Category: Performance

Introduction

The performance objectives defined by Slack (1995) may be regarded as the key importance factors for the successful business performance. The aim of the paper is to analyze these objectives for a company, which is engaged in a hospitality industry. The actual importance of this analysis is explained by the fact that the performance objectives are closely associated with the effectiveness of performing the stated business assignments; hence, these objectives should be assessed deeply.

Analysis

The key objectives defined by Slack (1995) are as follows: quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost. The analyzed company is engaged in the sphere of hospitality and bases its performance on observing the key principles of hospitality from the perspective of Slacks analyses. Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas is engaged in the sphere of hotel business for tourists who came to search some luck in casinos of Las Vegas, and who appreciate the atmosphere of classic rock and hard rock. In general, the stated objectives are quite important for the successful performance, as the company needs to attract as much target audience as possible, for rock admirers stopped their choice on this hotel. The analysis of the aspects is based on the key principles which are pursued by the hotel management for providing the high quality services that are positioned as the hook of the industry.

• Quality. High quality services is the key importance factor for the successful performance. In general, it involves the comfort of the rooms and services, increased comfort of registering and paying for the services provided. Thus, the policy of simplified registration has been provided.
• Speed. Speed of the services is required for saving customers time which is rather precious for them. Hence, high quality and high speed services will be highly appreciated by those customers that appreciate their own time.
• Dependability. The consumers should depend on the organization. In fact, the actual importance of this factor is explained by the fact that consumers should not even let an assumption that other companies exist. Hence, all the requirements and preferences of a consumer should be performed quickly and in default regime. Hence, the visitors of Hard Rock Hotel should be provided with high quality music, meals in the genre of hard rock, and then taxi to airport or casino.
• Flexibility. This presupposes the changes in prices or orders of providing services depending on seasonal changes, personal attitude towards visitors or just favor for those who needs it. Hence, some instances of such flexibility involve free taxi to airport for those who are at ground level after a failure to catch the luck in casino.
• Cost. This factor is regarded as one of the defining, as people will not wish to pay an unreasonably increased price even for high quality services, high speed of services, flexibility towards consumers etc. The price should be reasonable for the visitors had a wish to come back and tell their friends of the existence of this hotel.

Conclusion

Finally, it should be emphasized that the actual importance of the performance objectives defined by Slacks is explained by the importance of observing the key principles of hospitality. Hence, if all the factors are observed, the performance may be regarded as successful.

Reference List

Slack, J. (1995) World Class Quality: Using Design of Experiments to Make It Happen. AMACOM.

Abstract

The primary purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the influence that the performance of the contractor has on project scheduling and complications that may be introduced. The overall impact that they may have is enormous, and it may be regarded as one of the biggest challenges. The literature on this subject matter will be reviewed and analysed to support the statements. The findings will be summarised in the last paragraph.

Introduction

It is imperative to mention that the process of the project schedule can be quite problematic because a professional must take numerous internal and external factors into account. Managers are pressured to make them as efficient as possible and are expected to consider various complications that may occur. The argument is that performance of a contractor is an area that is particularly problematic because a project manager has limited control in such situations, and some of the issues that can be introduced are hard to predict.

Discussion

One of the most important factors that need to be highlighted is that scholars have recognised the importance of contractor management, and the influence that their performance has on the projects. The literature on this topic is quite impressive, and most of the suggestions on how problematic areas can be addressed are comprehensive. However, several issues are still present and must be taken into account.

First of all, contractors may have to deal with various subcontractors, and it could affect their ability to coordinate and set priorities. Moreover, a company may need to compress the schedule in some situations or alter some of the processes. Such changes may be beneficial to the contractor, but negotiations can still be incredibly problematic. Possible emergencies also should not be overlooked. Another problem that needs to be mentioned is the overall knowledge of contractors and their skills.

It may be nearly impossible to make sure that they would perform as well as employees because they did not participate in pieces of training and may not have an understanding of some of the operations. This aspect is rather problematic, but a project manager has to accept the situation most of the time because it is still more efficient to use contractors in most cases.

A person responsible for the development has to consider several criteria when selecting a contractor. Such factors as expertise, methodology and track records are crucial, but some issues still cannot be prevented. Also, it is important to ensure that all of the schedules are aligned, but delays could lead to inconsistencies and introduction of other problems (Kuehn, 2011). It may be necessary to write warning letters that would include all the required information regarding the areas that need to be improved. Relationships with a contractor company may be affected, but such actions are justified.

Liquidated damages clause is incredibly important because it limits the possibilities for fraud and low-quality of performance, but it still has several weaknesses. Some of the points may not be well-developed, and a contractor may not agree with particular terms. An area that is quite problematic is that the firm will have to deal with courts in case the delays have hurt the organisation. The problem is that the process could take a lot of time and will require a lot of resources.

Also, it is noted that exemplary damages are rather hard to recover in most cases because one has to prove that it was done intentionally (Mubarak, 2015). The situation becomes especially problematic if subcontractors are involved because numerous aspects must be considered during the analysis of delay. The possibility of concurrent negligence also should not be disregarded, and the damage to the enterprise may be long-term.

On the other hand, a project manager may utilise a broad range of techniques to improve performance. However, it may require a lot of time and additional resources are also necessary. One of the most important goals is to take a project schedule as efficient as possible, but it would be appropriate to consider the need for evaluations and other activities. The development of modern technologies is incredibly important because it is much easier to monitor the whole process, and most of the issues may be identified promptly (Uher & Zantis, 2012).

Conclusion

In summary, it is possible to state that the performance of the contractor is still one of the biggest challenges for a project manager because it is nearly impossible to control. Their experience and legal issues can be viewed as areas that are the most problematic at the moment. On the other hand, some of the complications can be avoided if an organisation manages to establish long-term relationships with such specialists, and it is much easier to cooperate.

The situation is expected to improve in the future because many contractors are starting to use software programs to monitor performance, but this aspect is still rather problematic for small firms. Overall, a project manager may consider several preventive measures to minimise the risks and must have an understanding of what course of actions needs to be taken in such cases.

References

Kuehn, U. (2011). Integrated cost and schedule control in project management. Vienna, VA: Management Concepts Inc.

Mubarak, S. A. (2015). Construction project scheduling and control (3rd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Uher, T., & Zantis, A. S. (2012). Programming and scheduling techniques (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Introduction

Team performance measurement plays an integral role in establishing a connection between planning, decision-making, actions, and results of a project. By analyzing team performance, determining its strengths and weaknesses, and assessing results, team members get the necessary information to avoid failures, monitor the progress, ensure continuous improvement, and achieve the defined goals (Podjavo & Berzisa, 2017). With the development of Agile software development practices, the team performance measurement techniques applicable to Agile projects have gained the most popularity. The function point analysis, which was developed in the 1970s and widely used for three decades, is now losing its relevance because of its limitations. However, it still has considerable advantages over other measurement methods and can be effectively applied to both Agile and non-Agile projects.

The purpose of the research is to determine the advantages and disadvantages of measuring team performance using function points compared to story points based on previous studies.

The research objectives include:

• Providing a theoretical background for function point analysis, Agile software development, and story points estimation.
• Providing a literature review on team performance evaluation methods.
• Comparing function points and story points as methods of team performance evaluation.
• Determining the advantages and disadvantages of function points for team performance evaluation.

The paper is divided into six sections: Introduction, Theoretical background, Methods, Findings, Discussion, and Conclusion. The Theoretical background section gives definitions of function points and function point analysis, Agile software development, and story points evaluation. In the Methods section, a short literature review is provided, and the methods used in the research are defined. The Findings section lists the results of the comparative analysis of function points and story points, and the advantages and disadvantages of function points as a method of team performance evaluation. In the Discussion section, the findings are discussed in the light of the theoretical background, and further research developments and implications are suggested. The Conclusion summarizes the results of the study and gives some ideas for future research.

Theoretical Background

Function Points

A function point is a unit of measurement that is generally used to evaluate the amount of functionality that an information system provides to a user. They were defined by Allan Albrecht of IBM in 1979 as a metric that was independent of code volumes and could measure both economic productivity and quality of software without distortions (Santana et al., 2011). Functions points quantify the functions contained within the software in terms that are meaningful to a user and relate directly to the business requirements that the software is intended to address. Over the decades, the function point analysis has been developed into a universal technique that can be applied across a wide range of development environments and throughout the life of a project.

The function point analysis procedure generally consists of several stages. The first stage is to gather the available documentation describing the functionality of the software. The second stage is scope counting, which defines the set of functional user requirements to be included in the function point count (Santana et al., 2011). Then, data functions are measured, which represent functionality provided to the user to meet the requirements, and transaction functions are evaluated, which provide functionality to the user for processing data. After that, the functional size of the software is determined. The basic procedure can be adapted for specific project objectives, including the evaluation of team performance.

Agile Software Development

In 2001, the Agile Manifesto was presented that proposed new values and principles of software engineering based on quick response to changes and increased manageability. It shifted the values of the software development process from the mechanistic, driven by processes, to organic, driven by people and their interactions (Santana et al., 2011). With Agile, solutions are developed through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams and their customers. It involves adaptive planning, early delivery, and continual improvement, and encourages a flexible approach to change. Over the last two decades, Agile has become increasingly common in the organizational software development environment and is believed to significantly increase the agility of project teams.

Within Agile teams, performance management processes are usually customized to help each team work more efficiently and address specific project goals. Although there are plenty of proposed team performance measurement and effort estimation techniques, no commonly accepted standardized practice for Agile software development exists (Salmanoglu, et al., 2017). The typical estimation methods used in most Agile projects are t-shirt sizing, planning poker, and story points.

Story Points

Story points are the most popular method for team performance evaluation, which estimates the amount of effort required by a team to implement a user story. They are applied to sprints and include three main components: risk, complexity, and repetition. The risk includes vague demands, dependence on a third party, or changes mid-task. Complexity is determined by how difficult the particular feature is to develop. Repetition is determined by how familiar each team member is with the feature and how monotonous are the tasks that need to be performed. Using these three points, the team can accurately plan sprints, include a cushion for uncertainty, better estimate the results, and avoid breaking time commitments.

Methods

In this study, comparative analysis and literature analysis are used as the primary research methods. Function points are compared to story points in their effectiveness for team performance and software development process evaluation. The literature studied for the research examines the use of functions points and story points in Agile and non-Agile projects and provides different methods of function points application. Although no specified research has been identified on comparison of function points and story points as methods of team performance evaluation, the advantages and disadvantages of both techniques can be identified based on the literature analysis.

• The study by Santana et al. (2011) addresses the question of whether function points can be an adequate measure of velocity and contrasts theoretical concepts about story points and function points as units for measuring size. It provides a detailed overview of the function point analysis procedure and compares it to the story points evaluation.
• The study by Oliveira & Noya (2013) presents an iterative method for project cost and time estimations, which uses productivity and function points metrics. It shows how function points can be used to calculate the productivity of a particular project and compare it with other projects.
• The study by Salmanoglu et al. (2017) discusses story points and functional size as measures of effort estimation in Agile projects. It shows that function points provide an effective and precise solution for effort estimation in organizations that use Agile methodologies.
• In the article by Podjavo & Berzisa (2017), guidelines are provided for the evaluation of the project team performance using different methods. The paper summarizes measures for evaluation, their objectives and benefits, as well as factors that may have an influence on team performance.

Findings

Function Points vs. Story Points

Story points and functions points are the two most popular methods of measurement aimed at the same goal: efficiently manage a software development project. Story points are used in Agile projects and allow to evaluate team performance within a certain period. They are selected based on the teams perceptions of the size and complexity of work to be completed (Santana et al., 2011). The value of each story point is determined by the team during the process called Planning Poker, and then a consistent velocity is developed that serves to estimate future amounts of work.

Function points can be used both in Agile and non-Agile projects. They measure the size of requirements and design specified, which allows the managers to estimate how much effort it will take to develop a piece of software. The function point methodology identifies five key elements: inputs, outputs, inquiries, interfaces, and internal stores of data (Santana et al., 2011). Function point sizing is determined based on the description of these elements and is used to calculate the productivity and quality levels of performance.

The measure in function points is most effectively used in the beginning of the project and upon delivery of a release. In the beginning, they can be applied to estimate the charge, total costs, and project completion time, assess productivity, and refine the calibration of estimation models. At the backend of the project, they may be used to assess team performance level and compare Agile project performance levels to performance levels of other methodologies currently in use. Story points are used to manage the workflow of an Agile project and estimate the quantity of work to be done by a team in a certain period of time.

The comparison of story points and function points as team performance measurement techniques gives the following results:

• Both function points and story points can be used for productivity assessment, but story points are relative because their perception varies from one team to another.
• Function points measurement requires expert knowledge or the use of an automated tool. Story points are easier to measure, and the measurement can be performed by the team.
• Function points can be used for comparing team performance with other projects. Story points cannot be used for comparison because each measure is specific to the project and the team (French, 2016).
• Story points main strength is that they can be involved in the shared comprehension of the team and its commitment, and function points do not allow it.
• Project assessment can be performed using function points but not story points because they are not standard.

Overall, story points are a subjective, non-reproducible, inconsistent estimation method that does not provide a reliable, objective, and defensible sizing method. Function points provide a more consistent, accurate, reproducible size metric that reduces risk and uncertainty and allows for better team performance evaluation (French, 2016). Both methods have their advantages and drawbacks, with story points being quicker and easier than function points, but not always appropriate for the task at hand.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Function Points

The main disadvantage of function points is the complexity of application. Function points require a detailed examination of the available information, and achieving reproducible counts requires exercise and practice. There are specific guidelines to be applied and calculations to be made. Regular team members do not generally possess the required set of skills, and the use of function points throughout the organization is usually performed by a centralized team of specialists, which allows for comparisons among the various Agile teams.

The second drawback of function points is the lack of motivational benefits. With story points, team members are directly involved in sizing the tasks they are going to work on, while function points are seemingly imposed by the centralized function points counting team. Third, function points cannot be easily used to estimate team performance at a sprint level. Sprints are usually time-boxed as two-week iterations, and the goal is to achieve a steady workflow from sprint to sprint, which can be adequately achieved using story points. Function points are more appropriately applied to measure the overall project outcome and the total level of effort that may be required across sprints.

Another problem associated with function points is their perception. Most managers working in Agile think that function points are not applicable to Agile projects, require too much time and effort to implement, and do not offer the flexibility required to estimate in an Agile environment (Agile estimation  Whats the point?, n.d.). While this is often not the case, these perceptions need to be taken in consideration because they usually discourage managers from using function points.

The main advantage of function points is that they are easy to scale across various teams and are consistent regardless of project requirements. They provide an effective and precise method of effort estimation for organizations using Agile methodologies (Salmanoglu et al., 2017). Furthermore, function points are language, size, platform, and technology independent, which allows them to be used for Agile as well as non-Agile projects.

Discussion

With this research primarily focused on the comparison between story points and function points as team performance measurement methods, further studies need to focus on determining the factors of applicability of both methods. Story points are usually used in Agile projects, but they do not always satisfy the projects requirements, while function points are not applicable at the sprint level but can satisfy other project needs. Determining which method to use requires careful evaluation and strategic rather than short-term planning.

The real challenge with the story points is that they are hard to scale across various Agile teams. It can be a challenging situation for the organizations that want to effectively control team performance. Function points, on the other hand, points can easily be used for comparison. Function points are less flexible, but they provide a more uniform solution for team performance measurement. While story points are a relative measure, function points are a well-defined consistent method of evaluation. Effective team performance measurements solutions can be developed by using a combination of function points and story points to create both flexible and uniform methods of evaluation.

Further developments of the research may also include the comparison of function points with other methods of team performance evaluation. Apart from objective criteria measured with time variance, cost variance, and complexity metrics, subjective criteria may be applied, such as the perceptual rating of team performance by team members and stakeholders. It includes team effectiveness, system viability, professional growth, user satisfaction, teamwork satisfaction, and output quality (Podjavo & Berzisa, 2017). The analyzes of factors that can influence team performance can also be included in the comparison to provide the most effective and comprehensive solution.

Team performance evaluation is an important issue in software management for a number of reasons. A projects success largely depends on a teams efficiency. Inadequate team performance measurement can result in significant time and money losses for the organization. On the contrary, effective estimation has a substantial positive impact on project management and reduces the risks related to schedule and costs overruns. Developing successful team performance management solutions can be a challenge because it requires thorough understanding of each projects objectives and specifics. The studies aimed to compare and evaluate different solutions help project managers make informed decisions when choosing the most effective evaluation methods.

Conclusion

The measurement of team performance can be performed using two most effective methods: story points and function points. This research focuses on the comparison of these two methods with the purpose of determining the advantages and disadvantages of function points. Story points are only applicable to Agile projects, while function points can be used to evaluate and compare team performance in both Agile and non-Agile projects.

While story points are a relative measure, function points are a well-defined consistent method of evaluation. They are useful for measuring the overall product deliverable at the beginning and at the end of the project. At the beginning, the function point size information can be used to estimate overall schedule and cost of the project, and the size information upon delivery can be used to measure performance. Story points are effective for managing the flow of work in an Agile project, and they serve a purpose of estimating the amount of work that can be accomplished by the team in a defined period of time. Story points are not meant to be an accurate or comparative measure of team performance, while function points are.

In order to effectively measure team performance, a combination of function points and story points can be used. Provided that the organization can put together a team of specialists with relevant function points analysis skills, it can be used to evaluate team performance across all departments within the company. At the same time, story points can be used within each project team to evaluate its performance using its internal resources and develop customized metrics based on each projects objectives. A combination of these two methods can provide the most effective team performance measurement solution.

References

Agile estimation  Whats the point? (n.d.).

French, D. (2016). Agile and function points: A winning combination [PDF document]. Web.

Oliveira, E. A., & Noya, R. C. (2013). Using productivity measure and function points to improve the software development process [PDF document].

Podjavo, I., & Berzisa, S. (2017). Performance ev aluation of software development project team. Environment. Technology. Resources. Proceedings of the 11^th International Scientific and Practical Conference. Volume II, 118  123. Web.

Salmanoglu, M., Hacaloglu, T., & Demirors, O. (2017). Effort estimation for Agile software development: Comparative case studies using COSMIC functional size measurement and story points. Proceedings of the 27^th International Workshop on Software Measurement and 12^th International Conference on Software Process and Product Measurement, 4149.

Santana, C., Leoneo, F., Vasconcelos, A., & Gusmao, C. (2011). Using function points in Agile projects. In A. Silitti, P. Hazzan, E. Bache & X. Albaledejo (Eds.), XP 2011: Agile processes in software engineering and extreme (pp. 176191).

Introduction

This studys design is experimental because the researchers have given the participants math tests; some groups received materials that stated the gender difference in results, while others did not have this statement on the cover sheet of their test. The purpose was to examine the effect of stereotype threat on womens performance during a math test.

Variables

With this study, the independent and dependent etymology should be used to label the variables because this is an experiment. The independent variable is the arousal effect, while the dependent variable is the math test results.

Conceptual Definitions of Variables

Conceptually, the arousal effect is linked to the presence of the stereotype threat in this experiment, which is the participants knowledge, or lack of it, regarding the commonly accepted opinions regarding their gender. In this case, these opinions were linked to the womens ability to perform well on a math test. Stereotype threat affects the behavior of individuals, leading to them behaving in a way that supports this stereotype. The math test results used in this experiment were separated into two categories: easy and difficult to show how the arousal effect helps perform better in an easier version of the test and hinders completion of difficult tasks.

Participants

The participants were selected based on their gender, and they were recruited through an introductory course in psychology. The authors did not have exclusion criteria since the participants enrolled to receive some credit for their psychology course, which also means that the researchers did not actively recruit these individuals. In total, 164 individuals participated; 105 of them were men and 59 women. In terms of ethnicity, 137 individuals were white, while other ethnic groups include African-Americans, Asian Americans, Latino, Indians, Native Americans, and mixed.

Procedure

The recruited individuals came to the laboratory and gave their consent to take part in this research. Next, the participants were given a math test and a questionnaire intended to measure their motivation and attitudes towards the test. Some groups received materials with the label stating that the test has shown to have gender differences, while others had a label that states that there were no gender differences. Additionally, the participants completed two versions of a math test, an easy one and a difficult one.

Measures/Operations Definitions

The independent variable was measured using the five-item questionnaire that assessed the motivation and attitudes towards the test, helping the researchers understand the motivation and apprehension. Next, the dependent variable was measured through the two math tests, a difficult and an easy one containing 15 SAT questions.

Hypothesis

• H1. Stereotype threat increases arousal;
• H2. People under stereotype threat perform poorly on difficult tasks;
• H3. Peoples performance on easy tasks is better under stereotype threat;

Results

H1, H2, and H3 were confirmed by this study, hence, as expected, stereotype threat caused arousal among women, and they performed better on the easy test while performing worse on the difficult version of it. These findings are consistent with other research, which shows how anticipation of a certain stereotype about a group causes its member to behave in a stereotypical manner.

Conclusion

In a broader sense, the results mean that womens performance at school or at work is affected by the social stereotypes, which typically factor in men. Due to the fact that women are aware of these stereotypes, their performance is impaired. Future research should be directed at examining the relationship between social stereotypes and peoples motivation towards tasks of varying difficulty.

Reference

OBrien, L. T. & Crandall, C. S. (2003). Stereotype threat and arousal: Effects on womens math performance. Performance & Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(6), 782-789. Web.

Introduction

Personality makes a difference in people as the qualities and characteristics of an individual determine some aspects. For instance, academic performance is directly or indirectly influenced by nature. Personality affects performance indirectly via motivations and attitudes, which develop perceptions of learning, investments in education, and the ways preferred in education. Therefore, the essence is fundamental in defining the academic success of individuals.

Personality

Personality combines traits and qualities that make an individuals unique character. Moreover, nature comprises self-concept, interests, emotional patterns, drives, and values. Based on these qualities and characteristics, there are four major personality types: phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholic, and choleric. The personality type of an individual has a significant impact on their academic performance. For instance, a confident Personality enables an individual to adjust better in college, and their overall well-being improves, directly reflecting good performance. I have a sanguine temperament, which helps me associate well with my peers, and my routine is commendable.

Personality Traits

Personality traits reflect individuals behaviors, feelings, thought patterns, and characteristics. These traits are characterized by stability and consistency, which are measured by specific test scores whereby a person who scores high on the tests is most likely sociable (Nomadhi et al., 2019). Regarding academic success, these personality traits are important: emotional stability, Conscientiousness, openness to experience, and extraversion. First, the extraversion personality trait influences academic performance negatively, while the conscientiousness personality trait positively and strongly impacts academic performance. If the personality traits do not have attributes of motivation towards learning academic performance, it turns out to be negative. However, if the characteristics motivate, a student registers good academic performance.

Personality Traits Influence on Academic Performance

The education sector has had rapid changes over the last decades. Emphasis on Personality as a determiner of academic success is among the factors contributing to these changes. Scientists and psychologists have concluded that some personalities enable one to succeed in school. The knowledge of these personalities will help be a key tool in decision-making so that a teacher can understand that different students perform differently based on their characters.

First, people have Conscientiousness, which refers to the ability of someone to pay attention and be careful. Conscientiousness positively impacts academic performance (Kassarnig et al., 2018). Extraversion, on the other hand, implies an outgoing individual and a fun lover. Emotional stability enables people to control their emotions and keep calm when under pressure. Being open to experience means being curious to know new places, ideas, and cultures, while agreeableness means that the person is not quick to get angered.

Next, the influence of personality traits on academic excellence is evaluated. Conscientiousness predicts academic performance strongly and is strongly related to scores in mathematics. This trait can also be measured by how well one organizes themselves since combining all these factors is a positive determinant of success. The success is consistent for the various grade levels such that if the child is performing well at the elementary level, the trait will go on and up to the college level. Moreover, conscientious individuals not only succeed in school but also in general life activities.

Next, emotional stability is another personality trait that influences academic performance directly. Sanity is reported as a strong predictor of academic success. Moreover, students lacking mental imbalances associate well with their classmates and have fewer issues with teachers since they always adhere to rules and regulations. The most effective tool to determine whether a student is mentally stable is by using a series of questions and observing their reactions. Reactions such as anxiety or getting worried and upset signify a lack of emotional balance. Extraversion means one is enthusiastic and they socialize easily. In this case, an extroverted student will be enthusiastic in school and participate in school activities hence positive performance.

Lastly, being open to get new ideas and experiences is the other determinant of academic performance. This trait begins at an early age and can be seen by their ability to explore their environment. This receptiveness has been used to measure individuals intelligence levels, and it has been revealed that people with this trait have higher IQs and, therefore, usually perform better in school. On the other hand, students who are not interested in experience are not curious and do not pay much attention in school, so they perform poorly.

Approaches to Ensure Success

A couple of strategies could be employed to ensure that students register quality grades in school. For instance, their teachers can assist introverted students in becoming more enthusiastic and lively; hence, their grades can improve. Students who lack emotional stability too can be placed under certain mentorship programs, which ensure that they gain stability over time, thus improving their grades. All other deficiencies in learning can be corrected to achieve the desired results.

Conclusion

In conclusion, personality traits impact academic performance, and teachers must understand their students personalities to know how to deal with them. Understanding the Personality of these students will also ensure that teachers come up with ways of improving the students performance. Parents should be aware that a childs Personality can be shaped as they grow depending on how they are brought up. This will enable the kids to receive proper guidance and eventually improve academically. Therefore, all personality traits can be shaped to produce the desired outcomes.

References

Bergner, R. M. (2020). What is Personality? Two myths and a definition. New Ideas in Psychology, 57, 100759. Web.

Kassarnig, V., Mones, E., Bjerre-Nielsen, A., Sapiezynski, P., Dreyer Lassen, D., & Lehmann, S. (2018). Academic performance and behavioral patterns. EPJ Data Science, pp. 7, 116.

MacCann, C., Jiang, Y., Brown, L. E., Double, K. S., Busch, M., & Minbashian, A. (2020). Emotional intelligence predicts academic performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(2), 150186.

Normadhi, N. B. A., Shuib, L., Nasir, H. N. M., Bimba, A., Idris, N., & Balakrishnan, V. (2019). Identification of personal traits in an adaptive learning environment: Systematic literature review. Computers & Education, 130, 168-190. Web.

Research design

In this project, I was interested in determining whether there is a relationship between academic performance in reading and academic performance in science courses. The study sought to test the following hypothesis:

• H₀: There is a significant correlation between reading performance and performance in science courses.
• H₁: There is no correlation between reading performance and performance in science courses.

To test this hypothesis, I used a correlation research design in this project. Correlation refers to a measure of the degree of association between independent variables and dependent variables (Cresswell, 2003). Coefficients of correlation can range from a negative one to a positive one, and it is a dimensionless quantity (Cresswell, 2003). Besides indicating a possible causal relationship, correlation can be used to demonstrate a predictive relationship in this project.

When considering a linear relationship between variables, one must have a dependent and independent variable. The data should be continuous because if it is categorical then the best-suited measure of the association will be a chi-square. I found this type of design relevant since the study seeks to determine the relationship between two quantitative variables to predict or explain the results. The independent variable in this study included proficiency in reading while the dependent variable was comprised of scores in science courses. I collected data from a selected school from the Department of Education database.

Sample size

The sample size for this project included 54 students who took both reading and science courses during the 2013-2014 academic year. The participants were on average between the ages of ten and thirteen. The scores were for the same students and the same grade reading and science achievement scores.

Data analysis

I utilized the statistical package SPSS for window application to perform all the data analysis. The SPSS program avails the capabilities for the data to be analyzed fully and flexible (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2003). The tools provided by SPSS include the Shapiro-Wilk test, Pearson correlation, and linear regression test.

Once I obtained the data, I checked to confirm whether it was normal using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The Shapiro-Wilk test analyzes whether the sample population is normally distributed. The null hypothesis for this sample is that the population is normally distributed. When the p-value is less than the chosen alpha value (0.05), then the null hypothesis that the population is normally distributed is rejected. If the p-value is equal or greater than the chosen alpha value, the null hypothesis is accepted. From the following table, I did not reject the null hypothesis since all sig values (P- Values) were greater than 0.05 hence the data is normal at a 95% confidence interval (Cresswell, 2003).

I used Pearson correlation to assess the relationship between performance in reading and performance in science courses.

From the table above there is a positive linear correlation of 0.662. Therefore, there is a positive relationship between the ability of the student to read and their ability to pass science courses. The higher the pupils ability to read the higher their test scores in science and vice versa.

To get a model relationship, I performed a regression analysis. Regression analysis is a statistical tool for evaluating the relationship of one or more independent variable {x_1, x_{2, &,} x_n} to a single continuous dependent variable y. It attempts to establish the nature of a relationship between variables thus provide a mechanism for predicting or forecasting. In this case, I performed simple regression since the regression study, in this case, is confined to a study of only two variables. I utilized a linear regression test to determine whether performance in reading can predict proficiency in science courses.

The model can explain 43.9% of the variation in the dependent variable (Science). The remainder is due to chance or other factors. The value of Durbin-Watson of 2.051 indicates that the data is independent.

The table above reports a significant F-statistics [F (1, 52) =40.676, P  Value>0.0001] indicating a significant and valid model.

From the model, all the parameters are significant since they have p-values greater than 0.05. Therefore, all parameters contribute to the model.

The model is given by Science = bo + b1Reading.

Science= 21.160 + 0.589Reading.

A unit increase in reading leads to an increase in science score by 0.589.

References

Cresswell, J. W. (2003). Research Design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approach. London: Sage Publications.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2003). Research Methods for Business Students. London: Prentice Hall.

Abstract

The experiment investigated the impact of the touch and hunt-and-peck typing methods on speed and accuracy aspects. A Black/African American female senior UNF undergraduate student was considered for the experiment. The entire activity ran from Monday, February 22nd, 2021 to April 16, 2021, starting from 6:00 p.m. to 6:10 p.m. The speed was calculated as the mean time taken to type a given time. The participant took 5.23 and 7.16 minutes to type the given paragraph using the touch and hunt-and-peck typing techniques, respectively. Therefore, touch keyboarding is faster than the hunt-and-peck typing method. The accuracy was established by determining the spelling errors of the two approaches. It was found that the spelling error of touch and hunt-and-peck typing were 15% and 22%, respectively. Therefore, the touch-typing strategy is more accurate than the hunt-and-peck technique. The results are not definitive because of the small number of participants. Only one candidate was considered, and she had underlying conditions that might have affected her performance. Therefore, future analysis should consider a larger pool of participants to ensure the accuracy of the results.

Background

Currently, there is a widespread use of computers in different sectors from workplaces to schools. Therefore, typing is a frequent activity for many people and needs to be developed for beginners. The speed and accuracy vary among individuals, mostly because of different typing styles. Some of the common techniques include hunt-and-peck and touch typing (Rieger & Bart, 2016). The latter strategy is also referred to as 10 fingers, and when typing, one does not look at the keyboard, but focuses on the screen (Rieger & Bart, 2016). The hunt-and-peck typing involves using one finger of each hand, and the person looks at the keyboard instead of the screen (Rieger & Bart, 2016). Some studies allude that the speed and accuracy of typing are influenced by the different approaches employed. However, little research has been conducted in this respect, as a result, the current study aims to assess the gains associated with touch typing regarding speed and accuracy. It is expected that touch typing has a positive effect because individuals can correct mistakes made without the need for proofreading and is based on kinesthetic feedback, making it faster to type and concentrate.

Literature Review

Limited studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of different styles on the speed and accuracy of typing. van Weerdenburg et al. (2019), performed an analysis to assess the effects of touch-typing on spelling and narrative-writing skills. The authors considered 207 students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 using a pre-test-post-test method. The 154 students experimental group utilized the touch-typing strategy, whereas the rest in control used different techniques. It was found that participants in the experimental cohort showed better progress in typing, spelling, and narrative writing. Therefore, the touch-typing approach influences some aspects, such as spelling and narrative writing.

Rieger and Bart (2016) conducted another study that examined how typing style and using different sources of information affect typing. The authors consider 10 finger and idiosyncratic typist, and they found that the former category paid less attention to the keyboard and more attention to different templates of information compared to the latter. Therefore, the accuracy of typing using touch keyboarding is expected to be high because an individual focuses on the task.

Donica et al. (2018) conducted an experiment to compare techniques that can be employed to improve keyboard skills for elementary students. The authors acknowledge an increase of using computers by students for different undertakings. Therefore, they need to develop typing skills to help them write essays and assignments. Donica et al. (2018) claim that touch-typing is more automatic, faster, and accurate than the hunt-and-peck approach. The authors compared the development of keyboarding skills using the KWT® curriculum and free web-based exercise. However, the study does not investigate this hypothesis, confirming the need for further assessment to compare the speed and accuracy of touch-typing and hunt-and-peck approach.The literature review illustrates that some studies have been conducted to determine the effects of different typing styles. The articles considered have not focused on how techniques influence speed and accuracy. Therefore, the current experiment aimed to determine the impact of hunt-and-peck and touch-typing on the speed and accuracy of typing.

Background/Theoretical

The experiment investigated the impacts of hunt-and-peck and touch-typing methods on the speed and accuracy of typing. The performance of the two methods was determined using statistics tools. The mean values for the speed and accuracy of hunt-and-peck and touch-typing strategies were compared, and a conclusion was made. The speed was measured based on the time required to write a given paragraph. The method that requires less time can be considered to have a higher speed of the two. The accuracy was determined based on the percentage of spelling error, which was determined by the number of deviations made, divided by the total words in a paragraph.

The method with a smaller spelling error is the most accurate of the two strategies.

Aim, Hypotheses, and Scope

The study aimed to assess how touch and hunt-and-peck typing techniques affect speed and accuracy. It was hypothesized that the touch method is faster and more accurate than the hunt-and-peck typing strategy because it is more automatic, is based on kinesthetic feedback, and a person can detect errors easily. It is expected that participants will require less time and make few spelling errors when typing using the touch keyboarding strategy. The scope of the study involves investigation of similar literature, compare the accuracy and speed of touch and hunt-and-peck typing techniques from an actual experiment, and lastly, outline the findings in a formal report.

Methodology

Apparatus

The experiment was conducted using Keybr, a program aimed at helping to learn touch typing (Typing Practice, 2020). For this study, touch typing was defined as typing through muscle memory without using the sense of sight to find the keys on the keyboard (Typing Practice, 2020). The participant completed this study using an iMac (Retina 5k, 27-inch, 2020) Processor 3.8 GHz 8- Core Intel Core i7 to access Keybr (Typing Practice, 2020).

Participants, Location, and Training

The participant in this study was a Black/African American cis-gender female senior UNF undergraduate student. She was 23 years of age at the time of the experiment. There were a few limitations that could prevent the participant from performing at the maximum capability. She was diagnosed with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. The participant was right-handed and had all fingers with cut-down nails at the time of this study. The experiment was conducted at the participants home office due to the Covid-situation. The location was quiet, and noise or any other destruction was not experienced. Keyboarding is a skill acquired through training, and it involves the combination of visual and kinesthetic feedback to locate keys. It is a complex motor activity that involves different sequences to become efficient. Therefore, the participant was trained on the Keybr program and the typing techniques before conducting the test.

Procedure

The tests were conducted at a consistent time and days starting from Monday, February 22nd, 2021, to April 16, 2021, starting from 6:00 p.m. to 6:10 p.m. The participant was subject to training by logging onto her computer and accessing the Keybr website. She then spent 10 minutes familiarizing herself with the program, as well as train on the different types of typing. Time was tracked on her iPhone 11 during the training sessions. During testing, the participant followed the same procedure to access materials. The accuracy was determined using a spelling task, which was undertaken through diction with 10 sentences. The number of misspelled words was divided by the total words to obtain the spelling error. Every deviation from the original spelling was considered to be an error. The speed was determined by measuring the time taken to type are paragraph using both the touch and hunt-and-peck typing strategies.

Results

Descriptive statistics were calculated, and the mean score and standard deviations are recorded in Table 1. Figure 1 compares the computed average duration required to type the same paragraph using touch and hunt-and-peck typing strategies. Figure 2 illustrates the means score for the spelling errors for the two methods considered in the analysis. The accuracy was determined using percentage spelling errors, which were established by counting the number of words that deviated from the original spelling.

Table 1. The calculated mean score and standard deviations for the speed and accuracy for touch and hunt-and-peck typing strategies.

Discussion

The study focused on determining the speed and accuracy of touch and hunt-and-peck typing strategies. The speed was measured by determining the time taken to write a given paragraph. The mean time was used as the measure for speed. The average mean time for tying the paragraph was obtained as 5.23 and 7.16 minutes for the touch and hunt-and-peck typing techniques, respectively. It was found that the time taken to type using the touch method was less compared to the duration required when using hunt-and-peck typing strategies, as illustrated in Figure 1. Therefore, it can be concluded that the touch technique is faster than the hunt-and-peck typing method.

The accuracy of the two methods was also determined using spelling errors. The values were obtained using equation 1, where the number of words that deviated from the original spelling was counted and then divided with the total words in the given paragraph. The method of the smallest spelling error is the most accurate of the two strategies. The mean spelling errors were calculated as 15% and 22% for the touch and hunt-and-peck typing techniques, respectively. Hence, the touch tying method has the smallest spelling error, as illustrated in Figure 2. Therefore, it is the most accurate technique compared to the hunt-and-peck typing techniques. Moreover, the strategy gave the smallest standard deviation for both the accuracy and speed test (2.18 and 1.45), an indication that the findings are much accurate than those of the hunt-and-peck typing technique. However, the method takes more time to train because one must know the position of the keys by memory. Some individuals might take a longer time to train on touch-keyboarding than others. Therefore, the performance of the touch keyboarding might be subject to the experience, training level, or mental capabilities of an individual.

The findings confirm a claim by Donica et al. (2018) that the hunt-and-pick method is not an efficient typing strategy. The authors state that it can be employed as a functional technique for beginners. They also suggested that the touch-typing method is efficient because it is fast. Therefore, the results confirm this hypothesis because it was found that touch keyboarding requires less time to type a given paragraph, and also the spelling errors are fewer compared to the hunt-and-pick technique. Donica et al. (2018) state that touch-typing is efficient because it involves using both hands that work synchronously to navigate and press the keys when typing. Furthermore, a person relies on kinesthetics feedback rather than visual to locate keys, which is much faster. Additionally, the authors argue that kinesthetics feedback enables an individual to focus on the task, which enhances performance in terms of speed and accuracy. Therefore, it is recommendable to train using touch-typing to improve on speed, accuracy, and quality.

The results obtained are preliminary, and not definitive because only one participant was considered. More accurate data can be attained by considering more individuals. Controls groups should also be considered to determine the speed and accuracy of the different methods. The findings agree with the literature that touch keyboarding is efficient than the hunt-and-pick method (Donica et al.,2018). Therefore, they can be considered to be correct with a recommendation for more investigation in the future.

Conclusion

The objective of the study was to compare the performance of touch keyboarding and the hunt-and-pick typing method. The analysis was motivated by the scarcity of literature on the impacts of different typing strategies on speed and accuracy. A single participant was considered in the analysis, where she was first trained to use the Keybr program and tying using the two methods. After this, the speed and accuracy were determined by measuring the time taken to type a given paragraph and the spelling error calculated. It was found that touch keyboarding was the fastest and more accurate technique because the participant took less time to type the paragraph and made fewer spelling errors compared to the hunt-and-pick typing method. Therefore, it was concluded that the touch-typing method is superior to the hunt-and-pick strategy, and individuals should consider training on the former to improve their performance with respect to speed, accuracy, and quality. The hypothesis was confirmed, but it was suggested that future experiments with a large sample size should be undertaken because the study considered only one participant.

References

Donica, D. K., Giroux, P., & Faust, A. (2018). Keyboarding instruction: Comparison of techniques for improved keyboarding skills in elementary students. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 11(4), 396-410. Web.

Rieger, M., & Bart, V. K. (2016). Typing style and the use of different sources of information during typing: an investigation using self-reports. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(1908), 1-12. Web.

Typing practice. (2020). Keybr. Web.

van Weerdenburg, M., Tesselhof, M., & van der Meijden, H. (2019). Touchtyping for better spelling and narrativewriting skills on the computer. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 35(1), 143-152. Web.

Research Methodology

Research Problem

Due to the economic downturn, the State of Georgias legislature passed a bill that eliminated size limits for the class, including both regular and special education students. In addition to the states change, Henry County has made a new policy that affects social studies and science classes in middle schools. The county no longer has co-taught or collaborative classes for these subjects regarding special education. The special education students are given paraprofessional support instead of fully certified special educators.

The focus of the research will center on one of Henry Countys twelve middle schools, Ola Middle School (OMS), in McDonough, GA. McDonough is a suburban community located twenty-five miles southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. The middle school serves students in the age bracket of eleven to fourteen/fifteen in grade levels 6, 7, and 8 with approximately one thousand two hundred and seventy-eight students. With the increased class sizes and OMS having the highest percentage of students with disabilities in the county it will impact the overall learning of every student is not only the social studies classes but all classes (AOL, 2008). The research will also build on previous research that suggests the benefit of teaching in smaller classes for higher academic achievement.

Statement

Increased class sizes to include more special education students while only providing paraprofessional support of special education students within social studies classes will impact overall student performance.

Instruments

The mixed-method approach to research will be the most appropriate way to evaluate the situation. The qualitative research will be used to establish the educators viewpoint and assessment of the impact of these changes on the students performance. It will be done through a quantitative questionnaire based on a Likert scale. Likert scales are the most common instruments in research. Using this approach to evaluating the data, students are to be asked different questions that measure the extent of agreement and disagreement.

The scale under consideration always leaves the students the right to be neutral if there are an uneven number of choices like it has been proposed by the questionnaire. It should also be stressed that the research is primarily based on a Likert item, but not on a Likert scale that presupposes either positive or negative replies to statements. In our case, the research involves a five-level Likert item.

Strongly agree

1. Agree.
2. Neither agree nor disagree.
3. Disagree.
4. Strongly disagree (Ary et al., 2009, p. 209).

The benefit of using this instrument for evaluating the survey is much more beneficial than using scales. In particular, the Likert scale provides more distortion to results if there are no chances to abstain from taking a particular side, which contributes to the reliability and validity of the presented research. Hence, a 5-points scale will assist students in measuring the statements from strongly agree to strongly disagree answers. Such a scale will be used to respond to class size and special education statements. The general information questionnaire will be based on a multiple-choice approach where five different variants are given to choose from.

Another instrument to be used in the research is individual interviews and observation allowing the research to be more objective. In such a case, the interviews should be based on psychological questions where it is purposeful to avoid direct questions. The observations should also be latent to keep the research pure and valid.

Data Analysis

The questionnaire will be implemented to establish if middle school teachers agree or disagree with what the change from special educators to paraprofessional support for students with disabilities in social studies classes while class sizes increased and if this change has impacted student performance. Teachers will be given an informed consent/acknowledgment form to fill out before any research will be conducted.

Participants will also be informed that their responses to the questionnaire will not be shared with others, but used for research data only as the surveys are anonymous. All of their information will be kept confidential throughout the entire research process.

Raw Data Analysis

While choosing a multiple-choice questionnaire, the instrument implementation is aimed at gathering qualitative data that will be further processed and turned into percentages and statistical data. When applying to a Likert item, the research seeks to collect gather quantitative data as well, but the results will be more general. About this perspective, the approximate results should reveal to define the percentage of paraprofessional specialists and special educations to prove that the former groups dominate in number. The quantitative data collected from a Likert item will allow identifying the extent to which the class size and special education issue influence students performance.

Procedure

There will be 16 social studies teachers, 16 special educators, and 12 paraprofessionals participating in the study. Each participant will all be given an equal opportunity to respond to the questionnaire via survey monkey. They will be given the same questionnaire, which includes 12 questions. The questions will be divided into three sections: general information, questions about class sizes, and questions about special education.

The general question will be presented to establish the area of expertise of the person completing the survey, such as education level, area/s of certification, current teaching position, and years of service. While quantitative research methods will shed light on the numerical aspects in which students performance is judged and to what extent actual class sizes have increased. This will be accomplished through researching data in the schools demographic files and class size information.

Information to be collected includes changes in class sizes from each school year to the next, increases of special education students in said classrooms, and academic scores of classes (not student-specific). The third form of data to be collected will be in the form of interviews. Interviews of 6 individuals will be performed.

A Likert scale survey will be created and collected through surveymonkey.com. The online survey machine site will allow a researcher to enter specific questions and answering methods. A hyperlink to the survey will be included in an email distributed to the participants at OMS. The responses will be tabulated and the results will be forwarded to my email account for analysis. The six individual interviews will be by two regular educators, two special educators, and two paraprofessionals each from different grade levels within the group.

The statistical data will be charted on a graph to compare the changes in class sizes over time. Both regular education and special education student numbers will be recorded and evaluated. The instruments used for the statistical data collection will be basic: pencil and paper. The information obtained from the schools records that are relevant to the topic will be recorded and analyzed. The chart of the data will then be created using a computer.

The procedure will also involve interviews and observations. Hence, there will be a set of questions that a student should answer, and the researchers role is to deduce the necessary information from these questions. The observations will be conducted weekly in order not to attract much attention from the students.

Cluster sampling from one of the twelve middle schools within the given district will work well with methodology because it provides a more manageable and realistically workable group. The cluster will include general education teacher and paraprofessionals working within social studies classrooms with a student with disabilities and all remaining special educators who have worked in co-taught social studies classrooms, excluding me, within the past five years at OMS for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades (School Matters, 2008). The target audience for the project will not only include the participating educators but also administrators, department chairs, entire OMS faculty.

My role as the researcher will be to identify the problem area and establish the initial question. Then background information was collected and analyzed through an extensive literature review before a hypothesis could be fully stated in regards to how the change in classroom settings has impacted students. Data will need to be collected in the forms of teacher/paraprofessional surveys, grade performance, and class size changes for three years. Once the data has all been collected, it will have to be analyzed and interpreted.

The bias that is foreseen relates to the fact that I am a special educator first and a social studies content teacher second. As a special educator, I feel students with learning disabilities need full co-taught or collaborative settings for all academic subjects; not just math and language arts. Reading comprehension or processing deficiencies are not limited to two subjects but span all areas and aspects of the students education. I will have to be especially mindful of not looking for data to support my theory in this matter and focus on the facts the data is providing.

The information that will be collected through the three data sources will describe the teachers perspective regarding changes in services and delivery methods and how these changes have impacted the students and their academic performance. The data will be collected and then this researcher will use a spreadsheet to compile the answers to the questionnaire. Once the data is completed, the researcher will compile it using spreadsheets. Results from the questionnaires will be tallied and calculated into percentages. Responses will be displayed using various tables and graphs. Information will be both lexis and numerical for a more complete picture of the state of the learning environment.

Survey Questions

General Information

• What is your current education level?

  • Doctoral;
  • Specialist;
  • Masters;
  • Bachelors;
  • Some college.
• What is your current position at OMS?

  • Gen Ed Teacher;
  • Special Ed Teacher;
  • Sp Education Paraprofessional.
• How many years have you been in the education profession?

  • 16+;
  • 15-12;
  • 11-8;
  • 7-4;
  • 3-0.
• For the remaining sections, the following scale will be used:

  • Strongly agree-SA;
  • Agree-A;
  • Neither agree nor disagree-N;
  • Disagree-D;
  • Strongly Disagree-SD.

Class size information

• Larger class sizes contribute to a decrease in student achievement.

  • SA;
  • A;
  • N;
  • D;
  • SD.
• Smaller class sizes allow more time for teachers to spend individually with students, which can increase student achievement.

  • SA;
  • A;
  • N;
  • D;
  • SD.
• Student achievement is not affected by class size.

  • SA;
  • A;
  • N;
  • D;
  • SD.

Special education information

• The change from co-taught social studies classes to paraprofessional support classes for students with learning disabilities has not changed the overall students academic performance.

  • SA;
  • A;
  • N;
  • D;
  • SD.
• I believe students with learning disabilities are best served in Social students classes with paraprofessional support instead of certified special educators.

  • SA;
  • A;
  • N;
  • D;
  • SD.
• Increased numbers of special education students within social studies classes affect student achievement.

  • SA;
  • A;
  • N;
  • D;
  • SD.
• The increased responsibility of the general educator, without a special educator in the classroom, has impacted the performance of special education students.

  • SA;
  • A;
  • N;
  • D;
  • SD.
• The increased responsibility of the general educator, without a special educator in the classroom, has impacted the performance of regular education students.

  • SA;
  • A;
  • N;
  • D;
  • SD.
• The increased ratio of special education students to general education students has negatively impacted student performance.

  • SA;
  • A;
  • N;
  • D;
  • SD.

Reference List

AOL, (2008). AOL Real estate. Web.

Ary, D., Cheser, L., Razavieh, A. and Sorensen, C. (2009). Introduction to Research in Education. US: Cengage Learning.

School Matters, (2008). School matters: Standards and poors. Web.

Introduction

The play Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, as all the masterpieces of the prominent writer, raised the themes of love, hatred, betrayal, and honor; the performance transfers the reader into the atmosphere of religious oppression and human portrayal of the central character, villainous Shylock. The play remains relevant, and it resonates clearly and loudly adopting the viewers to the elements of Shakespearean usual style reflected in each of his works. The viewers had an opportunity to dive into the depth of the Shakespearean epoch feeling the reflection of the authors intention to show the central conflict based on love and money.

Performance Overview

The production discloses the dealings between Christian noblemen, Bassanio and Antonio, and Jewish moneylender Shylock. Antonio borrows money to help Bassanio and Portia; while Shylock is completely irritated with racial slurs, and insult Antonio, which leads to the identification of special repayment terms. In the case of Antonios default, the flesh pound will be extended by Shylock. It is necessary to stress that the play of the actors clearly shows all the emotions and feelings in their interpersonal attitude; thus, arrogant Venetians used to perceive Shylocks commitment as a certain jest, but desired revenge is unexpectedly heightened by the elopement of his daughter Jessica and Bassanios friend Lorenzo. Gradually the acts move us to the scene when Antonio has no opportunity to repay the loan through falter of his business; nevertheless, Shylock is about to collect all the debts.

Critical Analysis

The performance demonstrates the wonderful tragic elements play by Portia and Bassanio, making the production be presented in the form of a romantic comedy. The play is concentrated on the idea of making oppressed Shylock be the central oppressor, resulting in abuse suffering, and enforcement to become a Christian. The scenes are performed in a way to show the viewers considerable focus on intolerance and religion being closely interacted with the concepts of love and devotion. The character of Shylock evokes compassion through him being cruelly treated underlining his desire for vengeance.

The way the play is performed is considered to be the reflection of the Shakespearean epoch disclosing the most important human values and religious motives promoted in society. It is necessary to underline the fact that the play managed to depict two central moralities being contrasted to each other; the symbolization of rightful revenge stressed through the image of Shylock is contradicted to the concept of unconditional forgiveness by Portia. Theatres performance turned the story into ambivalent and ambiguous human frailty.

Personal Opinion

I liked that the actors managed to present the depth of Shakespearean style and theme. It is necessary to underline the idea that the concept of hatred demonstrated by actors play can be characterized as a cyclical phenomenon. Throughout the play, one can observe how Shylock absorbs the lessons provided by Christian neighbors; this element is considered to be an integral part of the actors play and the way of court argument presentation. One should stress that the first scene with Shylock is based on his attempts to harm and insult Antonio; with the play continuation, the character is filled with reasoning concepts and he starts living under the pressure of abuse experience making certain considerations as to his attitude to others.

The villainy you teach me I will execute,
And it shall go hard but I will better the instruction (Shakespeare, 60)

Some faults of Shylocks performance are blamed through poor teachings and inadequate behavior in interpersonal relationships; nevertheless, the motives of Christianity are reflected in the manner the character perceives the world.

What was the most impressive, it is the performance decoration; I would like to analyze is dressing of the actors presented in the play. Every scene of the play creates the environment of Shakespearean time; the period of dukes and merchants is underlined through the usage of particular decorations. Ancient style is underlined through the characters dressing. Besides, it is necessary to underline the fact that twice in the performance the execution of daring escapes is illustrated using cross-dressing. It is a kind of device being particular for the drama of Renaissance epoch; Jessica tries to escape Shylocks house tedium, Nerissa and Portia managed to pose as officers rescuing Antonio, etc. This method is considered to be a bright characteristic of Shakespearean theatre, where women were completely banned from taking part in the stage, and as a result, prepubescent boys performed their parts. The performance shows that the writer used to stick to crossdressing method quite often in his works, especially in various comedies. Nevertheless, it is important to note that in The Merchant of Venice, Portia reflects the fact that mens clothes donning is not only the method of underlining the comedy genre.

Ill prove the prettier fellow of the two,
and wear my dagger with the braver grace (Shakespeare, 77)

The crossdressing method used in the performance is considered to be the device of male authority imitation which can be easily prevented by a woman. The words proclaimed by Portia are aimed at showing that she can outwit any of her male competitors. It is the device of showing, how a woman can assume the position and power of the man through wearing male clothes.

The play appeared to be impressing, involving, and professionally done. The reflection of central Shakespearean themes devoted to love and hatred are considered the most interested and informative. The decorations, clothes, manner of speaking, and behavior of the actors were concentrated on the outline of contrast between the Christians and Shylock; the protagonists interest in financial welfare and business running appeared to have a symbolical value drawing a transparent line between past and present. It is necessary to underline the idea that the illustration of Christianity motives is aimed at underlining the treasure and power of love, in its contrast to material values, taking the central place in Shylocks life. There is the scene where Shylock screams in regrets and sorrow about his daughter; this episode stressed that the character values his child as money and business. The performance disclosed to us the real-time of the ancient epoch with all details concerning human values, behaviors, and interests. (Shakespeare, 1868)

Conclusion

The performance presentation appeared to be the disclosure of the Renaissance epoch of Shakespearean time; the play of the actors can be characterized through high emotionality and complete effective involvement in the role they had to depict. The Merchant of Venice is referred to as a romantic comedy with the elements of drama being typical for the works of Shakespeare. The language used by the performers is considered to be adapted for the plays easy perception; the production of high quality can be underlined through the professional play of the actors and beautiful decorations reflecting the atmosphere of the ancient period. The play appeared to be relevant through its disclosure of global themes of humanity, even though they were presented ironically. The interaction of love and hatred, devotion and betrayal, faith and religious oppression, are the central concepts highlighted in the performance; the Merchant of Venice was presented as an involving and thought-provoking romantic comedy, which is considere4d to be the real masterpiece and treasure of humanity.

References

Shakespeare, W. The Merchant of Venice. 2^nd Edition. Clarendon Press, 1868.

Research Participants

The participants of this research were primarily drawn from the linguistic class of 2011. This constituted a sample of 74 students. The students answered the survey questions covering questions about age, gender, different kinds of marks and total grade. The sample size therefore consisted of 74 respondents based on the assumptions that all answered the questions and that the answers they provide were valid for researches analysis. The participants were classified into two major categories based on their questionnaire responses. This included the English speakers as a first language, and the speakers of English as a second language. These two broad groups widely informed the direction and techniques adopted in completion of this research.

Location of study

The study was conducted within the university with the linguistics class of 2011 being the primary target. This location was chosen on basis of its accessibility and ease of data collection (Leinhardt & Leinhardt, 2009).

Research design

Design of this research was motivated by it requirements and ease of accessibility to these requirements. The materials utilized in this research were readily available within the college. This will limit the time and resources necessary to acquire data samples (Hoaglin, 1983). These included data base course description, survey questionnaires. The marks obtained in each part formed the researches internal data. The procedure involved identification of a team of four participants. The participants then identified the appropriate research questions and hence the appropriate statistics tool to use in analysis. The research questions included the following:

• How does L1 and L2 compare to the total marks scored by the students?
• Does L2 negatively affect students performance?
• Is L1 superior to L2 with regard to students total mark scores?

Study hypothesis

Students who learn English as their first language perform better than the counterparts who gave English as their first language. This assumption will guide the findings of this research whereby the researcher will try to establish if the student with English as their second language score higher average total marks as compared to their counterparts who have English as a second language.

Data collection

Collection of data was limited to the aforementioned sample population. Basically the data collected was aimed at assisting in study of the correlation between L1 (English as first language), and L2 (other languages as first language) to the total marks scored by students. Firstly, L1 (English as 1st language) or L2 (other languages as 1st language) were recorded into new variable to L1 speak (the whole groups name). In this group, 1 means L1 speaker, 2 means L2 speaker. Despite comprising of a number of languages, L2 was simply recorded as non-English speakers.

Data analysis

These research questions guided the choice of the best statistical tool to use in evaluation of student performance. A quantitative research approach was adopted whereby descriptive statistics was employed. These included correlation analysis, T-test, and regression analysis (Andrienko & Andrienko, 2005; Mann, 1995).). This was done with the help of SPSS data analysis software.

Descriptive statistics will simply elaborate what obtained data reflect with respect to the research questions (William, 2006). On their basis, the researcher will be able to establish the probability of one group of students succeeding as compared to the others whereby the groups are L1 and L2

References

Andrienko, N. & Andrienko, G. (2005). Statistical Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Data. A Systematic Approach. London: Springer.

Hoaglin, D. C. (1983). Understanding Robust and Exploratory Data Analysis. : London: McGraw Hill.

Leinhardt, G. & Leinhardt, S. (2009). Data Analysis: New Tools for the Analysis of Empirical Data, Review of Research in Education, Vol. 8, pp. 85157.

Mann, P. S. (1995). Introductory Statistics, 2nd Edition, London: Wiley.

William M. K. (2006). Descriptive statistics. Research Methods Knowledge Base.