Review Based on the Book Educational Studies - Essay Example

?Education Studies This essay is a review based on the book “Educational Studies”, but Chapters 5, 10, and 18 will be examined at length. As our understanding of how children learn has grown, the many ways we teach children has also improved. Studies have shown that children can begin learning from birth and as they age and grow, their ability to learn new ideas and concepts also grows (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Within the context of this paper, I will discuss how community, family, technology, society, and relationships all have a strong effect on the quality of education children get and whether they decide to go to college. The quality of the education a child gets also determines if they become lifelong learners, leaders, and have confidence in themselves and their abilities as they grow and develop throughout life. Family, society, and classmates all play a significant role in how children develop their sense of self and their self-esteem (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The development of this sense of self has a strong impact on the ability of the child to excel in academics, sports, and it will also affect their thoughts on higher education (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Children that have low self-esteem tend to think poorly about their abilities and may not think they are capable of learning the complex curriculum taught in today’s schools. A strong sense of self enables the child to have the courage to explore their surroundings, engage in activities, and develop their sense of self (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Culturally responsive teaching is an important factor in helping young children learns to develop a positive sense of self (Sadker and Zittleman, 2009). From birth, children are gathering knowledge of their own culture from the people around them and they use this information in the development of their self-image (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Their communities and society as a whole also have a strong effect on the development of the child’s identity (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Reinforcing the child’s culture by providing a culturally sensitive classroom and curriculum will support the child’s developing sense of self (Sadker and Zittleman, 2009). While there are numerous factors that can affect the mental health and social and emotional development of a child, biological and environmental factors can have a big impact. Biological factors include inherited or genetic traits, personality or temperament, and physical and health attributes, like disabilities or premature birth (Sorte, Daeschel, and Amador, 2011). These factors don’t just play an influential role in the development of the child, but can also have a negative affect on the relationship that the child has with their caregivers (Sorte, Daeschel, and Amador, 2011). Environmental factors include the child’s family, the neighborhood they live in, and the presence of environmental toxins, like second-hand smoke (Sorte, Daeschel, and Amador, 2011). These factors can effect a child’s social and emotional development by adding stress to the child’s family life (Sorte, Daeschel, and Amador, 2011). Relationships with other children that are not related to them and the values and attitudes of their teachers add additional influences to the child’s development (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). All these influences are the effects of socialization or the child’s nurturing environment (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The nature of the child is determined mostly by biological factors and plays a vital role in the way the child learns (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Programs that create supportive environments, provide time for unstructured play, and allow the child to establish caring relationships with others will help the child gain the tools they need to be successful in the future (Sorte, Daeschel, and Amador, 2011). The standards of a supportive environment are: small group sizes, developmentally appropriate curriculum, competent instructors, and parents that are involved with the child’s education and correspond with the teacher (Sorte, Daeschel, and Amador). The child’s ability to form a caring, nurturing relationship with their teacher and build attachment is important to their building of self-esteem, their opinion of their value and self-worth, and their desire to learn (Sorte, Daeschel, and Amador). Providing a safe environment for free, unstructured play is important to the positive social, emotional, cognitive, physical, creative, and expressive development of the child in such a way that it has been declared a right of childhood by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (Sorte, Daeschel, and Amador). Whether children decide to pursue higher education through college depends on the educational experiences they have in early childhood and throughout their years of primary education. Their development of high self-esteem and a positive self-image are strong contributing factors and can have a negative effect on the decision the child makes in this area if they develop negative views of self. The differences in the environments of primary schools and those of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and today’s modern universities can be a shocking experience if the individual is not properly prepared (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Many universities have complete freedom to determine what they teach and what counts as knowledge and HEIs were not always accessible to the public, but only to the elite members of society (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The binary and unitary educational systems were divided, one providing only academic education ands the later providing vocational training (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Over the years, HEIs have become more available to the public and higher education is now mass-marketed to the public (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). However, the older, elite universities, like Oxford and Cambridge, still remain at the top of this educational hierarchy, although they are not always rated this way by their students (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The availability of HEIs to the public has increased enrollment from five percent in the 1960s to 40 percent now, with the overall goal of the European Union (EU) to gain a 50 percent enrollment status for the overall population (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). This growth in enrollment has changed the funding dynamic of the university system and created the tuition system where students are responsible to pay for their own education, transferring this responsibility from the state (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). This turned higher education into a business, with tuition rising as the demand for higher quality standards and competitive curriculum increased to make graduates able to compete in global markets (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The demand for better educational standards always includes the demand for better teachers. Professional development must be found within practice to be the most effective, must be practical in designing and support their practice, and must encourage student participation (Morrison, 2009). High standards ensure that graduates will have an education or skill that will guarantee them a job, which is a progressive step for the economy (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Open universities allow students the luxury of distance learning and the ability to earn correspondence degrees, which some critics say has contributed to the overall decline of academic quality in universities (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The new educational model allows students to have a say in what material is taught in their degree program, which has made trivial subjects popular and caused the traditional areas of study to be discontinued because they were unpopular with the students (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Other concerns include the change in the motives of the university from educating students to teaching “performance skills” that will enable students “to perform” in employment markets (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009, p.102). In addition, there are significant differences between the attainment goals of males and females (Morrison, 2009). The sex and relationships (SRE) initiative is designed to educate youth about their bodies and the differences between males and females to help them successfully transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The purpose of this program is also to teach youth how to respect themselves and others, maintain a positive attitude and value system, teach them personal and social skills, and improve their overall knowledge and understanding (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Findings have indicated that girls have a better academic performance rate than boys and that males are more likely to need added academic support, but there are no set group of determining factors that affect these gender differences (Morrison, 2009). The different learning style of each student has the potential to create many difficult situations for teachers. Good students have the ability to help and encourage students that are struggling. The key to effective teaching is to keep a low child/teacher ratio and do not separate the students. An ineffective teacher can lower a child’s desire to learn. Children need to learn how to appreciate the talents, gifts, and abilities of people of any intelligence level and how to respect others without thinking them inferior and in order for our children to learn this; teachers must model it. The overall context of the Education Studies text focuses on multiple aspects of the learning environment, the child’s influences, and how gender can play a role in the education of a child (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Each chapter is dedicated to a relevant aspect of the educational process and how it relates to the child’s development. The combination provides a complete analysis of education and how to use these factors to better the overall educational experience of the student (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Many biases are pointed out and other influential factors, like environment, genetics, and self-esteem, are explained in the context of how they can affect the child’s ability and desire to learn (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The constant growth in the technological industry has also had a huge impact on education and the effect this has on how children and adults learn is examined (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The early years of a child’s development and education, the sexual biases and interactions with the opposite sex, and the pursuit of higher education are more closely examined in the context of this paper since these three chapters discuss elements that weigh heavily on the child’s future ability to succeed (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Knowing the social and emotional characteristics of children within the age group you are teaching will enable you to notice variations from this norm. Promoting positive experiences and interactions during early childhood helps children to gain self-confidence and form strong interpersonal relationships, which builds a sense of security, trust, care, and understanding (Sorte, Daeschel, & Amador, 2011). Early childhood caregivers are in the unique position to build positive bridges of growth the child can go across for a lifetime. The best way a teacher can build positive social-emotional development and mental health is by understanding the way it develops in the early years of life, what influences it, and what makes up typical social and emotional development (Sorte, Daeschel, & Amador, 2011). Although gender has an effect on how children learn, a comprehensive curriculum, will include physical education and seek to educates the whole child and addresses the child’s intellectual, emotional, physical, and social needs through instruction that combines cultural, scientific, social, historical, artistic, physical, technological, mathematical, linguistic, and emotional knowledge and experiences (Burgeson, 2004). Making generalisations and portraying stereotypes about gender may adversely affect the students and what they think they are capable of (Sadker and Zittleman, 2009). The media generally shows many stereotypical roles for men and women, which is why SRE seeks to educate students about their potential as human beings and not just males or females while preparing them for the physical and hormonal changes their bodies will undergo through puberty (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The importance of understanding human sexuality, sexual health, contraception, delaying sexual activity, and avoidance of unplanned pregnancies are important aspects of learning to become a responsible, healthy adult and is an important aspect to the progression of youth from the adolescent stage to the adult stage (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). SRE also teaches young people how to engage in and manage healthy relationships with their peers as well as with others in their surroundings and is an integral part of the growth and development of children (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Managing healthy relationships is how young people avoid falling victim to peer pressure and negative influences, whether they come from the television or people in their surroundings. Free access to multimedia and the projection of contradictory ideas concerning moral values and self-images makes it necessary to constantly reinforce healthy attitudes and impressions of those that are different than what is considered the norm, like homosexuals and victims of violent crimes (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Technology allows children free access to multimedia that may show images of sexuality and promiscuity which frequently objectifies women and establishes gender roles that may contradict or diminish the capabilities of female students by presenting women as inferior (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). This presents a significant challenge to children when they are struggling to form identities of self (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). As educational professionals, it is important to teach students how to exclude these negative images and present for them a model of professionalism by establishing formal boundaries (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Being able to answer difficult questions and handle unexpected situations with respect is an important aspect of being an educator (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). This demonstrates the principles of effective communication, negotiation, and demonstrates the values being taught in a model that is real (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The technology and multimedia available can be used as instructional technology and safe use of the internet can be taught to enhance safety (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Instruction in citizenship through the educational process builds character and modelling these formative traits is important to producing productive citizens with quality skills that will enable them to get stable employment and enrich the economy (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). The text seeks to provide a model for educators to use to prepare them to become strong role models for the students they teach. Beginning with the earliest stages of early childhood development, the text explains the effects of numerous aspects that influence the development of children and their personalities. The importance of family, community, society, and the overall environment helps educators place these aspects in perspective when they teach their students. The compilation of theoretical perspectives from various authors enables the text to provide multiple viewpoints to give the professional numerous aspects to regard the criteria for educating youth. Since children have multiple learning styles, the text provides multiple options for providing guidance and educating the youth. Understanding the nature of education and learning enables educators to become better teachers and this will also help the children become better students. The text also provides details regarding the nature and benefits of higher education so teachers are better equipped to provide guidance in this area. Helping children develop a love of learning and education is one of the main functionalities of teaching and the text provides a lot of information on how to foster this quality in young children and adolescents. Explaining how various factors, like race, gender, and special needs affect the educational experience of the children involved makes educators able to address these issues and remove these circumstances as factors in their classrooms. The text also addresses important issues like faith and culture and how they affect the student’s ability to learn and the effectiveness of the educator’s teaching style, allowing the teacher to adjust to compensate for the needs of the student. The text is primarily aimed at educators and those that educate educators. The various topics addressed provide background information and enable professionals to recognize important aspects in their classroom that may inhibit student learning. Explaining many of the factors that prevent children from finishing or continuing their education helps teachers form ways to overcome these barriers and provide their students with the best opportunities to succeed in the classroom and later in life. The text also details the conditions prevalent in even the most prestigious universities and this allows teachers to prepare their students to deal with these conditions without becoming discouraged and dropping out of school. Teachers must teach the curriculum, but they are also entrusted with the responsibility of preparing our youth to venture out into the world and become successful adults that contribute to society. Through careful analysis, the text achieves the goals of educating educators about the need to first understand the complexity of the challenges facing today’s youth in order to teach them how to overcome these challenges and still succeed in getting an education and in whatever goals they set for themselves. The success of the text is primarily due to the numerous views expressed through the compilation of materials from various sources. Addressing each point through a new perspective gives impartiality to the text and provides better access to a wide range of informative sources from which teachers can draw on to enhance their teaching strategies. The text successfully details the many problems within the primary and secondary educational systems and gives professionals’ information to draw upon to fix these problems. The chapters examined, Chapters 5, 10, and 18, are all strongly relevant to the educational experiences of our youth. Chapter five was selected because it gives foundational information about the formative years of children. This chapter teaches about how various factors combine to help children define themselves as individuals. It also talks about the importance of the child making this distinction and of the definition of self being positive. The benefits of a positive self-image versus a negative one is discussed, which helps educators to know the value of this process and how vital it is to try and help children form good impressions of themselves. Nature versus nurture is discussed and the impact of social and media influences on the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children during early childhood. Chapter ten provides an n-depth discussion on secondary education and the beginnings of this institution. The origins of the first college and the traditional role of government are detailed and provide useful information regarding the definition of higher education. The concept of the modern university is examined along side the traditional model and the differences are summarized so the teacher can express these differences to students and parents. The binary and unitary educational systems are discussed and the differences explained in addition to the mass market educational system that prevails today. This information is very relevant to educators seeking to provide competent guidance to their students if they are considering or not considering going to college. The relevance of SRE is detailed in Chapter 18, which is a commonly overlooked aspect of primary education. As children age and near puberty, they need to know the relevant facts about sex, their bodies, puberty, and various other topics covered under SRE. Sex and relationships have a huge impact on the lives of teenagers and adolescents and teaching them how to manage these relationships in a healthy manner empowers them to control their surroundings with confidence. This also helps make sure that they have a good chance of staying in school, finishing school, and going to college without the interference of an unexpected/unwanted pregnancy, complications from promiscuity like transmission of STDs, and various other pitfalls that plague today’s youth. This chapter is important to educators because it informs educators about the value of SRE and how to maintain a healthy, respectful communication with their students. The other books referenced in this paper share many similar views with Education Studies and provide information that matches the material covered in the main text. This provides added confirmation about the reliability of the information in the text and allows educators the comfort of knowing the details provided in Education Studies can be relied upon. Additional sources retrieved from scholastic databases provided articles that also maintain many of the views expressed in Education Studies and provide empirical studies to back up their views. It is now common knowledge that children begin learning about their environment from birth and are capable of learning throughout their lives (Sharp, Ward, and Hankin, 2009). Many factors, like community, family, technology, society, and relationships all have a strong effect on the quality of the child’s educational experience, which plays an important role in whether the child decides to finish school and continue on towards a higher education and this decision has a permanent effect on the child’s life and future success. In conclusion, this essay seeks to point out that the method used to educate children is as important as the material being taught and the environment in which the children live, learn, and grow, so we must take care to ensure all three factors are appropriate for the growth and development of healthy children. References Burgeson, C. (2004, December). Educating the whole child and reducing childhood obesity. The State Education Standard. NASPE, National Association of State Boards of Education . Retrieved July 21, 2011 from http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/teachingTools/upload/EducatingtheWholeChild_NASBE.pdf Morrison, G. (2009). Early childhood education today. 11th ed. New Jersey: Pearson. Sadker, D.M. and Zittleman, K.R. 2009. Teachers, schools, and society: A brief introduction. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill: Boston. Sharp, J. Ward, S. and Hankin, L. 2009. Education studies: An issue based approach. UK: Learning Matters Sorte, J., Daeschel, I., and Amador, C. 2011. Nutrition, health and safety for young children. New Jersey: Pearson. Read More