Research Korner: Research Proposal Purpose of the Study

Research Proposal on Is Pay a Motivation for All Level of People?

Is Pay a Motivation for All Level of People? Introduction In the continuing efforts of the organizations to create a competitive advantage against their competitors and establish a strong relationship in the market, they tend to apply various motivational approaches that can increase the performance. People are considered as the most natural helpers or workers that maybe not perfect but can move according to what is being asked them to do. Based on the theories of motivation, there are many strategies that the leaders can use to satisfy the people’s needs for improvement. In addition, the quality of work is what being paid by the leaders. The continuous effort of the HR managers and organizational leaders in harnessing the professionalism out of the employees is one of then main targets of the business leaders.   Background of the Study and Problem Statement Although, there are many innovative ways that already established to improve the quality of performance that might contribute in the overall performance of the organization. Still, leaders are seeking to the most effective option that can be easily handled. Most of the actions being taken by the leaders are the motivational approach which increases the performance of an employee. However, the knowledge about the motivation is not enough unless it is proven effective by the organization.  The motivational approach suggests that employees should provide the expected effort from them according to what is being paid by the firm. On the other hand, what is the most effective way to increase the performance of an employee is through the use of payment.  Research Aim and Objectives The main aim of the study is to understand the motivational approach through the use of payment and as well as measuring its effectiveness in all the level of employees. There are three important objectives that can help the study achieve its aim. First is to have a deep understanding on the objectives or purpose of motivation. Second is to determine the various approaches being implemented by the leaders just to reach their expectancy on their employees. And last is to consult the perceptions of the employees regarding the payment as a motivational approach.  Literature Review Critically, the nature of motivation centers with the energy, direction, persistence and partial achievement in doing a certain work. There are different intention that portrays of each employee because of their uniqueness in terms of characteristics and bearing. Typically, a person enables to achieve their goals by fueling great enthusiasm towards it. Within the study of motivation, there is a wide concept which has been widely applied in both academics and professional world. The overall result of motivation is highly valued because of the positive implications that it promises within the organization. In a lighter way, motivation can be alike to the carrot and stick technique, wherein the leaders gives punishment and rewards to the people who are not focusing on their appropriate responsibilities. The organizational leaders embrace the truths that the people play their role within the workplace according to the factors that might affect them (Linnenbrink and Pintrich, 2002). Most of the previous studies pertaining to the motivational approach gave emphasized on the monetary rewards that can be the answer on the needs of an employee. The payment scenario is not entirely the total motivation for the employee but still proven effective to develop the potentials found among the individuals. The kind of payment being given by the organization is different among the compensation or standard payment the employees. In this matter, the organization should be prepared on the certain conditions that might be presented in the implementation of the monetary rewards. The challenge is now on the business and their ability to answer the stability of their financial matters because it is another expense that they must cover (Alexy and Leitner, 2007; Ghosh, 2007). Methodology The suggested method in the study is the use of the survey and interview within a typical workplace. Firstly, there should be a consultation in the population of the workforce regarding the existence of motivation and the influence that it created to increase their performance. The survey will be in a form of questionnaire using the Likert Scale to make it easier to the participants. The second phase of the method which is the interview will serve as a supporting documentary that will determine on how effective the motivational approach can be in the eyes of the managers. In addition, the use of payment as a motivational approach is not being set aside and which will be the center of the interview.    References: Alexy, O., & Leitner, M., (2007) “Norms, Rewards, and Their Effect on the Motivation of Open Source Software Developers”, Accessed 17 June 2010, from http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/Alexy_Leitner_-_Norms_Rewards_and_Their_Effect_on_the_Motivation_of_OSS_Developers.pdf Ghosh, R.A., (2007) “Study on the Economic Impact of Open Source Software on Innovation and the Competitiveness of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Sector in the EU”, Accessed 17 June 2010, from http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/ict/policy/doc/2006-11-20-flossimpact.pdf Linnenbrink, E., & Pintrich, P., (2002) “Motivation as an Enabler for Academic Success”, School Psychology Review, Vol. 31, No. 3

Research Proposal on Is Pay a Motivation for All Level of People?

Is Pay a Motivation for All Level of People? Introduction In the continuing efforts of the organizations to create a competitive advan...

Research Proposal : How can sick abuse be managed effectively?

Sick Leave Abuse in the Workplace   Sick leave is one thing that every employee needs and is approved and mandated by work related laws and such using of employees’ sick leave options leave abuses occur along the way and the  central question for this research will have to be, ‘How can sick leave abuse be managed effectively?’, this pertains to the workplace. There are several factors affecting sick leave and why employees resulted into such abuses of the privilege known for, management of sick leave is effective if there can be available information from official statistics and descriptive studies on association between demographic background factors and sickness absence, evidence on the causal relationship between these factors and sick leave is lacking. There was moderate scientific evidence that the amount of sickness absence is influenced by the design of the social insurance system, but insufficient evidence on the magnitude of change required to influence the level of sickness absence (Allebeck and Mastekaasa, 2004 p. 49). The possible consequences of sick leave can be measured at different levels in society and to focus on consequences from perspective of sick-listed individual as noted, sick leave may have positive and negative consequences for employee, such as regarding disease, health, working life, social life, lifestyle and emotional aspects. The lack of relevant studies is most striking observation from review of studies on the consequences of being sick listed (Vingård, Alexanderson and Norlund, 2004 p. 207).   There has been concern regarding abuse of sick leave by school employees as suggestions have been offered for reducing the abuse of sick leave both within education and industry. Reviewing of 4 to 6 research studies that evaluate plans for reducing sick leave abuse among various categories of employees. Thus, paid sick leave serves to relieve any possible economic burden on professional employee who is ill, protect school children from the necessity of being exposed to a teacher with an illness which might be communicated to them, and obviate the problem of teachers performing at a low level of proficiency by reason of an incapacitating illness. However, there are occasions on which healthy employees take leave of their duties for other than reasons of sickness but attribute their absences to personal illness. According to review in literature, there have been categories of plans being devised to prevent such misuses of sick leave provisions such as offering of rewards or bonuses for not using sick leave, elimination of psychological and medical reasons for sick leave abuse. Studies pertaining to categories will be described as well as methods that attempt to eliminate reasons for sick leave abuse. The need to specify that discipline as a result from repeated sick leave abuse and misuse, keeping policy flexible, determining if and why employees exploit leave policies is important. Just as an employer analyzes turnover, the organization should also look at sick leave abuse trends. Is leave usage higher in one department or under particular supervisor? Are workplace practices or policies affecting absences? Do children’s illnesses in turn lead to employee's time-off? Finding the root cause of sick leave abuse problems helps in addressing core issues.  Methods for monitoring sick leave abuse vary from one organization to the next, but there are some common guidelines employers can follow (Heathfield, S. Sick Leave Abuse: A Chronic Workplace Ill? Encourage Appropriate Sick Leave Use. About.com). -          Recognize the problem with sick leave abuse and intervene early before it escalates. Managers need to enforce sick leave policies and take appropriate action -          Find out why the employee is abusing leave. Talk to employees who are abusing leave and see if their behavior stems from personal problem -          Learn to say "no, do not allow employees get away with abusing leave policies -          Use procedures, regulations, practices and knowledge to benefit management as well as the employee. Supervisors and managers must work with employees, make certain that all employees are aware of sick leave policies and how to use them Issues -          The one reason why employees take sick leave is because they are ill and unfit to come to work -          Some employees take sick leave when they are not genuinely sick   Options -          Cashing out of paid sick/personal/carer’s leave entitlement -          Adopt “family-friendly” initiatives -          Offer incentives for employees to come to work rather take time-off on sick pay -          Encourage firms and organizations to adopt strategic absence management strategies Sick leave is necessary benefit for all employees. If an employer didn’t offer sick leave, they would accelerate health problems and the spread of illness, thereby lowering productivity and morale. Despite the pressure for perfect attendance to improve customer service and efficiency, employees need equitable sick leave programs for security and overall high performance. Yet, some organizations suffer from sick leave abuse, and sick leave abuse translates into lost dollars. Pattern of abuse with regard to sick leave does refer to employees who have violated the organization’s attendance policy on numerous occasions. In order to confidently discipline employees with attendance problems, legal experts say the best bet is to have clearly written policy that specify organization standards and employee requirements.       References Chapter 5. Risk factors for sick leave – general studies Peter Allebeck; Arne Mastekaasa Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 1651-1905, Volume 32, Issue 5, Supplement 63, 2004, Pages 49 – 108   Chapter 9. Consequences of being on sick leave Eva Vingård;  Kristina Alexanderson; Anders Norlund Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 1651-1905, Volume 32, Issue 5, Supplement 63, 2004, Pages 207 – 215

Research Proposal : How can sick abuse be managed effectively?

Sick Leave Abuse in the Workplace Sick leave is one thing that every employee needs and is approved and mandated by work related laws...

Research proposal on The effects of dual abstinence and comprehensive sexual education programs on the pregnancy rates of rural adolescent African-American females.

The effects of dual abstinence and comprehensive 	sexual education programs on the pregnancy rates of rural adolescent 	African-American females. 	 	                                                                              	   	 	Introduction    	  	 	High pregnancy rates for African-American females have 	continued to be a problem in rural Georgia despite school taught government 	approved abstinence only sexual education.  Study) has shown that black 	females either do not understand abstinence the way it is taught or they 	make up their own definition of abstinence.  Study) shows that abstinence 	only programs are not as effective as once believed.  It is important that 	other avenues be considered to teach African-American females, especially 	rural females, sexual education that they can understand and identify with 	in order to control teen pregnancy rates. 	  	 	Statement of the Problem 	 	The problem of the research was to investigate  the 	effectiveness of a multidimensional approach to sexual education on the 	pregnancy rates of rural African-American adolescents. 	  	Purpose 	of the Study 	 	Adolescent African-American pregnancy rates have 	continued to be a problem in rural Georgia.  This study is focused on the 	effectiveness of a multidimensional approach to sexual education in order to 	decrease these ever climbing pregnancy rates.  There has been a lack of 	research on multidimensional sexual education programs on rural 	African-American females.  It is believed that the data from this study may 	help influence the gaining popularity of non abstinence-only programs in the 	United States.  If pregnancy rates can be decreased among rural black 	adolescent females these types of multidimensional sexual education programs 	may be considered by the government for implementation in other areas of the 	United States where high teen pregnancy rates are prevalent.    	 	Significance of the Study 	 	Adolescent African-American females would benefit greatly 	by a multidimensional sexual education program.  This program of study would 	clearly help the girls gain knowledge about abstinence as well as sex 	education.  According to a study by Kristin Haglund (2003) on sexually 	abstinent  African-American females all of the girls in her study “agreed 	that abstinence involved refraining from having sex,  particularly vaginal 	intercourse.”  Unfortunately they did not agree on what other sexual 	behaviors counted as having sex therefore had to be avoided to maintain 	abstinence.   Therefore more knowledge needs to be imparted to the girls in 	order for them to make more informed life choices.   According to Somers and 	Eaves (2002), “earlier sex education does not contribute to earlier risk 	behavior.”  Therefore, an additional comprehensive sexual education could 	contribute greatly to the girls knowledge of the healthy aspects of human 	sexuality such as intimacy and love, developmental issues, and birth control 	measures including abstinence.  The Carrerra Model has proven that a 	multidimensional approach to teen pregnancy prevention can work 	(Carrerra,1995).  This study in particular will validate Carrerra’s findings 	and help close the gaps that the educational community my still entertain 	about the effectiveness of any program other than an abstinence only 	curriculum.  	  	 	Delimitations 	1.  Twenty 	African American Females ages 11-15 years old. 	2.  All 	participants will reside in rural Hancock County, Georgia. 	3.  	Participants will be chosen with the help of the school system meeting 	at-risk indicators: female, lower-income family, lack of involvement in 	school, lack of performance in school, and number of previous pregnancies. 	4.  All of 	the participants will have a negative pregnancy history. 	5.  	Multidimensional sexual education program will be utilized.  See Fig. 1 	6.  The 	study will last for a period of seven years and will be ongoing throughout 	each year. 	  	 	Limitations 	1.  The 	sample of rural African-American females may not be representative of other 	rural areas. 	2.  	Program administrators may not follow the guidelines of the programs 	3.  Data 	may not be able to be generalized to other rural populations 	4.  	Unexpected intercourse such as rape or incest. 	5.  Travel 	to areas of education. 	6.  Lack 	of interest in program by parents. 	  	 	Assumptions 	1.  The 	maturational and environmental influences are unique to each child. 	2.  The 	information provided  will increase the girls knowledge of abstinence. 	3.   Risky 	sexual behavior will be decreased.   	4.  	Self-esteem and self-expression will be increased. 	5.  Test 	instruments will be reliable. 	6.  	Pregnancy rates will be decreased.           	7.  The 	multidimensional sexual education model, as modified for the community, was 	      	appropriate for the target population and was a valid and reliable 	curriculum. 	8.  The 	subjects and their parents understood the long term purpose of the study. 	9.  The 	participants were a representative sample of rural Georgia adolescent 	African-American females. 	10.  The 	program administrators were sufficiently trained and capable of utilizing 	the recommended programs and procedures. 	  	 	Hypothesis 	1.  	African-American teen pregnancy rates will decrease 	2. 	Participants knowledge of sexual education will increase 	3.  	Participants knowledge of birth control will increase 	4.  	Participants will be able to utilize decision making techniques 	5.  	Participants will know all the methods of birth control  	 	    	 	Literature Review 	 	For the past 20 years, the U.S. government has been 	funding abstinence-only programs to be taught in the public school systems.  	Abstinence only curriculums usually promote communication, decision-making, 	assertiveness, goal setting, and abstinence as a way of preventing pregnancy 	and STD’s.  According to SIECUS, the Sexuality Information and Education 	Council of the United States, these programs leave out valuable information 	on reproductive health, sexuality issues, and other forms of pregnancy and 	STD prevention.  The government mandates that any school that receives 	federal money for abstinence only programs must also include teachings that 	emphasize that,  “sexual activity outside of marriage is likely to have 	harmful psychological and physical effects.”  Nothing is to be mentioned 	about the positive effects of love and intimacy between two people.   	 	Abstinence only programs are good programs because they 	do teach knowledge and valuable life skills.  In a study of the Sex Can Wait 	abstinence program the results showed an increase in knowledge for 	elementary, middle, and high school, although not as much as expected 	(Denny, Young, Rausch, Spear, 2002).  However,  when it comes to pregnancy 	prevention abstinence only programs are not always effective.  In a study on 	abstinence education for rural youth by Barnett & Hurst (2003), they found 	that the Life’s Walk abstinence program that they were studying was not 	entirely effective. Attitudes toward teen sexual activity did not change as 	a result of the program.  Nor did attitudes change as a result of the Sex 	Can Wait program.  Denny et al states, “the finding that the curriculum did 	not produce more positive attitudes at the elementary school and middle 	school level is puzzling”.  Barnett & Hurst (2003) also reported that sexual 	behavior of the participants actually increased.   To substantiate these 	findings the British Medical Journal reported a meta-analyses of 26 trials 	of pregnancy prevention programs that showed pregnancies actually increased 	in partners of male participants (DiCenso, Guyatt, Griffith, 2002) .    	 	 	Part of the problem with abstinence only programs may be 	the lack of a clear definition for abstinence.  There is not even a 	clear common definition between nationally recognized abstinence programs.  	Haglund (2003) reports in her study “Sexually Abstinent African American 	Adolescent Females’ Descriptions of Abstinence” that      	 	Each state that gets Federal money for abstinence 	programs are allowed to define abstinence themselves.  Some states included 	the federal description that abstinence meant refraining from sexual 	activity but sexual activity was not defined.  Others defined abstinence as 	refraining from vaginal heterosexual intercourse, from all types of sexual 	activity with a significant risk for transmission of a sexually transmitted 	infection (STI), or from any expression of sexual feeling (as cited in 	Sonfield and Gold, 2001). 	So, not 	only are the proponents for abstinence unsure about the definition so are 	the students. 	  	 Haglund 	also reports that the girls in her study was widely confused as to the 	definition of abstinence.  When participants were asked how a variety of 	sexual behaviors fit into their definition of abstinence,  kissing and 	holding hands were unanimously considered abstinent.  But touching a partner 	on the genitals including breasts, clothed or partially unclothed, was also 	considered abstinent because no intercourse had occurred.  Oral-genital 	contact was considered a sex act by participants but most girls believed 	that if genital to genital intercourse was avoided then they were still 	abstinent.  If anal intercourse occurred the person was no longer considered 	abstinent but one could still be considered “technically” abstinent.  	Participants in Haglund’s study believed that vaginal penetration was the 	only “real way” that people had sex.   “Thus, incomplete descriptions of 	abstinence might cause some young people to unknowingly put themselves at 	risk by engaging in other forms of genital sexual activities” (Haglund, 	2003). 	 	 Parents are the last ones that want their children to 	engage in potentially risky sexual behavior.  Parents would much rather 	their children be educated than be ignorant or misinformed about all of the 	topics that sexual education would cover.  A survey by SIECUS and Advocates 	for Youth suggest that most Americans support sex education in schools that 	includes information on abstinence and contraception.  In a SIECUS and 	Advocates for Youth 1999 nationwide poll of adults on their attitudes about 	sex education in the U.S., 93% of those polled supported comprehensive sex 	education and believed young people, “should be given information to protect 	themselves from unplanned pregnancies and STDs”(as cited in Starkman and 	Rajani, 2002).  Reported in the same survey, most Americans believed 	abstinence should be a topic, even though they rejected abstinence-only 	education.  Eighty-six percent of respondents believed that “young people 	need information about sexuality so they will have healthy and happy 	intimate relationships as adults”.   A Kaiser Family Foundation report, 	released in September 2000, 	 	found that most parents want their children to receive 	information on a variety of subjects, including contraception and condom 	use, sexually transmitted disease, sexual orientation, safer-sex practices, 	abortion, communications and coping skills, and the emotional aspects of 	relationships (as cited in Starkman and Rajani, 2002). 	As part of 	the study parents given the choice to remove their children from a 	comprehensive sex education program, only 1% to 5% of parents would remove 	their child. 	 	Teachers in the United States play an important role in 	teens sexual education.  Today’s teachers are not completely in favor of 	leaving sex education to parents (Bowden, Lanning, Pippin, Tanner, 2003).  	Teachers generally feel that they can have a positive influence over the 	direction of their student’s lives and most teachers feel empowered to teach 	the material, hold conversation, respond to individual student questions and 	engage in other influential methods of teaching and learning (Bowden et al, 	2003).  The main problem that teachers are faced with is that much of their 	influence is diminished by student’s peers.   In several studies peer 	“education” has had a negative effect on teens (Haglund, 2003, Forrest, 	Strange, and Oakley, 2002, Weekes, 2002).   Haglund reports that the 	African-American teens, in her study, main source for sexual information was 	peers.  Their “beliefs about sex and abstinence were based on what they had 	heard others say.”       	 	This bit of information is particularly valuable for the 	purposes of this study because African-American adolescent females are not 	only being influenced by their peers but by Black popular culture portraying 	stereotypes in film and music (Weeks 2002).  In Weeks study she found that 	black females were being oversexualized by popular media and by young black 	boys.  Stephens and Phillips writes, “The eroticizing of African American 	women as wild, sexually promiscuous, and amoral continues to be normalized 	by descriptors that are widely circulated, accepted, and used to frame ideas 	about this population” ( as cited in Hooks, 1992).   There are very few 	black female role models on television, print, and music outlets.  	Especially role models that present the pure and chaste image above an 	overtly sexual image (Stephens and Phillips).   The black females in Weeks 	study were having a hard time presenting themselves as respectable but also 	living up to the oversexualized ideal that they felt that should portray 	externally. All of this confusion over who their sexual selves should be, 	pure and chaste or the Diva, Gold Digger, Freak that is being portrayed in 	popular Hip Hop culture, has left African-Americans questioning their own 	body image and how they fit into society.  In a study titled, “Body Image 	and African American Females’ Sexual Health”, the authors report that one of 	the most significant finding of their study was that women with 	 	 negative body image evaluations, through their 	associations with unhealthy sexual attitudes, beliefs, ad behaviors, could 	enhance the risk of unintended pregnancy, STI, and HIV infection.  Moreover, 	women having greater dissatisfaction with their body image were 	significantly less likely to negotiate condom, as they feared that this 	practice would result in abandonment by their partners. [This] fear of 	abandonment and adolescents’ perceived limited control in the relationship 	may reduce the likelihood of negotiating safer sex or using condoms , and 	the consequence, they may feel more concerned about acquiring HIV.          	We may 	already be seeing today the consequences of the negative effects of body 	image on young African-American females.  Studies suggest that some 12 	million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases are reported each year, 	with about 25% of new cases found among teens (Carter, Franklin, Heath, 	2000).  In Georgia alone, the 1999 Georgia County Guide gives staggering 	numbers for STI’s reported.  Reports were: 1,054 cases of AIDS, 2,008 cases 	of Syphilis, 22,041 cases of Gonorrhea, and 31,516 cases of Chlamydia.  	There were 14,208 live births to unwed teen mothers.  Thirty percent of all 	unwed teen births were by African-American females.     	 	The facts clearly show that abstinence only programs are 	not working for African-American females.  It is believed that this 	comprehensive sexual education program will show measurable meaningful data 	to reduce teen pregnancy.  Mainly because this program will include 	components that other research has concluded could be most beneficial.  It 	could be most promising by learning from the studies already performed and 	implementing as part of the curriculum such areas as: clear and concise 	definitions of abstinence, emphasis on the benefits of abstinence while 	teaching contraception and disease prevention methods, comprising 	differential racialised experiences and definitions of sexuality that 	embrace how young black females experience their sexual selves, and body 	image screening to determine levels of dissatisfaction.      It is the hope 	of this study that these components along with the other components of a 	comprehensive sexual education curricula that we can be a successful model 	for future educators and African-American teenage pregnancy 	prevention                                                                              	                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           	 	  	Ideas 	and Deletions 	Mix 	signals = pregnancy ( quote below) ( haglund – abstinence is the best was to 	prevent infections and pregnancy ( Landry et al) 	 	  	 	Teachers and parents want sex ed---- teachers probs with 	sex ed– the study 	 	Black Females and body issues 	 	Earlier sex education 	Barnett & 	Hurst These same students when asked the best way to prevent pregnancy 	reported: abstinence (37%), birth control pills (30%, and condoms (27%).  	   The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western, industrialized world. Approximately 9% of females ages 15 to 19 years become pregnant each year.  According to the 2003 Kids Count data book 37% of Georgia female adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 had a baby in the year 2000.  According to the Georgia County Guide on vital statistics 30.8% of live births to unwed teenage mothers were to African-American females.   Although all of these statistics are alarming  Kids Counts shows that there is a 27% decrease in teen birth rates in Georgia  from 1990 to 2000. The facts still remain that even though these numbers are decreasing they are still alarmingly high and something needs to be done to prevent teen pregnancy. A lot of the responsibility for pregnancy prevention has fallen on the heads of school educators.  But a majority of the teachers are limited by what they can teach youth inside of the school setting.  This is because for the past 20 years, the U.S. government has ben funding abstinence-only programs to be taught in the public school systems.  Programs funded by the government must teach, among other things, that “sexual activity outside of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects.”   It is almost like the government wants to use scare tactics like beware of the boogie man to prevent minors from engaging in sexual activity.                                                                Chapter 3 Methods And Procedure This chapter will discuss the method of research to be used, the respondents of the study, the sampling technique, the instrument to be used, the validation of the instrument, the administration of the of the instrument and the statistical treatment of the data that will be gathered. Method of Research to be Used This study will use the descriptive approach.  This descriptive type of research will utilize interview, observation and questionnaires in the study.  To illustrate the descriptive type of research, the researcher will be guided by Cresqell (1993) when he stated: “Descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition.  The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of a situation as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of a particular phenomena. Although early researchers conceptualized body image as being unidimensional, it is now considered to be, and is measured as, a multidimensional construct. Examples of dimensions are: perception, attitude, cognition, behavior, affect, fear of fatness, body distortion, body dissatisfaction, cognitive-behavioral investment, evaluation, preference for thinness, and restrictive eating (Cash, 1994; Cash & Henry, 1995; Gleaves, Williamson, Eberenz, Sebastian, & Barker, 1995). The way in which body image is conceptualized is not just of theoretical interest, but has implications for the way in which disturbances in body image are treated. Empirical investigation is needed to determine the extent to which these models of body image accurately reflect the grouping of items. The aim of this research is to define body image more clearly and obtain data on the nature of the dimensions of body image. In doing so, it will be possible to develop a clearer idea of the actual dimensions of body image among African-American teenagers. Moreover, positive attitude towards body image may significantly reduce pregnancy rates among African-American teenagers. This construct is aimed to examine and propose to incorporate a multi-dimensional sex education and dual abstinence in African-American schools in rural Georgia. Past conceptualizations of body image have generally incorporated at least one of the following four dimensions: perception, cognition, affect, and behavior. These four dimensions have the appealing features of being simple, functional, and clearly testable, and are the starting point for this paper. The present study is an examination of a multi-dimensional approach to sex education by exploring a model of body image that incorporated perceptual, affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions. Thus, the aim of the study was not to construct a measure of body image, but to determine the validity of conceptualizing body image as comprising four dimensions: perception, affect, cognition, and behavior.             The primary source of data will come from a researcher-made survey questionnaire which will be given to the respondents.  The respondents of this study will be randomly selected African-American teenagers in Georgia.              The secondary sources of data will come from published articles from social science, sex education and health journals, theses and related studies on sex education. For this research design, the researcher will gather data, collate published studies from different local and foreign universities and articles from social science journals, distribute sampling questionnaires; arrange interviews; and make a content analysis of the collected documentary and verbal material.  Afterwards, the researcher will summarize all the information, make a conclusion based on the null hypotheses posited and provide insightful recommendations on the dealing with sex education and dual abstinence among African-American in Georgia. Instrument to be Used A questionnaire consisting of 28 questions ranging from perception, affect, cognition, and behavior and statements concerning body image was administered to the respondents. These dimensions were clearly defined at the beginning of the questionnaire and on each of the subsequent pages. The definitions used to classify items were: Perceptual items: The way individuals view their body in relation to its actual form; Affective items: Feelings individuals have about their body; Cognitive items: Thoughts individuals have about their body; Behavioral items: Behaviors that are aimed at changing the body shape of individuals. The items contained in the questionnaire was derived from Ben-Tovim Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire (BAQ) with some revisions from Banfield and Mccabe (2002) consisting of 28 statements. The scales and subscales chosen were selected because of their good reported psychometric properties, claimed relevance to the four body image dimensions, and best representation of the instruments available. An attempt was made to obtain a range of different measures for each construct. Since these measures contain different numbers of items, a different number of items were included in the final measure for each construct. However, this would not be expected to influence the final factor structure. These items will be randomly ordered in the questionnaire by assigning randomly generated numbers. Ben-Tovim Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire (BAQ). The BAQ (Ben-Tovim & Walker, 1991) was developed to assess a broad range of attitudes which women have about their bodies. This study used the Feeling Fat Subscale which consists of 12 items, with an example being, "I have a slim waist." Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale from (1) strongly agree, to (5) strongly disagree. Procedure After receiving ethics approval, questionnaires will be distributed to participants. The questionnaire shall take approximately thirty minutes to complete and the participants can complete it on their own time. All items will be categorized (perception, affect, cognition or behavior) according to the dimension the respondent believed the item was evaluating. Responses will be anonymous and confidential. Participants were instructed to return the questionnaire in a stamped self-addressed envelope. All respondents who will agree to participate in the study shall return the questionnaires. Respondents of the Study The general population for this study will be composed of African-American teenagers aged 13-18 residing in Georgia numbering to sixty (60). Validation of the Instrument The Ben-Tovim Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire has been validated several time in the literature. Thus, it has already established itself to be a reliable questionnaire. However, in order to prove that it applies to the African-American adolescents in Georgia, the researcher will initially submit a survey questionnaire and after approval, the survey will be given to ten African-American teenagers.  After the survey questionnaire will be answered, the researcher will ask the respondents for any suggestions or any necessary corrections to ensure further improvement and validity of the instrument.  The researcher will again examine the content of the survey questionnaire to find out the reliability of the instrument.  The researchers will exclude irrelevant questions and will change words that would be deemed difficult by the respondents, to much simpler terms. Administration of the Instrument The revised instrument will then be administered to the respondents of the study which will be chosen through a combination of cluster and random sampling.  The researcher will exclude the ten respondents who will be initially used for the validation of the instrument.  The researcher will also tally, score and tabulate all the relevant data in the survey questionnaire.   References Banfield, S. and Mccabe, M. (2002) An evaluation of the construct of body image. Adolescence, Vol. 37.   Ben-Tovim, D. I., & Walker, K. M. (1991). The development of the Ben-Tovim Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire (BAQ), a new measure of women's attitudes towards their own bodies. Psychological Medicine, 21, 775-784.   Cash, T. F. (1994). Body image attitudes: Evaluation, investment and affect. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 78, 1168-1170.   Cash, T. E., & Henry, P. E. (1995). Women's body images: The results of a national survey in the U.S.A. Sex Roles, 33, 19-28.   Gleaves, D. H., Williamson, D. A., Eberenz, K. P., Sebastian, S. B., & Barker, S. E. (1995). Clarifying body-image disturbance: Analysis of a multidimensional model using structural modeling. Journal of Personality Assessment, 64, 478-493. (Temporary, more to be added) Reference List 1.  Introduction of sex education into Nigerian schools: the parents', teachers' and students' perspectives. By: Orji, E.O.; Esimai, O.A. . Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology , Mar2003, Vol. 23 Issue 2, p185, 4p; 2.  Get Your Freak on: how black girls sexualise identity. By: Weekes, Debbie . Sex Education , Nov2002, Vol. 2 Issue 3, p251 , 12p ; ( AN 7558641 ) 3. TEACHERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS ABSTINENCE-ONLY SEX EDUCATION CURRICULA. By:  Bowden, Rodney G.; Lanning, Beth A.; Pippin, Grover "Rusty"; Tanner, John F. . Education , Summer2003, Vol. 123 Issue 4, p780, 9p ; ( AN 10187531 ) 4.  Is earlier sex education harmful? An analysis of the timing of school-based sex education and adolescent sexual behaviours. By: Somers, Cheryl L.; Eaves, Matt W. . Research in Education , May2002 Issue 67, p23, 10p, 2 charts ; ( AN 6772968 ) 5.  Sexing the Subject: teachers, pedagogies and sex education. By: Kehily, Mary Jane . Sex Education , Nov2002, Vol. 2 Issue 3, p215 , 17p ; ( AN 7558643 )   6.  Interventions to reduce unintended pregnancies among adolescents: systematic review of randomised controlled trials. By: DiCenso, Alba; Guyatt, Gordon; Willan, A; Griffith, L . BMJ: British Medical Journal , 6/15/2002, Vol. 324 Issue 7351, p1426, 5p, 5 graphs ; ( AN 6863526 ) 7.  Sexually abstinent African American adolescent females’ descriptions of abstinence. By: Haglund, Kristin. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Third Qurarter2003,35(3), p 231-236

Research proposal on The effects of dual abstinence and comprehensive sexual education programs on the pregnancy rates of rural adolescent African-American females.

The effects of dual abstinence and comprehensive sexual education programs on the pregnancy rates of rur...

A New Approach to Rural Development: Adaptation of Austria’s Village Renewal to China

A New Approach to Rural Development: Adaptation of Austria’s Village Renewal to China 1.0 Title             The working title of the research was initially drafted as: A New Approach to Rural Development: Adaptation of Austria’s Village Renewal to China. This paper presents a proposal to research, explore and study the application of Village Renewal of Austria in Rural Development in China. In this proposal, the concepts and ideas about Village Renewal and Rural Development will be discussed briefly as well as the information about the implementation process of the study. 2.0 Background of the Study             Currently, China is undergoing massive changes in its economic performance and condition. China is considered as the fastest growing economy in the world, and considered as the third largest economy in the world after USA and Japan. This rise and growth is considered as phenomenon because the country can be considered as “sleeping” for a long time. One of the important strategies being implemented in the country is to improve the infrastructure and condition in the rural areas. This focuses on improving the living conditions in the rural areas, which consequently help in order to narrow the gap between the rural and urban lives (Holcim Foundation n.d.). With this, Beijing, China is considered as one of the first places in China where in Village Renewal was applied. Village renewal was adapted from Austria. The movement of Village Renewal is considered as a story of success in Lower Austria which started in 1984 with 4 pilot villages. Thus, currently, it is considered as the biggest initiative of the citizens that have existed in the country (Dorf & Stadt n.d.).             The main direction of Village Renewal in Lower Austria is to improve and strengthen the local communities. The participation of many members of the communities in the planning processes and the steps in implementing the plans help to improve the standard of quality of the projects together with the high level of acceptance from the citizens (Raumordnung-Noe n.d.).   3.0 Objectives of the Study             The main aim of the study is to evaluate and assess the application of Austria’s Village Renewal in China rural development in Beijing. In connection, the following are the specific objectives of the study: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt"> 	 	to analyze the perceptions of the citizens towards Village Renewal;</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt"> 	 	to describe the advantages and benefits of Village Renewal for the citizens’ 	lives; and</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt"> 	 	to present the advantages and benefits of Village Renewal to the overall 	economic and social condition of the community.</li> </ul> On the other hand, the following are the hypotheses of the study: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt"> 	 	Village Renewal helps to improve the overall infrastructure, structure and 	design of village in Beijing;</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt"> 	 	Village Renewal had helped the living conditions of citizens in terms of 	economic and social aspects; and</li> 	<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt"> 	 	Village Renewal had helped to improve the cooperation and responsiveness of 	the citizens towards changes and development in the society.</li> </ul>                   4.0 Methodology 4.1 Data Collection             Survey questionnaire, interview and observation will be used in this study in order to gather primary data. This will focus on the perceptions, acceptance, benefits and advantages of Village Renewal based on the perspectives of the citizens. 4.2 Sample Frame             The sample frame of this study will be from one of the village in Beijing China. First, the name of individual villages will be listed in piece of paper, and based on this, the village where the study to be implemented will be drawn. Then 60% of the entire population (18 and above years old) will be surveyed and observed. 4.3 Data Analysis The data results of the study will be analyzed by determining their corresponding frequency, percentage and weighted mean. The following statistical formulas will be used:   1.         Percentage – to determine the magnitude of the responses to the questionnaire.             n % = -------- x 100            ;           n – number of responses             N                                  N – total number of respondents   2.         Weighted Mean             f1x1 + f2x2 + f3x3 + f4x4 + f5x5 x = ---------------------------------------------;                                     xt where: f – weight given to each response             x – number of responses             xt – total number of responses 4.4 Timetable 	 		 		 		  		 		 		 		June 		 		 		 		July 		 		 		 		August 		 		 		 		September 	 	 		 		 		 		1 		 		 		 		2 		 		 		 		3 		 		 		 		4 		 		 		 		5 		 		 		 		6 		 		 		 		7 		 		 		 		8 	 	 		 		 		 		Problem 		 		 		Identification 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Literature 		 		 		Review 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Research 		 		 		Design 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Choice of 		 		 		Methodology 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Data 		 		 		Sources 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Data 		 		 		Collection 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Data 		 		 		Analysis 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Writing up 		 		 		Draft 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Editing 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Final 		 		 		Document 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	 	 		 		 		 		Binding of 		 		 		Document 		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  		 		 		 		  	           5.0 References Dorf & Stadt, Village Renewal, http://www.dorf-stadterneuerung.at/ (Accessed on 15 June 2010). Holcim Foundation, Measuring Up to the Criteria of Sustainable Construction – “People”, http://www.holcimfoundation.org/ (Accessed on 15 June 2010). Raumordnung-Noe, Village Renewal in Lower Austria, http://www.raumordnung-noe.at/ (Accessed on 15 June 2010).

A New Approach to Rural Development: Adaptation of Austria’s Village Renewal to China

A New Approach to Rural Development: Adaptation of Austria’s Village Renewal to China 1.0 Title The wo...