Dracula and the gothic horror genre Essay Example

Dracula and the gothic horror genre Essay Gothic horror is believed to have been invented by the man Harrance Walpole in the year 1974, gothic horror is the belief of darkness, vampires and the usual characteristics such as werewolves etc gothic horror features could also be listed as supernatural the ability to do something different abnormal if you like a gothic horror story you would expect to be set in a dark place normally trees with the howling of the werewolves leading up to the huge stereotypical castle.The two characters we meet in the opening of the novel Dracula are Jonathan Harker and the man him self Dracula they are both portrayed I believe to fit the gothic horror genre. The author Bram stoker has achieved this by showing Jonathan Harker as an up to date and modern man he doesnt live in the ages and he doesnt carry superstitions and past beliefs we have evidence of this when Jonathan Harker stays in the hotel in Bristrits in Romania with the bus full of cross languages and characters and whilst looking through his well prepared language translator finds the words devil and evil these are the two most important words when relating to the gothic horror genre..Jonathan Harker has strong beliefs in new technologies and very much trusts them he is also a very organised man we know this because at the beginning of the play when Jonathan Harker is sent on his journey to meet the count in Transylvania he goes to the library or museum as it is mentioned and looks for information on the place, it just happens that the place Transylvania is mysterious and unknown creating an even bigger impression towards the gothic horror genre. Jonathan Harker also prepares more than usual because he is going to meet a noble man a man of class and pride this shows that Jonathan harker believes in the division of classes.He also when visiting places comments on the food as we know because he comments on the paprika in the hotel in Bristrits he also comments on clothing and the accommodation, Jonathan also feels un comfortable when taking possessions from people I picked up on this when the old lady from the hotel insists him to stay but he disagrees and the old lady replies with the gift of a cross necklace but he doesnt want to be rude so he takes her gift.He also keeps a journal in short hand and as I mentioned before he comments on things, weather he likes them or not this shows that he has high expectations this meaning that he strives to succeed.When Jonathan Harker sets about his journey from the east to the west (London to Transylvania) he is leaving his comforts, his social mind and his domestic bliss. He is leaving civilisation he has no maps no surveys he is venturing into the unknown and mysterious land called Transylvania. Jonathan harker is no longer safe by laws and rules he is in with the animals he is staying in a brutal, hostile and dangerous landscape called his accommodation which I am sure will not live up to his high expectations. Jonathan Harker is a very stereotypical m an and believes in his possessions but his fancy writing skills and posh tone of voice will not be took with a great deal of respect out in this dark land. When he arrives at the castle to meet the colourless and lifeless man we know as Dracula,Dracula makes a comment, warning against discarding the old for the new this brings me to my very next point that the comments Jonathan harker had been hearing on his journey about the devil and evil have not yet come true as Jonathan Harker says the light and the warmth and the counts courteous welcome seemed to have dissipated doubts and fears. Dracula has a very strong and distinctive physical appearance he is not the stereotypical man like Jonathan Harker. Dracula speaks in a very well mannered but old fashion way as he says words like nay Johonathan Harker also notices that he has not one speck of colour about him and also relates to his facial features such as his nose which he calls aquiline and he also talks about his forehead being l ofty meaning big, these are all common signs of power and intelligence such as the forehead being big which is meant to be increased thinking power and the authoritive nose creates a sense of power over people, also may slightly intimidate people as they dont want to focus on such a sculptured face.Draculas first words to Johonathan Harker are the following welcome to my house enter freely and at your own will. This being a sense of gratitude and delightfulness but then being over powered by the enter at your own will as if there were something to be scared of. When Johonathan Harker first touches the count to shake his hand he notices the coldness and says in the novel he was as cold as ice more like a dead man than a living one. This is the first sense of doubt that Johonathan Harker has about Dracula.It is clear that Bram stokers skills as a writer have paid off because he has portrayed two obviously different characters to create a feeling of unsureness making Dracula not to be what he seems.Bram Stockers play was set in the Victorian times the area of the specific classes as we know and also Bram Stoker chose to set his play in the gothic thrilling place called Transylvania this was strange because back in the Victorian times people didnt know much about Transylvania meaning that Bram Stoker could achieve the sense of unsafeness and mysteriousness he wanted. The castle was very much stereotypical and the time of day and placing where perfect for the fit of the gothic horror genre dark when Johonathan Harker was approaching the castle and the noises outside the hotel (the werewolves). The weather that Johonathan Harker experiences is also very much part of the gothic horror genre stormy and rainy.In the novel Dracula Bram stoker tries to create the feeling of suspense most of the way through the way he does this by making Johonathan Harker have horse and cart rides were the driver will for no reason stop and also Bram Stoker crates suspense by sending a ma n of new technologies into a world with none and sending him into an unknown land. The old women giving him across also raises questions this is exactly what Bram Stocker is trying to achieve the weather that Bram Stoker writes about is very nerve raking and inquisitive. All this finally begins to make Jonathon Harker and the readers feel unsecure.In conclusion I feel that Bram Stokers Dracula fulfils the conventions of the gothic horror genre to a perfect and very high standard as it has all the stereotypical aspects of the gothic horror genre.

Philippines Basic Education Essays

Philippines Basic Education Essays Philippines Basic Education Paper Philippines Basic Education Paper MODULE 2 THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM Teacher Induction Program Teacher Education Council, Department of Education Lidinila M. Luis Santos, Ed. D. Writer Minda C. Sutaria, Ed. D. Reviewer Bernadette S. Pablo, M. Ed. Editor All rights reserved. This module may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of the Teacher Education Council, Department of Education. TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM MODULE 2 The Philippines Basic Education Curriculum OBJECTIVES THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM Overview This module is about the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC), which sets the standards for what your students should learn in basic education which in the Philippines is from Grades I-VI and from First Year to Fourth Year high school. It spells out the knowledge, skills, habits and attitudes that your students should learn under your guidance. It is your guide in what to teach, in whatever grade/year level you are assigned. Besides learning about the curriculum, you should also be familiar with the Philippine Education For ALL (EFA) 2015 Plan. In the module, there are Self Check Questions (SCQs) and Activities to find out for yourself how well you understood what you read. However, you are not to write your answers on the module itself. Your answers are to be recorded in a notebook or journal which shall be part of your formative evaluation. TEC shall provide the postassessment booklet for summative evaluation. After studying this module you should be able to do the following: Discuss the goals and critical tasks of the EFA 2015 Plan of Action. Define what a curriculum is and its role in Philippine basic education. Explain the bases of the Philippine basic education curriculum. Discuss the forerunners of the present basic education curriculum. Explain the rationale for restructuring the basic education curriculum. Analyze the structure of the BEC. Identify samples of the different learning goals. Describe the role of the curriculum in the instructional system. Use the BEC in planning effective lessons. Assume greater responsibility for enhancing your capabilities to use the BEC as your guide to teaching and learning. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Objectives Preassessment i 1 4 Lesson 1 How Do You Know where You Want To Go? Know Your Curriculum The EFA 2005-2015 Plan of Action Goals of EFA EFA’s Critical Tasks What is a Curriculum? Why Do We Need a Curriculum? Why Do We Have a National Curriculum? How Do We Indigenize/Localize the Curriculum? Why Do We Have a Bilingual Policy? 6 8 13 15 16 17 18 20 Lesson 2 Why Restructure the Curriculum: A Little Bit of History 23 The National Elementary School Curriculum (NESC) The New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC) Evaluation of the NESC and NSEC The Rationale for the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) 4 26 26 29 ii Lesson 3 I Know the BEC: How Do I Make It Alive? Features of the BEC The Structure of the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum The Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies (PELC) and the Philippine Secondary Learning Competencies (PSLC) 32 33 39 41 Lesson 4 Alive! But How Do I Make The Curriculum Work? The Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Model (CIA) You and the Instructional System The R ole of Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials Your Mastery of Subject Matter 48 49 53 57 57 Answer Key to SCQ’s and Activities Bibliography Appendix 1 Sample Reading Skills Appendix 2 Sample Competencies of Elementary Mathematics: Grade I – VI Comprehension of Whole Numbers Appendix 3 Sample Competencies of Filipino in the Secondary Level 60 68 69 70 74 iii TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM PREASSESSMENT PREASSESSMENT Don’t be distracted by the title of this section of the module. This is a preliminary survey of what you already know about the topics covered in this module. Get a sheet of paper and write your answers to the questions. Don’t worry if you cannot answer all of them correctly but try anyway. Keep your answers and compare them with the materials you have studied after each lesson. 1. If you are going to survey the educational status of people in your town, barangay and school, which of the following groups will you find? Check as many as are applicable to your community. ________a. Young and old alike who have not attended school at all ________b. Children and youth drop-outs ________c. Adults who have not finished elementary/ secondary schooling ________d. Pupils/Students who cannot read and write in English/Filipino ________e. Pupils/Students who have limited competencies in mathematics ________f. Others: Please State 2. Would you consider these groups as educationally challenged? Why? Why not? What do you think should our educational system do for them? 3. Have you heard/read something about the Education For ALL 2015 Plan of Action? Will the plan help the disadvantaged groups? Why do you think so? What do you think will be your role in the implementation of the EFA Plan? MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 1 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM PREASSESSMENT 4. When you hear the word curriculum, what comes to your mind? What do you know about the curriculum you are going to implement as a teacher? . What languages of instruction are you supposed to use in your classes? What do you know about the bilingual policy? The lingua franca program? 6. What basic education curriculum was being implemented when you were in elementary school/in high school? What subjects did you study? 7. Are you aware of tests conducted to assess the performance of students who were schooled on th e NESC NSEC? What were some of the findings? Are they good or bad? Why? 8. Have you attended orientation sessions on the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC)? What are the important features of the BEC? 9. Do you know what the Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies (PELC) and the Philippine Secondary Learning Competencies (PSLC) are? Why should you be familiar with these documents as a teacher? MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 2 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM PREASSESSMENT 10. Since you are a teacher, what do you know about the relationship among curriculum, instruction and assessment? Why should you be completely knowledgeable of these three components of the instructional system? 11. When you prepare your lesson plans, how important are the following to you? . The PELC / PSLC b. The textbooks for your learning areas c. The methods, strategies, techniques and activities for instruction d. The evaluation measures you are going to use to assess student learnings 12. When you conduct your daily lessons, why are the following important? a. Congruence among your objectives, strategies and assessment b. Your knowledge of your subject matter c. Your knowledge of the needs, interests and abilities of your students Well, how many questions were you comfortable answering? As you study each lesson, compare your answers with the materials. If you answered the questions correctly, that’s very good. If not, don’t despair. That is the reason this module was prepared. Take note of the topics where you feel inadequate and study them well when you come across them in the module. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 3 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM LESSON 1 HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM INTRODUCTION Lesson I talks about the curriculum and how the curriculum can be used as your guide in going where you want to take your students as you teach. It is discussed using the Education For All (EFA) 2015 Plan of Action as your framework. OBJECTIVES After studying this lesson you should be able to: discuss the EFA 2015 Plan of Action particularly its challenges, goals and critical tasks; relate the EFA tasks to your role as implementor of the curriculum; define what a curriculum is; explain why there is a need for a national curriculum; demonstrate ways of indigenizing or localizing the curriculum; and justify the implementation of the bilingual policy in Philippine schools. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM READ Imagine yourself riding in an airplane or watching an airplane land. The pilot spots the landing field and looks for the runway. Upon landing, he follows the runway and guides the airplane until it comes to a stop. If you have gone to the Palarong Pambansa or watched any local athletic meet, you must have hea rd the crowd cheering the runners as they negotiated the track to reach the finish line. Sometimes the curriculum is likened to a runway or a racetrack. Just like the pilot or the runners, you need a guide when you teach. What do you think would happen if the pilot missed the runway or the runners crossed the field and did not follow the track? Yes, that would be disastrous. The curriculum is your guide so you will know where to take your students as they study with you. There are goals or milestones they need to reach and all these are spelled out in that document we call the curriculum. But before you learn about the curriculum, there is a very important document you need to be familiar with. This is the Philippine Education For All (EFA) 2015 Plan. This Plan for Action was developed by different Technical Working Groups (TWGs) of the DepEd who conducted a series of consultations with civil society, education experts, policy makers, teachers and administrators on what needs to be done to improve the quality of Philippine education. The TWGs finalized the EFA Plan of Action, which is to be implemented from the year 2005 until the year 2015. As a teacher, this Plan will serve as your framework for doing your job well as an education stakeholder. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 5 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM The EFA 2015 Plan of Action EFA means Education For All. EFA is a UNESCO Program. Who are referred to by the catchword ALL? The 1987 Philippine Constitution affirms that education is the birthright of all Filipinos. This means that education should be available to all Filipinos whatever their age, creed, abilities, social and economic status. Educating all Filipinos is a very great challenge to our educational system. As a teacher, you are partly responsible for addressing this educational challenge. Who are these educationally challenged Filipinos? The EFA 2015 Plan of Action (DepEd, 2004) identifies the following: 1. Those who are disadvantaged because of inadequate competencies. Inadequate competencies translate into the following conditions: Those who are: not fully functionally literate in the regional language (Ex. Cebuano, Tagalog, Ilocano) Filipino or English; unable to communicate in English and therefore cannot make use of available knowledge and opportunities in English; and able to communicate in Filipino, but get limited benefits from less abundant existing knowledge and opportunities in the Filipino language, 2. Those who are disadvantaged in terms of schooling are those children and youth who: were unable to enter school. They are found in the far flung barangays where there are no schools, or in other areas where because of poverty or neglect, they don’t avail of the opportunities for schooling, 6 MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM were unable to finish the full 10 years of basic education. In other words these are the children who drop out before they finish their elementary/ secondary schooling, and were able to finish 10 years of basic schooling, but have not attained the standard 75% mastery of basic competencies. SCQ 1. 1 1. Choose who among these children are educationally challenged. a. Pedro, Grade III, can read in Filipino but not in English b. Nancy, drop-out at Grade IV c. Jose and Greg, street children d. Jane, finished high school, lacks numeracy skills 2. Why do you say they are educationally disadvantaged? Refer to page 60 for the answers) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 7 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM READ Goals of EFA What does the EFA Plan of Action hope to accomplish by 2015, the end of the implementation period? Let’s analyze each goal by answering the questions. You may want to do this with a partner. 1. Universal Functional Literacy The Plan envisions that all Filipinos will be functionally literate by 2015. But how can you tell that they are functionally literate? They are functionally literate according to the Plan if they possess: â€Å"A range of skills and competencies – cognitive (Intellectual) affective (emotional) and behavioral which enables individuals to live and work as human persons, develop their potential, make critical and informed decisions and function effectively in the context of their environment and that of the wider community (local, regional, national, global) in order to improve the quality of their life and that of society. † If you analyze this definition, I’m very sure; there is still a lot to be done before functional literacy for all Filipinos can be attained. Going back to those who are educationally disadvantaged, can you say they are functionally literate? You’re right. They are not. They may not be able to make critical and informed decisions. They need further help. 2. Universal coverage of quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) for all 3-5 yearold children. Most communities have Early Childhood Education Programs to provide early childhood stimulation and development for children before they enter Grade One. These programs are provided by several institutions in the community. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM ACTIVITY 1. 1 Please check if you have the following programs in your community. You can use this form. ECE Program Available Enrolment Not Available 1. DSWD Centers 2. NGO Centers Day Care Day Care 3. Preschools a. Private Preschool b. Public Preschool 4. Others: Please state (Refer to page 60 for comments ) 3. Universal school participation and total elimination of drop-outs and repetition from Grades I-III. Are all 6-7 year-old children in your barangay enrolled in Grade I? Are they able to continue attending classes at least until Grade III? You can help attain this goal if you: campaign and visit parents of all prospective Grade I children and convince them to enroll their children in school; make your school child-friendly so that the children do not drop out and MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 9 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM make sure that they master the foundation skills of literacy and numeracy, or they do not repeat any grade. If they repeated any grade, they wasted government funds. Also, they might not want to continue going to school anymore. 4. Universal completion of the full cycle of basic education schooling with satisfactory achievement levels by all at every grade level. In the Philippine educational system, a child has to finish six (6) years of elementary and four (4) years of secondary education to complete the full cycle of basic education. Studies show that from 1989 to 2002 only 65 out of 100 pupils who enter Grade I finish Grade Six and only 46 finish secondary education. ACTIVITY 1. 2 Your school data are stored in your Basic Education Information System (BEIS). Get your school data and compare them with the National Data provided herein. Performance Indicators National Data School Data Year ____ School Year 2005-2006 Elementary Secondary Elementary Secondary 1. Participation Rate 2. Drop- out Rate ta Repetition Rate 3. 4. Completion Rate 5. Achievement Rate (Mean Percentage Score) a. English b. Science c. Math 84. 41 10. 57 2. 69 56. 76 58. 20 15. 81 3. 14 59. 77 59. 15 54. 12 59. 10 51. 35 39. 49 46. 80 Ask your Principal or BEIS Coordinator to explain to you what the data mean. Is your school performance higher or below the national performance? See page 60 for comments) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 10 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM 5. Expand the coverage of the Basic Literacy Program for the 16 year old andabove and the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Accreditation and Equivalency Program for the 16 year–old and above who have less than 10 y ears of basic education. Does your school have an Alternative Learning System Program (formerly Non-Formal Education Program)? Find out what the program is doing for the out-of-school youths and adults in your community. Do they avail of the programs? Why or why not? You may want to discuss this with the ALS coordinator of your school or district. 6. Commitment of all Philippine communities to the attainment of basic education competencies for all– Education for All by ALL. The ALL here again refers to the Filipino children in need of education. It also refers to ALL the stakeholders, most especially you. Did you learn much about your school while working on the activities and answering the questions? The answers you gathered will give you a good picture of the state of education in your school. The six (6) goals of EFA can be your guideposts until 2015 while you are with the Philippine educational system. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 11 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM ACTIVITY 1. 3 Based on your understanding of the EFA goals and the activities you have done, assess the status of your school based on accomplishments towards reaching the goals. Put a star (*) after the goals where you perceive your school is doing well, a question mark (? ) if you are not sure, and an (x) if you feel there is more to be done. EFA Goal 1. Universal Functional Literacy 2. Universal Coverage of ECE 3. Universal Participation and Elimination of Drop- outs 4. Universal Completion of Basic Education 5. Expansion of Basic Literacy 6. Commitment to the Attainment of Basic Competencies __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Status of Accomplishments __________________________ __________________________ Discuss your assessment with your principal and find out how you can contribute to the attainment of the goals. List a few things you can do especially for number 3 and number 6 goals. Goal No. 3 Goal No. 6 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. (See page 61 for comments) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 12 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM READ EFA’s Critical Tasks Based on the goals of EFA, what are the critical tasks of the different education stakeholders? When we say stakeholders, we mean all those involved in the education of the child. They all have significant roles. As a teacher, since you are at the forefront of these critical tasks, your role is doubly important. The more important tasks for which your personal and professional commitment as a teacher is greatly needed are the following: (DepEd 2004, Philippine Education For All (2015 Plan of Action). 1. Make every school continuously perform better. Let us say there are 10 teachers in your school. If all of you teach very well and make sure your students learn, then you can say you have done your best to make your school better. If there are 10 schools in your town that are doing the same, can you say that you are helping make your town perform well? Multiply the efforts of ll the schools in the country; can you imagine how your little effort in your school can go a long way? 2. Expand ECE coverage to yield more EFA benefits. If you have children of your own, you can start giving them the benefit of early childhood care and development. Talk to them. Tell them stories. Take them for a walk in your barangay. Answer all their questions. Enroll them in ECE Programs. Encourage other parents to d o the same. These activities will keep them stimulated mentally. If you teach Grades I-III, be sure that the pupils’ gains in ECE will not be lost. Continue to stimulate them mentally, socially and emotionally. If you have done this, you can be sure you have built a strong educational foundation for your students. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 13 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM 3. Transform existing non-formal and informal learning options into a truly viable alternative learning system yielding more EFA benefits. As a teacher, you may be asked to handle non–formal education classes. The ALS has a Basic Literacy Program which teaches illiterates basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills. There is also an Accreditation and Equivalency Program (A and E), which addresses the learning needs of school drop-outs who have not completed 10 years of basic education. 4. Get all teachers to continuously perform better. Whether you are a beginning teacher or an experienced one, you cannot stop growing. You have to continue to upgrade and improve your teaching skills. Read widely. Attend seminars. Observe effective teachers. Ask questions. 5. Adopt a 12-year cycle for formal basic education. This means adding two (2) more years to basic education. This is a matter to be decided by our legislators, our education authorities, and the parents. But since you also have a stake in education, your stand on the matter must be heard. Study the benefits of a longer basic education cycle and help convince parents to support a shift to it. The DepEd started to introduce an additional year with the optional High School Bridge Program. You learned about this Program in Module 1. Will you be happy if most of the elementary graduates of your school will be asked to attend the Bridge Program? What does it say about the quality of the graduates of your school? 6. Accelerate curriculum development. You are not expected to develop a new curriculum. What is expected of you is to know the curriculum by heart so that you will know what you are expected to teach in the different learning areas in the grade/year level you are handling. At the same time, try to conduct some studies on the curriculum so you will know whether the learnings are relevant to the needs and conditions of your pupils. If they are not, then try to make some modifications to make the curriculum more relevant. As you go through Module 2, you will know more about the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) of 2002, which you are expected to implement. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 14 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM ACTIVITY 1. 4 You have studied six (6) critical tasks of EFA. They are now also your tasks. Select the three (3) most important tasks to which you can contribute most. Write what you think can be your best contribution. Complete this form Critical Task My Contributions (Refer to page 61 for comments) READ What is a Curriculum? Unlike the runway or the racetrack that I mentioned earlier, the curriculum is not paved with concrete or asphalt. It is the totality of all the experiences that the students will undergo while they are in school. Others say it is made up of the subject matter taught by the teacher and learned by the students as they go through the educational process still, others see the curriculum as made up of objectives (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor) or competencies that should be developed MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 15 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM among the students under the guidance of the teacher (Saylor, Alexander Lewis, 1981 pp. 4-7). A curriculum can be all of theseexperiences, subject matter, objectives and competencies. (Saylor, et al 1981 p. 7) defined the curriculum as the â€Å"different planned opportunities for learning† afforded the students as they go through schooling. This is a more encompassing definition of what curriculum is. It means that the curriculum includes subject matter, objectives, and the experiences of the learner. Why Do We Need a Curriculum? Let’s play a little game of looking back to your first few days or weeks when you were first appointed to teach. Although you have a Bachelors Degree in Education, did you feel a little lost as to what you were going to teach your grade school pupils, say in mathematics, or your high school students, in English? You cannot just look at the ceiling and decide that you are going to teach your Grade One children addition or your first year students letter writing. Yes, you may ask your students about their previous lessons, but where do you go from there? Obviously, you need a written guide that will tell you what you are expected to teach. This guide is your curriculum plan. This is now the BEC. There are certain elements that you have to look for when you examine the curriculum. You need to know the scope of the work or the lessons for a particular grade or year level and for a particular learning area. The scope tells you the coverage of the lessons. You also need to know the sequence of the lessons. What comes first, what comes next and so on. The sequence tells you when to teach a particular competency or content. The sequence of the lessons also provides for the continuity link from one grade level to another. For example, if the curriculum plan for Mathematics Grade I covers addition of two digit numbers with a sum of 99, then the Grade II curriculum will start from there. The competencies also increase in difficulty. In other words, if everything in the curriculum plan has been learned in the previous grade, the teacher of the next grade will know where to start. If not, then you have to begin where the children are. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 16 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM ACTIVITY 1. 5 Examine your PSLC for Science, for first year high school. 1. 2. What does it cover? Are the lessons/ topics properly sequenced so there is continuity? re the Note: If you teach other subjects and grade/year level, do this activity with the subject of your choice. (See page 61 for comments) READ Why Do We Have a National Curriculum? In the Philippines, we have a national curriculum implemented nationwide in all public elementary and secondary schools. It is called the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). The private schools have the option to enrich or modify the BEC as circumstances in their schools dictate. Why is it important that our country follow a national curriculum? Some of our students are very mobile. Sometimes in the course of the school year, they change residence and transfer to another school. Let us say two of your students transferred to two different schools in the middle of the school year. Will they have problems following the lessons in their new schools? How does having a national curriculum help the transferred pupils and their new teacher? Furthermore, the DepEd uses the national curriculum as the standard for assessing your performance and the performance of your pupils. There must be only one standard for all. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 17 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM If different curricula are followed, different standards will be set. Students in a particular grade/year level will not be developing the same competencies. Since tests are based on the standards, valid or reliable results can be generated which will apply to all the samples. If the education authorities will use the results of the tests to improve the curriculum or to design seminars and workshops for teachers, their data may not be reliable. SCQ 1. 2 You ivision also know that the DepEd administers national tests, the regional offices, their own regional tests and your own divisions, the division test. The same tests are administered to all sampled pupils. 1. Why is it possible to give the same national tests all over the country to our Grade VI and Fourth Year students? 2. Does your Division also administer division tests? What do test developers use as basis for developing test items to be included in the tests? 3. What does your school do with the results of the tests? (Refer to page 61-62 for the answers) READ How Do We Indigenize/Localize the Curriculum? Children differ in many ways in their cultural backgrounds, in their home languages, in their needs and interests. They have different ways of life too. And surely they differ in mental abilities. But it is not saying that a certain group has a MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 18 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM monopoly of the good traits. The differences among children have to be addressed through the curriculum. They are part of the EFA challenge. How can a national curriculum cater to learner differences? The answer is indigenization or localization of the curriculum. Indigenization can be done by: organizing the subject fields to make them relevant to the pupils’ culture; adopting content and learning modes, including indigenous learning systems from the community; and inviting the natives/local people (the learner, parents, laymen, local specialist and local leaders) to participate in designing and implementing the curriculum. Localization involves â€Å"adaptation of the curriculum content to the community where changes in a given curriculum are based on its peculiarities† (Abuso, et al 2002 p. 44). The study done by Abuso, et al for the Third Elementary Education Project (TEEP) mentioned the different practices of teachers to indigenize and localize the curriculum to make it more relevant and suitable to the demands of the different groups of students in our country. You may try some of them in your own classrooms. Surely you can think of other ways to respond to the needs and circumstances of your own students. Some examples of initiatives in indigenizing/ localizing the curriculum follow (Abuso, et al 2002 p. 54): Citing examples from the local culture related to the topic Using indigenous knowledgelocal songs, stories, poem, etc. Using indigenous aids such as artifacts Incorporating community resources in teachingvisit to scenic spots, inviting local people as resource persons, etc. Putting up learning resource centers (LRCs) where local artifacts are displayed MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 19 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM Discussing local problems and issues Preserving local songs, dances and games through co-curricular activities Using the local language in teaching Participating in local celebrations SCQ 1. 3 How have you indigenized / localized your lessons in: A. Sibika at Kultura or Araling Panlipunan? 1. 2 3. B. Science or Mathematics? 1. 2. 3. C. Other learning area/s you are teaching? 1. 2. 3. (See answers on page 62) READ Why Do We Have a Bilingual Policy? The 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates that Filipino shall be the national language and English shall continue to be used as another medium of communication and instruction. (Art XIV. Sec. 67) Since there are other regional languages, the Constitution also provides that the vernacular can be used as an MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 20 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM auxiliary medium of instruction in the lower grades until such time that the students become familiar with English and Filipino. Following this Constitutional mandate, the Bilingual Education Policy (BEP) of 1974 was re-confirmed by DECS in 1987. The Bilingual Policy states that certain subjects must be taught in Filipino and certain subjects in English. So, if you teach in the elementary grades, what subjects will you teach in Filipino and what subjects will you teach in English? Yes, you teach Filipino as a language and also teach Makabayan in Filipino. You will teach English as a language and teach science and health and mathematics in English. If you teach in the secondary level, you also teach Filipino and English as languages and use English as the medium of instruction for Mathematics, Science, Technology and Livelihood Education, Music, Arts and P. E and Health and CAT. Filipino is used as the medium of instruction for Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga and Araling Panlipunan. The use of the lingua franca or the regional languages for Grade I has been recommended by the Presidential Commission for Educational Reform (PCER), but there is no clear mandate yet at present. However, during the time of Sec. Andrew Gonzales, DECS experimented with the use of Tagalog, Cebuano, and Ilocano in ten schools from Grades I III and the studies yielded favorable results. SCQ 1. 4 Are you in favor of the bilingual policy? Why or Why not? Write a paragraph of about 100 words defining your position on the matter. (See page 62 for the answers) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 21 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM POINTS TO REMEMBER After studying Lesson 1 of Module 2, did you realize the following? The Philippine Education for All 2015 Plan of Action is a document you must study and understand if you are to be a responsible teacher. It identifies the challenges, goals, and critical tasks every education stakeholder must know by heart and be prepared to follow . The curriculum is a plan that helps the teachers provide different learning opportunities for their students. It is the totality of all the learner’s experiences. It may be organized along subject matter lines, or according to competencies. The BEC may be used as a guide for choosing both subject matter and competencies for specific groups. You need the curriculum as your guide to teaching. As you prepare your lesson plans, you refer to the scope and sequence of the curriculum so that you will know what to teach and when to teach a particular lesson in a particular grade level. The country implements a national curriculum known as the BEC. While all teachers follow the national curriculum, as an individual teacher, you are given leeway to adjust the curriculum to the actual circumstances and needs of your pupils. You are not required to follow it en toto. You can make the curriculum relevant to your children’s peculiar needs. You can indigenize and/or localize the curriculum to make it more relevant and meaningful to their lives. The curriculum is not a product merely of the imagination or of the desire of our national educational officials and curriculum developers. Its goals and objectives are based on legal documents, relevant studies/researches and actual learning needs of learner. These documents help spell out the structure and content of the curriculum. Even the language policy is enshrined in the laws of the land. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 22 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY LESSON 2 WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY INTRODUCTION This lesson summarizes the findings and recommendations of some researches and studies on the performance of our learners that led to the restructuring of the basic education curriculum. OBJECTIVES After studying this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe the New Elementary School Curriculum (NESC) and the New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC). Explain the important features of these curricula. Explain why reforms in the curriculum were undertaken. Infer from the results of the evaluation of the NESC and the NSEC why the curriculum has to be restructured. Discuss the rationale for restructuring the basic education curriculum MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 23 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY READ It is not the intention of this lesson to go back before the 1980’s in discussing the basic education curriculum. But you must know that there were other education acts before the 1980’s that influenced earlier national curricula. The National Elementary School Curriculum (NESC) implemented from 1984 to 2002 and the New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC) implemented from 1991 to 2002 should serve as background information for you to understand the present BEC. Before the NESC and NSEC were developed, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), reviewed the results of several researches, surveys and experimental programs conducted in the country to find out what ailed the educational system. The surveys and researches revealed the deficiencies of previous curricula implemented by the Department. The Presidential Commission to Study Philippine Education 1970 (PCSPE), the Survey of the Outcomes of Elementary Education 1975 (SOUTELE) and the Experimental Elementary Education Program 1978 (EEEP) revealed that our elementary students performed poorly especially in the 3R’s. The studies went deeper and revealed the deficiencies in the curricula themselves. One of the findings revealed that the elementary school curriculum was overloaded starting from Grade One. The National Elementary School Curriculum (NESC) The 1983 National Elementary School Curriculum was deemed the answer to the problems revealed by the previously mentioned surveys. First, a comprehensive plan known as the Program for Comprehensive Elementary Education (PROCEED) was prepared. From this big program was derived the sector program known as the Program for Decentralized Educational Development (PRODED). With assistance from the World Bank, PRODED encompassed several reform measures to improve elementary education. Foremost among them was the revision of the elementary school curriculum. Thus, the NESC was developed. The NESC was considered the first researchMODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 24 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY based curriculum in the country. It had fewer learning areas in the first three grades Filipino, English, Mathematics and Civics and Culture. Science and Health was added starting Grade III. Music, Arts and Physical Education were integrated in Grades I and II and became a separate subject starting from Grade III. At the same time, the contact time for each subject was increased, thus giving both the teachers and students more time to develop the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and also values. Other subjects were gradually added beginning Grade IV, like Home Economics and Livelihood Education, a common subject for boys and girls, and Geography, History, Civics for Grade IV–VI, which was the continuation of Civics and Culture. In a series of consultations, seminars and workshops, the curriculum experts identified the different contents, skills and values that needed to be learned by our elementary students. They called these competencies. The listing of competencies came to be known as the Minimum Learning Competencies (MLC). The NESC was tried out gradually in 13 pilot schools in the country. From the results of the try-outs, the MLC’s were finalized and the NESC was fully implemented. In the implementation of the NESC, mastery learning was emphasized. The students were expected to acquire the required competencies with at least 75% mastery. In other words, a child must be able to answer at least seven (7) out of ten questions in a formative test. SCQ 2. 1 What were the reforms introduced in the NESC? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. (See answers on page 63) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 25 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY The New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC) When the first batch of students who went through the NESC graduated, the Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE) implemented the NSEC in the schools. Of course, like the NESC, it had to undergo field try-outs and on the basis of the results, was revised and finalized. The NSEC included the following learning areas to be taught for 400 minutes daily from First Year to Fourth Year: Values Education Filipino English Mathematics Araling Panlipunan Science and Technology Physical Education, Health and Music Technology and Home Economics Evaluation of the NESC and NSEC A curriculum is never a permanent document. It continually undergoes evaluation which becomes one of the bases for revising or restructuring it. So while the NESC and the NSEC were still being implemented, they were simultaneously undergoing some minor revisions or changes. Indeed, curriculum development is a never-ending process. Some of the studies and researches that were conducted to evaluate the performance of students using the NESC and the NSEC revealed some of the shortcomings of these curricula. These are all cited in the document. The 2002 Basic Education Curriculum–Bawat Graduate Bayani at Marangal (DepED, April 5, 2002). MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 26 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY The studies and the findings follow: Studies/Researches Findings/Recommendation 1. National Elementary Achievement Grade VI students were able to answer Test (NEAT) correctly less than 50% of questions asked in science, mathematics and English. 2. National and Secondary Assessment A mean percentage score of only 50% Test (NSAT) was achieved. 3. Committee on Information An’’ overcrowded curriculum† especially Grade I-III resulted in poor Technology, Science, Mathematics, in Education other Technology. performance of pupils in the elementary grades. Students needed longer time in science and mathematics 4. Aurora Roldan, â€Å" Present Realities in Reading Education† Our students are deficient in reading ability. They have not developed the higher order thinking skills even at Grade V. There is the danger of reverting to illiteracy if the students dropped out before completing Grade VI. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 27 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY 5. Third International Science Mathematics The Philippines ranked 39th out of 42 countries which participated in the study, Study (TIMMS) 6. Allan B. I. Bernardo, â€Å"The Learning Process: Phenomenon The in Neglected In comparison with other countries, the Science and Philippine â€Å"science syllabus contained topics† suggesting that the curriculum is still congested. Reform in more Mathematics Education the Philippines† SCQ 2. 2 What do the findings of the studies/researches mentioned suggest to you? Cite at least two (2) or three (3) studies and their findings. 1. 2. 3. (Refer to page 63 for answers) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 8 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY The formal review of the NESC and NSEC was started during the incumbency of Secretary Andrew Gonzales (1998-2001) and continued during the incumbency of Secretary Raul S. Roco (2001–2003). A Committee on Curriculum Reform was formed with the partic ipation of officials from the academe, the private sector and civil society. Teachers, parents and students were likewise consulted and their inputs considered. While this was done on a limited basis, inputs from previous consultations were considered. The Committee on Curricular Reform came out with the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC), which had to undergo a national pilot test in SY 2002. READ The Rationale for the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) The 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (DepEd, Apr. 5, 2002), cited several reasons why the basic education curriculum should be restructured. Restructuring does not mean complete revision or change of the curriculum. It only means refining and giving more emphasis to some aspects that are deemed more responsive to the present realities. The Four Pillars of Education in Jacques Delors’ Report to UNESCO (1996,pp. 2-24) was one of the documents that influenced the restructuring of the curriculum. The third and fourth pillars, Learning to Live Together and Learning to Be, which emphasize using the knowledge gained to improve oneself and one’s relationship with fellow human beings, are especially relevant. The emphasis on learning-to-learn skills has long been a featur e of the curriculum. But it seems that it got lost in implementation. Thus, the new BEC gives it greater impetus, along with the development of functional literacy which involves the development of the essential skills such as â€Å"linguistic fluency and scientific – numerical competence. Lifelong learning is possible only when our people become functionally literate,† (David Kemp as mentioned in the 2002 Basic Ed. Curriculum). MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 29 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY To further decongest the curriculum and to provide more contact time for the tool subjects, the restructured curriculum emphasizes the enhanced teaching of the four (4) core subjects Filipino, English, Mathematics and Science. A fifth subject called Makabayan, which is envisioned to be a â€Å"laboratory of life† or practice environment, integrated the other non-tool subjects. ACTIVITY 2. 1 Discuss the findings of the studies with a partner. Are there really reasons for the education sector to be alarmed about the state of Philippine education? Why do you say so? Study the results of the recent tests given in your school (national, regional, division, and district). What do the results show? Based on the results, do you agree that the curriculum must be restructured? Why or why not? (Refer to page 63 for comments) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 0 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY POINTS TO REMEMBER From this lesson, remember the following: Prior to BEC, the DECS then implemented research and reformed-based curricula known as the NESC and the NSEC. Both curricula were in response to the needs of those times and emphasized features that were designed to respond to the adverse findings of researches and surveys on the performance of our students using the previous curricula. No curriculum is permanent. It undergoes revision and restructuring in response to changes in people and society. Any curriculum should undergo try-out or pilot testing before it should be implemented. The evaluation of the NESC and the NSEC still found the curriculum wanting. Test results showed that students performed on the average only at the 50% level. Before the formal review was done in the 1990’s when a Curriculum Reform Committee was formed, the curriculum revision process was going on. Small but crucial changes were being effected during implementation as part of the formative evaluation process. Aside from results of the evaluation of the NESC and NSEC, other developments nationally and worldwide were considered in developing the BEC. Foremost was the UNESCO Report on the Four Pillars of Education. It gave new impetus to the development of functional literacy and lifelong learning, and the decongestion the curriculum. Emphasis was given to interactive and integrative learning. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 31 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? LESSON 3 I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? This lesson is the soul of the Basic Education Curriculum. It focuses on the different features of the BEC and how you can operationalize the same in your own classrooms as you implement and make the curriculum alive. OBJECTIVES After finishing this lesson, you should to be able to; describe the structure of the BEC in terms of the different learning areas in the elementary and secondary levels; identify the general and intermediate goals of particular learning areas; examine the Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies (PELC) or the Philippine Secondary Learning Competencies (PSLC) according to your level of assignment; explain the relationships between the learning goalsgeneral, intermediate and specificas outlined in the different BEC documents; and operationalize the features of the BEC in your own classroom. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 32 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? The first two lessons aimed to familiarize you with the EFA Plan of Action and the more general ideas about the curriculum. This lesson will explain in greater detail the features of the BEC. Once you have internalized these ideas, you can be more proactive in your daily interactions with your students and give more life to your teaching. You can then become a more effective teacher. READ The Features of the BEC 1. Greater emphasis on helping every learner become a successful reader. Several studies mentioned earlier (PCSPE, SOUTELE) showed that our students are weak in the 3R’s. If our students do not know how to read, it will be very difficult for them to learn the other subjects. Let us take for example the learning of mathematics. It has been shown that most children can do the computational skills, but when the equations are put into word problems, they cannot solve the problems correctly. The culprit is their lack of ability to comprehend what they read. Thus, under the BEC, the emphasis is for every child to become a successful reader by Grade III. You must have heard of the program Every Child a Reader Program or E-CARP. This program of the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) provides materials and training for teachers to become effective reading teachers. If you are teaching Grades I-III, it is your main responsibility to see to it that your students learn how to read. Modules 6. 1 and 6. 2 on the Teaching of Communication Arts – English and Filipino will show you how. If you are to teach in the higher grades/years, it does not mean that you will no longer be a reading teacher. You must continuously help your students to develop their reading ability further. In all subjects, children read in order to learn; thus, all teachers must be reading teachers. The BEC includes the reading competencies/skills that your students should master. Your job is to develop those competencies. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 33 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? ACTIVITY 3. 1 Study the sample page of the PELC in Appendix 1. It shows you samples of the reading skills that Grades I- III children should master. Give some of the reading skills that should be developed from Grades I–III. 1. Why is it important that these reading skills be mastered? 2. What do you think will be the problems in the later grades if these skills are not developed in the early grades? (See page 64 for comments) 2. Emphasis on interactive/collaborative learning approaches. Teachers have a tendency to lecture. They seem to feel that they have all the questions and all the answers. Try to tape one of your lessons and compare the length of time you talk and the amount of time pupils/students do the talking. And if they do talk, what do they say? Do they simply say â€Å"Yes, Ma’am or ‘No, Ma’am? If this is the case, your class is very much teacher–dominated or teacher-directed. Nothing much happens in your classroom except for your children to affirm what you are saying. Do you think they are becoming robots in the process? Interactive learning is like playing basketball. The teacher interacts with the pupils and the pupils interact among themselves. They work togethe r to achieve the lesson objectives for the day. They can work together as a whole class or work in small groups. The teacher does not direct but merely facilitates the learning process. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 4 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? SCQ 3. 1 How can you make your lesson more learner–centered instead of teacherdominated? What interactive activities have you tried out with your students? Were you satisfied with the results? Why? List at least five and comment on the outcome. (See pages 64 for answers) 3. Emphasis on the use of integrative learning approaches. The child learns as a whole individual. While for convenience in scheduling, class time is blocked into periods for the different subject areas, the integration of learning takes place within the individual. This is called covert integration. It is not done deliberately but it happens in the life of the individual learner. On the other hand, you as the teacher can employ strategies that will show students how to relate learnings in one subject to learnings in other subjects or how to integrate elements within a learning area. This is overt integration. If you are the English or Filipino teacher, you can use science topics or Araling Panlipunan topics, respectively, as vehicles for teaching the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Thus you are integrating within and across learning areas. You will find many good examples of integrative lessons in Module No. 6. 4. Teaching of values in all learning areas. In the implementation of the BEC, every teacher is considered a values education teacher. You cannot separate values from what you do. Values are those that you consider of most worth. Values permeate everything that you do. Whatever lesson you teach, be very conscious of the values that can be infused or integrated in the lesson. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 35 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? Let’s listen to these children talking about one of their teachers. First Child: There is Miss Reyes, my favorite Grade I teacher. She was the one who first taught me the value of being honest. She helped me tell my mother the truth about how I lost my book. Second Child: She was my favorite Grade I teacher, too. Remember the stories she told us about little heroes and the good things they did to help others? First Child: Oh, yes. And I remember also how well she treated us even when we were a little bit naughty or noisy. If ever I become a teacher, I’ll be like her. Second Child: I bet she is a good mother, too. As a teacher, you not only teach values but also exemplify values in your person. Some say that values are caught rather than taught. This means that you are the model for the values you want your children to learn and live by. You cannot say one thing and do another thing. 5. Development of self-reliant and patriotic citizens. Recall the legal bases of the Philippine BEC. When parents were asked during the time of PRODED what values they would like emphasized in schools, many mentioned patriotism. They said that many values can be learned at home and can be taught in the church, but it is only the schools that can do a good job of teaching the value of patriotism. You may not fully agree with them, but our schools are mandated to teach the values of love of country, patriotism, and nationalism. In what learning areas can you exemplify the value of patriotism? The very name itself of the learning area MAKABAYAN is a give -away. We would like to erase the culture of mendicancy from our people. Let us teach our students how to stand on their own two feet. While the government is there to help, they should not always rely on the government to do things for them. You can start them early on the trait of self-reliance. You can always look for activities MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 36 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? and experiences in the curriculum that will enhance your students’ resourcefulness and ingenuity, from our common historical heritage or from the arts and sciences which highlight the Filipino traditions and way of life. There will be plenty of these experiences that can be provided when you implement the curriculum, so you can produce self-reliant students and, consequently, self-reliant citizens. SCQ 3. 2 A. Put a check on the activities that will help develop patriotism and self reliance. ________1. Discussing the meaning of the lyrics of the National Anthem. ________2. Visiting historical places ________3. Listening to the teacher lecture on heroism. ________4. Waiting to be told what to do. ________5. Preparing a skit or short drama on the rich culture of the early Filipinos. B. Can you add some more activities to help develop patriotism and selfreliance from your own experiences? 6. Development of creative and critical thinking skills. Earlier, you learned that the BEC is an interactive curriculum. Children learn not only from you or from the books that the DepEd provides, or from experiences in the classroom. They bring with them the stock knowledge they gain from life outside the school. The formal knowledge from the school and their own personal experiences are ingredients for further learning in the restructured BEC. As the teacher, you will be greatly responsible for developing creativity and critical thinking among your students. Refrain from dominating the classroom interaction. Guide the students to create and construct their own knowledge. Do not be satisfied with just the correct answer, but probe the thinking processes that MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 37 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? helped them arrive at the correct answers. The curriculum has provided you a wealth of opportunities to engage students in reflecting on their own learnings, to find new answers to old questions and to work out problems cooperatively among themselves with you as the facilitator. Never dictate to your students how they should organize their own learnings. Be dutifully alert to opportunities that will help them synthesize their own learnings and apply them to real life situations. Provide the challenge to make them think critically. ACTIVITY 3. 2 The features of the BEC that were described above reflect the intention of the curriculum developers to attune the BEC to the times. But they will remain just that–intentions, if you cannot make them alive in the classrooms. As you study the BEC and as you implement it, always be alert to create opportunities that will operationalize these features. You may start this activity in your notebook. Features of the BEC Lesson Activities Provided 1. List the features of the BEC in the first column. 2. Put the particular lesson in the second column. 3. List the specific activities that you can provide to operationalize the feature. READ (See page 65 for comments) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 38 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? The Structure of the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum The objectives of elementary and secondary education serve as the â€Å"official learning goals† of basic education as stated for a particular population of learners; that is, the elementary and secondary education learners. The Bureau of Alternative Learning System (formerly Non-formal Education) likewise has a set of official learning goals for its particular set of target learners – the out-of-school youth and adults. The Education Act of 1982 or Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 provides the general objectives of elementary, secondary, and non-formal education. The objectives of elementary education are as follows: 1. Provide the knowledge and develop the skills, attitudes, and values essential for personal development, a productive life, and constructive engagement with a changing social milieu; 2. Provide learning experiences that increase the child’s awareness of and responsiveness to the just demands of society; 3. Promote and intensify awareness of, identification with, and love for our nation and the community to which the learner belongs; 4. Promote experiences that develop the learner’s orientation to the world of work and prepare the learner to engage in honest and gainful work. The objectives of secondary education are threefold: 1. Continue the general education started in elementary. 2. Prepare the learners for college. 3. Prepare the learners for the world of work. The objectives of non-formal education are as follows: 1. Eradicate illiteracy and raise the level of functional literacy of the population; MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 39 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? 2. Provide an alternative means of learning and certification for out-of-school youth and adults; 3. Develop among the learners the proper values, attitudes, and knowledge to enable them to think critically and act creatively for personal, community, and national development. To operationalize the official learning goals, the BEC, was organized into four (4) learning areas, considered as the core or tool subjects and one (1) non–core subject. The core subjects for both the elementary and secondary levels are the following: Filipino English Mathematics Science The fifth subject, called Makabayan, was designated as the â€Å"practice environment for holistic learning to develop a healthy personal and national selfidentity†. BEC, 2002) Makabayan has several components as follows: Elementary Level Sibika at Kultura (SK) (I-III) Heograpiya, Kasaysayan, Sibika (HKS) (IV-VI) Musika, Sining at Edukasyong Pangkatawan (MSEP) (Integrated in Grades I-III; Separate subjects in Grades IV-VI) Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) (IV-VI) Edukasyong Pagpapakatao (EP); Separ ate subject from Grade I-VI Secondary Level Araling Panlipunan Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) Musika, Sining at Edukasyong Pangkatawan at Pangkalusugan Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga SCQ 3. 3 MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 40 Review the objectives of elementary education which are continued in secondary education and the structure of the BEC. Do the objectives relate to the TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? READ The Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies (PELC) and the Philippine Secondary Learning Competencies (PSLC) If you are an elementary school teacher, the PELC is your â€Å"bible†. If you are in the secondary schools, the PSLC is your â€Å"bible’. They are the documents that you have to study religiously because they are the sources of your objectives and they prescribe the contents of your lessons as well as the strategies and assessment procedures to use. The PELC and the PSLC define the intermediate and the specific learning goals that your pupils are expected to learn and that you, as a teacher, are expected to achieve. You will base your daily lessons on the PELC or PSLC. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 41 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? The PELC and PSLC are organized according to learning areas so you have a list of objectives and competencies from Grades I-VI and from first year to fourth year for English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science and Health and for all the Makabayan Components. They are issued under separate covers, that is, there is a handbook for each learning area. It is now your turn to become more familiar with the PELC or the PSLC. Get the Handbook for the learning area that you are teaching and go through it. ACTIVITY 3. 3 As you examine your Handbook for your learning area, answer the following questions: 1. What are the parts of your Handbook? . What information do you get from each part? 3. Why is it important that you familiarize yourself with each part of your Handbook? You may want to team with another teacher and compare the features of your Handbook. (See comments on page 65) READ Study the PELC/PSLC and look at the sample expectations and or learning outcomes for the learning areas. For th

Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

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External And Internal Audit Of Zurich

External And Internal Audit Of Zurich The scope of the report is a comprehensive external and internal audit of the company Zurich Insurance, providing a base for formulation of its new 5-year marketing plan. The company, Zurich Financial Services (Zurich Insurance) is a global insurance-based financial services provider, which offers life insurance, non-life insurance, risk management and other related products. Group headquarters are in Zurich, Switzerland, it employs 60,000 people, while its main markets are in Europe and North America. The group operates thought three main units targeting three main segments (Zurich Insurance 2010): General insurance targeting the non-life insurance segment; Global life targeting the life insurance segment; and Farmers that targets the life and non-life segment in US. The analysis in the report identified several key issues of importance for the further activities of the company. Key emerging issues The current external and internal situational impact as provided with the audit identifies several important opportunities for development of the company in the period to come. In line with its current corporate objectives, these directions include: Expansion on emerging insurance market especially the non-life market; Capitalisation on its position at the mature markets for a better positioning in the new segment (ageing population) at the mature markets Improve its operational profit margin; and Placing Corporate Social Responsibility at the core of its strategic positioning reinforcing its brand and working towards decreasing the high level of groups risks. Table of Contents 1.Vision, Mission and Corporate Objectives 4 1.1 Vision 4 1.2 Mission Statement 4 1.3 Corporate Objectives 5 2.Situational Analysis 6 2.1 External Analysis 6 2.1.1.Macroeconomic Analysis-PESTEL 6 2.1.2.Industry Analysis 8 2.1.3. Market Analysis 11 2.1.4. Opportunities and Threats 11 .2. Internal Analysis 12 2.2.1. Value Chain Analysis 14 2.2.2. The Balance Scorecard 15 2.2.3. Core Competences and Capabilities 15 2.2.4. Zurich Insurance Culture Web 16 2.2.5. Identified Strengths and Weaknesses 16 2.3.Summary of the current situation impact- SWOT 17 3.Marketing Objectives Five year plan 20 4.Marketing Strategies 21 6. Marketing Implementation 7Ps 22 7. Budgetary Requirements 23 8. Gantt 25 Vision, Mission and Corporate Objectives The concept of vision and mission comes from the influence of the rationalists approaches towards strategy promoted by Chandler and Ansoff and the famous hierarchy of plans (Linstead et.al. 2004, p. 501). Within the hierarchy of plans, there are four levels of strategy: enterprise, corporate, business and functional plans, while at the top of the pyramid is the enterprise strategy. The enterprise strategy is the broadest level of strategy that articulates the role of the business entity in the society. Its main aim is to answer two questions why does the company exist and what does it serve for the society. In contemporary management language it seeks to provide the Mission and the Vision of the company as a whole. 1.1 Vision The Zurich Way or the Zurich vision is to become the best global insurer as defined by its customers, its shareholders and its people (Zurich Insurance 2010) in serving its three target segments. 1.2 Mission Statement Zurichs mission is to deliver help when it matters so that customers feel valued and taken care of (TheTimes100 2010, p121) is reflected in its comprehensive range of general and life insurance products and services accustomed to the needs of all of its customers, accompanied with an in-depth customer knowledge, a global network and local expertise, high-quality service and ease of doing business, backed by strong capital and talented employees (Zurich Insurance 2010). 1.3 Corporate Objectives According to Linstead et.al. (2004, p. 502) ,the corporate objectives should be specific, realistic considering the internal and external environment, achievable with a reasonable amount of effort, and must reflect the expected reality, or in short SMART. For Zurich Insurance they are (Zurich Insurance 2009a): 1.3.1 Profitable growth The company seeks to identify and exploit opportunities for profitable growth. These opportunities arise when there are strategic gaps in offer at target markets or locations. It is either achieved though the existing business of the company or through acquisition of new business. Key performance indicators (KPI) for this objective are groups operating profit margin and its net profits. 1.3.2 Operational transformation The operational transformation objective aims at building strength at core areas as risk management, investment management, underwriting and claims, measured through the level of quality of services. 1.3.3 Customer centricity The customer centricity is the centre of companys mission achieved through five specific indicators as presented in Figure 2. People management The companys objectives are to employ the best talent, and to provide opportunities for its further professional development. Situational Analysis A situational analysis in the strategic management, consists of analysis of the external and internal context of the company, and serves to identify possible gaps in the strategic positioning of the company that can be a strategic opportunity or threat, and in identifying its internal strengths and weakness. In essence, it is what practitioners call a marketing audit. A marketing audit is a comprehensive, systematic, independent, and periodic examination of a companys or business units marketing environment, objectives, strategies, and activities with a view to determining problem areas and opportunities and recommending a plan of action to improve the companys marketing performance (Kotler and Keller 2006, p.719). Thus it is a tool that assists the management in describing current activities and their outcomes, performed for setting new strategic direction of the company, or as in the case of Zurich Insurance for setting a new marketing plan. 2.1 External Analysis The analysis of the business environment is a significant step in understanding the external concept in which the company functions. According to Johnson et.al (2005, p.64) this understanding is built on several levels: the macro environment, the micro environment-the industry, the competitors (strategic groups) and the markets (segments). 2.1.1.Macroeconomic Analysis-PESTEL The PESTEL tool helps in identifying the factors that determine the external strategic opportunities and threats of companies operating in a certain industry (Johnson et.al 2005, p.57). Thomson and Strickland (2003, p.93) regard these factors as key drivers of change, shaping the strategic environment of the industry (Lynch 2009, p.79), and significant in the process of building scenarios of possible futures (Johnson et.al 2005, p.57). In the case of Zurich Insurance, these factors are given as follows. Political environment The more conditions which globalisation brings to businesses and their operations as are the openness of trade and easier movement of capital, the impact of the lack of more structured global governance represents a high systematic risk for the insurance sector. According to the Global Risk Report (WEF 2010), in most of the cases of risk identification, the experts identified weak or inadequate institutions or agreements in almost all of the risks covered. This is why global governance gap emerged as a systematic risk crucial in addressing many critical global issues over the coming years of importance for the insurance industry as are the climate change effects and the natural disasters. Economic environment The GDP growth is one of the most important pre-conditions for the profitability in the insurance sector. The global economy is a contrast of the stagnant growth in the developed countries (2-3% projected growth in the next 5 years) and a stronger positive growth in the developing regions (7% growth by 2015) (IMF 2010, p.4). This slowdown, negatively affects the insurance business in the areas of property and casualties, as the market is not growing causing a fierce competition pressuring margins. Many countries, especially the ones from the developed world as a response to the financial crisis from 2007, responded with overextending their fiscal positions, endangering unsustainable levels of debt which, in turn, may lead to full-fledged sovereign debt crises (WDF 2010). Based on IMF data, WEF (2010) reports of G20 budget deficits at 7.9% of their combined GDP. Although necessary these costs created a mountain of debt, that will have to be serviced on behalf of reduction in government spending on health and pensions, increasing the opportunities for the private life and pension insurance. Socio-cultural environment A key socio-economic driver influencing the environment of the insurance industry and thus Zurich Insurance is the ageing of the population in the developed countries. At the moment, many public health are not designed for meeting these needs, and will contract pushing the population towards the private insurers (WEF 2010). Technological environment Technology as a key driver of change, in particular affected the insurance sales channels, enabling transparency for the end buyers and a possibility to compare prices. In some target markets this possibility affected and still affects insurance premiums. From the aspect of the fast penetration of the IT/IS in the operations of companies, the risks of a major failure which could jeopardise the operations of the industry on a global scale are small, as the financial industry in general is very conservative towards the new trends of use of IT, while cloud computing is still out of industry comprehension. Environmental environment A key driver of change for the insurance industry coming from the environment is the global climate change. The severity of extreme weather accompanied global catastrophes in the form of natural disasters as hurricanes, wildfires and floods, may result in greater damage of the environment, infrastructure and property, even loss of life, increasing insurance claims (WEF 2010). Legal environment The financial industry in general, and the insurance sector is particular is one of the most regulated areas in the world that penetrates all its operations. In many cases, insurance is obligatory as is the motor-insurance, and in some countries the prices are set. As a result, it can be argued that the industry products in general are price inelastic. 2.1.2.Industry Analysis Economic theory defines an industry as a group of firms producing the same principal product (Rutherford 1985 as cited in Johnson et.al 2005, p.77) or, more broadly, a group of firms producing products that are close substitutes for each other (Porter 1980, p.5). From a strategic management perspective, analysing the attractiveness of the insurance means determining the profit potential through understanding the competitive forces in that industry and the way in which Zurich Insurance chooses to compete (Johnson et.al. 2005, p78). 2.1.2.1. Key Strategic Groups The insurance industry is characterised with two specific market segments, life and non-life insurance. The industry is highly fragmented with large number of players (Datamonitor 2010b, p.) of which most function in the both markets, and the markets are heavily regulated, as a result there are no specific strategic groups within this industry. 2.1.2.2. Five Forces Analysis While many times put on test, challenged and questioned, for almost three decades Porters five forces model (1980, 1985), is the dominant model accepted for analyzing the attractiveness of industries. Porters analysis shows that in the insurance industry the competitive rivalry is high and intensive. It is an industry in the shakeout phase of its cycle, characterised with small annual growth (Johnson et.al. 2005, p.86). The industry phase is characterised with a shakeout of the weakest competitors, encouraging acquisitions and consolidation. The main buyers in the industry are the policy holders, individuals and corporations, while the main suppliers are seen in the IT companies. Although the switching costs for the buyers are high due to contract obligations, the overall buyer power is assessed as moderate due to the large number of individual customers, which devaluates the meaning of the choice of an individual buyer. Within the business segment, the buyer power is lowered further due to the fact that businesses actually require insurance to protect their companies from risk; however, large companies excursive stronger negotiating power compared to the individuals. As the insurance industry works with information and stores huge amounts of data, the IT companies and software houses are its main supplier. It usually is a larger company as IBM, while the software systems are complex and interlinked, which increases supplier power and the switching costs. In recent years there have been trends of outsourcing the tasks to off-shore companies; however, this is not the dominant trend in this industry, which is why the supplier power is assessed as strong. It is a capital incentive industry which serves as a major entry barrier to newcomers; however, competitors from within the large financial industry as Banks, wherever the legislation allows them, can easily enter at the market. The overall treat coming from newcomers is assessed as moderate. There are no real substitutes to insurance. Many insurance products are legally required in many countries, which is why the threat coming from the substitutes is assessed as weak. Overall, the attractiveness of the industry in combination with its life cycle stage is assessed as moderate (Datamonitor 2010b). 2.1.3. Market Analysis The insurance market consists of two very important segments: the life and non-life insurance. Zurich insurance operates in the both segments. The life insurance segment participates with 57% in the total value at the market. The non-life segment has a significant growth potential in the emerging markets as China where this rate is very low (Datamonitor 2010c), where the state still covers the life-insurance. According to the estimations of Datamonitor (2010b), the market had a compound annual growth rate of 2.7% for the period 2005-2009 with an anticipated annual growth of 6.7% for the period 2009-2014, with a higher market growth expected on the Asian market. 2.1.4. Opportunities and Threats The external analysis presented in the preceding sections identifies the existence of several external strategic opportunities and threats for Zurich Insurance. The opportunities come from the process of consolidation and geographic expansion in the emerging markets, from the ageing population at the developed markets and the good developments at the assets management market. The industry faces tough times due to the slow recovery of the global economy and the increasing environmental risks for the only risk taker in the society. The risks from a catastrophe, either from a severe weather, or a major natural disaster, are high, and the insurance industry is the only one taking accountability for these occurrences on a global level thus there is a global governance gap that threatens the industry. Table 1.Telescopic ObservationFramework Technological considerations Economic considerations Legal and regulatory requirements Ecological and Environmental issues Sociological Trends Competition Organisational Culture Portfolio analysis International issues Cost efficiencies and cost structures New technology and fast penetration of IT in the insurance channels Slow growth of the global economy, Heavily regulated industry in almost all countries. Climate Change causing severe weather and catastrophes Ageing population in the mature markets; longer life expectations; Population growth at the emerging markets Intensive rivalry, many players Strong and unique Life and non-life products, and products for global companies Global governance gap a major risk for the insurance industry Strengths Zurich is successful in IT implementation. Zurich is 5thglobal player Unique Culture Proposition UPS Strong Weaknesses Needs more security Opportunity Increased demand for new life insurance products; Penetration at the emerging markets Opportunity to acquire competitors Threats It will decrease company revenues It will increase insurance claims No strong global governance increases global risks .2. Internal Analysis In the contemporary strategic management, the analysis of internal business environment covers a wide range of issues that developed in the past two decades mainly as a result of the emergence of the resource based view on strategy (Barney 1991, Rumelt 1991). Unfortunately, as Herrmann (2005) argues, since the RBV did not produce a dominant design, it developed in many different ways identifying key company resources, capacities, core capabilities, dynamic capabilities, ending with the knowledge-based competitive advantages (Johnson et.al 2005, Lynch 2009). At the end it got merged with the positioning school providing a strong academic background to the use of SWOT (used by companies from 1960s) (Linstaed et.al. 2004, p.502). Today there are several models available for the internal analysis. This report will use the Porters value chain (1985), which explains how the company is internally organised to reach its objectives. The chain further serves as a good base for identifying comp anys core capabilities and competencies (Hamel and Phrahald 1990), while the use of the Balance Scorecard (Kaplan and Norton 1996) as a tool, complements Porters Value chain as it provides the measures and the benchmarks against which the companys internal performance is measured in line with corporate goals. 2.2.1. Value Chain Analysis Zurich Financial is one of the largest insurance groups in the world serving approximately 60,000 people in more than 170 countries (Zurich Insurance 2010). Its value chain is developed using information from companys Annual reports. Table 2. Zurich Insurance Value Chain Analysis PROFIT MARGIN Firm Infrastructure (ZI Annual report 2009a) Successful integration of activities in a strong international value-chain with highly developed IT infrastructure; Centralised organisational structure, but with strong local adaptation decision making as products depends on national legal requirements and culture (EB 2008); Companywide culture emphasising customer centric behaviour. Human Resource Management (ZI Annual report 2009, ZI Business Review 2009,EB 2008) Recruitment and selection of the best high qualified teams of employees; Succession planning structures; Global approach to leadership development; Continuous training and development; Global performance management,; Global learning management system; Compensation programs with variable remuneration designed to encourage customer centric behaviour and creativity, but discourage risk-taking (ZI Annual report 2009, p.99); Innovative benefits scheme encouraging employee collaboration; Technology development Heavy investments in technology deployment 0 needs a good security (Insley 2010) Procurement (ZI Annual report 2009) Long-term contracts with major IT suppliers; Procurement systems in place for the other minor suppliers. Inbound logistics Information technology and internet Operations New Product development; Underwriting, Risk management, Investment management; Outbound logistics Forms, design management, filling and printing of the insurance policies. Marketing and sales Strong CRM build on a unique proposition deep customer understanding; Frequent promotional activities; Use of many sales channels and different compensation schemes of third party agents to reach customers but avoiding cannibalisation. After Sale Service Technology driven claims handling and servicing which enable easy fast way to deal with the company (ZI BR 2009b, p.27); Following up the client and its needs; Increasing knowledge on the client needs deep customer understanding; It is important to note, that Porters Value chain is designed to focus on a business unit, rather than on a group comprising of three core business units as Zurich; however, due to the merge of many of its core operations, the value chain can be simplified as provided in the Table above. 2.2.2. The Balance Scorecard The application of the Balance Scorecard propositions (Kaplan and Norton 1996), provides for the capability of measuring the financial and non-financial impact of the operations of the company, seen through measuring four thematic areas: Financial, Customers, Processes and People (Competence). It indicates that Zurich Insurance operating model as presented with the Portes Value chain, resulted in the 5th global rank of the Company in 2009 with an annual increase of the operating profit margin of 8% (target at 10%) (Zurich Insurance 2009b). The company in 2005, had a significant improvement in companys operations from 2007, when the group reported a decrease of 64.9% with a decrease in net profits of 46.8% . In the more mature countries, UK, US, Switzerland and Japan, it is among the top three insurers on every service (Zurich Insurance 2009b). Zurich strongest business unit is the general insurance, which brings the highest revenues and profits ((Zurich Insurance 2009b p.13), and with USD 34,157 million in premium fees, reflects the immense scale of companys global operations. Zurich Insurance employees more than 60 000 employees globally are one of its main stakeholder groups. Employees receive trainings and developments, while a sophisticated annually survey measures employee satisfaction (Zurich Insurance 2009b, p.35). The group as well implements annual customer feedback surveys. 2.2.3. Core Competences and Capabilities The core capability of Zurich lies in its right combination of tangible (finances, people, premises) and intangible resources (knowledge, expertise, culture and brand) (Grant 2005, p.140). Zurichs strong risk management knowledge combined with its social capital, supported with strong companys culture based on trust and knowledge-sharing, and its innovative, but risk-averse provision of new solutions, differentiates the company from the rest at the market and is the essence of its core competency and competitive advantage (Zurich Insurance 2009b). The strong customer relationship and customer dependability increase Zurich Insurance ability to introduce new products, charge premium price on certain products and cross-sell on others. It as well builds on the strong and unique Culture, which as Kingl (2010) argues is Zurichs Unique Selling Proposition, or Unique Culture Proposition. 2.2.4. Zurich Insurance Culture Web To better understand the premise of Zurichs UCP, we will use the culture web tool as recommended by Johnson et.al. (2005 p.202), based on the preceding analysis Zurich Insuranc and on the findings of Kingl (2010) case study 2.2.5. Identified Strengths and Weaknesses The company is characterised with a strong market position, a strong brand, a unique, value delivering culture and an impressive financial performance in terms of profits and revenues (compared to the results from 2008). Moreover, the company has an impressive record of successful integrations with acquisitions which indicates that it is using the opportunities presented from the shakeout phase of the industry business cycle (Zurich Insurance 2010). There are only very few weaknesses. First, the operating profit margin is still bellow the target of 10%. Second, the group is highly dependent from the revenues coming from the general insurance segment which participates with 53% in the operating profit. Third, the risk management system of the general insurance segment must improve to provide better capacity for accumulating larger number of claims in cases of natural or other type of disaster, having in mind that the main impact of the increased claims in these areas impacted the low financial results in 2007. Summary of the current situation impact- SWOT The current external and internal situational impact as provided with SWOT and with the telescopic Observation Framework (Panagiotou and Wijnen 2005) in the table below identifies several important areas of development for the company in the period to come. In line with its corporate objectives, Zurich should: exploit the good opportunities that come from the growth in the emerging and the developed markets; improve its operations, especially the operating profit margin. In addition, as the companys operations are extremely vulnerable to the effects of the climate change and the global governance gap, and as its interests are aligned with the interests of the majority of stakeholders (which is not the case in many industries as the oil or tobacco industry), it should make the CSR at the core of its strategic positioning in line with the model of Porter and Keller (2006). It can be done through promoting its knowledge, analysis and insightful perspective regarding the global risks as much as possible, and positioning in the minds of its current and potential customers as a business genuinely interested in reducing these effects. Marketing Objectives Five year plan Marketing objectives are specific and quantitative benchmarks of marketing goals that guide the implementation of marketing plans (Ferrell and Hartline 2008, p.140). Objectives exist because marketing goals without measurements are meaningless. Researchers and practitioners (Armstrong 2009 et.al., McDonald 2008, Kotler and Keller 2006) emphasise that they must reflect: (1) the corporate and business objectives; (2) the target market needs and companys competitive capability to serve these markets; (3) the industry and markets evolution, and be (4)SMART (Sustainable, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound). In line with the findings of the preceding analysis, and the Telescopic Framework (Table 3) the following marketing objectives should guide the Zurich Insurance five year plan: Increase its market share at the emerging markets, in all targeted segments, but in particular in the non-life segment which is underdeveloped; Increase its penetration at the mature markets of the developing countries thorough targeting current and new segments (the ageing population needs); Make Corporate Social Responsibility part of its positioning and tide it strongly to the word help associated with its customer centric culture and its strong brand. The CSR will reinforce the positioning of the brand across all segments. Marketing Strategies For accomplishing these objectives, the companys choice of market activities will depend on its choice of strategic development strategy. 4.1 Ansoff s Matrix According to Johnson et.al. (2005, pp: 341-347) the Ansoff product/market can be used for identifying directions for strategic development, taking into account the product/market coverage and the strategic capabilities of the company. Figure 6 Ainsoff Matrix of Zurich Insurance Market Development New capabilities (existing products in new markets) Life and non-life penetration into the emerging markets; Market Development New segments Increasing the scope of existing life insurance policies to certain segment of the ageing population at the mature markets in the developing world. Diversification with new capabilities (new products at new markets) Not suggested at the moment, as the finances are required to fuel the growth in the mature and the emerging markets. Market penetration Penetration and market share accumulation on the existing markets through acquisitions. Product development with new capabilities (new products at existing markets) New products for the ageing population at the mature markets in the developing world. 6. Marketing Implementation 7Ps According to practitioners (Kotler and Keller 2006, p), the implementation of the marketing strategies is achieved through making decisions regarding the content of the offer (product), its price, how it will be delivered to the customers and what distribution channels will be used, i.e. the 4Ps of the marketing mix. The 4Ps of the marketing mix were introduced in the 70s of the past century, and since then dominate the methodology used in strategic marketing. As Kotler et.al. (2008) services have three very distinctive characteristics compared to the physical products as are intangibility, inseparability and perishability. These characteristics made it difficult for the service practitioners to adapt the 4Ps model to their offerings, which is why the model expended with three additional elements: People, Processes and Physical assets. In its essence the insurance industry is a service industry, which is why the designed marketing mix will have 7Ps and will aim at accomplishing compa nys marketing objectives in terms of market share, development, or penetration. The 7Ps implementation model for the three business units of Zurich Insurance is given in Table 4. Table 3. 7Ps Segments General Insurance (non-life) Global Life (life) Farmers Product/Service: 1. The traditional product offer, strengthened with new products at the mature markets; 2. New products for the needs of the emerging markets. The traditional product offer, strengthened with new products in the pension insurance; The traditional product offer, strengthened with new products due to the good prospects of the market; Price: Price reflects the regulatory requirements in each of the sectors and the intense rivalry in some segments. Place: