Effect of Home-Learning Environment on Academic Achievements - Essay Example

EFFECT OF HOME-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS Introduction As part creating a better understanding of the learning environment, the theories of human development combine notions from environmental economics, viable growth and other concepts relative to human achievements. The aim of the theories is avoiding the unconcealed policies that appear irrational in the justification of concepts in psychology, social science, ecology, economics (Kolb, 1984). This is only achievable if the theory of human development arguments are on a test context. Typically, theories of human development create a charter under which people draw knowledge about human growth and learning in search of a better understanding. The different clusters of theories provide useful insight among people and societies, in not only human growth or development, but also thought and behavior. Among the most common concepts from some of the human development theories is the impact of home-learning environment on a child’s cognitive development. Definitely, home-learning environment relates a child’s abilities i.e. how they perform in school, the way they perceive the world around them among other daily aspects of the normal life. However, even with a clear understanding of the two elements, there lack an utter elaboration on how the home-learning environment influences the child’s academic achievements (Boree, 2006). Concurrently, educators are able to see discrepancies between students from dissimilar backgrounds but cannot tell how aspects such as the social class, culture among other environmental attributes act as determinants of the academic achievements. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory extensively applies in elaborating the relationship between learning environments and academic success. Resolutely, this eth nongraphic research focuses on analyzing the effects of the home-learning environments drawing chiefly from Bandura’s theory and other concepts relative to this subject. The New Horizon School Westside in Los Angeles (a bilingual school) forms the foundation of the research with interviews on the school principal, teachers and school counselor. Theoretical Framework Most of the articles and studies such as Home Environment and Pupils Academic Achievement by Gilford Mdanda draw from the theories of human development by prominent theorists like Bandura and Piaget. Gilford focuses on the fact that Piaget fixated on the reasons why young students answer general or logical questions wrongly and it was her chief believe that there are dissimilarities between how adults and children think (Newman &Newman, 2009). Typically, this was the foundation of her summary judgments relative to his theory. Under cognitive development, Jean Piaget performed the first ever study on a student, especially from a psychologist point of view. The theory of cognitive development was the first result of this study, as a contribution to the impact of environmental attributes to the performance of a student. Piaget also performed a number of tests as an attempt to reveal variation in reasoning capabilities. Among the conclusions made before Piaget’s studies and research was that adults’ thoughts are more efficient than children’s are. However, the cognitive development theory of Piaget starts by stating that children just think differently, not that they are efficient (Mdanda, 1997). Gilford sees this as a rational approach to assessing the effect of home-learning environment of a child’s achievements in school because it bases on facts not on mere assumptions like before. An evaluation of neurons in the brain by Piaget showed that children inherit with very basic cerebral structures. These structures are the ones that evolve through acquiring knowledge through the different forms of edification that a child goes through i.e. from the home learning environment inclusive of the parents (Mayberry, 1993). Further assessment by Gilford on human development theories shows that Piaget’s theory is unique from varying perspectives (Mdanda, 1997). The core aspect that differentiates it from the rest is that it focuses on children as learners, which is a more orthodox approach. Secondly, Piaget puts a lot of weight on the development from the context of processes or patterns of learning at young age and eliminates behavior as a primary determinant of conclusions made on a child’s achievements. Drawing from Piaget, Gilford proposes distinct levels of home learning patent from qualitative variations, which is different from the increase and intricacy of comportments, conceptions and philosophies that most of the past studies and psychologists weigh on when trying to establish the effect of home-learning environment on academic achievements. The study elaborates on mechanisms and practices children adapt from the home-learning environment as part of facilitators of their development to reasonable and straight-thinking students. Ecological involvement form the foundation for Gilford’s study as the key facilitators of cognitive development: the children reorganize their mental processes as they develop and draw from what they see and hear at home (Mdanda, 1997). As part of the conclusions, the study explicates that the variations between the thinking of children and adults are prevalent because a child reconstructs an understanding of their environment as they develop. Through reconstruction, children can now differentiate what they have learnt and what they discover, which helps their universal development. Contrary to Piaget’s theory as applied by Gilford, the ‘Effects of the Home Learning Environment and Preschool Center Experience upon Literacy and Numeracy Development in Early Primary School’ article by Edward Melhuish partly draws from the dynamic systems theory. He focuses on comprehending how a child’s movements progresses and alters because it emanates from the management of children with cerebral palsy where movement and development appear as separate topics in psychology but the theory has relevant insight in human development (Melhuish, 2008). According to his understanding, movement results from the communication of many subsystems in a child, the task of moving and the environs. Organization and interaction among the sub-systems are the chief requirements to achieving a particular task. Importantly, all subsystems are similar in all attributes (Karen, 2010). The overall argument behind the Edward’s reference on this theory is the need to consider all factors as explained in this theory, especially the learning environment. Unfortunately, Edward appears to have a sound basis on his argument but his conclusions do not clearly state the effects of home-learning environment but he solely focuses on establishing human development as a connection to how it affects a child’s achievements at school (Melhuish, 2008). Relatively, the Social Cognitive Theory by Bandura is a progression of most theories explaining the developmental changes experienced by people in their lives as the analysis foundation for effects of home-learning environment, on not only academic achievement, but also overall performance (Bandura, 1977). The main concern is the psychosocial functions of people as part of progression from a child to adult. Bandura recognizes that human development is non-monumental by considering variations in human abilities (Bandura, 1986). The differences result from diverse ecological backgrounds and other conditions that apply in their enhancement and sustainability. Definitely, as a person develops, they experience alterations in their settings i.e. practices in the society; these changes affect their capabilities individually as reflected on the academic platform. Bandura’s social cognitive theory creates a completely different outlook on the home-learning effects on child’s ability to think and understand. Naturally, review of such theories and articles gives varying concepts to draw from. Evolutionary, psychosocial and cognitive development theories put significant weight on personal factors as key determinants of academic achievement (Morrison, 2010). On the other hand, experiential, social learning and life courses reinforce the emphasis of environmental factors by other theories but evaluate interactions with person factors lacking a standard foundation to understanding the effects of the aforementioned environmental factors (Kolb, 1984). Analysts, researchers and theorists have always purported home-learning environment and academic achievements to go hand in hand, which is an understandable interdependence; hence, they base their studies on the dispositions and ecological factors that shape and control conduct of a child in different life stages. According to data from teachers and parents, conduct, personal attributes and ecological powers all communicate and influence in each other in different ways, which reflects on every child’s grades (Boree, 2006). The difference accounts for the implication that the determinants are dissimilar in strength or happen concurrently proving that time is also a factor. Methodology The research design adopted for the study was classic ethnography used to obtain information concerning the status of the phenomena under study and to describe what exists with respect to variables or conditions in a situation. The method was suitable for the study due to its ability to elicit a wide range of baseline information about factors affecting academic achievement in New Horizon School Westside in West Los Angeles. It was apposite facilitating the smooth sailing of operations, which made the research as efficient as possible, yielding maximal results from data from interviews of the school principal, teachers, school counselor and two families. The method is comprehensive in the collection of data through observation and interviews; moreover, summarizing is extensively convenient since identification and analysis of the main themes and patterns in the given responses applies in determining the adequacy, usefulness and consistency of information. Although most of the determinants of a student’s achievements are attributes of the school environment, the home-learning experience also influences their performance. What their parents or guardians teach them and elements they draw from the environment creates a long-term effect on their studies and understanding at school. The teachers have a sub-standard perception on this effect as indicated by the disparities from how their students perform and in most cases; they will want to know about the backgrounds of particular students. This forms a firm foundation where they can understand the correlation between the home-learning environment and academic statures (Mayberry, 1993). In the classroom, students have different perceptions depending on attributes related to home-learning environments; some people are stronger and others suppler. The environment at home have a lot to give when it comes to development and progression of a student’s life at school; for instance, most people argue knowledge evolves and extends building on what we already know from parents, siblings etc. In some cases, several students turn out to be better achievers than their parents or other attributes relative to their presupposed academic stature; may be they are efficient or can easily adapt to certain conditions purported as unbearable (Morrison, 2010). This notion is predominant in the cycle of life where intelligence continually increases and people reveal extra-ordinary abilities, particularly in the classroom. From a general knowledge approach, most students know the cause of attaining high grades from articles they have read, videos they watched among other sources of knowledge because it has extensive effects. The first factor to salvage from the relationship between home-learning environment and academic achievements is those students perform based on the acquired knowledge prior to entering the classroom for the first time. This creates a rational justification as to why some students appear smarter, faster, more reserved and have varying interests in school (Melhuish, 2008). Without evidence, the idea of home-learning environment being a chief determinant of how students achieve, seems extensively random because parents, siblings, teachers or other relatives have limited control over the whole process; in fact, the only key contribution they make is raising them. There is no knowledge on what the result will be or why a certain student is above-average smart and the other is just smart. Typically, the core implication in this context is that home-learning environment sets its own bounds. Relative to this research, observation took days and hours for the interviews at the New Horizon School Westside located on the west of Los Angeles. The school consists of Muslim students and it is bilingual since reading the Quran requires extended understanding of the Arabic language. The school has a total of 310 students and 36 teachers. The main participants of the study were the school principal, teachers, the school counselor and families of two random students. Interviews with these participants created the foundation for the research especially since the school principal, teachers and the school counselor had a better understanding of the students and their performances. The observations took place at school and home with the two selected families. Data Sources/ Evidence During the interviews, the school principal and the teachers confessed that keeping the environment conducive for learning in terms of cleanliness and emphasizing on discipline is among the main objectives. This is because the students become receptive of learning and knowing more relative to the conditions of the classrooms, the school compound or even the conduct of teachers. Typically, this was the basis of the overall approach on making the interviewees evaluate academic achievement with the little knowledge about the students’ home-learning environments. However, the school principal, teachers and school counselor answered questions such as - What do you think are the home-learning environment’s disparities for different students? Do you think these disparities affect certain student’s performances? This gave us more information to compare between the situations at school and home. As the head of an Islamic school, the principal had much information to offer relative to discrepancies among the students, particularly because he gave significant attention to some of their lives at home. According to his understanding, some of the students’ families overlook the significance of education giving extended attention to religion and culture, which he can now identify by the conduct of some of the students. The religious and cultural aspects of the families affect the students’ participation in class and school thus their overall achievement. On interviewing the school counselor, she had the most insight as compared to the other interviewees. According to her replies to the asked questions, she knows some of the students more than anyone in the school does. The counseling sessions reveal home learning environmental attributes such as constant conflicts between parents in the evening or physical abuse of a child, even though societal elements, also affects the students performances. Finally, the interviews of the teachers took place after the class observations so that the interviewer could point out different students in the class and compare them with the teachers’ remarks or comments. This made it easy to establish the differences between the active and non-active students relative to the home-learning environment. As for the observations, the two families had various discrepancies on the way their children perceive learning and how other members of the family offer assistance. For instance, Family A did not show any concern when one of the children asked if anyone knew the answer to a certain social study question, in fact, none of the answered. On the other hand, Family B was very keen on letting their first-born son understand what he was watching on the animal planet channel, even before they asked. Definitely, the two home-learning environments are dissimilar and upon further observation, the two students (even though in different classes) acted differently in class and overall performance. The first-born son from Family B was among the top achievers of his class while that of Family A was an average student, even though he was always full of determination and always studying. The classroom observations mainly focused on taking note of the students’ participation, ability to solve tasks or even given questions, after which the observer would compare the home-learning environments of the inactive and active groups. However, the classroom observation produced more information than expected. For instance, the top performers gave significant attention to the lessons and made vast contributions such as answering and asking questions. This type of participation had a paramount correlation with good home-learning environments. However, a group of students, quiet throughout the class, correctly answered questions and performed when asked to by the teacher. On the other hand, there were students with limited attention span, would not participate at all and the teacher never bothered to ask them to perform tasks or answer questions. Frequent, these few students appeared distracted or drifting away. Based on the teachers’ explanations, their families had problems affecting their home-learning environment and acting as a distraction while they were in school. This affected their overall achievement and participation in school. Results/Conclusions Home-learning environments have significant influences on student’s academic accomplishments not only on through the personal development but also by conveying robust subliminal messages. Students from a home-learning environment that persists on the importance of education or gaining more knowledge have psychological appeals such as ‘I need to study’ or ‘I have read this book’ as their drive in school. Moreover, the home-learning environments also matter for the educators since a good environment creates good students that they can teach and communicate with easily. However, unfavorable home-learning environments affect the communication between students and educators creating repulsive attitudes that affect the overall edification. Relatively, this is not the only influence from these environments; in fact, instability in the families or aspects such as low-income equally plays a powerful role in the students’ achievements (Morrison, 2010). Definitely, the problems affect a student’s physical and emotional statures that relate with the capabilities in learning or thinking effectively. Additionally, the home-learning environment’s attributes influence the student’s concentration and motivation levels, especially a part of the psychological needs. A good example is the student from Family B who has caring and understanding family members. This reception makes him more equipped to clasp learning and less concerned with blunders he might make in the process (Melhuish, 2008). As the first-born son, he feels valued, which augments his self-esteem in the classroom or at school. Definitely, multiple analysts and researchers have explored the correlation between home-learning environments and academic achievements but most of them never considered the effects. Nonetheless, excellent home settings lead to excellent performance at schools as long as the element of learning is among the most significant. Likewise, poor home settings, especially those that assume the element of learning, lead to poor results for the subject students (Mdanda, 1997). However, the academic achievement as an influence by home-learning environment has various facets, for instance; some teachers argue this environment also affects the student’s will to attend school and take the results, at the end of the semester or term back at home to the eager family members. Decisively, quality and poor home-learning environments have their fair share of influences and the key stakeholders (family members, teachers etc.) are in the best position to use this for improved academic achievements. However, the issue must become prevalent first through conveying the dissimilar effects. References Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hall. Boree, G.C (2006) Personality Theories Introduction, Shippensburg University. Psychology Department Retrieved from http://worldtracker.org/media/library/Psychology/Boere%20%20Personality%20Theories.pdf Karen, S. (2010). Dynamic Systems Theory- Framework for Exploring Readiness to Children with Cerebral Palsy. Can-child Centre for Childhood Disability Research. Retrieved from http://www.canchild.ca/en/canchildresources/dynamic_systems_theory.asp Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience a Source of Learning and Development. Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Mayberry, M (1993). Effective learning environments in action- The case of home schools. School Community Journal 3(1), 61-68. Mdanda, M. G. (1997). Home Environment and Pupils Academic Achievement (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Zululand. Retrieved from http://uzspace.uzulu.ac.za/handle/10530/707 Melhuish, E. 2008. Effects of the home learning environment and preschool center experience upon literacy and numeracy development in early primary school. Journal of Social Issues, 64(1), 95-114. Morrison, J (2010). The nature and impact of changes in home learning environment on development of language and academic skills in preschool children: Developmental Psychology, 46 (5), 1103–1118 Newman, B. M., & Newman, P. R. (2009). Theories of human development. Taylor and Francis Group: Milton Park, Abingdon Read More