Learning Process in Children - Case Study Example

LEARNING PROCESS IN CHILDREN Student: Institution: Date Effective teaching requires a proper understanding of the distinctiveness of every child. This means that for one to be able to associate well with a child in the teaching environment, all the characteristics that define the well- being of a child such as upbringing, temperament, strengths as well as the weaknesses should be considered. Depending on the circumstances surrounding them, different children are likely to behave in different ways. For instance, the behaviour of an adolescent differs from how a child in elementary school, hence there is the need for the teachers to better understand the actions of children at different age groups for effective teaching. There are quite a good number of literature explaining the factors that underlie the development of children. In attempting to explain cognitive development in children, Piaget gives four stages of development in children (Coon et al., 2010). The first is the sensorimotor stage where the development depends on the sensory and motor, hence the ability to begin attaching words to objects. Secondly, there is the preoperational stage where children learn through imaginary play but still tussle with logic and the perceptions of other people within their environment. The children also have difficulty in understanding the concept of dependability. In the concrete operational stage, the children now begin to be more reasonable but with an inflexible type of thinking. At this point, the children begin to be selfless and are more concerned with what people think of them. They also begin to understand the uniqueness of their thoughts, that is, they begin to know that their thoughts and feelings are unique to them. In the formal operational stage according to the theory, the reasoning of the children increases, and are well able to understand the abstract ideas within their environments. At this stage of the development, there is the ability to solve problems that arise in everyday life and people think more scientifically about their surroundings. According to Piaget, there are four things that influence the way in which children learn and grow. The firs one is a schema, which defines both physical and intellectual actions that are involved in the learning process. Schemas commonly help the people in properly understanding the world around them. He further asserts that the increase in knowledge helps in building up the understanding of the children as the new knowledge acquired is used in building up what was previously known. Assimilation, which is another significant concept is assimilation which involves absorption of new knowledge into the already existing schema. For instance, seeing an object and being able to identify it correctly is a form of assimilation. Accommodation involves altering the existing schemas in the light of new information whole equilibration involves establishing a balance between assimilation ad accommodation. Case Study Jane (not her real name) is a blond haired twelve-year-old, Caucasian girl who goes to Golden Minds School, which is one of the best schools in her residence town. Since her parents are interested in her personal development, she is also enrolled for an after school program at Gerrard Afterschool Club where she goes to interact and have fun together with other children as a way of utilizing time after school. When schools are closed, she spends most of her time at the club since the programs run on a daily basis from morning to evening. She is also a very quiet and intelligent and loved by both her school and afterschool teachers. Gerrard Afterschool Club is a renowned afterschool program that provides the children with a warm and secure environment where the children interact with others and also to play together while being taught societal norms and requirements by the teachers. The club is located on a one acre farm where the students can easily interact with the surrounding environment, removing the monotonous class setting. Among the activities that the children are involved include; play, arts and crafts and lessons on cooking and healthy diets. The program also allows parents to check in at any time and provide feedback about the progress of their children. As the teacher in charge of the 9-12-year-old children within the program, Jane is one of the most interesting students to observe as she plays or interacts with her age mates. Having been with her for some time, one of the things worth noting about her is that she is always withdrawn. Last week as they were left to play, Jane sat down, her head facing down instead of playing with the other kids. She had also carried some snacks from home and could not share anything with any of her friends. Another 30 minute observation of the children revealed another character in Jane that I barely knew. When persuaded by the other children to join them in playing, she got mad and shouted at the others, scaring away some of them, she even threatened to beat up some of the kids who reported her. Since she is an anti- social character, the learning process has been difficult for her as she barely grasps a thing. These observations prompted a quick investigation into her background. Jane, who lives with both of her parents is an only child. The parents are self -employed, each day running their family business, always leaving her in the hands of her teachers. Jane’s mother confirmed that the family business has not been going on well lately, leading to a reduction in the family income. Her father has also been diagnosed with a mental condition which is weighing down the family finances. Also, there have been a lot of fights between the two, which according to her, have had adverse effects on Jane as she is even scared of her parents and sometimes refuses to go home from school. Analysis Jane’s behaviour shows some of the limitations to a child’s development that can adversely affect the learning process of the child. According to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory about the development of a child, human learning is considered as a social process and the intelligence of children and human beings at large is embedded in the society or cultures within which they originate (Vanchevsky, 2006). He further asserts that the development of a child depends on the social interactions of the child. Vygotsky’s observations are also found in the moral development of children which is rooted in the attentiveness to and concern for other people. In psychology, the inherent passion and ability of an individual to develop social interactions, such as having good relationships with the people around them is critical to the development of a child and hence their ability to learn. In psychology, children that display a lot of difficulty in building social relationships or in interacting freely with others are considered as having personality disorder and if not dealt with early enough, can spill into the later stages of development of the child (Mikulincer and Shaver, 2010). In Jane’s example, her withdrawal and inability to freely interact and play with the other children causes her emotional torture, thus making her unable to grasp the things taught both in class and at the program. Also, the circumstances surrounding her such as the fights between her parents and her genetic make- up can also predispose her to such behaviour. Aggression in children is also another hindrance to the proper development of a child. Aggression occurs in two major ways, that is, instrumental and hostile aggression. Hostile aggression commonly involves acts that are done purposely to harm other individuals while instrumental aggression concerns getting access to objects or privileges. While considering the developmental processes of children, aggression is considered as an unstable behaviour. Genetic predispositions for instance, causes irritability in children, causing them to remain aggressive over long periods of time since they induce adverse reactions resulting in aggressive behaviour (Snowman and Biehler, 2012). Additionally, other children remain aggressive because they grow up in environments that encourage and uphold aggressive behaviour. The genetic predispositions of Jane, for instance, coupled with the environment in which she is being raised up, greatly contribute to her aggressive behaviour. In conclusion, learning in children depends on a variety of factors that should be taken into consideration by the teachers and the parents as well for effective learning to take place. It is important for the teachers to have knowledge about the children they deal with to properly deliver. Children should also be encouraged at the earlier stages in life to develop social attachments that help in their development and learning as a whole. References Coon, D., Mitterer, J. O., Talbot, S., & Vanchella, C. M. (2010). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behaviour. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. (2010). Attachment in Adulthood: Structure, Dynamics, and Change. New York: Guilford Publications. Snowman, J., McCown, R. R., & Biehler, R. F. (2012). Psychology applied to teaching. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Vanchevsky, M. A. (2006). Frontiers in cognitive psychology. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Read More