Focuses of school based instructional supervision

Focuses of school based instructional supervision A further sub-problem in the study was to explore participants perceptions about the focuses of school-based instructional supervision. This section reports the findings regarding the focuses of school-based instructional supervision based on questionnaire and interview data. Questionnaire Findings Twenty-two statements describing the focuses of instructional supervision were listed in each questionnaire instrument (Appendices A and B). The statements addressed the following major aspects regarding instructional supervision focuses: (a) organization of lessons, (b) subject matter, (c) pupils academic development, (d) school curriculum, (e) lesson plan, (f) pupils individual inquiry, (g) teaching guides, (h) course objectives, (i) teachers personality, (j) pupils character development, (k) pupils progress records, (k) records of work covered, (1) teachers dress and appearance, (m) pupils sense of responsibility, (n) instructional course, (o) teachers questioning style, (p) classroom management, (q) extracurricular activities, (r) pupils performance in national examinations, (s) teacher self-evaluation, and (t) teacher-pupil relationship. For details about specific statements regarding supervision focuses, see Appendixes A and B. The respondents were requested to indicate their existing and preferred extent of examination of each aspect by making choices from given alternatives ranging from 1 (never examined) to 5 (very frequently examined). The percentage and frequency distributions as well as mean scores and standard deviations were determined for each of the focuses. The findings on teachers perceptions of the focuses of school-based instructional supervision are presented in this section in terms of existing and preferred frequency of examination of the focuses. I have included only the focuses that ranked highest and lowest in terms of frequency of examination as perceived by teachers. Teachers perceptions of the frequency of examination of existing and preferred focuses of school-based instructional supervision were explored (Appendix D, Table 3.1). The focuses have been ranked from highest to lowest frequency of examination based on mean responses for existing and preferred focuses of school-based instructional supervision (see Table 3.2). The data collected suggest that availability of properly organized pupils progress records ranked first in terms of existing frequency of examination, teachers concern with pupils performance in national examinations ranked second, and availability of up-to-date weakly record of work covered ranked third (Appendix D, Table 3.2). At the other extreme, three focuses ranked lowest in terms of existing frequency of examination: teachers dress and appearance, teachers use of teaching aids, and the manner in which the teacher asks questions in the class (Appendix D, Table 3.2). In terms of preferred frequency of examination, the focus that ranked first was teachers concern with pupils performance in national examinations, followed by availability of properly organized pupils progress records, and, finally, availability of up-to-date weekly record of work covered (Appendix D, Table 3.2). The focuses that ranked lowest in terms of preferred frequency of examination included preparation of an appropriate lesson plan, the manner in which the teacher asks questions in the class, and teachers dress and appearance (Appendix D, Table 3.2). Based on t-test analyses, there were significant differences at the 0.001 level between teachers perceptions of the frequency of examination of existing and preferred focuses of school-based instructional supervision. In general, teachers preferred that the focuses of school-based instructional supervision presented in this study be examined more frequently than was currently being done. Interview Findings Interviews with teachers, headteachers, and education officers indicated five major themes relative to focuses of school-based instructional supervision: (a) curriculum and instruction, (b) student success, (c) teacher performance, (d) teachers artifacts of teaching, and (e) human relations. Curriculum and Instruction Three headteachers cited three focuses of instructional supervision that are primarily concerned with curriculum and instruction: (a) teachers attendance to scheduled lessons, (b) teachers participation in extracurricular activities, and (c) syllabus coverage by the teacher. One teacher, in a general remark, stated as follows: I think it is important to check on attendance of teachers to their scheduled lessons or to their participation in extracurricular activities with pupils. Headteachers should also make sure that teachers cover the syllabuses in good time to prepare students for external exams. Student Success Two teachers agreed that instructional supervisors should endeavor to find out how teachers assess their pupils work. They argued that the various strategies that teachers use to assess students progress will determine how students are prepared for national examinations. As one teacher remarked, It would be helpful to know teachers assess their pupils academic work because this is important for students success in the national examinations. Teacher Performance Another area regarding the focuses of school-based instructional supervision cited by four interviewees was concerned with teacher performance in the classroom. These participants agreed that, to facilitate teaching and learning, the teachers level of preparedness and general effectiveness in teaching should be the major focuses of the supervision of instruction. As one education officer commented, The best thing to do is for supervisors to address areas like effectiveness of their classroom teachers and how they are prepared to teach. Teachers Artifacts of Teaching One headteacher observed that teachers teaching artifacts, such as examination and test papers, should be addressed during supervision process. This headteacher remarked, Instructional supervisors should check the quality of examination and test papers set by teachers because these are important teaching tools that would shape students success in the final examinations. Do they set high quality papers which can promote learning? Human Relations A final area relating to focuses of instructional supervision mentioned by some interviewees was concerned with human relations. One education officer noted that how teachers interact with students should be considered in the practices of instructional supervision and that the teacher-pupil relationship should be a major focus of instructional supervision. Another education officer commented, When you are supervising a teacher, for example in the classroom, you must look at how the teacher interacts with pupils. This interaction is important because it will affect learning. In general, the focuses of school-based instructional supervision cited by interviewees concur with high-ranking focuses relative to the existing and preferred extent of examination by the teacher from the questionnaire data. Synthesis and Discussion of School-based instructional supervision Focuses The findings relating to teachers perceptions of existing and preferred frequency of examination of the focuses of school-based instructional supervision revealed by questionnaire data indicate that three focuses received the highest ranking in both existing and preferred frequency of examination: (a) availability of properly organized pupils progress records, (b) availability of up-to-date weekly record of work covered, and (c) teachers concern with pupils performance in national examinations. Similarly, one focus-the manner in which the teacher asks questions in the class-received the lowest ranking in both existing and preferred frequency of examination as perceived by teachers. The findings from the interview data revealed the following focuses of school-based instructional supervision: (a) teachers attendance to scheduled classes, (b) teachers preparedness, (e) teachers methods of assessment of pupils academic progress, (f) quality of test papers set by the teacher, (g) syllabus coverage by the teacher, (h) teachers participation in extracurricular activities, and (i) teacher-pupil relationship. Indicators of Teacher Preparation The three focuses of school-based instructional supervision that received the highest ranking in terms of existing and preferred frequency of examination by the headteacher- availability of properly organized pupils records, availability of up-to-date records of work covered, and teachers concern with pupils performance in national examinations-were particularly interesting because, in Saudi Arabia, the three focuses are among the indicators of teachers preparedness for effective teaching that the Ministry of Education expects headteachers to ensure. As explained by Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education (1998) headteachers, as managers of approved school curriculum, are expected to ensure that teachers prepare comprehensive tools of work, such as lesson plans and weekly records of work done, and check periodically pupils exercise books, practical work, assignments, and continuous assessment to ensure regular marking and systematic use in guiding learners. Teachers Concern with Pupils Performance Teachers concern with pupils performance in national examinations is an important aspect of Saudi Arabias education system, which seems to put a great deal of emphasis on passing of examinations. As Babtain (2004) noted, the overloaded system of education imposes cut-throat competition among schools, where learners are pushed to cut down others in national examinations, and forces teachers to be busy all year round as they struggle to complete the curriculum. To facilitate students success in national examinations, as noted by Ibrahim (2000), teachers are expected to develop and transmit desired knowledge, skills, and attitudes to pupils, it is hoped, through instructional supervision. Teachers Attendance to Scheduled Classes Teachers attendance to scheduled lessons is an important focus in school-based instructional supervision because it facilitates curriculum implementation. Highlighting the role of the school head as a manager of the school, Hassan (1998) observed that the headteacher should ensure regular teaching of subjects to implement the school curriculum effectively. Teacher attendance to scheduled lessons is a major issue in the Saudi Arabian education system because numerous cases of student unrest in the recent past have been attributed to teachers failure to attend scheduled lessons. For example, Mahmoud (2004), commenting about student protest in one school cited lessons missing as one of the reasons for the student strike that paralyzed the school and led to its closure. Similarly, Attari (2005) cited teachers boycott of scheduled classes as a major reason for the indefinite closure of the school and the temporary removal of students from the school. Teachers attendance to scheduled classes is linked to six other related focuses of school-based instructional supervision revealed by the interview data: (a) teachers presence in the school, (b) teachers effectiveness in the classroom, (c) teachers level of preparedness, (d) teachers methods of assessment of pupils academic progress, (e) quality of test papers set by the teacher, and (f) syllabus coverage by the teacher, because they are all concerned with facilitating effective and quality curriculum implementation in the school. In the Saudi Arabian context, as explained in the Education Act (Saudi Arabia, 1980), curriculum means all the subjects taught and all the activities provided at school, and may include the time devoted to each subject and activity (p. 4), and syllabus means a concise statement of the contents of a course of instruction in a subject or subjects (p. 5). To facilitate curriculum implementation, in particular, Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education (1998) has unde rscored the role of the headteacher in supervising the school curriculum to ensure effective teaching and learning. And Mohammed (2002) has concluded that the quality of curriculum implementation and management may determine student performance in external and school-based examinations. Practices of School-based instructional supervision A further sub-problem in the study was concerned with the perceptions of participants regarding the practices of school-based instructional supervision. This section reports the findings relating to the practices of school-based instructional supervision based on questionnaire and interview data. Sixteen statements describing the practices of school-based instructional supervision as conducted by headteachers were listed in each teacher instrument (Appendices A and B). The statements covered the following major aspects relating to the practices of instructional supervision: (a) conducting teaching, (b) evaluating teachers work, (c) providing information about supervisory process, (d) reducing teachers anxieties regarding supervisory program, (e) collecting information about teachers, (f) pre-observation conferencing, (g) using examination results to indicate teacher performance, (h) interviewing students about teacher performance, (i) conferencing with teachers about classroom practice, (j) encouraging self-evaluation, (k) improving instructional quality, (1) writing supervisory reports, (m) providing supervisory feedback, (n) post-observation conferencing, (o) identifying areas of instructional improvement, and (p) rewarding deserving teachers. For details regarding specific statements about the practices of instructional supervision, see Appendices A and B. The respondents were requested to indicate their preferences for existing and preferred importance given to each practice by making choices from given alternatives ranging from 1 (no importance) to 5 (great). The percentage and frequency distributions, means, and standard deviations were determined for each practice. The data obtained from teachers, headteachers, and education officers relative to the practices of school-based instructional supervision are reported in Appendix D, Tables 4.1 and 4.2. This section reports the findings relating to teachers perceptions regarding the practices of school-based instructional supervision in terms of the importance they attach to the practices. Only the practices that received the highest and lowest rankings as perceived by teachers have been reported. Teachers responses relative to existing and preferred importance of practices of school-based instructional supervision were explored, as were comparisons between the existing and the preferred means and standard deviations of the practices of school-based instructional supervision as perceived by teachers (Appendix D, Tables 4.1). The practices have been ranked from highest to lowest based on the mean responses relating to existing and preferred practices (Appendix D, Table 4.2). Encouraging teachers to evaluate their own teaching (i.e., self-evaluation; n=256) ranked first in order of importance as existing practice, followed by using examination/test results as indicators of teacher performance (n=254; see Appendix D, Table 4.2). Setting up specific sessions with teachers to discuss how teaching should be conducted (n=256) and recognizing and rewarding excellent teachers (n=256) formed a cluster in third position in order of importance as existing practices. At the other end, the practices that received the lowest ranks as existing practices included (a) writing supervisory reports for different audiences (n=250), (b) conducting conferences soon after observing teachers (n=248), and (c) meeting with teachers prior to classroom observation (n=250; see Appendix D, Table 4.2). Regarding preferred practices, recognizing and rewarding excellent teachers (n=256) ranked first in order of importance, encouraging teachers to evaluate their own teaching (i.e., self-evaluation; n=256) ranked second, and providing teachers with an adequate amount of information to become familiar with the supervisory process (n=256) ranked third (Appendix D, Table 4.2). The least preferred practices in order of importance were (a) meeting with teachers prior to classroom observation (n=250), (b) writing different supervisory reports for different audiences, and (c) obtaining information from students about their teachers performance through face-to-face interview (n=252; see Appendix D, Table 4.2). Based on t-test analyses, there were significant differences at both the 0.05 and 0.001 levels between teachers perceptions of existing and preferred practices of school-based instructional supervision, except for one practice, holding face to-face interviews with teachers to obtain information about their classroom practice. In general, teachers preferred that more importance be attached to practices of school-based instructional supervision listed in the instrument than was currently the case. Interview Findings Teachers, headteachers, and education officers interviewed cited the following practices of school-based instructional supervision that they had experienced: (a) checking teachers professional tools of work or artifacts of teaching, such as schemes of work, records of work covered, lesson notes, lesson plans, lesson-focus books, mark books, daily preparation books, and part test papers; (b) examining students exercise books; (c) using students to obtain information about teachers; (d) holding conferences with teachers; (e) observing teachers in their classrooms; and (f) supervision by walking around. Frequency distributions of teachers, headteachers, and education officers regarding their mention of practices of school-based instructional supervision were also synthesized from the interview data (Appendix D, Table 4.3). Eleven teachers, four headteachers/deputy headteachers, and three education officers interviewed mentioned checking teachers tools of work or artifacts of teaching, especially schemes of work and records of work covered, as an important practice of school-based instructional supervision in the schools (Appendix D, Table 4.3). Also, six teachers, three headteachers/deputy headteachers, and two education officers agreed that holding conferences with teachers was one of the practices of school-based instructional supervision. Furthermore, two teachers, three headteachers/deputy headteachers, and two education officers identified observing teachers in their classrooms as one of the practices of school-based instructional supervision. However, a few teachers and headteachers interviewed reported that classroom observation, in particular, was not a common practice in their schools. As one headteacher commented: Visiting teachers in their classrooms to see how they teach is very difficult in our situation. And most teachers resent it so much, and personally I dont think I have done it. I dont think it is a practice. You know how it can be taken. In most cases, those who have attempted it have met with a lot of negativity. It is like you want to find faults from the teacher. Teachers fear it most. Three teacher interviewees concurred that there were no supervisory reports on teachers written by headteachers, to the best of their knowledge. As one teacher remarked, Once teachers have been supervised by the headteacher by whatever means, no supervisory reports are made, not at the school level. Maybe the headteacher would have his or her own reports. The interviewees also gave least emphasis to practices such as examination of students exercise books and using student leaders, commonly referred to as prefects, to obtain information about teachers. As one education officer stated, But I dont think we need children to write anything about teachers for us to know whether or not teachers are on duty. Synthesis and Discussion of Practices of School-based instructional supervision The findings regarding the practices of school-based instructional supervision based on the questionnaire data revealed that recognizing and rewarding excellent teachers was ranked highest by teachers as existing and preferred supervisory practice, whereas writing different supervisory reports for different audiences received low ranking as existing and preferred practice. The interview findings revealed six major practices of school-based instructional supervision: (a) checking teachers artifacts of teaching, (b) examining students exercise books, (c) using students to obtain information about teachers, (d) holding conferences with teachers, and (e) observing teachers in their classrooms. Recognizing and Rewarding Deserving Teachers That recognizing and rewarding excellent teachers ranked highest is noteworthy because it seems to be a viable strategy for motivating teachers, especially when the recognition is initiated by the headteacher as an instructional leader. This finding supports Sergiovannis (2001) belief that one of the school principals responsibilities is to build and to nurture motivation and commitment to teaching and that when teaching is rewarding professionally, teachers are likely to keep improving their effectiveness. The importance of recognizing and rewarding teachers has also been supported elsewhere. For example, Hallinger and Murphy (1985) observed that setting up a work structure that rewards and recognizes teachers for their efforts was an important part of the principals role in creating a positive learning climate. In the Saudi Arabian context, as explained by Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education (1998), the headteachers proper management, especially in recognizing excellent performance, may facilitate high morale, motivation, integrity, and appropriate work ethics. Artifacts of Teaching The practices of school-based instructional supervision revealed by the interview data were also observed. For example, checking teachers artifacts of teaching or tools of work is important in Saudi Arabian schooling because it is concerned with teachers preparedness to teach classes. Whereas the Ministry of Education (1987) expects classroom teachers to prepare artifacts of teaching, it is the responsibility of the headteacher and heads of departments, especially, to ensure that such items are actually prepared appropriately and to check their relevance to the intended subjects. Furthermore, as the Ministry of Education explained, heads of departments, in particular, are responsible for maintaining a record of work of the subjects to be completed weekly by all subject heads. Questionnaire and Interview Findings Compared A comparison of questionnaire and interview findings regarding the practices of school-based instructional supervision revealed some interesting similarities. For example, the practice that ranked lowest in both existing and preferred extent of examination as perceived by teachers-writing different supervisory reports for different audiences-was also viewed by some interviewees as being nonexistent Also, the practice of obtaining information from students about their teachers performance through face-to-face interviews, which received relatively low ranking in both existing and preferred extent of examination as perceived by teachers, was also considered inappropriate by some teachers and education officers interviewed. I can speculate that this practice was perhaps common especially in schools where feedback from students regarding teacher performance was productive. However, several views in the literature supported the involvement of students in evaluation of teachers. For example, Stronge and Ostrander (1997) argued that, because students are the primary consumers of teachers services and have direct knowledge about classroom practices on a regular basis, they are in a key position to provide information about teacher effectiveness. Whereas the questionnaire data indicated that meeting with teachers especially prior to classroom observation ranked lowest in order of importance as existing and preferred practice as perceived by teachers, the interview data indicated that holding conferences with teachers was prevalent in schools. I can speculate that conferencing with teachers was not a popular practice in many schools.

Sibling Rivalry :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Sibling rivalry (the slightly-less-amazing adventures of Professor Sanderson's Sociobiology discussion group) Why yes, it's... The slightly-less-amazing adventures of Professor Sanderson's Sociobiology discussion group! Today's topic: Sibling Rivalry ** Professor Armand Sanderson's Sociobiology lecture was not quite as popular as his brother Julian's Paleobio class. Partly this was because sociobio did not lend itself to psycho-Permian field trips; partly this was because he, unlike his Cosmopolitan brother, looked more like a lumberjack than a professor. In fact, the highest attendance he'd ever recorded occurred on the day he brought Julian in as a guest. This annoyed him. "Good morning," he addressed the sea of faces sourly. "As I'm sure you all know, today we have my brother Julian in as a guest." Julian waved cheerily. Fifty-seven eyelids batted. "He's here for today's discussion on the biological origins and implications of sibling rivalry among humans. I expect you all to participate." Despite his gruffness, he received only minimal acknowledgement. "Julian," he continued, noting with ire the sudden leap in his students' attention, "is here to provide a living example of the concepts we're about to discuss. He's also good with animal behavior, so he'll be starting you off today with some of the biological bases of sibling competition." He narrowed his eyes. "I expect you to pay attention to what he's saying." The threat was habitual, and, in this case (he again noted with ire) completely unnecessary. The class had no trouble obeying. As Julian stepped forward, all talk immediately ceased---though some of the students' comprehensive faculties ceased along with it. "Good morning, everybody!" Julian chirped. "Like Armand said, today we're here to discuss sibling rivalry. We don't have a lot of time, so I'll just jump right in. Now, how many of you here have ever fought with your brothers and sisters?" All but a few hands went up. Julian nodded, smiling. "Right. So you would say it's a common problem?" The class murmured agreement. "Well, you're absolutely right. This may come as a surprise to you, but humans aren't the only species who get ticked off by their siblings. In fact, sibling rivalry is ubiquitous in nature. ((5))" Leaning back, Julian lifted himself to sit on the edge of Armand's desk. Armand, typically, scowled. "For a good example, look at baby pigs," the younger professor explained. "They push each other out of the way so they can get at their mom's anterior teats---that's where the best milk is.

Discuss Concepts of Attachment in Human Development

Discuss concepts of attachment in human development. What implications does this have for a society in which the majority of Mothers are employed outside the home? Attachment is the bond and affection created by two people. It is a need developed in human beings since we are born to feel secure and safe. According to Bowlby, this theory is an emotion connection human beings generate when they are born where they get emotionally associated to caregivers, normally the mother, creating to an emotional reaction when this connection of attachment is in danger or gone. (Worden 1991) Lasing psychological connectedness between human beings† The caregiver is giving to the baby an emotional security needed for the development of the baby. (Hospice Slo) This attachment between baby and caregiver can be partially replaced when the baby grows and gets involved for longer periods of time during the day with other human beings but it is very important to keep the infant close to the main care giver to improve child’s chance of survival. Birth involves changes and adjustments, pain and joy and new beginnings (Kubler-Ross 1981) Key Features of Bolby’s theory of Attachment. Monotropy: Babies are strongly attached to the caregiver who is normally the mother, and this attachment takes its form on the first year of life. -If attachment with the mother has not taken place by age 2, it will be almost impossible to adjust it, even after 6 months of the baby’s life; it would make it very difficult. -Secure attachment to the caregiver is very important for a future emotional, social and intellectual development. -Once attachment is created, if it gets interrupted it can led to massive consequences on social, intellectual and emotional development. Reciprocal: The attachment is form in a two way. -Critical period. Between 6 months and 2 years is most important period where the baby and the caregiver should be close to creating a bond. -Maternal deprivation. As B owlby describes it, it is the serious developmental impairment caused by being separated from the mother in infancy. (Kubler-Ross 1981) Having in mind the theories of attachment according to Bowlby and the repercussions if interrupted, we can state the existence of a strong independence between mother and baby.We can understand that this bond between baby/toddler and caregiver cannot be eternally followed. In general, the mothers, after a giving birth, have created the attachment and get connected to the baby but at some point, most of them will have to go back to a productive life and join their job again if they had one, as most women will be obliged to contribute to the necessities of the family’s finances so she will be forced to assign the task of caring for the baby after just a few months of the baby’s life.That does not mean the attachment will be broken but the baby will spend some time during the day looked after by a second party. The baby will be responsive and create an emotional connection between the new caregiver once the caregiver is responsive and familiar. (Berger 1983) This is not a journey by choice most of the time. It would be greater if the mother could stay close to home and focus directly on what is right to be sure that her path is connected with the child. (Kornfield 1988)The task of looking after the baby while the mother is working could be given to a second party in the family, for example grandparents if they are able to take care of the child or any other relative. A nanny or infant day care are some other choices to achieve the right care for the baby. Once the task of carer has been assigned, the baby will be separated of his mother for most of the day and new attachments will be formed, but the main one will be the bond between mother and child.This change could be lived by the child in a very distressed way as new people or strange people will be caring for him and it could be upsetting for the mother if the b onds are too tight. As upsetting as it could be for the child this change in life and environment could be a crucial move for the child to start learning different things, interact with other people or children and start new discoveries. Mothers always think is safer to leave children with family relates, but depending the age, childcare could be a perfect option for a child.Once the infant is around 2 years old, being exposed to other children will help to develop and the start of relationships with other people or kids, so from being the main character in his house, children will learn to socialize with other children or people with the purpose of social growing. The father, who in a normal situation would have developed a bond with the child but in a smaller scale than the mother, he will make closer emotional connection with his child as he will have more responsibility sharing the tasks and caring for the baby. Cowan 1993) Having mentioned what attachment means for caregiver/mo ther and baby and the changes in modern life, we can question how this affects the working mother, the family and the child. Long-term study by University College London has studied the case and influence in young children when their mothers have to go to work and develop a professional career.The conclusions have been revealing that the kids exposed to this situation are not harmed emotionally or socially by being left with family, relatives or day care option and they would had the same behaviour so there were no changes with the absence of the caregiver. Some researches pointed out that there are no big difference between the time a working mother or a housewife dedicate to their children, as the working mothers compensate the attention to their children on the weekends to make up for the time they have been working and they have missed expending with their child.Psychologists’ point that it is more important the quality not the quantity of time spent with her children. Th e fact that the mother can develop a professional career can help to lift her self-esteem and that will be transmitted to the children instead the mother having to resign for the sake of her children which it can lead to a frustration and depression and these could also be transmitted to the children and affect their day life and their behaviour.This case study leaded to some other repercussions regarding children gender and different situations in the household which we can blame to some dysfunctional parental issues. (Meikle) The UCL Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatics study states that children which are left in caring centres or looked after by relatives have poorer dietary habits, had more tendencies to drink sweet drinks between meals and they were an average of two hours a day in front of the TV or the computer than the children who were full time looked after by the mother.These statements link to appreciate that working parents have less time to provide their children with a balance diet and chances for physical activity leading children to a higher risk of obesity. (Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health) Another study by the University College London states that there were no detrimental effects for children if the mother goes back to work but that children’s health and emotional wellbeing could sustain if the detachment happens in very early life of the child.Dr Anne McMunn agrees with some of the statements above and she pointed that children looked after by the mother full time had the most behaviour difficulties. (Ross, T, Barker, C) She also stated that working mothers are more likely to have higher educational qualifications which would allow them to live in a higher class in society, with bigger incomes and have lower possibilities of getting depressed than non working mothers.These factors explain the levels of behavioural difficulties for males of non working mothers, but it would not be the same case for girls. ( McMunn, A) The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D. C has studied the case of families with low incomes and the benefits in children if mothers go to work. Children in a low class family will benefit more if the mother works as there will be a financial stability in the household and the mother will become a model role to follow for the family.Their case study was based in mothers returning to work at early age of the children (preferably almost straight away after giving birth) giving a result of benefits for the children and the family. On the other side, mothers who go back to work after her children turns 3 years old, these children will tend to have achievement problems in school, behavioural problems and conduct problems, believing that it was much better an earlier start for the mother to join work.Doing more research on middle and upper class families, children who were left in daycares were slightly more likely to see decreases in achievement, suggesting th at families with no financial problems may not see beneficial for the mother to go back to work while children are very young. These studies took place in USA and they agree there is no support for new mothers in terms of flexi time and maternity leave policies and that having more help to arrange more time with their babies could only have positive effects for children. Thompson, R. L) United Nations Children's Fund reported that children in UK are exposed to risk as mothers join work too soon having to leave babies in day care, nannies and they mentioned it reduces the emotional benefit and behaviourally if the mothers were able to look after the kids at home as maternity leave are not fairly paid and UK and it does not provide enough money for early childhood services.Unicef reckons by their research that the lack of contact between parents and children could lead the children to depression and withdrawn, performing poorly in school and developing behavioural problems stating tha t the younger the baby is, the greater the risk recommending that babies should be with the parents at least till they are 12 months old. (Beckford, M) We have had the chance to compare different studies and points of view in terms of the impact and implications for employed mothers who have to be away from their homes to bring an income to the house and leave their children in care of second parties.Some of this studies vary in opinions and we have pointed the main repercussions, but most of them agree there is no major repercussions in being absent from the household while they are working. In general, once the attachment mother-child has been established, the mother and the children will always be connected and it could be beneficial for the child for his on future development.In the old times, mothers were staying at home looking after the children and taking care of the house, but this society we are living now has made us change this tradition and our ways of behaving relating parental attachment have changed as we need the income to survive, but the success of our children in the future will not be measured by the material things received but the intensity and quality in the affecting relations parents have been able to provide since they are children.We need to bear in mind that most of the cases where the studies do not find any unbeneficial consequences are based in traditional families, mother and father together with no dysfunctional problems, which if these situation changes dramatically, and the consequences would be completely different. We also presume that the nanny, relative or care giver assigned for this task has experience or it is a high level institution where the children are not going to be in lack of caring of attention. References: – Beckford, M (2008) Unicef: English children at risk because mothers go back to work too soon [Online]. Available: http://www. telegraph. o. uk/news/uknews/3701376/Unicef-English-children-at-risk-b ecause-mothers-go-back-to-work-too-soon. html [Accessed 15 November 2011] -Berger, K. S, 6th ed. , (1983) The developing person through the life span. New York: Worth Publishers. – Cowan, P. A (1993) Family, self, and society: toward a new agenda for family research. New Jersey: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. – Hospice SLO. Worden's 4 Tasks of Grief [Online]. Available: http://www. hospiceslo. org/helpful-info/82-wordens-4-tasks-of-grief. html [Accessed 15 November 2011] -Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (2009) Children of working mothers have unhealthier lifestyles. Online]. Available: http://www. ucl. ac. uk/news/news-articles/0909/09092903 [Accessed 17 November 2011] -Kornfield, J (1988) A path with heart. New York: Rider. -Kubler-Ross,E (1981) Living with Death and Dying. How to communicate with the terminally ill. New York:Touchstone. -McMunn, A (2011) Working mothers and the effects on children. [Online]. Available: http://www. esrc. ac. uk/news-a nd-events/press-releases/16143/working-mothers-and-the-effects-on-children. aspx [Accessed 17 November 2011] – Meikle, J (2011) Working mothers do no harm to their young children, research finds. [Online]. Available: http://www. guardian. co. k/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/22/working-mothers-no-harm-children [Accessed 15 November 2011] -Ross, T, Barker, C (2011) New mothers told it's better to go back to work. [Online]. Available: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/family/8652948/New-mothers-told-its-better-to-go-back-to-work. html [Accessed 17 November 2011] – Thompson, R. L (2010) The Kids Are All Right: Few Negative Associations With Moms' Return to Work Soon After Having Children. [Online]. Available: http://www. apa. org/news/press/releases/2010/10/working-mothers. aspx [Accessed 17 November 2011] -Worden, J. W, 4th  ed. , (2010)  Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook

History of the Domestication of Sunflowers

Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) are plants native to the American continents, and one of four seed-bearing species known to have been domesticated in eastern North America. The others are squash [Cucurbita pepo var oviferia], marshelder [Iva annua], and chenopod [Chenopodium berlandieri]). Prehistorically, people used sunflower seeds for ornamental and ceremonial use, as well as for food and flavoring. Prior to domestication, wild sunflowers were spread throughout the North and Central American continents. Wild sunflower seeds have been found in numerous locations in eastern North America; the earliest so far is within the American Archaic levels of the Koster site, as early as 8500 calendar years BP (cal BP); when it was precisely domesticated, is difficult to establish, but at least 3,000 cal BP. Identifying Domesticated Versions Archaeological evidence accepted for recognizing the domesticated form of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) is the increase in the average mean length and width of achene--the pod that contains the sunflower seed; and since Charles Heisers comprehensive studies in the 1950s, the established reasonable minimum length for determining whether a particular achene is domesticated has been 7.0 millimeters (about a third of an inch). Unfortunately, that is problematic: because many sunflower seeds and achenes were recovered in the charred (carbonized) state, and carbonization can, and in fact often does, shrink the achene. In addition, the accidental hybridization of wild and domestic forms--also results in smaller sized domestic achenes. Standards to correct for carbonized seeds developed from experimental archaeology on sunflowers from DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge found that carbonized achenes exhibited an average of 12.1% reduction in size after being carbonized. Based on that, Smith (2014) proposed scholars use multipliers of about 1.35-1.61 to estimate the original size. In other words, measurements of carbonized sunflower achenes should be multiplied by 1.35-1.61, and if the majority of the achenes falls over 7 mm, you can reasonably surmise that the seeds are from a domesticated plant. Alternatively, Heiser suggested that a better measure might be the heads (disks) of sunflowers. Domesticated sunflower disks are significantly larger than wild ones, but,  unfortunately, only about two dozen partial or complete heads have been identified archaeologically. Earliest Domestication of Sunflowers The main site of domestication for sunflower appears to have been located in the eastern North American woodlands, from several dry caves and rock shelters of the central and eastern United States. The firmest evidence is from a large assemblage from the Marble Bluff site in the Arkansas Ozarks, securely dated to 3000 cal BP. Other early sites with smaller assemblages but potentially domesticated seeds include Newt Kash Hollow rock shelter in eastern Kentucky (3300 cal BP); Riverton, Eastern Illinois (3600-3800 cal BP); Napoleon Hollow, central Illinois (4400 cal BP); the Hayes site in central Tennessee (4840 cal BP); and Koster in Illinois (ca 6000 cal BP). In sites more recent than 3000 cal BP, domesticate sunflowers are frequent occurrences. Early domesticated sunflower seed and achene was reported from the San Andrà ©s site in Tabasco, Mexico, direct dated by AMS to between 4500-4800 cal BP. However, recent genetic research has shown that all modern domestic sunflowers developed from the wild eastern North American species. Some scholars have argued that the San Andres specimens may not be sunflower  but if they are, they represent a second, later domestication event that failed. Sources Crites, Gary D. 1993 Domesticated sunflower in Fifth Millennium B.P temporal context: New evidence from middle Tennessee. American Antiquity 58(1):146-148. Damiano, Fabrizio, Luigi R. Ceci, Luisa Siculella, and Raffaele Gallerani 2002 Transcription of two sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) mitochondrial tRNA genes having different genetic origins. Gene  286(1):25-32. Heiser Jr. CB. 1955. The origin and development of the cultivated sunflower. The American Biology Teacher 17(5):161-167. Lentz, David L., et al. 2008 Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as a pre-Columbian domesticate in Mexico. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(17):6232-6237. Lentz D, Pohl M, Pope K, and Wyatt A. 2001. Prehistoric sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.) domestication in Mexico. Economic Botany  55(3):370-376. Piperno, Dolores R. 2001 On Maize and the Sunflower. Science  292(5525):2260-2261. Pope, Kevin O., et al. 2001 Origin and Environmental Setting of Ancient Agriculture in the Lowlands of Mesoamerica. Science 292(5520):1370-1373. Smith BD. 2014. The domestication of Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower). Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 23(1):57-74. doi: 10.1007/s00334-013-0393-3 Smith, Bruce D. 2006 Eastern North America as an independent center of plant domestication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103(33):12223-12228.