School Inspections Improve School Quality Education Essay

School Inspections Improve School Quality Education Essay Introduction This critical appraisal of a research article entitled Do school inspections improve school quality? Ofsted inspections and school examination results in the UK looks at the research methodology, style and approach adopted by the writer, Leslie Rosenthal. The article has been chosen as it discusses whether the inspection process, that has been designed to improve standards in schools, actually make exam results worse, in particularly in the year during inspection. If the researchers theory is found to be correct, this would lead to questions about the effectiveness, and value for money of the inspection process. The objectives for carrying out a critical appraisal of this piece of research are to identify the research approach that has been adopted the research style that has been used the intended research population how information will be gained from the research population the research instruments used any other considerations such as validity, reliability and credibility Each of the objectives will be discussed in turn, making explicit reference to the research article and current research methods literature. A summary of findings will be presented at the end of the assignment. Background Leslie Rosenthal (2004) states that Improving the quality of state-funded secondary school education remains a major explicit policy aim in the UK and is the central means by which state-provided education in the UK is now regulated, though a system of inspections carried out by the Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted), set up in 1992. Research has been conducted which looks at the exam results of state-funded ,non-selective English secondary schools that had been inspected during the year of the exams. Rosenthal, L. (2004) describes the research as empirical research several times throughout the text. The data used for the research has come from publicly available material based on the exam success of 15-16 year old students in state-funded school. This measure of performance, from secondary school performance tables, is used to test the proposition that in the year of an Ofsted inspection, the measure of the quality of the school changes. Empirical research is described as research of any phenomenon that results in outwardly measurable criteria, or can be verified by observation or used to derive a particular interpretation, (Opie, C. 2006). Empirical research lends itself to quantitative approaches in educational research in order to lead to generalisability. This means that the research findings can be applied to other settings than where they where originally founded in order to show that the statement is true (CEM, 2009).This could be important to empirical or experimental research where the research design may not be ethical or practical in the required setting, but the results could be compared from another setting. Empirical research is described by Verma and Mallick (2004) as the starting point to a research problem, with a view to explaining important factors or what happened after the research has been carried out. This implies that the research has been carried out with an open mind and results should not b e corrupt or biased. Rosenthal carried out empirical research using data from the year previous to, and post Ofsted inspection to confirm the validity and generalisability of the results obtained (these terms will be discussed in more detail under objective 6). The purpose of this is to show that there exists a small negative effect on exam results during the year that Ofsted inspects a school, even though the general philosophy of the agencys approach is described by its own motto as Improvement through Inspection, and one of their four objectives is to raise standards of achievement by students in exams (Ofsted, 1995). Objective 1 Identify the research approach that has been adopted The overall approach to the research that was carried out by Rosenthal was a quantitative approach. Bryman, (2008) describes quantitative research as deductive and testing theory rather than being inductive or generating theory as with qualitative analysis. The theoretical and conceptual structure of the research is determined before testing it through empirical observation. Quantitative research is not merely number crunching but is the use of theory to deduce a hypothesis. Primary or secondary information is then gathered to test the hypothesis. Primary information research involves gathering new data by means of written questionnaire, survey, or face to face and telephone interviews. However, Rosenthal used secondary information, which is research or information that has already been collected by somebody else, in this case, Government officials collecting data about schools to measure attainment and performance. To carry out quantitative research, any information, whether from primary or secondary sources, needs to be processed in some way in order to quantify it. Rosenthal has used statistical measures to analyse the secondary data and show the effects of Ofsted inspections in school quality. Opie, (2006) describes quantitative research as being objective and positivistic as opposed to subjective and anti-positivistic. Objectivity can be defined as unbiased and open-minded, and that only one interpretation or meaning can be drawn from the data, where as a subjective point of view is regarded as belonging to an individual as a result of their own consciousness or thought. Subjectivity is not based on facts that can be demonstrated or observed, but could in fact be interpreted in different ways. This piece of research has been based on facts from secondary information, and independent variables that could have a positive or negative effect on results have been tested to ensure that the results are unbiased and can not be interpreted in different ways therefore demonstrating the quantitative nature of the research. Objective 2 Identify the research style that has been used The style of research that has been adopted by the researcher is Evaluation Research. According to Burton Bartlett (2005), evaluation research is used to assess the effectiveness of specific projects to see if the original aims have been met. Rosenthal states that the objective of the research is to investigate the direct influence of Ofsted inspections on exam performance of inspected schools for the year of the inspection, as one of the four objectives for inspection is to raise the standards of achievement by students (in exams). In other words, the research has been carried out to evaluate how effective the inspection process has been at raising student achievement in exams at GCSE level. Evaluation research is often funded by government in order to evaluate the effectiveness of policies or procedures, and can be broken down into formative and summative evaluation. According to Trochim and Donnelly (2007) formative evaluation research is carried out during a program or activity in order to form the direction or strengthen the outcomes of the activity. The formative research is used as a method of improving the quality of an activity by looking at the needs, conceptualisation, implementation and processes of the activity. Summative evaluation research looks to summarise the activity in terms of meeting objectives, cost-analysis and impact. The research may be conducted to improve performance or processes if the activity is to be repeated, or to carry out secondary analysis, which re-examines existing data to answer new questions that may have arisen from the activity. Rosenthals research is summative as it is not intended to improve the processes of inspection, but to summarise whether or not the inspection has met its own objectives of raising standards of achievement in exams. Objective 3 Identify the intended research population The indented research population is clearly stated by Rosenthal, in section 4 of the report as state-funded, non-selective English secondary schools that serve students up to 16 years. State-funded schools that are selective on the basis of religion (voluntary aided, voluntary assisted and special agreement schools) and/or on the basis of academic ability (grammar and secondary modern, and selective grant maintained schools) have been excluded from the study. Only those schools that were inspected under Section 10 of the 1992 Education (Schools) Act were included in the study and not those classed as failing or having serious weaknesses. Data was gathered from approximately 2,300 schools inspected during the years 1993/4 to 1997/8 with some 2,700 Ofsted inspections taking place. Under Section 10 of the 1992 Educations (Schools) Act, schools were to be inspected at least once in every four year cycle; therefore around one quarter of the 2,300 schools would be inspected each year, duri ng the four year research period. The exact figures have been shown in table form in section 4 (Data and method) by Rosenthal. Objective 4 Identify how information will be gained from the research population The information needed to carry out the empirical research was, and still is, freely available in the public domain for use by Rosenthal. Rosenthal references the web address for Secondary School Performance Tables (or Achievement and Attainment Tables as they are now called) and these tables are published annually on the Department for Children, Schools and Families website (http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables/) and in national newspapers. Information contained in these performance tables includes the official measures of exam success of 15-16 year old students at GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) level or equivalent. The data collected focuses specifically on the number of GCSE passes at grades A* C in each school year of the research period 1993/4 to 1997/8. Objective 5 Identify the research instruments used Secondary data analysis has been carried out by Rosenthal. As discussed in objective one, secondary data is information that has been gathered previously by another person for some purpose, rather than information which is being gathered for the first time as with primary data. The data that Rosenthal used was gathered by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), and published in the annual league tables that shows the performance of a school in terms of attainment and achievement, pupil attendance and proportion of students with Special Education Needs (SEN) [DCSF accessed on 4th March 10]. Objective 6 Identify any other considerations such as validity, reliability and credibility Summary of findings

Promoting Eco Tourism In Malaysia

Promoting Eco Tourism In Malaysia Malaysia is a central of constitutional monarchy system in Southeast Asia. It is based on 13 states and three federal territories and has a total large are of land of 329,847 square kilometres. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur while Putrajaya is the base of the federal government. The population in 2009 is at over 28 million. Since its independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with Gross Domestic Product growing an average 6.5% for the first 50 years of independence. It is an institution member of the Association of Southeast Asian Country and the Organization of Islamic Conference, and a member of Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the Non-Aligned Movement. The economy of the country has traditionally been established by its natural resources, but is now also expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism. It has a diversity range of flora and fauna, and is considered one of the 17 different parts of countries. Malaysia is a impressive diverse country, with a great number of species. Two of three parts of Malaysia in large land of trees with a high quantity of lowland arise below an altitude of 760 meters. Like Borneo, East Malaysia was originally covered with lowland rainforests even though it is largely has been cleared causing most of the wildlife to escape into the upland rainforest. Rainforests in Malaysia are made of different types of living variety, mainly dipterocarp forests. The forest is the existing place of the largest flower in the world, Rafflesia which also has a unique unpleasant smell. Due to the declination of forests in Malaysia, the government has taken actions to solve the problem. Malaysian forests also consists of 1450 square mangroves in different parts of area. 1.2 Background of the Study Malaysia is known for its richness in different perspectives of natural landscapes and environment especially among all the national parks. Tourism has becoming one of the most important elements in contributing into Malaysias economy sector. Malaysia has some of the best national parks ready to be explored for its breathtaking view and inspiring landscape. However, there are disappointments especially among Malaysians that do not see local national parks as a place to spend their holidays. Most Malaysians prefer anything else but having an engagement with the nature. People are still looking nature parks as an unexciting place to spend their holidays. Instead, it is more popular among foreign tourists. The reason why we Malaysians do not appreciate the nature that we have, it is because Malaysians do care less about nature. We are not educated enough about the importance of preserving the nature and understanding the concept of natural tourism. 1.3 Problem Statements Ecotourism among youths in Malaysia is always the poor relation of tourism. Due to the growing travel eagerness and power spending among young people has recently brought ecotourism to a failing attraction among youths. The tourism market among young people is mainly attracted to materialistic aspect like shopping and dining for a much higher cost. The problem is based on various aspects of youths, starting with the young people that are not exposed enough to ecotourism. Young generations in Malaysia are not taught to love the environment since small. They are only concentrated on academic wise and ignoring the importance of keeping our nature spirit alive. Young people in recent time are not adventurous in traveling while in fact they are many destinations in Malaysia to be visit. When people are no longer interested in ecotourism, people who are actually involved in ecotourism are lacking in their duties due to no support in financially and economically by the tourism ministry. They tend to loose interest in taking care of the ecotourism places and is not taken care of. The tourism ministry in Malaysia is not in fact being very supportive and not changing perceptions of social class boundaries. They are not taking any supportive action to improve ecotourism among young generation 1.4 Research Objectives The objective of this study is to acknowledge the relationship between educational background and the effective aspect based on ecotourism among Malaysian youths. To mark the stage of exploration regarding the theme of ecotourism for Malaysian youths. To study the purpose in incorporating the ideas of youths view the range of vision and maintenance to the community. Provide young people a chance to volunteer and adapt to new surroundings and get equally comfortable with their surroundings through ecotourism. To require an opportunity to select an environment in variety and work together with the nature also teach exciting learning of environment for our future generations. To search the involvement of youths in Malaysia guided by using quantitative methodology. To provide the importance of ecotourism by adding implications and develop planning and practice. Understanding the awareness among Malaysian youths in ecotourism, also increase an improvement in understanding responsible ecotourism destinations and better managed to the world. 1.5 Research Questions Does level of knowledge affect the awareness level of Malaysian youths towards Ecotourism? Does educational background affect the awareness level of Malaysian youths towards Ecotourism? Why do Malaysian youths are not responsible in Ecotourism? How does the Ministry of Tourism being supportive to Ecotourism? 1.6 Hypothesis Statement Shell Malaysia Sustainable Development (SD) Grants Programme (2008) seeks to assist qualifying Malaysia-based NGOs, local academic institutions, schools, societies and individuals in executing their SD initiatives. They conduct an environmental conservation projects to conserve biodiversity, natural resources and ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, and aerial in nature. The company is doing this to increase environmental awareness amongst the youth who live within the environmental heritage of Tanjung Kupang. Kelab Alami is a club build for the youth of Mukim Tg Kupang, Gelang Patah, Johor. The club works to increase environmental awareness amongst the young of this area so that they can understand and appreciate the natural heritage that is their backyard. Not only are they engaged in a constant series of environmental education programs, but they are trained as Youth Rangers who monitor the surrounding ecosystems and conduct regular habitat studies and experiments in the sea grass and mangroves also guided by scientist advisors. They are also trained as ecotourism guides for visiting schools or tourists so that they can share their environment with others. According to Richards (2005) of ISTC/UNWTO he implies that the movement of in young people in higher education is an important source of income in many countries. Many countries mentioned the relationship between tourism and the wide range of student exchange programme in operation scheme for intercultural exchange for university students. A link was also made between student travel and special interests related to the area of study, such as cultural heritage and architecture, which are important markets for the country. Student tourism also refers to ECOTOURISM TOURISM FEATURES High spending tourists Supports local Economy Conserve local heritage travel by schoolchildren, often related to learning about the history and culture of their own country. According to Richards, youth travel are well integrated in Malaysia, under the Eighth Malaysia Plan (2001-2005), student tourism has become a priority development area: In view of the tremendous potential for education tourism and student tourism, greater efforts were made to promote Malaysia as a centre of educational excellence. During the review period, a Committee on Education Tourism was established to spearhead the development of education tourism, which includes marketing and promotion of education as well as the facilitation of administrative procedures for students and parents. Apart from participating in nine educational promotion activities organized by international agencies, Malaysia also conducted a total of 15 exhibitions and road shows in selected countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions. Students are often viewed as a low income market, for which special provision needs to be made in terms of discounted tourism services. As stated by Manurung R. (2000) about the awareness in raising an education towards youth and the effective planning in Effort Improvement Several criteria. He agreed that it must be deal with an issue in planning ecotourism development specifically the different uniqueness of natural experiences like ecosystem and geographical area for flora and fauna. He also stated that infrastructure in Malaysia are often lack of care with limited transport to ecotourism destinations, dividing departments of local land, threats to the ecosystem and the societys acceptance of tourists. According to M.R. Yacob, A. Radam (2009), there are three institutional central figure involved in promoting tourism and ecotourism. The government, the private sector and the society. The government is related through the Ministries of Transportation and Telecommunication, the State Ministry for Tourism and Arts, the Environmental Impact Management Agency and local government. The government is the highest organization of tourism development, while travel agents, and other component part are the implementation of the body. The central government encourage the visual of diversity in Malaysia as a whole, but every area of organization has the power to do promotion of their own products. The movement between the three figures must be increased as the State Ministry for Tourism and Arts could not handle all tourism issues. However, the new characteristic political figure does not mean that the central government is free from duty to tourism, considering that tourism development is dimensional, subjective and component system. Restricted supply of funs, unorganized use of funds, safety precaution problems and the infrequency of leaders in government who have high levels of dedication and motivation to handle tourism development are simulative. The lack of professional resources and promotional funds are concerns. Even more, every challenge is seen as an opportunity. Promotion of tourist attractions or destinations must be increased, especially because of the poor image of Malaysia at the moment in the eyes of potential tourists. Promotion should be re asonable and standardized, for if the real situation is different to show by the promotion, it would only worsen the image of the whole country. Hence, M.R. Yacob, A. Radam (2009) stated that by being part of Asian nations, it can be used to promote ecotourism in Malaysia. In ecotourism, the officials of State Minister of Environment work together in managing environmental level, also being responsible for distinctive natural policy. In another point, Potential Impact Management Agency was set up to participate in ecotourism resources between two marine parks in Peninsular Malaysia. Because of this, this research approximate the value of ecotourism resources by using environmental economic devices features dependent method. Visitors are willing to pay by the research result that it may provide official advice to marine parks and to help develop management policies that improve ecotourism contribution to sustainable development in Malaysia. Abdullah M., Kamaruzaman J., Altaf H.S., Am at R.Y. (2008) together made a research on local community in their participation in ecotourism activities and resource protection and in protected areas that can be pursued through working together in the same management. Currently, the natural resources are degrading due to unselective use by the locals and visitors mainly in the form of exceeding the limits and tourism unsuitable activities. The study investigates the problems that affected natural resources and local community involvement in management to make things with such problem. MFC Jamil, BS NorAini Yusof (2010) stated that the investigations that the relationship between organizational culture and financial performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in ecotourism area are affected. R.A. Aziz (2009) claims that general domestic tourism has been boosted by the increasing number of corporate retreats, family recreation, youth camps held at various tourist destinations around the country, the more affordable domestic air travel to various local destinations. The various affordable package tours being introduced and promoted to sustain interests and attract local as well as foreign tourists besides shopping, sports and recreational activities. The tourism products and services include cultural and heritage including geological tourism, eco-tourism, agro-tourism, homestay programme, thematic events and meeting incentives, and health tourism to cater to the varying interests and preferences. Infrastructure and communication facilities are expanded and upgraded. Road, rail, air and sea transportation improved. A total of approximately RM1.8 billion has been allocated under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to further develop and enhance Malaysia tourism industry. However, promoting heritage tourism could have environmental costs physically, socially and culturally. If it is not well-managed and regulated, heritage exploitation and consumption approach adopted in the pursuit for tourist dollars has created ir reparable damage to the physical character of many heritage places and sites. Development and construction of various tourist-related facilities and infrastructures near or sometime within the heritage resource itself have also contributed to the damage of the social and economic structure of the area where the heritage is located. Amran Hamah (2004) stated that an educational tourism programme was developed by MOCAT and the Ministry of Education in 2001 to encourage local travel through the establishment of tourism clubs in schools. By doing so, students are being targeted as the catalyst to persuade their families to travel more regularly within the country. Recently, this Program Pelancongan Pelajar or Students Tourism Programme (PPP) has managed to attract tour operators as partners in the implementation and promotion of the programme. Potentially, this programme could be extended to include educational establishments and tourism destinations within the region. In the long run, it would be able to encourage more social contact and cultural exchanges as well as understanding between the youths in the region. There are weaknesses and opportunities of Malaysias tourism industry. The weakness is its low yield economic return, forced upon by the underselling of hotel rates, hence affecting the profit margin of most 4 to 5 star hotels. Consequently, the low profit margin has affected HRD and training and hotel refurbishment programmes, which in turn, has affected service quality. At sensitive areas such as islands and hill resorts, environmental degradation has also worsened over the last few years due to the lack of management and enforcement. Until the economic outlook for hoteliers improve, the tourism industry is expected to play safe and keep what they have rather than embark on cross-border selling of tour packages. As mentioned earlier, the opportunities for multi destination or cross border tourism have been vastly improved by the advent of budget airlines which are able to profitable serve destinations. In addition, the branding associated with World Heritage Sites and the growing interest in themed tours also provides new opportunities for intra regional travel. In the long term, youth travel within the country and possibly within the region will not only boost Asian cohesion but also develop a travelling culture amongst the nation and region s youth. In turn, the social benefit of youth travel has the potential to be transformed into an economic benefit in the future. Another main reason for their reluctance to be actively involved in tourism is the lack of mechanism for direct revenue capture given that almost all income from tourism are channelled back to the Federal government coffers. During a conference for youth tourism M. T. Mirza (2005) only focused on Japanese students by staying a t Malaysian Homestay Association. The local young people is neglected and not supported by the Youth Organization. J. Jamil, M. Badaruddin, P. Ahmad (2007) developed an allocation by the Central government is more focused on physical developments such as road infrastructure, housing estates and public facilities in Penang Island. This scenario makes the tourism sector being left behind and its status is not guaranteed as the infrastructure construction is still been given the first priority. Competition of space and land use between infrastructure project and tourism attraction are always stiff. However, physical infrastructure will always take the lead. The government has no initiative to make replacement or maintenance work if the tourism areas are damaged or intruded by other physical economic developments. In Penang Island a survey result shows, out of seven tourist attractions that have been taken over for infrastructure development, only one have been replaced or given an alte rnative tourist site. 1.7 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework Destination Education Attractions Target Market Economy Impact Environment 1.8 Significance of the Study The suggestion that is put forward to have significance in spite of the fact that the study in ecotourism among youth in Malaysia is much related to the roots of heritage and cultural aspect. It gives an impact towards economy and local environment. The development of ecotourism programmes among youth is an area that has received non-sufficient treatment both in theory and practice. The recreation field is used for the purpose of demonstrating fundamental differences between young explorer and young tourists. Ecotourism services are to develop meaningful programmes, utilize a recreation in satisfying the future generations as well as profitable organization. This will guide to professionalism in conducting an appropriate ecotourism programme including establishment of the sustainable design of ecotourism. 1.9 Scope and Limitations The scope for this study mainly based on ecotourism industry that is growing fast in Malaysia in the 21st century. The importance of this sector to the economy of a developing country like Malaysia is significant, but difficult to measure with any precision. According to Malaysian Tourism Industry, young travellers grew from 14.6% in 1980 to 20% in 2001, and had been projected to reach 25% by 2005. As a matter of fact, youth travel is believed to be the fastest growing travel market segment, surpassing even ecotourism and cultural tourism. Mirza Mohammad Taiyab (2005). Ecotourism in Malaysia is a way to travel with definitions including an element of education and far from being uninhabited wilderness. The tourist accommodation is likewise sited some distance from the village, and is built in the traditional style using local materials taking advantages of any breeze. This study will look into the governmental issue of kind of infrastructure they build for ecotourism market. The limitation was the sources to be found. The searches were done by Google Scholar with journals and articles, KDU Library and online book. Research for references were very limited as the topic above does not fulfil full requirement online. Besides, several journals and articles need to be purchased or log in as a member in order to read. CHAPTER TWO 2.1 Literature Review Definition of Ecotourism People among youths travel and explore inside the country and other country for holiday. The are several purposes to travel by visiting friends, on holiday, study abroad, understand different cultures as well as for relaxation and adventure. Youth travel is a part of their process of changes to adulthood. Young people who are used to stay at home youth travel is considered as an additional segment of the education process which familiarize youths with their own country. The definition of youth travel market figure in ecotourism is not widely accepted due to the lack of seen through quality in measuring its size and characteristics. Youth travelers are recognized today as a great value to make an important contribution to the local economy. By visiting new places in their own country, they can develop personal skills, social connection and cultural chain in their search for new experience. The youth travel market in ecotourism can be divided into two categories. A youth travel that de pends on their own self and youth travel with a number of people sharing experience together. Youth group travel consists of a group of six or more young people traveling together. A few experienced people in the industry has divide an additional to the youth group travel component into two groups. Youth which travel in groups in school also often referred to as student travel and also youth which travels in a group outside school. School-based youth group travel is specifically authorized by the sponsoring school, school board or school district. Based on a study by Opperman (1992), he claimed that until the year of 1990, after 15 years of implementation of the Tourism Master Plan, tourism development was still unequally distributed amongst the region as suggested. Rapid development are more accumulate in West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia than on the East Coast. King (1993) however stated that Sabah and Sarawak were far behind in attracting tourists. Leong (1997) claimed that the disparity of tourism development among the region of tourists was caused by lack promoting in the tourism market. According to Din (1982) he also noted that the plan has a small reference to the (New Environmental Paradigm) NEP in terms of suggesting how would the government agencies play their role to encourage Bumiputeras to get involve in tourism industry. The criticism has been responded by the federal government and in 1990 National Development Policy (NDP) has been launched. The NDP also stressed on the importance of nationally integrated devel opment. The strategies were brought from NEP objectives to eradicate poverty and restructure national society. Sixth Malaysia Plan (1995) proposed a two-pronged strategy of tourism development to increase foreign tourists inflows and to promote domestic tourists to reduce foreign exchange outflows on account of Malaysian travelers. The loss of many invaluable heritage by beeing natural and cultural seem to lead by the process of too many old buildings and monuments are destroyed to make way for new and modern ones. However, promoting heritage tourism could have environmental costs physically, socially and culturally if it is not well-managed and regulated. In many developing countries heritage exploitation and consumption approach adopted in the pursuit for tourists has created irreparable damage to the physical character of many heritage places and sites. Development and construction of various tourist-related facilities and infrastructures near or sometime within the heritage resource itself have also contributed to the damage of the social and economic structure of the area where the heritage is located. Since the identified heritage are the very basis for the heritage tourism in the first place, it is important to rehabilitate, conserve, protect and even preserve those heritage. In so doing the natural or cultural resources would not be damaged or run down and thus could benefit future generations. Also, to do so would not only be in accordance with the objectives of sustainable development, but would also facilitate the inherent characteristics of the different areas besides promoting sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism being defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the wellbeing of its inhabitants (World Heritage Alliance Principles). Such tourism would help preserve both the environmental integrity of the sites as well as the cultural heritage of surrounding communities. Sustainable tourism also contribute to the sustainability of the local economies where livelihoods are often based on the cultivation of their natural environment and the income from the tourist industry. Most local communities in tourist destinations are enthusiastic to participate in tourism activities. Tosun (2006) found that the majority (more than 80 percent) of the local community in a local destination would like to take the leading role as entrepreneurs and workers at all levels, besides encouraging other locals to invest in and work for the tourism industry. Confidence, support and motivation must come from the participants and authority in ensuring the sustainability of the homestay project. Obviously, not every form of community participation can contribute to the realization of the expected benefits of tourism. In fact, most of the homestay projects in Malaysia require participation of not just the host family but the whole community including the school children and the youth club. For example, school children participate in the greeting ceremony as kompang players (a traditional musical instrument) while members of the youth club organise the traditional games demonstration. As a result, the homestay program helps in maintaining the traditional values of team work that creates the feeling of togetherness as well as nourishes social values within the community. The youths, and children may also generate their own income by taking part in cultural activities such as playing traditional musical instruments and performing dances. Melaka International Youth Dialogue (2007) organized by the World Assembly of Youth (WAY) bring young people and youth leaders together from around the world to discuss themes including globalization and human capital development. MIYD selected a realization of the vast opportunities available to young people in ecotourism sector. Their objective is to: Develop youth policies and laws to enhance youth participation in tourism sector Create an enabling environment for youth participation in tourism sector Establish credit schemes to provide soft loans for youth who are already in the industry and tourism industry player. According to Dr T. Shanka, J. Musca (1998) more Malaysians (46%) took day trips compared with Singaporean students who took overnight trips (53%). Respondents from Malaysia (35%) or single (30%) or those aged between 20-24 years of age (31%) also would recommend the Albany/Esperance region overnight trips. Based on a supporting element of research by Dr. Prakorb Phon-ngam (2007) Youth tourism has a long history in Malaysia. Young people independently travel through the networks of youth hostel and railways for their own pleasure. Tourists can even check in for short courses in university campus, they could choose to stay in university dormitory, hostel, or with host family. As for Malaysian tourism planning research group, 2006, Youth Tourism becomes very important in many countries around the world, as can be seen recently, there was a Youth Tourism conference in Malaysia on May 3rd to May 5th 2006, organized by the Tourism of Malaysia. The main focuses of the conference were to pro vide a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences with all the best practices in relation to youth tourism. By establishing youth ecotourism to identify problems, issues and prospects are in as a focus area for the ecotourism industry and to recommend policies. All the product development programs and strategic marketing approaches the youth to improve the quality of youth ecotourism as a commercial venture as well as a catalyst for cultural exchange and regional integration. CHAPTER THREE Research Methodology 3.1 General Methodology http://scholar.google.com/scholar www.pdftop.com/ebook/ecotourism+malaysia/ The Star ; February 17th 2004 New Straits Times ; February 19th 2004 Yahaya I. ; A.R.A. Rasid (2009) Homestay Program and Rural Community Development in Malaysia Din, K.H. (1982). Tourism in Malaysia: competing needs in a plural society. Annals of Tourism Research King, V.T. (1993). Tourism and Culture in Malaysia. In Hitchcock, M., King, V.T. Parnwell, M.J.G. (Eds.) Tourism in South-East Asia Leong, F.P. (1997). Tourism development in Malaysia: the role of domestic tourism in national integration Oppermann, M. (1992) Spatial structure of tourism in Peninsular Malaysia: a preliminary study. Tourism Recreation Research Marzuki A. (2010) TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA. A REVIEW ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES Amran H. (2004) POLICY AND PLANNING OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA RA AZIZ (2009) Abdullah M., Kamaruzaman J., Altaf H.S., Amat R.Y. (2008) MR Yacob, A Radam (2009) Journal of Sustainable Development Richards G. Survey on Student and Youth Tourism among National Tourism Administrations/Organizations Ricardo M. (2000) Ecotourism in Indonesia Mirza M.T. (2005) The Role and Importance of Youth Tourism In The Malaysian Tourism Industry. MFC Jamil, BS NorAini Yusof (2010) World Applied Sciences Journal Jamil J., Badaruddin M., Puad A.(2007) CRITICAL TOURIST DESTINATION: THE IMPACT OF THE MALAYSIAN DEVELOPMENT AGENDA TOWARDS NATUREBASED TOURIST ATTRACTION Tosun, C. (2006) Expected Nature of Community Participation in Tourism Development Tourism Management Dr Tekle Shanka and Mr John Musca Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference 1998 AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS INVOLVEMENT IN DOMESTIC TOURISM A WEST AUSTRALIAN CASE Dr. Prakorb Phon-ngam Vice President for International Affairs and Quality Assurance (2007) GMS Discoveries: Borderless Issues for Regional Strengthening and Sustainable Development

Miss Julie Essay -- essays research papers

Miss Julie In Miss Julie, by August Strindberg wrote about the naturalistic view of human behavior. He symbolizes the behavior through animal imagery. The animal image Strindberg uses helps him exemplify his naturalistic view. The first animal imagery Strindberg uses is the dog. Jean uses the dog imagery to describe to Kristen how Miss Julie made her ex-fiancà © act before the break-up. â€Å" Why, she was making him jump over her riding whip the way you teach a dog to jump.† A dog is mans best friend only because a dog is an extremely loyal animal. Having Jean compare what Miss Julies did to her ex-fiancà © with what some one would do to a dog shows Miss Julies drive to be the dominant one or the master. Strindberg again uses the imagery of a dog when he has Miss Julie say, â€Å"dog who wears my collar† to Jean. Miss Julie feels that her social status is so much superior to that of Jean that their relationship could be compared to that of a master and his dog. The dog imagery in the play is also used to demonstrate the difference in social classes. In the play Miss Julie’s dog, Diana, is impregnated by the lodge-keepers pug. Kristen demonstrates Miss Julie’s disgust when she says; â€Å"She almost had poor Diana shot for running after the lodge-keepers pug.† The sexual affair between the dogs also represents the sexual affair between Jean and Miss Julie and how the two of them look down on each other. Jean looks down on Miss Julie for being surprisingly easy to obtain. While Miss Julie loo...

Influential Tube :: Essays Papers

Influential Tube Time has brought about a new past time for this generation of children. Within the grab bag of talk shows, one has surfaced to be the most talked about and harshly recognized. The infamous Jerry Springer Show. The Jerry Springer Show has perfected the ability to taint our airways with unfavorable materials. The show could have a damaging effect on children because it contains the ingredients that can influence them to adopt the unacceptable behaviors of its guests. Many mature viewers, unlike children that feel the show is a great source of entertainment, see that the guests are being exploited for rating and revenue purposes. Jerry Springer, the host of his self-titled talk show, joins his guests in using obscene language and distasteful phrases. Their choice of words can range from the cruel to vulgar and implied to the bold and direct. In this atmosphere, the quests attire and appearance somehow seem to perfectly match their harsh language. From the initial dashing entrance, towards the audience or previous guest, to the last blow of the show’s air, one witnesses an ongoing process of public humiliation. The behaviors of the show’s instigating host and untamed quests are embarrassing. In the battlefield of bleeps and permitted obscenities, nothing is being said or heard; in the midst of the blind-sided licks, object-tosses, and kicks, nothing is being resolved. Rather than the show being entertaining, it becomes more unbearable as it progresses. If I was privileged to ask the Springer Show producer one question, it would be, â€Å"Does the show have an audience?† The â€Å"gladiators† of the show seemed to be cued as to when to make an appearance from the â€Å"audience†, in which seems like rejected panel guests. They are full of rage at the panel’s comments, lifestyle, and/or behavior so they try to reach and beat â€Å"their† understanding into the face of a defensive guest, ready for battle. With these actions being far from funny and closer to ridiculous, the â€Å"gladiators† are shadowed by the comedic half of the â€Å"audience† who’s purpose is to laugh at all the actions of the show and occasionally crack a sour joke over the host’s hand held microphone. When all seems to fail and energy is at crucial levels, for ratings sake, the â€Å"power suppliers† come to the rescue. They are the portions of the audience that feed the show its energy.

George MacDonalds The Princess and the Goblin :: MacDonald Princess Goblin essays

George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin All over the world people have believed in a race of creatures, superhuman and subhuman, that are not gods or ghosts, but differ from humans in their powers, properties, and attributes (Briggs, Vanishing 27). The concepts of these creatures/fairies have been passed down through generations in many cultures through forms such as songs, sayings, and stories. Stories such as folktales and myths have wide array of fairy types found in them from various cultures' folklores (Abrams 101). Little people (lesser spirits) are often considered a subclass of fairies and include creatures like gnomes, trolls, and goblins (Rose 200, South 329). George MacDonald in his myth novel, The Princess and the Goblin, draws from many folk sources to bring to life his underworld "goblins." These "goblins" are an amalgamation of various types of little people. MacDonald effectively brings together attributes of goblins, dwarfs and trolls, gnomes and kobolds, and brownies to create a narrative full of tension and humour. First, MacDonald's "goblins" once lived above ground as humans, but they chose refuge underground to avoid severe taxes placed on them by the king (MacDonald 3). Through time, these people were transformed into "goblins." This is similar to the common suggested origin of the little people as humans conquered by other races that now conceal themselves from their conquerors (South 334). The fairies are often said to have been Eve's children whom she hid from God because she was embarrassed by them; God was not deceived and decided that those children should be "hidden from all Mankind" forever (Briggs, Vanishing 31). These origins suggest that the creatures are half human, which is a common idea in Scandinavian tradition (Briggs, Vanishing 31). This human origin of the "goblins" suggests that they are one side of human nature. There is a tension between the "goblins" and the humans as they show different aspects of life and morality. Second, the goblins, dwarfs and trolls, gnomes and kobolds, and brownies are all small, but they are humanlike in form though often described as misshapen and grotesque, and except for brownies, they are also often described as being old with gray hair and beards (Rose 51, 93, 128, 316). MacDonald's "goblins" are dwarfed and hideous, and though they are not described as old looking, their cleverness is associated with this characteristic (MacDonald 4). The use of these common folklore images of little people creates creatures that can be imagined easily by the reader.

DIDLS Breakdown

Language, and Syntax use diction to find tone. Use imagery, details, language and syntax to support tone. TONE Author's attitude toward the subject, toward himself, or toward the audience. DICTION Adjectives, nouns, verbs, adverbs, negative words, positive words, synonyms, contrast. Look at the words that Jump out at you – Evaluate only those words to find tone Also look at: Colloquial (Slang) Old-Fashioned Informal (Conversational) Formal (Literary) Connotative (Suggestive meaning) Denotative (Exact meaning) Concrete (Specific) Abstract (General or Conceptual)Euphonious (Pleasant Sounding) Cacophonous (Harsh sounding) Monosyllabic (One syllable) Polysyllabic (More than one syllable) Describe diction (choice of words) by considering the following: 1. Words can be monosyllabic (one syllable in length) or polysyllabic (more than one syllable in length). The higher the ratio of polysyllabic words, the more difficult the content. 2. Words can be mainly colloquial (slang), informal (conversational), formal (literary) or old-fashioned. 3. Words can be mainly denotative (containing an exact meaning, e. G. , dress) or connotative (contacting suggested meaning, e. G. , gown) 4.Words can be incorrect (specific) or abstract (general or conceptual). 5. Words can euphonious (pleasant sounding, e. G. , languid, murmur) or cacophonous (harsh sound, e. G. , raucous, croak). IMAGERY Creates a vivid picture and appeals to the senses Alliteration repetition of consonant sounds at the start of a word Assonance repetition of vowel sounds in the middle of a word Moths cough and drop wings Consonance repetition of consonant sounds in the middle of a word The man has kin in Spain Onomatopoeia writing sounds as words The clock went tick tock Simile a direct comparison of unlike things using like or as Her hair is like a rat's nestMetaphor a direct comparison of unlike things The man's suit is a rainbow Hyperbole a deliberate exaggeration for effect I'd die for a piece of candy U nderstatement represents something as less than it is A million dollars is okay Personification attributing human qualities to inhuman objects The teapot cried for water Metonymy word exchanged for another closely associated with it Uncle Sam wants you! Pun play on words – Uses words with multiple meanings Shoes menders mend soles. Symbol something that represents/stands for something else the American Flag Analogy comparing two things that have at least one thing in commonWhy is the sentence length effective? 2. Examine sentence beginnings. Is there a good variety or does a patterning emerge? 3. Examine the arrangement of ideas in a sentence. Are they set out in a special way for a purpose? 4. Examine the arrangement of ideas in a paragraph. Is there evidence of any pattern or structure? 5. Examine the sentence patterns. Some elements to consider are listed below: a. A declarative (assertive) sentence makes a statement: e. G. , The king is sick. B. An imperative sentence giv es a command: e. G. , Stand up. C. An interrogative sentence asks a question: e. G. , Is the king sick? D. Makes an exclamation: e. G. , The king is dead! E.An exclamatory sentence A simple sentence contains A compound sentence contains two independent clauses Joined by a coordinate conjunction (and, but, or) or by a semicolon: e. G. , The singer bowed to the audience, but she sang no encores. G. A complex sentence contains an independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses: e. G. , You said that you would tell the truth. H. A compound-complex sentence contains two or more principal lasses and one or more subordinate clauses: e. G. , The singer bowed while the audience applauded, but she sang no encores. I. A loose sentence makes complete sense if brought to a close before the actual ending: e. G. , We reached Edmonton/that morning/after a turbulent flight/and some exciting experiences.A periodic sentence makes sense only when the end of the sentence is reached: e. G. , That morning, after a turbulent flight and some exciting experiences, we reached Edmonton. K. In a balanced sentence, the phrases or clauses balance each other by virtue or their likeness of structure, meaning, or length: e. . , He make me to lie down in green pastures; he leaders me beside the still waters. Natural order of a sentence involves constructing a sentence so the subject comes before the predicate: e. G. , Oranges grow in California. M. Inverted order of a sentence (sentence inversion) involves constructing a sentence so that the predicate comes before the subject: e. G. , In California grow oranges.This is a device in which normal sentence patterns are reverse to create an emphatic or rhythmic effect. N. Split order of a sentence divides the predicate into two parts with the subject coming in the middle: e. . , In California oranges grow. O. Juxtaposition is a poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another creating an effect of surprise and wit: e. G. , â€Å"The apparition of these faces in the crowd:' Petals on a wet, black bough† (â€Å"In a Station of the Metro† by Ezra Pound) p. Parallel structure (parallelism) refers to a grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence.It involves an arrangement of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs so that elements of equal importance are equally developed and minimally phrased: e. G. , He was walking, running, and Jumping for Joy. Q. Repetition is a device in which words, sounds, and ideas are used more than once to enhance rhythm and create emphasis: e. G. , â€Å"†¦ Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth† (â€Å"Address at Gettysburg† by Abraham Lincoln) r. A rhetorical question is a question that expects no answer. It is used to draw attention too point that is generally stronger than a direct statement: e. G. , If Mr†¦ Force is always fair, as you have said, why did he refuse to listen to Mrs†¦ Baldwin arguments?

Native Tribes

Cormac McCarthy’s â€Å"Blood Meridian† deals with racism in the form of The Judge’s attitude toward the orphans, the tangible efforts of the gang to be more savage, and even in the Kid’s role in the border skirmishes between the American settlers, the Native Americans and Mexicans living along the border. In a novel that some have called the greatest American novel since â€Å"Moby Dick†, McCarthy discusses racism on an inherent level, making people examine the historical context and the situation itself. Remarkably, the novel has a lasting appeal as a commentary on the way Americans address their southern neighbors even today.The first evidence of racism the book offers is in the Judge’s attitude towards the orphans. The Judge is a pedophile, raping the orphans and then killing them or having them killed to hide his indiscretion. In his mind, the Judge justifies his actions with the thought that many of the children in the orphanage are hal f-breeds and somehow therefore less important than people who are purely Caucasian. In his mind, the Judge and others who look after the orphans, even as wantonly as the Judge does, are doing their Christian duty and providing for children that are otherwise unwanted.In this way, the book takes a hard and accurate look at the racism that was prevalent in the West regarding children descended from Native Americans and Europeans. The children were dismissed by white society as half savage and by the Native populations because they often represented the humiliation of one of the women of the tribe—either voluntarily or involuntarily. To some extent, these children were more accepted in the Native populations when their parents were both accepted by the tribe, but even then they were mostly second class citizens.The next evidence of racism and its extreme application comes from the Gang. Though the gang is composed of outlaws of Caucasian and Native descent, as a means of instill ing terror in their victims, the gang resorts to scalping those they killed. As history demonstrates, only a very small number of Native Tribes took scalps as counting coup, but the stereotype of the novel and of the gang members was that Injun’s took scalps and that would make people more afraid of them. It is also interesting to note that primary targets of the gang were settlers coming up from Mexico or those of Hispanic descent.The stereotype that the Mexican were outlaws or lazy ot somehow second-class citizens is prevalent in the novel. Perhaps equally interesting in the long-term is the prejudice within the Hispanic/Mexican/Chicano community itself. Even now, those who are descendents of the Spanish Conquistadors are sometimes offended by being identified as Mexicans, whom they identify as those of mixed blood between the conquistadors and the Native American people of Central America. However, Chicanos in Southern California would be equally offended by being called a Hispanic as they take pride in their connection to Mexico.The fact that this racism persists to this day is both interesting and depressing at the same time. The simple reality of Cormac McCarthy’s novel is that it portrays an evil man attempting to justify his actions via racism and a gang of thugs using racism to make themselves seem bigger and badder than they are, when in truth murder should have been enough. McCarthy’s ability to capture the tenor and reality of the racism without pandering to it does make this a novel worth reading.