Decision Making Skills for Sales People
Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 2011, 7(1), 63-73
The Development of Decision-Making Skills
Alexandros Mettas
University of Cyprus, Nicosia, CYPRUS
Received 27 April 2009; accepted 25 January 2010
This paper suggests an innovative idea of using the “technology fair” as a means for promoting pre-service teachers (university students) decision-making skills. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of a procedure of working with primary school children to complete and present a technology fair project, on the decision-making skills of undergraduate primary education students (pre-service teachers). Pre-tests, midtests and post-tests were administered to undergraduate students before, during and after the preparation of the technology fair, respectively. Data were also collected from reflective diaries kept by the university students during the preparation of the technology fair. A number of students were selected and interviewed after the completion of the technology fair. The analysis of the results indicates that the technology fair has an influence on improving university students’ decision-making strategies within the domain of design and technology. Keywords: Decision-Making, Design and Technology, Problem-Solving, Technology Fair
INTRODUCTION In life, we continuously go though processes of decision-making or selection from available or created options. From a very young age people make various decisions daily. Decision making is at least in part about making trade-offs. Rarely are we given a perfect option, an alternative that perfectly satisfies or meets all the appropriate criteria. Typically, certain options meet some criteria better than others. How do we make decisions about the criteria? How do we decide we would rather give up some of this in order to have some of that? What educational teaching processes could improve pupils’ decision making strategies? Primary education university students
The Development of Decision-Making Skills
Alexandros Mettas
University of Cyprus, Nicosia, CYPRUS
Received 27 April 2009; accepted 25 January 2010
This paper suggests an innovative idea of using the “technology fair” as a means for promoting pre-service teachers (university students) decision-making skills. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of a procedure of working with primary school children to complete and present a technology fair project, on the decision-making skills of undergraduate primary education students (pre-service teachers). Pre-tests, midtests and post-tests were administered to undergraduate students before, during and after the preparation of the technology fair, respectively. Data were also collected from reflective diaries kept by the university students during the preparation of the technology fair. A number of students were selected and interviewed after the completion of the technology fair. The analysis of the results indicates that the technology fair has an influence on improving university students’ decision-making strategies within the domain of design and technology. Keywords: Decision-Making, Design and Technology, Problem-Solving, Technology Fair
INTRODUCTION In life, we continuously go though processes of decision-making or selection from available or created options. From a very young age people make various decisions daily. Decision making is at least in part about making trade-offs. Rarely are we given a perfect option, an alternative that perfectly satisfies or meets all the appropriate criteria. Typically, certain options meet some criteria better than others. How do we make decisions about the criteria? How do we decide we would rather give up some of this in order to have some of that? What educational teaching processes could improve pupils’ decision making strategies? Primary education university students