writing to so much polishing and revision. | POINT OF VIEW Pride and Prejudice is mostly written from the objective view of an externa l observer. However, from time to time the novel departs from this objective storytelling approach to explore the thoughts and feelings of a character-either Darcy as he slips little by little into love with Elizabeth, or Elizabeth as she considers her own behavior and the behavior of others. Whatever the approach whether through Elizabeth's mind or through the voice of a narrator, the point of view is always and unmistakably Jane Austen's.It is always her sharply critical eye, youthful though it was when she wrote the novel, that observes and subtly comments on her society's follies and foibles, making us laugh but also making us aware. When we finish her book we know very well the defects she saw in the people of her world, but we also know how much she enjoyed her life among them, faults and all. FORM AND STRUCTURE Like her writing style, the structure of Jane Austen's novel is deceptively simple. She appears to be telling a straightforward story, character by character and happe ning by happening, exactly as it occurred in chronological sequence.We can in fact read the novel that way. But on closer look we find that Pride and Prejudice is not merely a record of events. Instead, it is an interweaving of plot and subplots, an intricate pattern with various threads. The main plot follows the far from smooth course of the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy and the conflict of his pride and her prejudice. Their feelings, born of first impressions, are not the only obstacles between them. Three subplots complicate their relationship. The first is Bingley's attraction to Jane Bennet and Darcy's intervention to save his friend from what he sees as an undesirable marriage.The second is Wickham's involvement with the Darcy family, and his ability to charm Elizabeth and deepen her prejudice against Darcy. The third is Charlotte Lucas' marriage to Mr. Collins, which throws Elizabeth and Darcy together and sharpens their differences. Elizabeth ends up rejecting Darcy i n what we come to see as the first dramatic climax of the story. The Wickham subplot brings on the second dramatic climax: his elopement with Lydia and the scandal and probable ruin of the entire Bennet family. Austen maintains an air of suspense to the very end. She also keeps her three subplots alive with a novelist's juggling skill.In the end, all three subplots contribute to the resolution of the principal plot, and the hero and heroine come together in happiness at last Writing Style: In Pride and Prejudice there is very little focus on natural surroundings such as trees, bushes, flowers, or descriptions of the weather. Rarely does Austen describe character’s psychological states, instead this aspect of the characters is revealed through dialogue. The unnaturally flowery language in Pride and Prejudice may be seen by modern audiences as â€Å"cold† or â€Å"sterile,† but it is this use of language that helps to develop the characters and themes.Exaggeration and hyperboles (in a melodramatic form) are also common writing styles of Austen. In terms of style conventions, the usage of â€Å"Miss† and â€Å"Mr. † in Pride and Prejudice makes it at times unclear which character is talking, and therefore at times very confusing to follow the story. The frequent dialogue between characters also makes it difficult to distinguish which character is speaking. A number of plot points are also advanced in Pride and Prejudice through the writing of letters between essential characters, which tend to be some sort of monologue regarding a possible theme or conflict in the story.

Gladstone’s liberalism

This question focuses on Gladstone's liberalism and to what extent he applied it during his first ministry, 1868-74. Liberalism is a political philosophy that stresses individual liberty, equal opportunity and rights, Victorian liberalism was a mixture of ideology, morality and self-interest, and it advocated civil and religious liberty. Gladstone was the embodiment of Victorian liberalism, he tried to put forward his liberalism but he often found that he fought a lone battle in the cabinet. To assess the extent of how much Gladstone's liberalism was applied during his first ministry, I will be looking at the acts that were passed during this period and looking at how liberal in nature they were. His attention was mainly focused on Ireland as he said in his own words â€Å"It is my mission to pacify Ireland†. He put forward 3 acts and bills concerning Ireland, at the time these were fairly controversial, as he was one of the first Prime Ministers to address the Irish question. The first act that Gladstone passed as Prime Minister was The Disestablishment of the Irish Church Act. This broke the connection between church and state and ended the Anglican church's status as the established church of Ireland, this aimed to reduce endowments and redistributing a third of its annual reserve to non-religious ends, e. g. improving hospitals. This was quite a liberal act as it allowed people to freely attend whichever church they wanted. This however showed Gladstone's willingness to solve a problem without appreciating its background and not understanding its immediate practical requirements. Th Irish Church Act was Gladstone's first liberal move and gave an indication of the path his future acts would take. His second act in 1870 was The Irish Land Act. This was initially one of his most liberal measures as it gave a lot of the protection to the tenant, the individual, but it was diluted so its effectiveness was reduced. It said that tenants should have greater protection from eviction and should be compensated if their rent was deemed excessive, be given compensation for improvements and repairs they had made and that new tenants should compensate the old tenants for their share in the property. The most important part of this at was the compensation if the rent was deemed excessive; Lord Salisbury objected to this clause as he said that no court had the right to adjudicate on the fairness of rent. This omission made the bill limited and unremarkable, this caused anger as it did not live up to its expectations and it failed to realise the aim of the land-lord. At first this bill promised to be a very important bill as it finally gave protection to the tenants but in the end it just made the tenants position less secure as land-lords could now freely increase rent as there was no-one to stop them. This should have been another success for Gladstone but after it had passed through parliament it became just another ordinary act. The Education Act of 1870 put forward by William Forster allowed for the continuation of denominational schools, but in districts where schooling was deficient a locally elected board would be set up. This had the power to organize schools and enforce the attendance of children aged between 5 and 12 who were not being educated in any other way, the boards could also decide whether religious teaching was to be given in their schools. This mainly benefited the working class who before had been unable to send their children to school because it was too expensive so the children went to work instead. The two main organizations involved in this act were the National Education League and Union. The League was non-conformist and wanted gratuitous secular education, the Union was Anglican and wanted religious teaching. The pressure resulting from the conflict between the two groups produced the Cowper Temple Clause; this meant that only non-denominational religious education was to be provided in schools receiving state aid. This was an important liberal act as it gave educational opportunities to the working class who had never before had the chance of free schooling. Other important acts included The 1870 Civil Service Act. This meant that all positions within the civil service were open to public competition, this was obviously a liberal act as it gave the opportunity to people to hold positions which had never been open to them as before a system of patronage was used. Army reforms were also introduced these were the 1871 Army regulation Act. The aim of this was â€Å"To combine in one harmonious whole all the branches of our military forces†, this abolished the system of purchase, an officer bought his commission and could sell it for whatever he could get, and also flogging in peacetime was abolished. The 1871 University Test Act made positions of teaching at Oxford and Cambridge open to non-Anglicans. The Ballot Act introduced the secret ballot, this meant that people could express their opinions without being persecuted. The Trade Union Act of 1871 legalized trade unions. Workers were now protected and had their interests looked after so if they felt that they were being treated unfairly they could do something about it. All of these acts cohered with the liberal philosophy, they gave long overdue equal rights and opportunities to everyone. One of the final acts by Gladstone was the Licensing Act of 1872. This tightened the control on licensing and fixed public houses opening and closing times, with this Gladstone did his party immense harm by alienating brewers and distillers who naturally turned to the conservatives. Gladstone had no doubt in his mind what had caused his election defeat in 1974, in a letter to his brother he commented † We have been borne down in a torrent of gin and beer†, this act did more harm than good and ended Gladstone's first ministry. Gladstone's serious view of life, his devotion to progress and his insistence on justice and right made him a leader who was idolized or hated. His was the figurehead of liberalism and his many liberal acts showed how passionate he was about it. He was not a great Prime minister but during his first ministry he tried very hard to spread liberalism that appealed rather to a particular mentality that might be found in all classes, so in fact it was above class. In conclusion Gladstone's liberalism was his belief in equal opportunities, in an era when this was not available to everyone it was a very brave belief as many of the population could not afford schooling, but thanks to Gladstone this problem was now fixed. He applied his liberalism to a great extent as he introduced some very important changes, these being the Education and Irish Church acts. The way his ministry ended showed that he had not finished and more was to come, mainly his pursuit of Irish Home Rule. He was probably more important for what he was than what he did.