Nature of the Consumer Decision Making Essay

Introduction Now more than ever in such a highly competitive business world were each product and service offered is competing with similar and alternative products, it is crucial from the businesses point of view that their product or service is of the highest standard possible. Correctly marketed a product could be infinitely successful, whilst on the other hand a poorly marketed product could be the death of it. From a marketers perspective it is them making the product what it is, from deciding consumer’s wants and needs, to interpreting these in an end product that satisfies these needs. In order for this to happen marketers must take into account the vast amount of cognitive processes the consumer goes through before, during and after making a purchase. This report provides a view into the consumer’s decision making process, looking more depth into the role motivation plays in these decisions and the various theoretical model frameworks that are used in this process. The repor t will also outline how a marketer can use this knowledge to assist consumers in their purchasing choices and decisions throughout the report when applicable. The consumer decision making process Four views of consumer decision making The consumer decision making process is one that the consumer makes when making a purchase. There are different models that have been produced in time to support this idea, with four generalist views of consumer decision making, each highlighting different variables. These are the ‘Economic view’ which focuses on the idea that the consumer makes decisions based on rational behaviour, i.e. cost verse benefits, will I get a good enough product service for my money?. Another view that marketers hold is the ‘passive view’ in which opposes the economic view by believing consumers to be submissive to all marketers input, stating that consumers are impulsive buyers, easily manipulated with marketing efforts. Thirdly is the ‘Emotional view’ which may be seen as irrational behaviour based on feelings rather than any logical reasoning, i.e. decisions based on love, hope, sexuality etc. Fourth and probably the most prolific one would be the ‘5 stage (cognitive process)’. The 5 stage process outlines the cognitive procedure consumers go through when making decisions. Marketers will often refer to  this model when considering how to effectively influence the consumer’s choices. It shows that more consideration goes into the decision making process than just a purchase decision and even continues post-purchase. Although the consumer does not always necessarily follow each stage, sometimes they may skip stages when making more impulsive decisions or routine purchases. For example when considering this model it would be naà ¯ve to think the consumer will put the same amount of thought into buying a pack of chewing gum at a newsagent to buying a new car. The purchase of chewing gum is generally an impulsive decision that does not require much previous thought, whereas the purchase of a car is less routine and requires a lot of thought into varying factors such as cost verses benefits. (Consumer Decision Making Process, 2008) Schiffman and Kanuk describe the process as being viewed in 3 distinct but interlocking stages, the input stage, process stage and output stage. Below is an extended model of this process, which includes external influences and psychological factors. Figure 1 External Influences Before the consumer even has the thought of making a purchase, they are already influenced by two sources subconsciously, the first being the firms marketing efforts (the four P’s) which creates an awareness for the product via marketers attempts to inform and persuade the consumer through products, promotion, price and channels of distribution . Secondly, sociological influences reveal an underlying fundamental need to fit in to certain social groups, lifestyles, cultures etc. that are not directly commercially related i.e. A neighbour or friend owning a product that an individual likes, therefore perhaps creating a want for it. Consumer decision making model The decision making model as shown in figure 1 could reflect not only the cognitive view to decision making, but also the emotional view as it incorporates various socio-cultural input (as previously mentioned) that could be described as emotional based, and also psychological processes(discussed later)involved when actually making the decision. Looking at figure 1 the first stage of the decision process is the ‘need  recognition’, this is where the consumer realises a need for something. This could come from perhaps running out of something and needing more, or receiving information on a product from an external source that leads them to want it. This would logically then lead the consumer to the second part of the process ‘the pre-purchase search’, this is the point where the consumer begins to process the thought of what product may satisfy their need, they may base their ideas on previous experience and memories (psychological factors), or may opt to s earch for useful information to help in their decision (basic internet search). At this point the consumer is drawing up information from external sources and at the same time has psychological factors influencing their decision. i.e.Consumer’smotivation, perception, learning, personality and attitudes. Solomon (2006) addresses the fact to how much actual searching takes place, stating that younger, better educated people will spend more time searching/fact finding before making a decision in comparison to an older person, who has less available channels to search. He also says that women are more inclined to research products. A generalisation that is worth keeping in mind from a marketer’s perspective as based on this theory it would be logical to focus marketing efforts at these for a more effective result. For example it would not be cost-efficient for a business to waste money trying to advertise a product to a social group that tends to have limited internet access, i.e. older people. The third stage of the process ‘the evaluation of alternatives’ is probably the longest part of the decision making process in terms of time as the consumer has multiple factors to consider. At this point the consumer, given previous knowledge built up in the previous stage, now has to filter from the potentially hundreds of available possibilities. Perhaps using basic cost v benefits and perceived risk of alternatives, or even more complicated cognitive processes requiring more effort. The considered sets of choices are known as the ‘evoked set’ The fourth stage enters the output area of the decision making process, this is where the consumer has made a decision and makes the purchase from the set of possibilities acknowledged in the ‘evoked set’, this would be classed as a ‘trial purchase’ as the consumer has not previously tested the product. The other type of purchase would be the ‘repeat purchase’ in which the consumer skips steps of the process because they already have a want for the product due to already  using it and needing more (brand loyalty). Once purchased the next and final stage of the process would be ‘the post purchase evaluation’, consumers now evaluate their purchase decision, deciding whether they are totally happy with the product, or perhaps would have preferred one of the alternatives. At this point it is vital for the marketers to make sure the consumers feels they made the right decision in choosing their product, as next time they will take their business elsewhere. Psychological factors The psychological factors in the human psyche that influence the input stage of the model are key tools that a marketer can use to utilise their relationship with the consumer. A good understanding of each can help the marketer focus efforts based around the consumer’s way of thinking. Consumer Personality – this is what separates humans and reflects individual differences, personality is always consistent and enduring. Sigmund Freud famously split the complex subject into three interacting parts, ID, Superego and Ego. The ID being your basic needs (hunger, thirst and sex). Superego being the way the people act out their primitive needs in a socially acceptable manner (restraining impulsive ID feelings). Lastly the Ego is the consumer’s conscious ability to control the demands and constraints of the previous two. Freud believed that an individual’s successfulness in tackling each stage will in turn reflect personality. For example a person can be fixated in later life through a dissatisfaction of needs in development stages in early life. i.e. if a child does not feel loved when developing it could leave them striving to feel it in later life, or perhaps opposing this lead them to not seek love due to not experiencing it (a defining characteristic in any personality). From a marketers opinion a person could be easily manipulated in later life due to decisions they have made in earlier stages. Consumer Perception – â€Å"†¦the active psychological process in which stimuli are selected and organised into meaningful patterns†, (Buchanan, 1991). Perception is how humans interpret information they make pick up through sensations like sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch, and then respond to accordingly to create a perception. For example from the marketer’s perspective, it is crucial that the perception of their product or service to the consumer is good i.e. effective stimul i,  as if the consumer gains a bad perception of a good they will not wish to purchase. Marketers can seek to improve brand perception through trials i.e. if consumer enjoys the product they will re-purchase based on previous experience. This would be one example of assisting a consumer in a purchase. Consumer Learning – refers to a human’s capacity to pick up knowledge, through information or experience on a product, directly or indirectly i.e. a consumer does not have to have tried a product to have a perceived familiarity with it, they may know somebody who has a familiarity and has told them about it, given them enough of an understanding to either like or dislike it. The general idea that when a product is completely unknown to the consumer that the quality of it is reflected in price. Consumer Attitudes – An attitude in marketing terms is defined as a general evaluation of a product or service formed over time (Solomon, 2008). An attitude satisfies a personal motive—and at the same time, affects the shopping and buying habits of consumers. Dr. Lars Perner (2010) (Understanding Consumer Attitudes, 2010). For the marketers it is up to them to understand why certain attitudes exist and either work with them or seek to change them. Consumer Motivation – defined by Schiffman and Kanuk (2010) as being ‘the driving force within individuals that impels them to action’. It could be referred to as the processes that cause people to behave as they do, from a psychological need to how they seek to satisfy it. Marketers can use identified motives to develop a better marketing mix giving them a better targeted marketing strategy. The role of motivation Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Dr Abraham Maslow formulated this hierarchy of needs as a theory behind how human motivation works, a theory now widely accepted. Similarly to Freudian beliefs (the ID) that basic physiological needs have to be fulfilled in order to reach higher satisfaction. i.e. food, water, air, shelter and sex. Generally these needs are satisfied by the majority (unless homeless, then these would be entire needs). Once satisfied the next stage would lead to safety needs not only physical safety but also safety in terms of finance, stability, education etc. Once an individual believes the previous needs are  met they then consider social needs. These needs include love, affection and acceptance, all of which are socially desired by everyone as we are motivated to find good relationships. Once these needs are generally met, the ego needs of human nature come into play. The ego needs can be of two types, inward directed i.e. self-esteem, success, personal satisfaction, or outwardly directed ego ne eds such as prestige, status and reputation. The ultimate need is for humans to reach self-fulfilment, to become the best of their potential (according to Maslow this need is rarely satisfied because generally ego needs are not fully satisfied) Alderfer (1972) describes there being two types of needs, a basic need (innate), innate needs being the basic level of needs relating to survival i.e. hunger, thirst and sex, and also Acquired needs which are picked up in life as a response to the environment and cultures. A theory echoed by Freud and also Maslow. Although Alderfer revised the latter stages of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs by realising some of the middle stages overlap, confusion of these needs could lead a marketer to appeal to the wrong type of consumer. So Alderfer changed Maslow’s five stage process into a more simple three stage one, which is similar in the fact it represents levels of needs (pyramid). Although Alderfer’s model states that humans may be motivated by more than one need and non-reliant of satisfaction of each need for progression i.e. an artist who may place growth needs above existence. An article by Mark Rodgers called ‘Challenging Maslow’ refers to the period of time in which Maslow has created this theory on motivation, stating that given the time in which it was created would not depict modern views to human motivation. Rodgers believes that Maslow produced his theory in a time when his home country had just emerged from a world war and out of the greatest depression of the 20th century, needs at this time would be lower as in physiological and safety. Whereas nowadays with more than 50 years of economic growth, the average person enjoys a more stable lifestyle and allows them to have higher focused needs such as egoistic and self-actualization. (Rodgers, 2004) How marketers can apply understanding of these processes and motivation to assist consumers in purchasing decisions Developing on what has been previously touched upon it would be a fair  judgement to say that marketers have the ability to manipulate consumers entirely. Once they have understood consumers’ needs and wants they can use them again when producing a marketing plan to reposition a product or perhaps launch another. Using theories such as Maslow’s, marketers can advertise to specific motivational needs, using powerful marketing tools such as advertising. Advertisements are cues used to arouse needs, marketers therefore creates ads to aid consumer choices. Advertising techniques can attract attention by appealing to needs (innate) or perhaps having such an image to create a new need or desire (acquired). They can advertise a product to directly stimulate levels of motivation i.e. Maslow’s self-fulfilment or Freud’s super ego through making a product seem visually emphasised as a certain amount of perfection which would satisfy top level needs. Physiological arousal can be used to stimulate consumers most basic needs, for example a visually ‘sexy’ advertisement would attract the attention of most adults, or perhaps an advertisement of a new burger at a fast food chain would focus to basic biogenic hunger needs. Cleverly marketed an advert can appeal to multiple needs, making a product seem vital for a consumer to own as it is seen as satisfying many needs, creating a strong chance of consumers purchasing this product. Looking into an emotional arousal view of marketing it can be seen that a lot of charity based organisations use emotional advertising to trigger a sad response from the audience. For example an advert seeking to create an awareness and revenue for starving children of third world countries would seek to discomfort the viewer by highlighting their struggle to find satisfaction of their biological needs and contrast this with our perhaps unnecessary ego and self-fulfilment needs. This in turn triggers an emotional response, and perhaps self-disappointment which would lead the individual to donate sympathetically. Conclusion To conclude, there has been a build-up of various consumer decision based theory and framework in this report that helps give an understanding to how the processes work, leading into motivation and various theory and models behind them. The theory can be applied directly when producing a marketing mix or segmenting the market, as it offers a clear insight into how the  human mind operates when considering purchase decisions. Another key aspect of marketing, by gaining an understanding of the consumers wants and needs before creating a product and marketing campaign that could ultimately fail and cause substantial losses financially. Marketers nowadays have to be at the top of their game due to flooded markets with similar products they have to be able to communicate the benefits of their product to the consumer and how it may differentiate from competitors. Marketers have the ability to create a want for a product that would not previously have been desired and therefore have the ability to manipulate people’s needs throughout their lifetimes through this incredibly strong tool and the added benefit of ease of distribution channels of information through advancements in modern day technology.

Dv Table of Maestro

Setting Idea/s – Conveys the impression that Darwin is a place where people who don’t fit in come together| Topic sentence/s – the distinctively visual setting in Maestro assists in representing/capturing the identity of Darwin of the 1960’s. | Evidence| Techniques| Effect| After a difficult days work at the hospital not long after arriving in Darwin, Paul’s father remarks rather irately that â€Å"All the drifters†, the misfits†, â€Å"All the scum in the country has somehow risen to this one town† (p. )| Metaphors, adjectives| Irritation is emitted by the use of metaphors and adjectives. | Paul’s initial observations of Darwin as he moved there is that â€Å"I loved the town of booze and blow at first sight. And above all its smell: those hot, steamy perfumes that wrapped about me as we stepped off the plane†¦ Moist, compost air. Sweet? and? sour air†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 9)| Metaphors, oxymoron, adjectives, alliterati on, imagery| | As Paul got used to the surrounding of Darwin, he describes that â€Å"Everything grew larger than life in the steamy hothouse of Darwin, and the people were no exception. (p. 11) | Metaphors, descriptive language| | Paul explains the people in Darwin that â€Å"They sought forgetfulness, not remembrance†¦A town populated by men who had run as far as they could flee. † (p. 17)| Descriptive language, similes, metaphors| | Characters Idea/s – the protagonist, Paul, shows his immaturity through is behaviour | Topic sentence/s –the immaturity of some characters can be shown through the distinctively visual techniques used. | Evidence/quotes| Techniques| Effect| I was child enough – self centred enough – to think it likely. (p. ) (Paul reminisces about his thoughts on Keller when he was fifteen) | | | Apart from the piano they had little in common. When I think of my parents, I see only polarities. (p. 15)(Paul’s views of his parents)| | | I performed†¦basking in an older, more adult acceptance that should have more than compensated for my own age group’s rejection. (p. 29)| | | I redoubled my efforts to defy the theory of limits and approach ever more closely – and finally grasp – the ideal I was sure he felt me incapable of reaching. (p. 32)(Paul’s urge to prove Keller wrong)| | | One voice was always missing from the chorus of praise: my teacher’s. p. 35)| | | I felt strangely empty, deflated. Nothing worthwhile was ever achieved so easily, a small voice – perhaps my father’s, perhaps Keller’s – nagged deeply inside. (P. 91)| | | Idea/s – Keller’s advices that he is giving to Paul to help try to make him grow| Topic Sentence/s – | Evidence/quotes| Techniques| Effect| You are spoilt†¦First you must learn to listen. (P. 12)| | | You must know when to move on. To search too long for perfection can also paralyse . (P. 31)| | | Perhaps there can be no perfection. Only levels of imperfection. (p. 31) (Keller’s advice to Paul signalling that there is no such thing as being perfect. | | | I suspected I was glimpsing some part of him that had long been repressed: some frivolous, joyous core that hardship, childhood tragedy and the War had buried inside him too long. (P. 42)| | | The forgery must have taken many times longer than the original†¦It was technically better†¦And yet something was missing. Not much – but something. (p. 46) (One of Keller’s sayings, but said in a manner of little regard to everyone else around him. )| | | Events Idea/s – | Topic sentence/s – | Evidence/quotes| Techniques| Effect| I felt strangely empty, deflated.Nothing worthwhile was ever achieved so easily, a small voice – perhaps my father’s, perhaps Keller’s – nagged deeply inside. (p. 91) (Paul’s emotions after he had won the music comp etition with his band. )| | | Only now can I recognize the scene for what it was: a confessional, a privilege that I, through selfishness and sensual addiction, failed to accept. (P. 117)| | | Honourable mention became the story of my life, no matter how much I practiced. I had found my level†¦ (p. 128)| | | Soon I would be flying back to the South: to the woman and child that I loved, within the confines of a life that I hated. (P. 149)| | |

Law question Essay

Ali had an antique motorbike which he decided to sell. He parked the motorbike on his front lawn with a sign † For sale- RM20,000†³. Ah Chong, who saw the sign, said to Ali that he would be prepared to buy the motorbike for RM15,000. Ali replied that the price is too low and suggested RM18,000. Ah Chong responded by asking if Ali would be prepared to accept payment of the RM18,000 in three monthly instalments of RM6,000 each. Ali replied that he would not. Ali then added,† Anyway I am no longer interested in selling the motorbike to you. † At that precise moment Ali spoke these words, a helicopter flew low overhead and drowned out his words. Ali did not bother to repeat what he had just said and was leaving when Ah Chong quickly agreed to the RM18,000 suggested earlier by Ali. Discuss whether there is a contract between Ali and Ah Chong. Explain whether your answer would be different if the helicopter flying overhead had not drowned out Ali’s words and Ah Chong heard what was said? Assignment Answer In this assignment, I would like to discuss the question above part by part. First of all, from the sentence ,† He parked the motorbike on his front lawn with a sign † For sale- RM20,000†³,† it is said that there was an invitation to trade. Invitation to treat or simply speaking information to bargain means a person inviting others to make an offer in order to create a binding contract. An example of invitation to treat is found in window shop displays and product advertisement. . In another words it is a special expression showing a person’s willingness to negotiate. The issue of invitation to treat was discussed in the case of Fisher v Bell[1961] 1 QB 394 by the English Court of Appeal : â€Å"It is perfectly clear that according to the ordinary law of contract the display of an article with a price on it in a shop window is merely an invitation to treat. It is in no sense an offer for sale the acceptance of which constitutes a contract. †[1]. An offer can be seen from the prescribed text, â€Å"Ah Chong, who saw the sign, said to Ali that he would be prepared to buy the motorbike for RM15,000. † It is stated in Section 2(a) Contracts Act 1950,† when one person signifies to another his willingness to do or abstain from doing anything, with a view to obtaining the assent of that other to the act or abstinence, he is said to make a proposal. † and Section 2(b) Contracts Act 1950,†when the person to whom the proposal is made signifies his assent thereto, the proposal is said to be accepted :a proposal, when accepted, becomes a promise. † . Both laws were applied when Ah Chong has shown his willingness to make an offer as he would be â€Å"PREPARED† to buy the motorbike for RM15,000. However, a counter offer was made by Ali when instead of accepting or rejecting Ah Chong’s offer, Ali made another offer:† Ali replied that the price is too low and suggested RM18,000†³. Ali’s offer refers to a counter offer. In this situation unless an acceptance is rendered, there is no binding contract between A and B. This situation is stated in Section 6(c) Contracts Act 1950-† by the failure of the acceptor to fulfill a condition precedent to acceptance†. There was famous case known as [2]Hyde v. Wrench, [1840] EWHC Ch J90 where Wrench (D) offered to sell his estate to Hyde for 1200 pounds and Hyde (P) declined. Wrench then made a final offer to sell the farm for 1000 pounds. Hyde in turn offered to purchase the property for 950 pounds and Wrench replied that he would consider the offer and give an answer within approximately two weeks. Wrench ultimately rejected the offer and the plaintiff immediately replied that he accepted Wrench’s earlier offer to sell the real estate for 1000 pounds. Wrench refused and Hyde sued for breach of contract and sought specific performance, contending that Wench’s offer had not been withdrawn prior to acceptance. The question or issue here is if one party makes an offer and the offeree makes a counteroffer, does the original offer remain open? Answer is No because a counteroffer negates the original offer. By making a counteroffer, the plaintiff rejected the original offer and he was not entitled to revive it. So in another words, the parties did not form a binding contract. Then we proceed to the next part where Ah Chong made a mere enquiry to Ali by asking if Ali would be prepared to accept payment of thr RM18,000 in three monthly instalments of RM6,000 each. Then, Ali replied that he would not. On top of that, Ali added that he is no longer interested in selling the motorbike to Ah Chong. Section 5(1) Contract Acts 1950 – A proposal may be revoked at any time before the communication of its acceptance is complete as against the proposer, but not afterwards. This particular case [3][3]ROUTLEDGE V GRANT (1828) 4 BING 653 is another example of revocation of an offer : Grant wrote to Routledge offering to purchase the lease of his house. The offer was to remain open for six weeks. Grant then changed his mind about purchasing the lease and, within the six weeks, withdrew his offer. After Routledge had received Grant’s letter withdrawing the offer, he wrote back to Grant, within the six weeks, accepting Grant’s offer. The issue before the court was whether Grant could withdraw his offer within the six week period or whether he was bound contractually given that Routledge had accepted the offer within the timescale. The court held the offer could be withdrawn within the six week period without incurring any liability – if one party has six weeks to accept an offer, the other has six weeks to put an end to it. One party cannot be bound without the other. The case and scenario above convey an useful reminder that until such time as an offer is accepted, the offeror is free to revoke it, even if they have given the recipient a period of time to consider it. When Ali spoke :† I am no longer interested in selling the motorbike to you. † a helicopter flew and drowned his words. And yet, Ali did not bother to repeat what he just said and was leaving when Ah Chong quickly agreed to the RM18,000 suggested earlier by Ali. In this particular moment, Ali rejected Ah Chong’s offer but according to Section 6(a) Contracts Act 1950-† by the communication of notice of revocation by the proposer to the other party†. It states that revocation os not effective until it is received, communicated. In fact, Ali himself reluctant to repeat what he said which is very important and vital in that situation. Here is one similar case, [4]Byrne v Van Tienhoven (1880) LR 5 CPD 344. In this case, Van Tienhoven offered to sell goods to Byrne by letter dated 1 October. On 8 October, prior to acceptance, Van Tienhoven posted a letter revoking the offer. This letter was received by Byrne on 20 October. In the meantime, on 11 October Byrne received the letter and dispatched an acceptance. Was there a contract? To be effective revocation must be communicated. Where post is used for acceptance, acceptance occurs when and where sent. However, this rule does not apply in relation to revocation of offers – thus, if post is used for revocation, communication is only effective if and when it is received by the offeree. As this occurred after acceptance there was a contract formed in this case. An offer was containing a price escalation clause. A counter offer was then made without this clause; it contained a detachable receipt which the company sent back with a notation that they assumed it was on their terms. Thus, the intended message was failed to be received by Ah Chong, the offer has not been revocated. There is a contract between Ali and Ah Chong in this scenario. Section 6(a) Contracts Act 1950 obviously stated revocation must be actually communicated to the offeree before the offer can be treated as effectively revoked. Besides, Section 4(1) Contracts Act 1950-† The communication of a proposal is complete when it comes to the knowledge of the person to whom it is made†. Importance of conveying message has been shown when either offering or revocating an offer. On the other hand, if the helicopter flying overhead had not drowned out Ali’s words and Ah Chong heard what was said, outcomes definitely would be different. As was mentioned earlier, if the intended message was communicated or received by Ah Chong, revocation of the offer will succeed. In conclusion, communication is very crucial when conducting contracts or offerings as the outcomes and consequences can differ easily.

The influence of napoleon on the haitian revolution Research Paper

The influence of napoleon on the haitian revolution - Research Paper Example Haiti became self governed directly from French colony. Back at the time of the revolution, Haiti was called Saint-Domingue, a French colony. Different colonies across the world, such as the islands of Saint Kitts, Guadeloupe, Marbados, and Jamaica rebelled slavery but the only revolt on Saint-Domingue succeeded in 1791. The Saint-Domingue slaves fought a lot to end slavery (Garraway 79). It consisted of 50,000 slaves , 28,000 blacks (which were both mullatos and blacks ) and 32,000 whites. Blacks who were said to be free had the ownership of one-third of the property which is the plantation, and one-quarter of the Saint Domingue slaves. However they could not practice a couple of professions for example medicine. Alongside with that it is one of the most successful revolution to achieve permanent independence . Napoleon was a French and political leader. He served as the Emperor of French from 1804 – 1815. After L’Overture defeated French forces for the first time, Nap oleon got his troops back to Saint-Domingue by 1803 to reclaim slavery and colonialism secretly though his plans hardly succeeded In the year 1804 the slaves ended the slavery. It is well known that the rebellion was influenced by the 1789 French revolution which presented human rights concept , citizenship , and government participation. By the 18th century, Saint Dominigue also known as the Haiti was became one of the wealthiest colonies due to its large production of coffee, cotton, indigo and sugar cane. Planters were extremely frustrated by the French because they were forbidden to trade with other nations. The French introduced sugar cane irrigation systems and by the year 1740 Santa-Domingue together with Jamaica were worlds sugar producers. The revolution emerged a period of high slave trade at Trans Atlantic (Geggus 71). Africans and the white colonialist frequently had conflicts owing from the slaves who tried to escape. However , a few of the runaway slaves lived in the w oods to escape the control. They survived by conducting raids and violence on the coffee and sugar plantation islands. Runaway slaves were called maroons therefore an effective maroon leader emerged in the year 1751 to 1757 known as Erancois Mackandal, his main role that he played was unifying the blacks resistance. By drawing the African tradition together with religion, he inspired his people. In the year 1758, the French captured Mackandal. After his death the maroons were more persistent in raids and violence. Some of the rebellion leaders that followed after Mackandol include Cristophe, Toussaint, Baukman, Biassou, Jeannot, Dessalines and Francois. The leaders helped the people to a complete success. Moreover, revolutionary movements emerged. After emerging a successful revolt in history, Napoleon Bonarte established a large expeditory force that was made of French soldiers and warships. The force was led by his brother –in-law called Charles Leclerc, in order to restore the French rule. During Napoleon Bonapartes reign he sent one of the largest colonial venture to run. The Napoleons main goal was to remove the Toussaint revolution from office. Moreover he wanted slavery restored. Within a period of two years the Haiti declared its independence and the remnants of Bonaparte ‘s who were once proud were evacuated. Christopher Columbus in 1492 discovered the island of Hispaniola, which at that time was known

THE TACTICS OF MAYA FARMERS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THE TACTICS OF MAYA FARMERS - Essay Example The classic Maya civilization flourished in the southern low lands of Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras between the last four centuries before Christ and AD 900. Despite the conditions of prolonged dry spells caused by draught, constant brushfires that devastated the earth, and erratic rain patterns that wreaked havoc on agriculture, the Maya community’s survival for such a long period of time could be attributed to their farming tactics. The hot and humid conditions of the low lands, with no possibility for irrigation, posed the primary challenge to the Mayan existence as a farming community, but they seemed to have adapted to these adverse conditions by their innovative tactics. They moved to the dense forest area that mantled the southern lowlands, cleared the primordial forest and utilized it for agriculture. In order to overcome the infertility of their homeland, they adopted the slash-and-burn cultivation by cleaning the brush and trees, and burning them. This helped them to put to use even the barren lands. However, this had a shortcoming that the fertility would last for only about two years or so. The Mayans were again imaginative here by migrating to fresher meadows where they cultivated, and returned after several years to utilize the same land they earlier abandoned. Maintaining this process as a cycle, they were able to use a wider area of land. Thus they were able to circumvent, albeit temporarily, the c hallenges of nature.

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Personal Statement Example It was this act of witnessing people around me falling into financial troubles leading to depravation of their happiness that I knew I should head towards a direction that would bring smiles back on their faces and improve the entire trade by ensuring fair and realistic mechanisms are in place. I followed my dream and landed in Durham University where I am currently in my third year of study, pursuing a BSc course in Accounting and Finance, and the experience has been eye opening. I have already learned to adapt to new situations since the setting was very different from my familiar Chinese background and I have learned to appreciate and value the differences in all cultures. The current situation is very promising and I can envision my self achieving what my young ambitious self was aiming to achieve since I have aligned all available choices to finance-preferred, both academically and practically. Experience is undoubtedly the best teacher that is why I ensure that each and every holiday since the summer of 2012 I have found my way back home to partake in my internships at my father’s financial company located in Shenzhen, Mainland China. I have worked in both the trading and investment advisory departments where I have always had the privilege to meet senior executives of the leading and most competitive institutions in China. This interaction has broadened my mind in terms of ideologies as we share our thoughts and views increasing my knowledge and logical thinking capabilities to avoid trouble before it brews and to seek financial facts in each situation. Generally, I have attained valuable field experiences such as valid trading techniques including how to perceive the variation of specific markets or stocks. I have so far grasped the full knowledge of trading large amounts of property without affecting share prices

Understanding The Relationship Between Organisational Structure and Assignment

Understanding The Relationship Between Organisational Structure and Culture - Assignment Example Organizational structure can be seen as the method in which interconnected groups and organizations are set up in order to permit them to function effortlessly from a larger standpoint. Two major purposes of a successful structure are to guarantee effective communication among different parts of the company and increase coordination among different departments. In practice, of course, it is impossible to separate structure and culture of an organization. So while we create organizational structure that spells out the positions to be filled by members of an organization. It is mostly culture that defines the roles that go with these positions and the kinds of people who will fill them. In a practical sense, it is difficult to differentiate structure and culture. â€Å"So while we create organizational structure that spells out the positions to be filled by members of an organization, it’s mostly culture that defines the roles that go with those positions and the kinds of peopl e who will fill them† (GTP Organizer Training 2007). 2. Explain how the relationship between an organization’s structure and culture can   impact the performance of the business. The relationship between organizational culture and organizational structure plays an important role in creating an impact on the performance of business. The culture of management and the employees, situations, events, substance, information, processes and such elements are necessary for organizational decisions and movement. In addition, power, task and responsibility of the employees also influence the performance of a business. The management fixes a structure for the business, which involves culture as a... Understanding The Relationship Between Organisational Structure and Culture Presently there is a lot of  information and data available on the culture of organizations. Organizational structure and organizational culture are closely intertwined with one another. It is also the point of view through which people see their organization and its atmosphere. Organizational culture is more of a bigger picture, a more universal term that refers to a big umbrella of smaller issues and topics in an organization. The organizational structure denotes to the infrastructure of the organization and the numerous practices and methods involved in that infrastructure. This organizational structure assists an organizational culture run with reliability and efficiency, which is be the trademark of a healthy organizational structure. It is seen in a sports team, corporation,  or any other group that is large enough to generate its own organizational culture. This makes the organization structure an integral component of the organizational culture of the organization, but al so narrows out a very particular section of the culture as its own duty and responsibility. In terms of work behavior, an individual is expected to be provided with employment when the organization recognizes and understands the values he or she is concerned about. The values of a firm are often portrayed in the mission and vision statements of the company, which an aspect of the planning function.

Green washing - distinguish reality from fiction. When green claims Essay

Green washing - distinguish reality from fiction. When green claims are ungustified - Essay Example Firms Name their products and use labels to show their origination or association from a natural resource. However, companies damage climate, land, water and other natural irreplaceable resources in the process of gaining material benefit and shielding it with the green sheen. Green washing is also used in political circles to gain material benefits and earn support in matters, which are otherwise debatable (Foley et al 337) Companies proclaim the environmental and user care approach, which one they prioritize? The benefit of environment (being green), consumer or their own? Their actions lead to a concrete answer, definitely only their own. Firms use green washing business tactic to avoid negative publicity on being ignorant in the matters of health and safety. Typically, companies avoid relating to the news of pollution contributor, toxic agents used in products or reproduced as waste, fallacy of consumer and employee rights, large amount of usage of natural resources in the production process, recycling and lack of efficiency of their products. Using language which denotes association to nature and develops a positive perception, therefore, companies use organic, bio, green and natural terms in naming their products only to increase sale. A recent survey shows the efficiency of green washing in making a firm’s reputation superior; regardless of their poor contribution towards environment safet y (Cho et al 68). Companies print labels which denote their association with environmental safety campaigns and show the respect for life on Earth. More than 300 labels represent the caring approach of the firm, that has adapted the environmental changes required towards ecological and consumer benefit. But not all the labels printed on the products are authorized or need a license to be printed. Thus, the absence of standards of sustainability has contributed in the duplicity of the firms. These

Korean War Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Korean War - Annotated Bibliography Example As a result, the Korean Peninsula was divided into half along the 38th parallel. The Russians occupied area north of the line, while the United States of America occupied the south. In this book, the tensions and the political environments leading up to the war are described in detail. Both the North and the South were under dictatorial rule. In the South, there was the anti-communist dictator Syngman Rhee, while in the North, there was the communist dictator Kim Il Sung. It is observed that neither of the dictators was content to remain on his side of the 38th parallel and border disputes were rampant as a result. The connection of this invasion of the South by the North and the rising conflict thereof and the ongoing cold war is given in this piece. The war is said to have come as a surprise to the U.S. who considered it malicious and more than a mere border dispute. To them, nonintervention in the dispute was never on the table as they regarded it as a deliberate offensive in a communist campaign to take over the world. The Gays give more in-depth analysis of the situation between the United States and Russia particularly, prior to this war and the inevitability of these two nations’ role in the dispute. The warring nations are differently backed by two quarreling nations and so, when one invades the other, there is bound to be suspicion of a wider play. The stands taken by America and the Soviet Union are discussed in greater details. In April 1950, a National Security Council report known as the NSC-68 recommends the US to use military force to counter communist expansion anywhere it was perceived to be occurring. As a result, then US President Harry Truman is quoted as saying that if they let Korea down, the Soviets will keep on going and swallowing up one place after another. Lee talks about the difficulties and the armies of the war. North Korean army is seen as

Islamic Banking and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Islamic Banking and Finance - Essay Example The essay "Islamic Banking and Finance" talks about the structure and concepts of Islamic banking and financial systems. The Islamic financial system guarantees that the formulation of capital would take place at a desirable rate and because it would be utilized efficiently there would be sustainable economic expansion along with everyone receiving equal advantages. It was about four decades back that Islamic banking and finance discipline came up. There was an awareness of the abstract expansions of Islamic banking back then during the late 1940s. By the next twenty years, they increased such that there was a model developed which the Middle Eastern nations adopted in order to meet the requirements of their kinds of banks. Several of such Islamic banks came up by the 1970s and they had a good enough reputation. By the beginning of the 1980s the Islamic banking industry was already emerging and at that time three Muslim nations (Iran, Pakistan, and Sudan) made a decision of transforming their system of economics and finance to Islamic. Following this, there was an establishment of individual Islamic windows and subsidiaries by the financial market players of the West. In the recent times, there are many people who have been thinking since the last few years that Islamic finance and the banking systems are similar to the conventional banking systems. In many cases, it has been said that the similarity is being generated so as to make the Islamic rules in the banking and the economics look much more diluted. As in many cases it has been found that the term Islamic banking or the Islamic finance has been one of the misleading terms when the many similarities between the Islamic and the conventional banking is taken into account. This paper shall thereby make an attempt to remove the misleading meanings that in many cases has been blurring the true image of the Islamic banking in the world. Islamic banking has many differences as compared to the conventional banking and here the differences shall be highlighted. An important role is being played by the Shariah advisers as these are the one who have the responsibility to take the responsibilities of all the laws and the rules being followed in the Islamic bankin

Alcoholic Anonymous Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic Anonymous Essay What I learned from Alcoholic Anonymous is that AA is meant for people who promise that they will never drink again and they drink again anyways. Its singleness purpose identifies that alcoholics work best with other alcoholics and the only difference from the twelve step fellowships out there is the first part of the first step and the middle part of the twelfth step. What I am powerless over and who we carry the message too? Many alcoholics in AA raise their hands introducing themselves as alcoholics, but never knew what it meant. In the Speakers meeting the groups felt really connected with the speaker, and gave him their full-undivided attention. The groups focused solely on the speaker and no one else, it was mainly white, black, and Hispanic men and women of all different ages starting from their early twenties up to their mid fifties. Around thirty people attended on October 21st at eight o’clock. The meeting was very humorous the speaker knew how to relate to the AA members by bringing his personal life experiences with alcohol to distribute his indication on the importance of sobriety. The speaker knew how to make the environment funny, happy, and outgoing. The speaker often referred to the Big Book specifying the hopeless condition and mind of the body. The first step is understanding the problem, the solution, and the program of action to bring back the solution. The main reason the speaker joined AA was because he could not imagine not drinking at all. The Big Book states that unless identification takes place then little or nothing can be accomplished. For the speaker the first step is the key in following through all the other steps. The question the speaker raised was what does it mean to be an alcoholic? He mentioned that one happens when he drinks it and the other happens when he does not drink it. Other than that he had a pretty good way of handling alcohol. The speaker always knew when to state his jokes. He described alcoholism as a physical allergy coupled with a mental obsession. The phenomenon the he craves when he wants a drink never occurs in the average drinker. This triggered a phenomenon craving to desire alcohol. An allergy meant that it was an abnormal physical reaction and the manifestation always showed up. The body of an alcoholic is quite abnormal as its mind. He got to AA not knowing how to explain his behaviors, and why he kept promising that he was not going to drink anymore and does it again repeatedly. The speaker always stated that he never knew the reason why he did it, his only reason was that he just did. Alcohol triggered a craving bigger than him that he couldn’t overcome. Men and women drink because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation was so illusive for him that the quantities and qualities started to move around. The sensation he received from alcohol was so strong that he could not differentiate the truth from the false. Today looked a whole lot like yesterday and yesterday looked a whole lot like last week and it seemed that he was doing just enough to get by. The speaker viewed his alcoholic life as the only normal one. His observations to the way he reacts to alcohol wouldn’t mean him anything if he didn’t take the first drink. The alcohol craving is in his mind rather than in his body. His physical allergy to alcohol is not his biggest problem his biggest problem is that he gets restless, irritable, and discontented. All his problem happen to him when he is sober, and his main problem was that he could not stop starting because his problems will not go away when he stops drinking. He couldn’t choose whether he was going to drink or not. He related to the audience that he loved pawned shops because it was a pure equation to him. He could walk in with a deer rifle and walk out with the money. He never had a pawnbroker ask him what is he going to do with the money. His only problem was that he did not own a lot of stuff so he had to pawn things that did not belong to him. This created hard feelings around his family. He was poorly treated as a child that he finally ran away at the age of 47, and never went back. I learned that alcoholics make awesome plans but their plans work right up to where they don’t work anymore. The speaker tried to pull some kind of scam that would get everything out of the pawnshop. He pulled an insurance scam and had enough money to get everything out but had to stop for one drink and he was blackout for five days and only remembers 30 seconds of it. He lost the power of choice and control. His life was becoming unmanageable and his first step was to admit he could not manage drinking.

Native Americans- Minority Role Essay Example for Free

Native Americans- Minority Role Essay Power and Minority Group Position: The Case of Native Americans Majority/Minority group relations can be illustrated by studying the role of power and how it is distributed between groups. The majority, or group that wields the most power, directly affects the circumstances for the minority. In most cases power struggle leads to racial and ethnic inequality. This scenario describes the case of the Native Americans. Since the arrival of the Europeans in 1492 the Native American has systematically been dehumanized, decivilized and redefined into terms that typify a subordinate or minority role, restricted life opportunities persist today as a result (Farley, 2000). When European settlers arrived on American shores to settle a New World, around 7 million Native Americans had been settled in the wilderness north of present-day Mexico for some time. It is believed that the first Native Americans arrived during the last Ice Age, approximately 20,000 30,000 years ago, by crossing the Bering Strait from northeastern Siberia into Alaska. Over thousands of years, spiritual kin-based communities had survived by living off the land and bartering goods. Their diversity was reflected by their societies, which ranged from small, mobile bands of hunter-gatherers in the Great Basin to temple-mound builders in the Southeast (DiBacco, 1995). The encounter of early explorers with the people of the Americas would ultimately set in motion the destruction of long existing Native American life and culture. Engrained into the minds of the Europeans were prejudiced images and stereotypes of the Native Americans, which we struggle still today to eradicate. From the 1490s to the 1590s, Europeans pushed inward across America from both coasts. Encounters with these settlers attracted many Native Americans toward European goods, but their attitudes toward the newcomers themselves depended greatly on previous experiences (Farley, 2000). In most cases, the early explorers found the Native American peoples to be friendly and generous. Columbus was immediately struck by the peaceful, generous nature of the Taino. The Taino society was highly organized around a patriarchal hierarchy and distinguished by happiness and friendliness. Columbus frankly stated how surprised he had been to make friends with the Indians. He wrote, They are gentle and comely people. They are so naive and free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would never believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone They willingly traded everything they owned (DiBacco, 1995) When the Europeans settlers started to arrive in the 16th- and 17th-centurys they too were met by Native Americans. The Natives regarded their white-complexioned visitors as something of a marvel, not only for their outlandish dress and beards and winged ships, but even more for their wonderful technology steel knives and swords, fire-belching arquebus and cannons, mirrors, hawkbells and earrings, copper and brass kettles, etc. (Jordan, 1991). Increased interaction led to the Indians becoming less self-sufficient and economically dependent on the whites. As the years went on, however, the natives began to realize that the Europeans had much more in mind than a few settlements. They began to realize that their entire way of life was under siege. By the time the truth occurred to them, however, it was probably already too late. Their bows and arrows were no match for the Europeans firearms, and their bodies could not defend against the foreign diseases (DiBacco, 1995). As the encroachment of settlers on Indian lands continued, so did the inevitable conflicts. To the Indians, the arriving Europeans seemed attuned to another world; they appeared oblivious to the rhythms and spirits of nature (Jordan, 1991). Nature to the Europeans was something of an obstacle, even an enemy, and these disrespectful attitudes were quite apparent to the Indians. The wilderness was also a commodity however: a forest was so many board feet of timber, a beaver colony so many pelts, a herd of buffalo so many hides (Jordan, 1991). The Europeans cultural arrogance and ethnocentrism, and their materialistic view of the land and its inhabitants were repulsive to the Indians. Europeans, overall, were regarded as something mechanical soulless creatures wielding diabolically ingenious tools and weapons to accomplish selfish ends (Jordan, 1991). Initial European impressions of the Native American population were formed by the descriptions of Columbus and other explorers. Although Columbus initially praised the Taino, crediting them with a very acute intelligence , he also provided an unfavorable view of Native Americans when he discussed the Carib Indians, who were said to be very fierce cannibals. This description set the stage for the long-enduring image of the hostile, savage Indian (Berkhofer, 1978). Another New World explorer, Amerigo Vespucci further established this imagery in his writings about the natives stating, The nations wage war upon one another without art or order. The elders by means of certain harangues of theirs bend the youths to their will and inflame them to wars in which they cruelly kill one another, and those whom they bring home captives from war they preserve, not to spare their lives, but that they may be slain for food; for they eat one another, the victors the vanquished, and among other kinds of meat human flesh is a common article of diet with them. Nay be the more assured of this fact because the father has already been seen to eat children and wife (Burkhofer, 1978). The recently developed printing press rapidly dispersed such images through both print and picture, and these representations became firmly etched in the minds of the Europeans (Bataille, 1980). Eventually, the Native Americans were considered subhuman and evil. The hope of civilizing the Indian was often expressed, but ultimately religion required the eventual submission of the Indians to white domination (Burkhofer, 1978) When colonies began to form in North America, the colonists wanted to create a world similar to the one they had left. The Indians were a major barrier to this progress and civilization. The colonists hoped the natives would embrace Christianity and become assimilated within the colonist society. When the Native Americans resisted, they, like the wilderness, became merely an obstacle in the colonists path. Because they would not conform to the European way of life, their destruction was inevitable. Because some justification was needed in order to wipe out the entire race, the stereotype of the bloodthirsty savage was solidified (Bataille, 1980). The Europeans were accustomed to owning land and claimed ownership of the new territory, justifying their actions with the fact that the Indians were nomads with no interest in owning any land. The conflicts led to many wars and various actions instituted by the Europeans in order to accomplish their objectives. The Indian tribes were at a great disadvantage during these wars because of their modest numbers, nomadic life, lack of advanced weapons, and unwillingness to cooperate, even in their own defense (Jordan, 1991). During the nineteenth century, the American Indians, by tradition a communal people, were forcibly separated from their native cultures and lands. By the mid-1840s most of the Native Americans east of the Mississippi River had been relocated to Indian Territory, as a result of President Andrew Jacksons Indian Removal Act of 1830. This act gave territory to Native Americans who agreed to reject their ancestral holdings. This act allowed the Indians to live on the declared territory indefinitely. Many refused to leave their homelands, however, engaging in battles destined to end in death and destruction. These Native Americans were subjected to numerous forms of violence, such as raping, scalping and lynching, among other acts (Zinn, 1980). The Europeans eventually stripped the Native Americans of most of their lands, and as the settlers pushed further west, the boundaries of the Indian Territory continued to shrink. As the wandering Indians encountered existing tribes and the designated Indian Territory became more crowded, conflicts over land and hunting rights ensued. The relocated Indians were often struck by famine, as buffalo and other game became scarce. The reduction of the overcrowded Indian reservations was continued as more white settlers arrived in America (Zinn, 1980). The building of the transcontinental railroad allowed for thousands of white setters to make their way across Indian Territory. Native Americans forced off their lands often starved on the poor land or died of diseases brought with the settlers from Europe. Indians were often pressured to sign treaties giving up land and agreeing to live on reservations. In return, the government vowed to provide the Indians with services and supplies (Todd, 1986). The white men did not uphold this promise, however. Most of the Native Americans were nomadic and nonagricultural, and all depended for survival on hunting the buffalo (Jordan, 1991). The settlers realized the usefulness of the buffalo hides and killed an estimated three million buffalo each year over a three-year period. The devastation of the buffalo was also devastating to the Indians (Jordan, 1991). Tensions were increased as Indians traveled outside reservation lines to hunt buffalo for survival. When government attempts at concentrating the Native Americans in reservations proved ineffective, many battles ensued between Indians and Americans. Because their designated land was insufficient, the Indians were forced to revolt in order to survive (Todd, 1986). Terribly disadvantaged, however, the Native Americans were not able to defend themselves against the settlers. Most American Indians saw themselves as citizens of sovereign Indian nations. In fact, during the first half of the 1800s, the U. S. government treated Indians who lived in tribes as members of separate nations. The federal government even negotiated formal treaties with them. All that changed in the latter half of the 1800s. The U. S.government began to look at Indians as wards or dependents instead of citizens of their own sovereign nations or citizens of the United States. In 1870, the Senate declared that the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship to African Americans, did not apply to American Indians who lived in tribes. In 1871, Congress stated that hereafter no Indian nation or tribe within the territory of the United States shall be recognized as an independent nation (DiBacco, 1995). In 1887, congress passed the Dawes Act, dividing both reservations and families. Indian families who agreed to live separate and apart from any tribe were given their own land to cultivate. After 25 years, the family would be granted both land and U. S. citizenship. This U. S. policy stressed Indian assimilation of the habits of civilized life through citizenship, education, and individual land ownership (DiBacco, 1995). Traditionally, Native Americans owned land through tribes and communities, as opposed to individually. The effort to individualize Indians and force them to forgo their tribal and traditional ways caused strife among tribal communities and provoked a growing Indian opposition (Zinn, 1980). Once again, however, the Indians suffered because the quality of their land was very poor, they were untrained at farming, and they lacked proper tools. Additionally, disease and malnutrition increased as common causes of death. Between 1887 and 1934, American Indian nations lost more than sixty percent of their land to the American federal government (Jordan, 1991). The end of the 19th century marked the end of the Indian Wars with an unprovoked massacre in 1890 during which Indian warriors, women, and children were slaughtered by U. S. cavalry at Wounded Knee (Jordan, 1991). In the end approximately 200 Native American men, women, and children had been killed (DiBacco, 1995). In the early twentieth century Indians continued to be the target of civilized assimilation efforts. In accordance with these efforts, the government funded Native American churches and schools. Education has been regarded as a primary tool in the cultural genocide, or assimilation, of Native Americans throughout history. Its overall effect severely diluted Native American culture with Christian European values and beliefs, but taught no Native American history (Keohane, 2003). The Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, the Haskell Institute in Kansas, and the Chilocco Indian School in Oklahoma all sought to eradicate Indian languages and lifestyles. Native Americans from various areas were forced to send their children to such schools. Most were boarding schools where students would have no contact with their tribal homeland. Students were forced to adapt themselves to the culture of the colonists under a militarized system that enforced the use of the English language, English names, and Christian religion, while dismissing Native American cultures as uncivilized. Many of the students were even kept from their families during breaks as they were sent off to work under white families, still furthering their cultural immersion and strengthening the American economy. Kill the Indian and save the man was the Carlisle Schools motto (Keohane, 2003). During the first few decades of the 20th century, the gap between Indians and whites widened as Native Americans continued to find the thinking of white Americans illogical, and Federal officials continued to outlaw Indian religious practices. As assimilation efforts began to succeed, American Indians were reduced in the public eye to the status of ancient relics. For example, most citizens were unaware that ten thousand Indian men were serving in World War I or that educated Indians were becoming teachers, farmers, and ministers (Zinn, 1980). Many of the stereotypes of Native Americans originally created in Columbus time have carried over to contemporary society. This only solidified white attitudes about manifest destiny and the role of the Indian in North America. The bloodthirsty savage had become a staple of the popular dime novel and Wild West shows (Bataille,1980). By the time of World War I, the image of the ignorant, savage Native American was firmly established in popular film, which was greatly profitable though historically inaccurate. The generic Indian was portrayed in fringed clothing, communicating through grunts and simple language (Bataille, 1980). Even today, many people overgeneralize about Native Americans, seeing them as one people even though the tribes have always differed in many ways. In 1924, Native Americans were finally given some recognition as a federal law pushed U. S.citizenship upon the remaining Indian population, BE IT ENACTED , THAT ALL NON-CITIZEN INDIANS BORN WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL LIMITS OF THE UNITED STATES BE AND THEY ARE HEREBY, DECLARED TO BE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES: PROVIDED, THAT THE GRANTING OF SUCH CITIZENSHIP SHALL NOT IN ANY MANNER IMPAIR OR OTHERWISE AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY INDIAN TO TRIBAL OR OTHER PROPERTY. THE INDIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT, APPROVED JUNE 2, 1924 Despite their newly gained citizenship, Native Americans were blocked from voting for the next twenty years in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. As a result, The Indian Rights Association and The American Indian Defense Association were formed to protect Indian rights, but the two organizations had limited power or impact (DiBacco, 1995). The plight of American Indians attracted little attention until 1928, when a shocking study, the Meriam Report, exposed the frequency of Indian poverty and the failure of government to fulfill allotted promises. The result of this new interest in reform was called the Indian New Deal, a new law that would restructure tribal governments and the administration of federal policies. The bill became the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. It introduced federal programs to support Indian agriculture, vocational education, and economic development. It included a provision that allowed reservation communities to set up tribal governments patterned after local units of the American government. Despite criticisms of the law being too paternalistic and undermining tribal traditions, the authority of Indian communities actually did expand during this time. The new Indian governments began to assert their rights in order to reverse the loss of tribal sovereignty (Jordan, 1991). Even though American Indians sent twenty-five thousand men and women to World War II, ten thousand to the Korean conflict, and forty-three thousand to Vietnam, their efforts did little to erase negative images of Indians (Zinn, 1980). Such images have also persisted in federal policy. Following World War II the Bureau of Indian Affairs instituted a program to terminate the federal governments trust relations with many tribes. In 1953 government officials passed a bill reducing federal expenditures and shrinking the federal bureaucracy by getting out of the Indian business and setting Indians free from federal support and protection. Poverty and homelessness quickly produced frustration and anger, and these, in turn, produced additional problems: alcoholism, joblessness, and poverty (Zinn, 1980). In the late 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement kicked off a wave of political activism by Native Americans, successfully changing negative policies and views. A new voice began to be heard in 1961 when the American Indian Chicago Conference gathered to present an Indian agenda for the new Kennedy administration. As American Indian youth became more involved in national Indian issues, the National Indian Youth Council formed (DiBacco, 1995). Additional examples of this new activism and militancy would include the founding of the American Indian Movement in 1968, the occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969, the Trail of Broken Treaties march of 1972, and the armed occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973 (Farley, 2000). These and other actions produced a national and highly visible call for Native American self-determination. This new campaign also emphasized individual tribal culture and practices. Pro-Indian legislation emerged during the 1970s as a result of activism and self-determination. The Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act, was passed in 1975 and stipulated that tribes could enter into contracts with the Indian Bureau to administer their own programs, from education to health care to housing. Other new laws included a settlement of land claims in Maine in 1978 and two pieces of landmark legislation passed the same year. The Indian Child Welfare Act established a role for tribes in the adoption of Indian children and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act declared constitutional support for Native American religious freedom (DiBacco, 1995). Despite growing efforts at self-determination, exploitation still plagues the Native Americans. Recent water and energy needs have led to government and industrial encroachment on Native American Land. Native Americans have even seen their reservations recommended as toxic-waste dumping grounds in exchange for much needed money. Discrimination still continues, especially in cities near the reservations. Tribal governments have enormous responsibilities that include the protection of hunting and fishing rights, water rights, religious traditions, and cultural heritage. At the same time, they struggle to develop successful gaming operations, profitable industrial factories, and effective educational and social-welfare programs. The systematic disorganization and dehumanization of their societies have restricted life opportunities. Poor education, low income, bad housing, poor health, alchoholism, and suicides are serious problems facing Native Americans today. They suffer the highest rates of poverty and unemployment among racial minority groups in the United States. Conditions are worse on Native American reservations, where an estimated 1/3 of them still live. According to goventment statistics on income, Native Americans are the poorest of the poor. (Farley, 2000) Today, many people in the United States ignore or are unaware of the problems Native Americans face. Many of those who are aware often stereotype them as backward, drunk, or unmotivated. Relations between Indians and non-Indians in the United States have been marked by an unfortunate series of blunders caused by prejudice and negative stereotypes. Even still, todays 2. 1 million Native Americans have proved their resilience by surviving oppression in a world dominated by other races and cultures. Unlike other minorities who have fought for equal rights in American society, Native Americans have fought to retain their land and cultures and have avoided assimilation, at a hefty cost. Works Cited Bataille, Gretchen. The Pretend Indians: Images of Native Americans in the Movies. Iowa State University, Ames: 1980 Berkhofer, Robert F. The White Mans Indian. Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, New York, 1978. DiBacco, Thomas V. , Lorna C. Mason, and Christian G. Appy. History of The United States. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995. Keohane, Sonja. The Reservation Boarding School System in the United States, 1870-1928. http://www. twofrog. com. 3/19/2005 Jordan,Winthrop D. and Leon F. Litwack. The United States. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1991. Todd, Lewis Paul and Merta Curti. Triumph of the American Nation. Orlando: Harcourt Brace Joranovich, Inc. , 1986. Zinn, Howard. A Peoples History of the United States. New York: Harper-Collins, 1980. Farley, John. Majority-Minority Relations. New Jersey: Prentice Hall,2000.

The Effectiveness Of Technology

The Effectiveness Of Technology Over the years, technology has played a vital role in educational innovation, providing both teachers and students with more options and flexibility in their teaching and learning practices. With the internet and computer technology availability, technology becomes increasingly indispensable in the field of education. In todays schools, multimedia software, content based CD-ROMs, online resources and many other technologies provide students and teachers with many new research tools, limitless wealth of information, shared professional practices, communication tools, and new modes of learning (keane, 2002) in (Eunjoo Russell, 2002). Availability of internet in schools enables both the teachers and students to have a variety of opportunities to expand the curriculum. Todays school continue to be challenged by the increased visibility, roles and cost of instructional technology tools. Considering current trends in education, a modern classroom would not be complete without computers, software, internet connections, projectors and a variety of other high-tech device (Keane, 2002). According to Hasselbring, Barron Risko, (2000), schools will be equipped with the best hardware and software in the near future, but it is unlikely that teachers and students will use them effectively if teachers are not trained. The success of technology infusion in schools depends on training teachers. In the digital age, schools will require teachers to have competent technology skills and be able to effectively implement the use of instructional technology in classrooms. Therefore, it is logical to require teachers to be trained to handle such technologically equipped classrooms. Technology integration in the classroom has become an important aspect of successful teaching. It has triggered many researchers to investigate different aspects of such integration (e.g., Kotrlik Redmann, 2005; Bauer Kenton, 2005; Judson, 2006; Zhao, 2007; Gulbahar, 2007; Anderson Maninger, 2007; Abbit Klett, 2007; and Wood Ashfield, 2008). This is because it allows students to learn more in less time and allows schools to focus on global learning environments if used appropriately. It could also be an effective teaching tool when used to engage all students in the learning process. During the last few years, technology has been adopted in many areas such as business, entertainment, government and education. The global adoption of technology has been the landmark on the educational scene for the last few years (Albirini, 2006). Harvey (1983) envisages that the effectiveness of the use of computers in education may be an important factor in determining which countries will succe ed in the future. In recent years, educational technology has been to a large extent incorporated into teaching and learning practice in many educational institutions across the globe. This phenomenon has taken place as a response to economic, social and pedagogical pressures (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2001). From the economic rationale, it is believed that knowledge and competence in technology will enhance graduates opportunity to be professionally employed (Thornburg, 2002). Indeed, it is argued that the measured level of employability will strengthen the economy of a nation (Mutula Bakel, 2007). The social rationale sees competence in the use of technology as a necessary skill for graduate to participate in community development (OECD, 2001). This can aid students to lead the society to meet the challenges of the global information. As regarding the pedagogical rationale, the integration of technology in education claimed to facilitate a transformation of teaching an d learning process from being highly teacher centered to student centered (Trucano, 2005). The student-centered environment is argued to be more favourable than the teacher-centered environment because it gives learners the opportunity to actively participate in knowledge construction (Roblyer, Edward Havriluv, 2004). Teachers are managers of learning experience. As managers, they are meant to ensure that the environment is structured in a way that learners are given the opportunity to engage in a deep and meaningful learning process. A way through which this role can be accomplished is for teachers to assume the responsibility of an educational technologist, i.e., a professional who embarks on the study of theories and practices associated with the use of technology in instruction. According to Seels (2004), in Westergaad (2008), there are general roles that educational technologists must take. First is the regulation and reinforcement of selected media to promote learning, second is to educate teachers and stake holders about the use of media and the third is critique and lobby policies that influence media utilization. Among the three roles, the first is expected from teachers in the classroom. The fact that a lot of factors are responsible for students underachievement is not new to researcher s but amongst those factors could be teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology. Perception refers the way one think about something and ones idea of what it is like, also it is an ability to understand the true nature of a subject especially as it affects our environment. However teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology is in different ways hence, learning is a process which produces series of changes in behaviour or it is more or less a change in behaviour that result from activities, training or observation. It is a change in behaviour that confirms learning. Technology has had a significant impact on teaching and learning in schools (Cuttance, 2001). Reviews of several research projects have substantiated the potential of educational technology to enhance learning environments (Sivin-Kachala Bialo, 1994) and improve student learning outcomes (Hativa Becker, 1994) through active student engagement, collaborative learning, frequent and immediate feedback and real-world contexts for learning (Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin Means, 2000). In addition, ICT enhances higher order thinking (Educational Testing Service, 1989), and impacts on student attitudes, motivation, self esteem, social competencies and enjoyment of learning (Joiner, 1996: Rowe, 1993: Tiernay, 1996; Wellburn, 1996). However, the extent to which ICT facilitates and enhance teaching, learning and the learning environment is dependent in part on the adequacy of teachers skills and knowledge (Wenglinsky, 1998). Technology integration into teaching and learning process is an effective way to widen educational opportunities, but this is yet to be fully utilized by teachers as an instructional delivery system. Bauer Kenton (2005) in their research found that some teachers were highly educated and skilled with using technology, but are not integrating technology on a consistent basis in the teaching and learning process. Ertmer, Conklin, Lewandowski, Osika, Selo, and Wignall (2003) indicated that beginning teachers wanted to use technology and have adequate technical skills, but teachers lacked knowledge on how to integrate technology in teaching and learning. Technology integration is not a one size fits all (Wepner, Tao, Ziomek, 2006) where teachers do the same thing for their students or where teachers possess the same specific skills to be competent technology users. Teachers need to know how and why to use technology in meaningful ways in the learning process for technology integration t o work. Like many educational reform efforts, the introduction of technology in schools has been less than successful. Over the last century there were several waves of massive investment in technology to improve education, but none has had significant lasting impact on education (Cuban, 1986). Implementation of technology is a complex process that depends on characteristics of technology, workers, environment, and subtle interactions among these components (Bayer and Melone 1989; Yetton, Sharma Southon 1999; Wolfe, 1994). Questions have been asked in studies about many failed educational innovations. In Fullan (1991) a question was raised that Why technology isnt used more in schools? Also in Tyack Cuban (1995) a question was also raised that Why cant innovations that seem to hold great promises be adopted by schools in spite of great efforts? Many researchers have been searching for solutions to this persistent puzzle. In this study, the search continues by the examination of teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology in enhancing teaching and learning. But it is not intend to simply repeat previous research but to search for new factors that may affect technology uses in schools because it is believed that previous research have identified most, if not all, factors that may have an effect on technology integration in schools. What is needed is an integrating framework that can provide new directions for research and specific suggestions for policy and practice. Thus it is taken as a res ponsibility to extend existing research by investigating the relationships among the long list of factors that have already been identified to be related to school technology uses. In particular, teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology to theoretically integrate and organize sets of factors that affect implementation of technology. It is also hoped that this framework will help in better understanding of other educational innovations, since technology, is a special case of innovation. Statement of Problem Due to the role of technology in the advancement of society in general and educational sector in particular, effective technology integration into teaching and learning has become the focus of many educators. Over the years, the problem of under achievement has been a general problem. For example, many researchers in Nigeria which include; Adeyemi (2005), Balduf (2009), Chukwu (2009), Patric (2010), Obomanu (2011) and Anakwe (2011) have conducted series of research to investigate what could be responsible for the problem. In their studies, factors such as lack of adequate laboratory equipment, ineffectiveness and lack of teaching proficiency of teachers, lack of qualified teachers and school factors have been identified as major causes of underachievement of students. Despite all these efforts of research and findings, the poor performances of students still exist. However, little emphasis has been laid on the integration of instructional technology into teaching. Disproportionately very few schools and teachers adopt the use of instructional technology in classroom teaching in Lagos state. As indicated by Byers (2000), Cope (2002), and also Kahveci (2011) the perception of the effectiveness of instructional technology by teachers may play a role in the adoption and integration of these technologies. This henceforth justifies the need for this study to investigate the effect of teachers perception of their technology integration competencies, barriers obstructing such integration, and incentives to increase it, in addition to other related issues in classroom learning environment. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to examine teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology and the rate at which they adopt technology into classroom teaching. Research Question The following questions will guide this study; How do teachers perceptions of the effectiveness of technology affect the rate at which they integrate it in their teaching process? Does the demographic characteristic of teachers such as gender, age, years of teaching experience, grade level taught, content area, and educational level affect the rate at which they integrate instructional technology? Statement of Hypothesis There will be no significant effect of teachers perception of the effectiveness of technology on the rate at which they integrate it in their teaching process. Significance of Study Mode of teaching and instructional tools employed in the teaching process is of a major importance in determining the achievement of students. This study will create in the students, teachers and curriculum builders the awareness of technology, its integration, effect and benefits. These will also help the teachers in knowing there level of technological competency and also factors that might be militating against the integration of these technologies in teaching. It will also highlight the need for teachers to combat deficit thinking. Because only by this will teachers develop positive attitude towards instructional technology utilization in teaching process. This study will also clarify to the teachers the need to use technology as a catalyst for change and improvement in the practice of teaching. Further, it will clarify to the teachers the need to integrate technology into teaching so as to facilitate the constructivist method of teaching which can be used to enhance student lear ning of specific subject matter. For the school administrators and curriculum builders this study will assist in their planning by suggesting specific strategies and procedures that can make technology integration easy and achievable. It will also give empirical support for a need to upgrade and increase the level of instructional technology integration in the classroom in a manner that will enhances student learning. It will also show them the need to orientate teachers on the need for technology integration in their teaching practices. If the findings of this study are adequately applied, the learning facilities available to the students will be enriched in technology by school administrators and this will in turn enhance the students performance and better their achievement. Scope of Study and Delimitation This is a study into the effect of teachers perception of the effectiveness of instructional technology integration in enhancing teaching in selected tertiary institution in Lagos state. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE In this literature, teachers perception of technology integration and factors affecting their level of technology integration will be discussed. This chapter therefore reviews related literature based on the purpose of the study. The literature of this study is derived from researches from 1999 to 2012. Outline of Literature Review Introduction Difference between Technology Integration and Technology Use Impact of Technology Integration on Teachers and students Factors Affecting Teachers Level of Technology Integration Teachers Perceptions of Technology Integration and Gender Differences Barriers Technology Integration 2.1 Introduction The use of technology in education has emerged to become an increasingly indispensible part of higher and professional education (Almekhlafi, 2006a). Technology, in addition to giving learners the opportunity to control their own learning process, also makes available for them ready access to a large amount of information over which the teacher has no control (Lam Lawrence, 2002). Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write, but currently, the definition of literacy has gone beyond this. A new type of literacy is developing as our society makes new technological developments. Teachers are now faced in addition to their preparing students to read and write with the task of educating students to be technologically literate. Definition of literacy according to Mullen and Wedwick (2008) in Catherine (2011) is no longer the traditional definition which is being able to read and write, the definition is now expanding to computer and technology literacy. The literate of the twenty-first century must be able to download, upload, rip, burn, chat, save, blog, Skype, IM, and share. The main goal of literacy, no matter what type, is to be able to communicate effectively. Digital literacy, computer literacy or technological literacy all enhance a persons ability to communicate by adding another dimension to the arsenal of skills a literate person already possesses (Jones-Kavalier Flannigan, 2008) in (Catherine, 2011). The each day growing complexity of education, the rise of the information to learn, the need for qualified and modern education require the use of computers as a tool in education. The use of technology in education will provide that the education will be carried out in accordance with the needs of the era as well as that the highest appropriate yield will be received from education (Kayri, Genà §oglu and Kayri , 2012). The computer which is one of the technological capabilities and a basic element of culture in our century, has become a tool which its use is rapidly spreading (Arslan, 2003 Odabasi, 2006) in (Kayri, Genà §oglu and Kayri, 2012). 2.2 Difference between Technology Integration and Technology Use When using technology in the classroom, it is important to distinguish between technology use and technology integration. Technology use is just the use of technology; it means much more to integrate technology (Catherine, 2011). The difference between technology use and technology integration for learning is that integration implies full-time, daily operation within lessons. Integration involves daily use of technology in reforming the everyday classroom routines (Gorder, 2008). Technology integration is not about the availability of technology, but more about the teachers effective use of technology that makes a difference in reforming the classroom. The teacher is the most important ingredient for success when using and integrating technology (Mandell, Sorge, Russell, 2002). Beckett, Wetzel, Chishlom, Zambo, Buss, Padgett, Williams and Odom (2003) in Gorder, (2008) said teachers are central to the creation of a technology-integrated environment that is learner-centered and motiva ting. Therefore, without teachers who can integrate technology, students exposure to technology remains limited and inequitable. Ozel, Yetkiner and Capraro (2008) in (Catherin, 2011) claim that there are five phases for properly integrating technology. These five phases employ the following questions: Why should I use a technology-based method? How will I know students have learned? What teaching strategies and activities will work best? Are adequate hardware, software and technical support available? What worked well and what could be improved? By examining each of these questions, a teacher is not just using technology, the teacher is thoughtfully planning how technology can be used in the lesson in order to best suit the needs of the students which is integration. 2.3 Impact of Technology Integration on Teachers and students Technology is appealing to teachers because it addresses the need of learners with visual styles as well as of learners with special needs. Moreover, technology exposes learners to a world of information. It has also enabled some teachers to implement new teaching techniques learned through computer (U.S congress of Technology Assessment, 1995) in (Almekhafi, 2004). There are numerous researchers who have explored the area of technology integration worldwide and have came up with reports indicating its positive impact on teaching and learning for teachers using technology. These studies include; Guha, 2000; Manzo, 2001; Shelly, Bilig, Jesse Acosta (2001); Zorfass and Rivero, 2005; Almekhlafi, 2006. Guha (2000) conducted a study to investigate the personal experience of elementary school teachers using computers in the classroom. He investigated their present use of computers in the classroom, and their views on current computer use as compared to their preferred use in classroom instruction. He came up with findings which reported positive correlations and significant differences between the previous training, computer usage in the classroom and comfort level of teachers and their present computer training, level of comfort, and computer usage in the classroom. Manzo (2001) also carried out a study on technology integration in an Art class. He found out that most of the students, who are enrolled in the Electronic Arts Class prior to enrolment, were not able to compete effectively in most of their other classes. But after experiencing the effect of technology utilization, they began to appreciate the importance of doing well in all subjects. Also, Shelly et al. (2001) in their study examine a project titled the WEB Project. The findings of their survey suggest that teachers should as they integrate technology into different areas in the academic content, emphasize the use of meta-cognitive skills, application of skills, and inquiry of learning. Almekhlafi, A.G. (2006a) in his study investigated the effect of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on elementary-prep school students improvement in English as a foreign language (EFL). Results from the study show evidence of the effect of CALL on learning English as a foreign language. It was discovered that a positive attitude was experienced toward CALL, it was also perceived its utility for helping them learn EFL, and the students had a strong intention to use it in the future. The literatures, both in theory and practice, supports the idea that students learning in a community of learners environment using technology as a tool for learning, are able to build on prior knowledge, feel success and grow to their fullest potential. It seems evident that a constructivist-learning environment allows students to experience success with the integration of technology. However, researchers caution us to recognize that technology alone cannot bring about all the needed changes in todays classrooms. 2.4 Factors Affecting Teachers Level of Technology Integration Numerous studies have been carried out as a result of the attention of many researchers drawn to the integration of technology at schools and factors influencing such integration. In a study on teachers who used computer technology in their instruction conducted by Bauer Kenton (2005), to investigate how much they used technology, the obstacles they had to overcome to succeed in its use, and their general issues and concerns regarding technology. It was observed that the teachers were who are highly educated and skilled with technology, were innovative and adept at overcoming obstacles, but that they did not integrate technology on a consistent basis as both a teaching and learning tool. Two key issues that were noted are; their students did not have enough time at computers, and that teachers needed extra planning time for technology lessons. Other concerns were outdated hardware, lack of appropriate software, technical difficulties, and student skill levels. Kotrlik Redmann (2005) examined the extent of technology integration in instruction by adult basic education teachers. The teachers used for this study are in the early stage of technology integration thereby more active in the area of exploration. The findings from the study reveals that that teachers feel some anxiety when it comes to technology integration, they perceived that they are effective in using technology regardless of whether they have integrated technology, and they are encountering barriers. As teachers perceive an increase in barriers, their integration of technology decreases; also, as the availability and increase of ICT tools, such as computers with Internet connection in the classroom and/or lab increases their level of technology integration. In a study conducted by Gulbahar (2007), investigating both student and teachers perception to illustrate how technology planning process was carried out in a private school in Turkey. Findings from the study indicated that even teachers and administrator staff felt themselves competent in using ICT available at the school; still, they reported a lack of guidelines that would lead them to successful integration. On the other hand, students reported that ICT is not utilized sufficiently in their classes. Zhao (2007) conducted a qualitative research to investigate the perspectives and experiences of teachers following technology integration training. The findings of his study indicated that teachers view towards technology integration is diverse, and this has an influence on their use of technology in the classroom. It further reveals that; willingness to use technology and positive experiences were related to teachers increased use of technology and to more creative use of technology, because most teachers who are willing to use technology, expressed positive experiences with technology integration training, increased their use of technology in the classroom, and used technology more creatively. But this did not ensure that teachers would replace their teaching with technology. 2.5 Teachers Perceptions of Technology Integration and Gender Differences The perspective of teachers of their understanding of technology, their utilization of instructional technology, and feelings about the support structure associated with this equipment have been examined with the findings suggesting that teachers believe technology is an integral part of the process of educating their students Almekhlafi Almeqdadi 2010. There are different literatures relating to gender differences in the technology integration. Of these studies include; Hong Koh, 2002; Kian Chee, 2002; Zhou Xu, 2007; Aremu Fasan, 2011; Hon Alison, 2012). Gender discrepancy was studied in both classroom access and use by Hong and Koh (2002), it was found that male teachers were less anxious when compared with the female teachers toward hardware. They also found that there is no significant difference in the overall level of computer anxiety of male teachers was not significantly different from the anxiety levels of female teachers. Only for the hardware anxiety domain was significant differences detected between male and female teachers. Zhou Xu (2007) conducted a study which was aimed at exploring how gender affects the process of technology adoption in post-secondary teaching. Findings from this study suggest that females had lower confidence and less experience in the use of computers in teaching. Also, they tended to learn how to use technology from others, unlike the males who were more likely to learn from their own experience. Also, in a study by Aremu Fasan (2011) which was aimed at investigating factors that could affect technology use and by teachers analysis from the study showed that the computer self efficacy was average for most of the teachers though female teachers have higher Computer self efficacy than male teachers. Hon Alison (2012) conducted a study which was used to examining the effect of gender difference regarding confidence toward using technology for learning in higher educational institutions. The findings of this study confirmed that male have more confidence in using technology for learning than do females because gender imbalances in computing are socially constructed and not related to a learners innate ability. 2.6 Barriers Technology Integration There are numerous researches that have documented a number of barriers which hinder the integration of technology. Out of these include ; Earle, 2002; Flores, 2002, Brinkerhof, 2006 and Almekhlafi Almeqdadi, 2010. In the study by Robert Ferries (1994) cited by Almekhlafi Almeqdadi, (2010), it was stated that barriers to technology integration included lack of knowledge of the available technological resources, time commitment, the risk associated with the use of technology and also the view of technology as an ever changing thing. According to Earle (2002), in her study, she classified the factors that affect technology integration in the classroom into two. These are extrinsic and intrinsic. These factors are defined as restraining force to the teachers. The extrinsic factors are identified as access, available resources, support, time, and training of teachers while the restraining factors that are intrinsic are identified as teachers attitudes, beliefs, practices, and resistan ce. In the study of Flores (2002), it was identified that in the attempt of teachers to integrate technology in their teaching activity, they were faced by many obstacle. In addition to administrative support and time scheduling for the use of technology, equity is another important issue. The introduction of technology is particularly hard when there are few resources. This is supported by Almekhlafi Almeqdadi, (2010) where he cited Brinkerhof (2006) who grouped the restraining into four (4) main categories: administrative and institutional resources and support, attitudinal or personality factors, and experience and training. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Introduction This chapter highlights how the field work will be carried out. It describes the design, nature of population, sample, instruments used and how the instrument will be administered as well as analyzed. Research Design This study is a descriptive study which will be conducted to investigate the effect of teachers perception of instructional technology and the level at which they integrate these technologies in the process of teaching and learning. Area of Study The study was carried out in Lagos state. Population of Study The population for this study will consists of all lecturers in the tertiary institution in Lagos state with special reference to the lecturers of selected tertiary institutions in Lagos state. Sample and Sampling Technique The tertiary institution in comprises of Colleges of Education, Poly-techniques, and Universities. In Lagos state, there are ____ Colleges of Education, ____ Poly Techniques, and ____ Universities out of which one will be randomly selected from each as a representative sample. In each of the selected schools, 60 lecturers will be selected using a purposeful random selection The sample of this study will be lecturers who will be selected using a purposefully random sampling technique. This will be the sample the questionnaire will be administered to. Instrumentation The instrument that will be used in this study is; The Mills Tincher Technology Integration Standards Configuration Matrix (TISCM). This is a model for determining technology integration by teachers (Mills Tincher, 2003). This instrument will consist of two sections as follows; Section A: Demographic data Section B: 18 Survey questions Validation of Instrument The instruments will be critically examined, scrutinized and amended by my supervisor and experts who are experienced in area of research to ensure the validity its of. Data Collection To answer the research questions in this study, a research tool (Technology Integration Standards Configuration Matrix (TISCM)) which was developed by Dr. Steven Mills, will be used to investigate teachers perception of technology and how they integrated technology on a daily basis. This tool will consist of a number of subthemes that will investigated teachers perceptions of their technology competencies and usage, determined how teachers integrate and use technology. Data Analysis Data gathered from questionnaire items will be analyzed using SPSS 17.0. Descriptive statistics, a multivariate analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be used. In addition, items will be analysed using Item Analysis method in order to get a deep understanding of the results from the questionnaire.