jssw august 2015 vo xii issue 03 freedom from fear

Journal of SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK August 2015

Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759



03

Contents

Note: Views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily the

official view of the Journal.

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C o n t e n t sVolume XII Issue 03 A u g u s t 2 0 1 5 Page

Focus: Freedom from Fear

Contributors are requested to submit the research/ evidence/ field

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nounced, the articles may be grouped under suitable focus, if pos-

sible. ~Ed.

Editorial Pachaiyappan P 04

Anxiety and aggression among Female Adolescent

Survivors of Child Abuse: Impact of Psychological

Intervention Chindhu S and Mythili T 05

Learning Styles Dhanalaksmi G and Dr Matheswaran V P 15

The Impact of LCD and OHP Presentations on V Standard

Pupils’ Science Achievement Scores Dr Ramakrishnan N 19

Relationship between Academic Confidence and

Academic Achievement of Higher Secondary Students

Pathmanaban R V 29



Corporal punishment refers to

intentional application of physical

pain as method of behaviour

change. The majority of children

have experienced physical

punishment by the time they reach

adolescence. Specifically, current

studies indicate that corporal

punishment happens more often in

elementary grades, in rural schools,

and among disadvantaged children.

Only 6% of government schools

studied and 4% of private schools

studied were free of corporal

punishment (Reported in India Today,

5 January 2012).

A study conducted by Ministry of

Women and Child Development on

child abuse in India 2007 to assess

the incidence of physical abuse

among school children, responses

from a sample of 3163 children were

taken. Out of those reporting corporal

punishment in schools, 54.28% were

boys and 45.72% were girl.

The study reveals that all states

reported corporal punishment,

higher percentage of corporal

punishment (about 50% or more)

was reported from eight States.

Corporal punishment causes

psychological damages that are

reflected obviously on child’s self-

esteem and self-confidence, and

having other negative long-term

personality effects (UNICEF, 2007).

Government of India has

recognized that 65 percent of school

going children are inflicted with

corporal punishment. Corporal

punishment in any form is a

fundamental breach of human rights.

A slap is as detrimental to the child’s

right as a grievous injury.

The Supreme Court has banned

corporal punishment for children on

1st December 2000 when it directed

the State to ensure “that children are

not subjected to corporal punishment

in schools and they receive

education in an environment of

freedom and dignity, free from fear”.

Practising non-violence as a highest

form of culture begins with seeing

children as children. Corporal

punishment amounts to abuse and

militates against the freedom and

dignity of a child. It also interferes

with a child’s right to education

because fear of punishment makes

children more likely to avoid school

or to drop out altogether. Hence,

corporal punishment is violative of

the right to life with dignity. It is high

time we recognise that the child

needs help and not punishment.

Freedom from FearPachaiyappan P

04

Editorial



05

Introduction:

Adolescence is a transitional

stage of physical and mental human

development that occurs between

childhood and adulthood. This

transition involves biological, social

and psychological changes, though

the biological or physiological ones

are the easiest to measure

objectively. Increased sophistication

leads to an enhanced awareness of

self and the ability to reflect on one’s

own being. Adolescents also apply

their new reflective capabilities to

moral issues.

Child abuse:

Child abuse is any act that harms

a child, which includes violence,

mistreatment or any behav iour

that a child/adolescent may

Anxiety and aggression among

Female Adolescent Survivors of Child Abuse:

Impact of Psychological Intervention

Chindhu S*

Mythili T **

* Chindhu S, Psychologist, Chennai.

**Dr Mythili T, Assistant professor, JBAS College for Women, Chennai

Abstract:

Girl children being abused in any form, go through anxiety,

depression, stress, adjustment issues, and aggression. Designing an

intervention that could be beneficial is the first step towards helping

them. Auhtors attempted a cross-sectional study with quasi

experimental design to investigate levels of anxiety and aggression

among female adolescent survivors of child abuse, the relationship

between both the variables and impact of psychological intervention.

Purposive Sampling included (N=50) adolescent girl survivors of abuse

(age range: 12-18 years) with high anxiety and aggression. They were

randomly divided into two groups. Tools used were State-trait Anxiety

Inventory and R.L. Bharadwaj’s Aggression Scale. Statistical analysis

included Paired t-test, Independent t-test and Pearson’s Product

moment Correlation. The psychological intervention reduced the

anxiety and aggression in the experimental group. Auhtors conclude

that psychological intervention had significantly reduced anxiety and

aggression in the sample. A significant positive relationship existed

between anxiety and aggression. Intervention designed in this study

can also be given to males, and across all age groups.

Keywords: Adolescence, child abuse, anxiety and aggression.

Chindhu S et al.,



experience while in the care of

someone they either trust or depend

on, such as parent, sibling, other

relative, caregiver or guardian. Child

abuse or maltreatment constitutes all

forms of physical and/ or emotional

ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect

or negligent treatment or

commercial or other exploitation,

resulting in actual or potential harm

to the child’s health, survival,

development or dignity in

the context of a relationship of

responsibility, trust or power. (WHO,

1999). Usually, girls have a tendency

to internalize the consequences with

eating disorders, suicidal ideations

or attempts, low self-esteem andother psychological disorders. Boys

on the other hand, externalize it by

being overtly aggressive and

delinquent.

Anxiety:

Anxiety is a complex blend of

unpleasant emotions and cognitions

that is both more oriented to the

future and much more diffuse than

fear. Anxiety is one of the most

common psychological disorders in

school-aged children and

adolescents worldwide. The

prevalence rates range from 4.0%

to 25.0%, with an average rate of

8.0% (Boyd, et al, 2000). These

figures could be underestimated

since anxiety among a large number

of children and adolescents goes

undiagnosed owing to the

internalized nature of its symptoms

(Tomb and Hunter, 2004). Specific

effects include poor social and

coping skills, often leading to

avoidance of social interactions

(Albano, Chorpita and Barlow, 2003;

Weeks, Coplan and Kingsbury,

2009), loneliness, low self-esteem,

perceptions of social rejection, and

difficulty forming friendships

(Bokhorst, Goossens and De

Ruyter, 2001; Weeks et al., 2009):

In India, the main documented cause

of anxiety among school children

and adolescents is parents’ higheducational expectations and

pressure for academic achievement

(Deb et al., 2010):

Aggression:

Aggression is a hostile, injurious,

or destructive behaviour or outlook

especially when caused by

frustration. Aggression, in its

broadest sense, is a behaviour, or

a disposition towards behaviour, that

is forceful, hostile or attacking. It may

occur either in retaliation or without

provocation. From early on, boys

are much more likely than girls to

engage in physical and verbal

aggression against others. In

contrast, girls tend to use indirect

Chindhu S et al.,

06



means of aggression, including

withdrawing their friendship,

spreading rumours and gossip about

another girl, and encouraging others

to ignore or reject someone. Most

children become less aggressive as

they mature and develop more

effective self-control and language

and interpersonal skills.

Child abuse has serious physical

and psycho-social consequences

which adversely affect the health and

overall well-being of a child. This

study is intended to find out the

relationship between the

psychological variables anxiety and

aggression in female adolescents

who were subjective to child abuse.

It will also assess the effectiveness

of psychological intervention in the

betterment of the psychological

wellbeing of abuse child.

Methodology:

Research design consists of two

dependent variables namely anxiety

and aggression and one

independent variable namely

‘psychological intervention’. Anxiety

and aggression were measured from

female adolescent survivors of child

abuse. Both anxiety and aggression

were measured in both the groups

at identical period of time before the

intervention. This study is cross-

sectional as the dependent

variables were studied during a short

span of time. It was a bivariate study,

quasi experimental design with a

control group and an experimental

group. Therefore, there were two

groups with pre- and post-

assessments.

Sample:

The sample consisted of female

adolescent survivors of child abuse

identified from a government- aided

school in Saidapet. All the students

who were selected for the pre-test,

post-test and intervention were from

this school. The girls were identified

by the school psychologist using

purposive sampling method, as

being abused either physically,

verbally, emotionally or sexually.

Sample for the study consisted

of 50 adolescent girls who were in

the age group of 12 to 18 years. The

adolescent girls were identified as

being or have been in an abusive

situation through case histories, and

were living with their respective

parents at home. Sample included

only those adolescent girls who

were subjected to child abuse

currently or during their early years

of life. Out of the 50 adolescent girl

survivors of child abuse, 34 female

adolescent survivors of child abuse

who have high levels of anxiety and

aggression were selected and were

Chindhu S et al.,

07



divided into two groups equally by

assigning randomly 17 to control

group and 17 to the experimental

group. After dividing them into two

groups, 2 from the experimental

group and 1 from the control group

dropped out because of their

absenteeism and then 16 were

selected under the control group and

15 were selected to be given the

psychological intervention

(experimental group):

Inclusion criteria:

Physically and psychologically

healthy literate girls who attended

school and who have been in an

abusive environment in the age

group of 12 to 18 years were

included.

Tools used:

To measure anxiety, The

Spielberger State Trait Anxiety

Inventory (STAI, 1964) was used. To

measure aggression levels,

R.L.Bharadwaj’s Aggression Scale

(2005) was used. A personal

interview was also conducted.

Psychological intervention:

The psychological intervention

module (independent variable)

included individual counselling

sessions, art therapy, group therapy

and psycho-education for 12 hours,

across eight days,with each session

extending for up to 1.5 hours.

Results and discussion:

After examining the data for

normality, homogeneity and

statistical analysis such as Paired t-

test, Independent t-test and

Pearson’s product moment

correlation were used.

Chindhu S et al.,

08

From table no: 1 (Before

intervention), it is found that the

correlation coefficient obtained

through Pearson’s Product Moment

Correlation for the anxiety and

Table 1

Correlation Between Anxiety and aggression Scores of the

Total Sample Before and After the Psychological Intervention

Intervention N Variables Anxiety Aggression

Before 50 Anxiety 1.0 0.505**

Aggression 0.505** 1.0

After 31 Anxiety 1.0 0.964**

Aggression 0.964** 1.0

** Significant at .01 level aggression scores was 0.505. This

correlation coefficient is significant at

the 0.01 level. This shows that the


abuse have anxiety that leads to

aggression which may be due to


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759their abusive situations. This result

proves that there was significantly

more anxiety in both the high-verbal

and high-physical aggression

subjects (Kashani, Deuser and Reid,

1991). From table 1 (After

intervention), it is found that the

correlation coefficient obtained

through Pearson’s Product Moment

Correlation for the anxiety and

aggression scores was 0.964. This

correlation coefficient is significant at

the 0.01 level indicating a very high

correlation between the anxiety and

aggression scores and that they

have a dependable relationship.

Chindhu S et al.,

09

Table 2

Mean, Standard Deviation, ‘t’ value and Level of significance

between pre and post test of the

Experimental group on Anxiety and aggression

Variables Time N Mean SD ‘t’ value Significance

Anxiety Pre-test 15 111.47 8.863 5.103 0.000**

Post-test 15 103.93 7.639

Aggression Pre-test 15 81.07 6.419 5.104 0.000**

Post-test 15 75.53 7.633

**. Significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed):The ‘t’ value computed for anxiety

is 5.103, which is significant at the

0.01 level indicating teen anxiety

may be expressed through deviance

and avoidance, in both boys and

girls, appearing to be bad

behaviour. This result proves the

study by Miller, Gold, Laye-Gindhu,

Martinez, Yu, and Waechtler (2011)

indicating that that at-risk adolescents

participating in the ‘Skills for

Academic and Social Success’

program showed a reduction in

anxiety, behavioural avoidance, and

depression symptoms from pre- to

pos’t’ test ing. Therefore, intervention

is more likely to reduce the level of

anxiety.

The ‘t’ value computed for

aggression was 5.104, which is

significant at the 0.01 level indicating

that this result will be true 99 out of

100 times. This result indicates that

there was a difference in the scores

after the psychological intervention

was given to the experimental group.

This clearly shows that there has

been a change indicating that the

intervention that was given was

effective among the experimental

group in reducing aggression.

From table 3 in the next page the

‘t’ value computed is -0.368, which

is not significant at the 0.01 level and


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-37590.05 level of significance indicating

that there is hardly any change in the

control group during the post-test.

Results from a study done by Deb,

Chatterjee and Walsh (2010) on

‘Anxiety among high school students

in India: Comparisons across

Chindhu S et al.,

10

gender, school type, social strata

and perceptions of quality time with

parents’ show that anxiety was

prevalent in the sample with 17.9%

of girls found to be suffering from

high anxiety. No intervention was

given in this study.

The significant level for the

obtained ‘t’ value is 0.603, and this

shows that the computed ‘t’ value is

not significant at both 0.05 and 0.01

levels of significance. The findings

Variables Time N Mean SD ‘t’ value Significance

Anxiety Pre-test 16 99.69 11.441 -0.368 NS

Post-test 16 99.81 12.281

Aggression Pre-test 16 75.88 6.652 0.532 NS

Post-test 16 75.63 5.920

NS= Not significant

Table 3

Mean, Standard Deviation, ‘t’ value and Level of

significance between pre and post test of the Control

group on Anxiety and Aggression

of the study done by Seloilwe and

Tshweneagae (2009) indicated that

sexual abuse and violence have

mental health consequences of guilt,

anxiety, depression and anger.

Table 4

Mean, Standard Deviation, ‘t’ value and Level of significance between

Experimental group and Control group on Anxiety and aggression

after Psychological Intervention

Variable Group N Mean Mean SD ‘ t’ value Sig

pre-test post-test

Anxiety Exptal 15 111.47 103.93 5.718 -5.055 0.00**

Control 16 99.69 99.81 1.360

Aggression Exptal 15 81.07 75.53 4.274 -4.405 0.016*

Control 16 75.88 75.63 1.880

**. Significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed): *-Significant at 0.05 levelThe ‘t’ value for equal variances

of anxiety not assumed is -5.055,

which is significant at 0.01 level of

significance indicating that 99 out of

100 times the results will be true. The

independent sample ‘t’ test was


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759 Chindhu S et al.,

11

done using Levene’s Test for

Equality of Variances. In order to

identify the exact group in which there

is a significant difference in the

scores of anxiety, the differences

between the means of the pos’t’ test

and pre test were done. Generally,

more girls than boys develop anxiety

disorders and symptoms.

Adolescent girls report a greater

number of worries, more separation

anxiety, and higher levels of

generalized anxiety (Campbell and

Rapee, 1994)

It is evident from the table that the

difference between the means for

anxiety score is lesser in the

experimental group (-7.53) than the

control group (0.13): This shows that

after the psychological intervention,

there has been a reduction in the

level of anxiety in the experimental

group, indicating the effectiveness

of the psychological intervention.

From the study done by Hébert

and Bergeron (2007) on ‘efficacy of

a group intervention for adult women

survivors of sexual abuse’, results

reveal that the group intervention

reduced psychological distress and

consequences associated with

sexual abuse and that gains were

maintained at three-month follow- up.

This study proves with the results

obtained that intervention can be

effective for survivors of abuse.

The ‘t’ value for equal variances

of aggression not assumed is -4.405,

which is significant at 0.05 level of

significance indicating that 95 out of

100 times the results will be true. The

independent sample ‘t’ test was

done using Levene’s Test for

Equality of Variances. In order to

identify the exact group in which there

is a significant difference in the

scores of aggression, the

differences between the means of

the post-test and pre-test were done

and the standard deviation was also

found out.

From the above table, it is

evident that the difference between

the means for aggression score is

lesser in the experimental group,

which is -5.53 than the control group,

which is -0.25. This shows that after

the psychological intervention, there

has been a reduction in the level of

aggression in the experimental

group, explaining the effectiveness

of the psychological intervention.

Conclusion:

The levels of anxiety and

aggression were high before the

psychological intervention among


abuse. Psychological intervention

has significantly reduced Anxiety and

aggression among female


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759 Chindhu S et al.,

12

adolescent survivors of child abuse.

Significant positive relationship

existed between the variables

anxiety and aggression.

Limitations:

Limitations of the study were that

the study was done on a small

population because of which

generalization is not possible;

period of psychological intervention

given was very minimal because of

academic reasons; The tools used

were not available in the regional

language, so only those who knew

and understood English were able

to take part in the study; Study was

confined to only girls as sample. The

value of the present study lies in

identifying the levels of Anxiety and

aggression and its relationship that

could be effectively managed with

psychological intervention. This

study can be done on a larger

population inclusive of males and

also across all developmental

stages. Exclusively art-based

therapy can be used as an

intervention and its effectiveness can

be found out. The intervention period

can be extended up to 45 or 50

sessions in order to be even more

effective. Follow up on these

students can be done in order to find

if they continued to use the

strategies learnt in the intervention

everyday life.References:

Aggression. (2012): In Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved January 20, 2012,

from http://www.merriam-webster.com

Albano A M et al., (2003): Childhood Anxiety Disorders. Child Psychopathology, 2,

279-329.

American Psychological Association. (2010): Publication Manual of the American

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Association.

Berger Starsen Kathleen (1994): The Developing Person through the Lifespan. (3rd

Edition): Newyork : Worth Publishers.

Bharadwaj R L (2005): Aggression Scale. Agra : Pankaj Mapan

Bokhorst K Goossens F A and De Ruyter P A (2001): Early Detection of Social

Anxiety: Reliability and Validity of a Teacher Questionnaire for the Identification of

Social Anxiety in Young Children. Social Behaviour and Personality: An

international journal, 29(8), 787-798.

Boyd, C. P Gullone, E Kostanski, M Ollendick, T. H and Shek, D. T. (2000):

Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression in Australian Adolescents: Comparisons

with Worldwide data. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 161(4), 479-492.

Briggs, E. S and Price, I. R. (2009): The Relationship between Adverse Childhood

Experience and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Beliefs: the Role of Anxiety,Contd.


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759Depression, and Experiential Avoidance. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 23(8), 1037-

1046.

Campbell M A and Rapee R M (1994): The Nature of Feared Outcome Representations

in Children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 22(1), 99-111.

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Damon, ed. Handbook of Child Development: Vol. 3. Social, Emotional, and

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Costello, E. J Mustillo, S Erkanli, A Keeler, G and Angold, A. (2003): Prevalence

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Cutajar M C et al., (2010): Psychopathology in a large cohort of sexually abused

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India: Comparisons across Gender, School Type, Social Strata and Perceptions of

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Psychology, 10, 18-31.

Dorn, L. D and Biro, F. M. (2011): Puberty and Its Measurement: A Decade in

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Hawkins, J.D Von Cleve, E and Catalano, R.F. (1991): Reducing early childhood

aggression: Results of a primary prevention program. American Academy of Child

Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 208-217.

Hebert, M and Bergeron, M. (2007): Efficacy of a group intervention for adult

women survivors of sexual abuse. Journal of child sexual abuse, 16(4), 37-61.

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Hurlock, E. B. (1980): Instructor’s Manual to Accompany” Developmental

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Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759youth and violence. In L.D. Eron, J.H. Gentry, and P. Schlegel, eds. Reason to Hope:

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14

Chindhu S et al.,

Attention Contributors!Contributors are requested to submit the research/ evidence/ field

experience based articles well in advance.

Corresponding author or the first author has to send a declaration

that the article had not been submitted to any other journal for publica-

tion.

Abstract, key words and APA style references are needed.

Please mention your subscription number. Other things being

equal, subscription will give the author an edge over non-subscribers.

Though no focus will be announced, the articles may be grouped

under suitable focus, if possible.

We require author details everytime to update any changes in the

designation or place of work. Please mention your postal address

and mobile number also. ~Ed.



Introduction

Learning styles refer to a range

of theories that aim to account for

differences in individuals’ learning.

These theories propose that all

people can be classified according

to their ‘style’ of learning. Different

theories present differing views on

how the styles should be defined

and categorized. A common concept

is that individuals differ in how they

learn. The way a person prefers to

learn is called his/ her learning style.

There is no right/ wrong or good/

bad learning style. It has nothing to

do with intelligence or skills. It has

everything to do with the way a

person’s brain works to learn and

store information efficiently. Since

everyone learns differently,

understanding learning styles can

help a teacher become a better tutor.

Learning StylesDhanalaksmi G*

Matheswaran V P**

*Dhanalaksmi G, Ph D Scholar, Dept. of Adult and Continuing Education, Madras

University

**Dr Matheswaran V P, Head In charge, Dept. of Adult and Continuing Education,

Madras University

Abstract:

There are many sensorylearning styles like auditory, tactile and

visual. Depending on the student’s learning styles teachers can

improve their study skills. Authors have enumerated the cognitive,

social, affective and psychomotor needs also.

Key words: Learning styles, Auditory learners, tactile learners,

visual learners, cognitive needs, social needs, affective needs,

psychomotor needs.

There are many different types of

learning styles. One such is sensory

learning styles. Sensory learning

styles, group people into the

following three categories:

1. Auditory (learn by hearing),

2. Tactile (learn by doing) and

3. Visual (learn by seeing or

writing).

A clearer understanding of the

styles of learning helps the children

learn better and the way the teacher

handles individual child also change

to suit his/ her style rather than the

preference of the teacher.

Tutoring the auditory learners:

»Encourage them to explain the

material as if they were the tutor.

»Ask them to read out

explanations loud

»Ask the student to make up a

song using the subject material.

Dhanalaksmi G et al.,

15



The ‘crazier’ the better.

»Advise them that when they are

learning new information, state the

problem out loud.

»Reason out solutions through

loud chat.

»Ask the student to say words in

syllables.

»Encourage them to make up and

repeat rhymes to remember facts,

dates and names.

»Make sure they go over all

important facts aloud.

»Advise the student to join or

create a study group, or to get a

study partner.

»To learn a sequence of steps,

write them out in sentence form,

then read them out loud.

»Ask the student to use

mnemonics and word links.

»Involve the student in a

discussion of the material.

Tutoring the tactile learners:

»Encourage them to pick up the

book as they are reading or

talking.

»Have them write while they are

reading or talking

»Encourage them to walk around

the library for appropriate books

and other resources.

»Advise them to sit near the front

of their classroom and to take

notes. This will keep the student

focused.

Ø Advise them to spend extra

time in any labs offered.

»Encourage them to use the

computer to reinforce learning

using their sense of touch.

»Advise them to write with their

fingers in sand.

»Have them write lists repeatedly.

»Advise them to exaggerate lip

movements in front of a mirror.

»Ask them to stand while they

explain

»Ask them to use rhythm (beats)

to memorize or explain

something.

»As the student is explaining

something, have the student point

to the subject matter in the book

and on the board while reading it

out loud.

»Ask them to use gestures when

giving explanations.

»Advise them to make models

that demonstrate the key concept.

(The purpose here is the act of

making the model.)

»Advise students to use hands-

on experience when possible.

»Make flashcards for each step in

the procedure, Put the cards in

order until the sequence

becomes automatic.

»Ask them to stretch and move in

the chairs.


16



Tutoring the visual learners:

» Make them take notes during

the tutoring session.

»Use a blackboard or notepaper

to write questions and answers.

»Encourage the use of colour-

coded highlighting.

»Use graph paper to help them

create charts and diagrams that

demonstrate key points.

»Have them use mnemonics,

acronyms, visual chains, and mind

maps.

»Encourage them to create

graphs, tables, charts, and

spreadsheets.

»Ask the student to organize the

material.

»Use visual analogies. Use

photographs.

»Use visual metaphors.

»Suggest them to write the

explanation first and then read it

out.

»Ask them to make flashcards,

and use them during the sessions.

The act of writing (the cards) and

viewing them doubles their

comprehension.

Learner needs:

The learner has cognitive, social,

affective and psychomotor needs.

When these needs are met learning

becomes easier, faster and

longlasting. All the learners

irrespective of their preference of

sensory input require help and

reinforcement.

Cognitive needs:

Enhancement of their thinkig

capacity can be nutured through

fulfiling the following needs:

»Recognizing good questions

»Asking good questions

»Getting help from experts

»Finding out material beyond

classroom.

»Problem solving

»Thinking independently

»Creating productive work

»Processing new information

»Recognizing and using learning

resources

Social needs:

Children go to school not only for

enhancing their knowledge base but

also for learning to live together with

others in a social set up. Hence the

following social needs have to be

encouraged too:» Communicate with peers

» Give and receive support

» Experience external

motivation

» Make a difference

» Interact while problem

solving

» Explore and challenge

conventions

» Grow with friends

» Manage time and tasks


17


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759Emotional needs:

Schools are the major source for

meeting the emotional needs of

children as they spend more waking

time there than anywhere. The

physical growth can be enhanced

through yoga, drill, sports and

games. Emotional growth requires

experimenting with the peer and

finding out the affective weaknesses

and strengths. We often see

academically brilliant children being

emotionally weak and succumb to

peer pressure and even minor

failures. Hence they must be

encouraged to learn the following:

» Have a sense of belonging

» Set and attain smart goals

» Nurture positive attitudes

» Define and respond to locus

of control

» Have time for reflection and

self-assessment

» Be open to feedback from

others

» Possess well-founded self-

confidence

» Understand motivations of

others

Psychomotor needs:

Children require exercises for

their physical growth and motor

development. The physical comfort

and space for expansion may be

provided in the following ways:

» Adequate ambience for

comfortable living

» Proper transportation

» Child care especially after

school hours for latchkey children

» Comfortable place to sleep

» Good diet for energy

» Proper and regular exercise

» Access to equipment and

tools

» Participation in competitions

Conclusion:

Awareness about learning styles

helps teachers know that students

differ from each other. Teachers can

devise specific methods of imparting

information and help students keep

their preferred gateway open to

receive the information effectively.

Teachers will be stress-free, parents

will be happy too and the society will

be healthier with lesser school

related problems.

References:

Bagby M (2014): Learning Styles Vs Difficulty, http:// the therapeutic literacy

centre.com .

Honey P and Mumford A (2006): The Learning Styles. Maiden Head UK Peter

Honey Publication.

www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.mi.htm

www.wikipedia.com.


18



Introduction:

Technological tool enhances

better teaching-learning process. It

changes classroom dynamics also.

It is evident from McGrath’s(1998)

study that the introduction of

technology affected the ways

teachers worked with students,

identifying shifts in classroom

dynamics, which can lead to

increased motivation and enhanced

levels of cooperation. The teachers

have to update their technological

skill of disseminating information to

pupils. Coughlin (1999) discussed

the set of teaching skills which

technology demands of teachers,

both technical and pedagogical.

Education is to make desired

behavioural changes among pupils.

Technology enhancement provides

change and new classroom

dynamics as is evident from

Duhaney (2000) study. It has

documented specific changes in

classroom activities that may result

from introducing significant amount

of technology in the classroom.

Teaching style gets a paradigm shift

from its traditional level of technology

assimilation and techno-dynamics.

Teachers undergo behavioural

changes in the modern-day world.

Pisapia,J., Coukos, E. and

Kuntson, K.(2000) researched

changes in teaching behaviour

following the introduction of

classroom technology.

Individualized instruction:

Individualized instruction is an

offspring of Automated Learning.

According to Tiene, Drew and Luft,

The Impact of LCD and OHP Presentations on

V Standard Pupils’ Science Achievement Scores

Ramakrishnan N**Dr Ramakrishnan N, Professor and Head, Dept. of Educational Technology,

Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University, Chennai- 600 005

Abstract:

LCD and OHP presentations are increasingly being used in the

educational institutions today. It gives multi –sensory approach to

teaching and learning. It gives enthusiasm to the pupils in a great

way. The idea of the present paper is to find out the extent of

achievement in science due to LCDE and OHP presentations among

young learners. It is an experimental study. The study shows that

there is a remarkable improvement in the students science achievement

scores over conventional method.

Keywords: LCD, OHP, multi-sensory appraoch, electronic media

as educational aids

Dr Ramakrishnan N

19


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759Pamela(2001) the availability of

technology had altered the class

dynamics in several ways. Students

were able to work independently

than in the conventional classroom,

and their learning experiences were

more individualized. Students also

worked more extensively in teams,

so that cooperative learning was

enhanced. Overall, teachers felt that

the experience was very rewarding,

and that their teaching was more

effective in a technology–rich

environment. Students’ achievement

had noticeably improved. So the

introduction of technology in the

classroom facilitated better teaching-

learning process.

Need for the study:

Power point presentations

through LCD Projector in a big

screen attract all section of people

including bureaucrats, businessmen

and academicians. The LCD

projector covers large audience and

has wider comprehensibility. The

additional effect of sound narration

and animation lure the audience. It

gives palatable aural and visual

experiences to pupils. Overhead

Projector makes the children easily

grasp and comprehend

a) images

b) flow charts

c) diagrams

d) themes and

e) pictures

related to the subject matter. LCD

and OHP presentations are very

attractive in the present day world.

In today’s world science and

application of science play important

role in society. Imbibing scientific

mind and spirit among young

children helps to transcend the

barriers in imparting knowledge to

the society. It will really equip the

teacher trainees to learn the

presentation skills. So, the

investigator conceptualized the

present study to find the impact of

LCD and OHP presentations in V

standard pupil’s science

achievement scores.

Terms and definitions:

Impact- refers to the level of

performance attained by the

pupils as a result of learning

through a strategy.

LCD Presentations- refers to

presentations developed on V std.

Science unit ‘Environment’ in

MS-Power Point and shown

through LCD Projector.

OHP Presentations--refers to

transparencies developed on V

std. Science unit ‘Environment’

and shown through OHP

Projector.

V Standard Pupils- refers to pupils

Dr Ramakrishnan N

20



of V standard in Tamilnadu

Matriculation Schools.

Science achievement -

refers to the level of performance

attained in Achievement Test on

Environment.

Objectives:

To develop presentations on V

standard Science unit

‘Environment’ in power point

shown through LCD Projector.

To develop presentations on V

standard Science unit

‘Environment’ in power point and

shown through Over Head

projector.

To develop and validate a criterion

test on V standard Science unit

‘Environment’.

To assess the impact of LCD and

OHP presentations on science

achievement scores of V standard

pupils.

Hypotheses:

There would be no significant

differences in the achievements

of V standard students’ Science

scores between experimental

group and control group.

There would be no significant

differences in the achievements

of V standard students’ Science

scores between experimental

group and control group in terms

of its subgroups.

Experimental design:

It is pre-test control group design

I.Variables under the study:

1.Independent variables

i)Learning the unit ‘Environment’

through LCD presentations –

Experimental I

ii)Learning the unit ‘Environment’

through OHP presentation –

Experimental II

iii)Learning the unit ‘Environment’

through conventional teaching –

control group

2.Dependent Variable:

Achievement in Environment of

the V standard pupils

3. Covariates: School Half-Yearly

and Pre-test Scores

The above variables were studied

under gender wise subgroups

II.Tools used:

1.Achievement Test on

Environment : to measure the

Achievement of the V standard

pupils in the unit ‘Environment’

2. Stimulus materials used

i) LCD presentations on

Environment as one of the

treatment variables

ii) OHP presentations on

Environment as one of the

treatment variables

III samples selected:

a) For the development of ATE

1.Two PG Assistants in science:

Dr Ramakrishnan N

21


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759getting ideas, concepts for

drafting ATE

2.Twenty two V standard pupils

from Seventh Day Adventist

Matriculation School: for item

analysis

3.Thirty V standard pupils from

Good Shepherd Matriculation

School: to establish reliability and

validity of ATE

b)For the development of LCD

1. Two PG Assistants in science

: getting ideas, concepts for

drafting ATE

Dr Ramakrishnan N

22

Group

Experimental ILCD presentationExperimental IOHP presentation

Control group

No. of Pupils

Boys Girls Total

24 9 33

10 13 23

14 11 25

School

Thiagarajar Public

School

Kamaraj Matric

School

V.K.K. Playgroup

Matric School

Table 1

Frequency of Experimental and Controlled Groups

2. Two science major teacher

trainees of Thiagarajar college of

Preceptors: for refining and

validating the LCD Presentations

c)For the development of OHP

1. Two PG Assistants in science

: getting ideas, concepts for

drafting ATE

2. Two science major teacher

trainees of Thiagarajar college of

Preceptors: for refining and

validating the OHP Presentations

d)For conducting experiments.

IV. Collection of data:

Data were collected from the

identified pupils using ATE before

and after the treatments.

V. Statistical techniques used:

Measures of central tendencies,

Measures of Variability, Coefficient

of correlation, Spearman Brown

Prophecy formula and ‘t’ test were

used.

In Table 2 the following teaching

points were employed with the

stated difficulty level: Man and his

environment, population explosion

and environment, air, water, soil

pollutions, thermal pollution, noise

pollution, harmful effects of pollution,

deforestation, dumping wastage,

and disposal of wastage


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759 Dr Ramakrishnan N

Table 2

Diffeculty Level and Discriminative Index of Teahing Points

Selected for Final Draft of Achievement Test on Enviroment

S.No Teaching Points Difficulty Discriminative

Level Index

1. Man and his environment 56 0.62

2. Population explosion and

environment 56 0.62

3. Pollution 50 0.75

4. Air Pollution 50 0.75

5. Water Pollution 56 0.62

6. Soil Pollution 75 0.25

7. Thermal Pollution 62 0.50

8. Noise Pollution 43 0.87

9. Harmful effects of pollution 62 0.50

10. Deforestation 52 0.62

11. Dumping wastage 62 0.50

12. Disposal of wastage 87 0.25

13. Man and his environment 66 0.52

14. Population explosion and

environment 55 0.42

15. Pollution 56 0.55

16. Air Pollution 60 0.45


18. Soil Pollution 65 0.35

19. Thermal Pollution 66 0.60

20. Noise Pollution 53 0.57

21. Harmful effects of pollution 72 0.60

22. Deforestation 62 0.52

23. Dumping wastage 68 0.55

24. Disposal of wastage 67 0.55


Results and discussion:

It is observed from table 3 in the

next page that the means of ATE

(pre-test) of the three schools under

the present study were nearly equal

(48.85, 49.21 and 48.86).

Hence, the investigator treated

the first two schools as experimen-

tal groups and the third school as

control group.

23



Table 3

Mean and S.D for the Achievement on Environment for

Different Groups (Pre – Test)

S.No Group N Mean S.D

1. Experimental I (TPS) 33 48.85 9.68

2. Experimental II (KMS) 23 49.21 9.84

3. Control (V.K.K.P.G.S) 25 48.86 9.83

Table 4

Mean and S.D for the Achievement on Environment for

Different Groups (Pre – Test)

S.No Group N Mean S.D

1. Experimental I (TPS) 33 89.0 12.39

2. Experimental II (KMS) 23 71.24 14.33

3. Control (V.K.K.P.G.S) 25 62.03 5.19

24

It is observed from table 4 that

the mean for experimental I (LCD

presentations) is higher (89.0) and

with S.D (12.39). It is assumed that

the treatment had a positive effect

on pupils’ achievement scores. The

second place goes to Experimental

II (OHP presentations) mean 71.24

with S.D 14.33. Third place goes to

control group (conventional

teaching). Therefore the null

hypothesis No.1 is rejected.

Table 5

Significance of Differnece of Mean Achievement on Environment

(Post-Test) between Pairs of Different Experimental Groups

S.No. Group N Mean S.D ‘t’ DF Sig

1. Experimental I LCD 33 39.0 12.39

4.83 54 0.01

Experimental I OHP 23 71.24 14.33

2. Experimental II 33 89.0 12.39

11.27 56 0.01

Control 25 62.03 5.19

3. Experimental III 23 71.24 14.33

2.91 46 0.01

Control 25 62.03 5.19



It is observed form Table 5 that

the experimental I (LCD

presentations) group significantly

differs with experimental II (OHP

presentations) group at 0.01 level.

The ‘t’ value is 4.83 with DF 54.

Similarly significant difference is

found between Experimental I and

Control Group at 0.01 level. The t

value is 11.27 with DF 56. Significant

difference is also found between

experimental II and Control group at

0.01 levels. The t value is 2.91 with

DF 46.Therefore the null hypothesis

No.2 is rejected.

Table 6

Significance of Difference of Mean Achievement on Environment

(Post-Test) between Pairs of Different Experimental Groups - Boys

S.No Group N Mean S.D ‘t’ DF Sig

1. Experimental I Boys 24 87.13 11.20

4.64 32 0.01

Experimental II Boys 10 66.14 12.36

2. Experimental I Boys 24 87.13 11.20

10.68 36 0.01

Control - Boys 14 60.85 3.46

3. Experimental II Boys 10 66.14 12.36

1.32 22 NS

Control - Boys 14 60.85 3.46

It is observed from Table 6 that

the experimental I Boys significantly

differs with experimental II Boys at

0.01 level. The ‘t’ value is 4.64 with

DF 32. Similarly significant difference

is found between Experimental I

Boys and Control Group at 0.01

level. The ‘t’ value is 10.68 with DF

36. But there was no significant

difference between experimental II

Boys and Control Group boys.

Therefore the null hypothesis No.2

is rejected.

It is observed form Table 7 given

in the next page that the

experimental I Girls significantly

differs with experimental II Girls at

0.05 levels. The ‘t’ value is 2.20 with

DF19. But there was no significant

difference between experimental I

Girls and Control Group Girls and

between experimental II Girls and

Control group girls. Therefore the null


25



Table 7

Significance of Differnece of Mean Achievement on Environment

(Post-Test) between Pairs of Different Treatment Groups - Girls

S.No Group N Mean S.D ‘t’ DF Sig

1. Experimental I Girls 9 91.32 14.10

2.20 19 0.05

Experimental II Girls 13 77.02 16.15

2. Experimental I Girls 9 91.32 14.10

1.03 18 NS

Control - Girls 11 63.52 7.25

3. Experimental II Girls 13 77.02 16.15

0.54 22 NS

Control - Girls 11 62.52 7.25

It is observed form Table 7 that

the experimental I Girls significantly

differs with experimental II Girls at

0.05 levels. The ‘t’ value is 2.20 with

DF19. But there was no significant

difference between experimental I

Girls and Control Group Girls and

between experimental II Girls and

Control group girls. Therefore the null


Findings of the study:

1. The LCD and OHP

presentations developed on

Environment have produced

significant results with regard to V

std. pupils’ achievement in

Environment.

2. The LCD presentations are

more effective in learning

Environment than the OHP

presentations.

3. The two treatments Viz. LCD

and OHP presentations have

helped to increase the boys’

achievement on Environment.

4.The LCD presentations have

had a significant impact on girls’achievement on Environment.

Limitations:

However, considering the small

sample size and involvement of

just three schools no

generalisations can be made. The

experiment has to be done at a

much large scale at different

districts so that we can find the

variations due to residence status.

Even the stream of study can have

a significant influence on the

efficacy of the presentations and

the effect it has on children. The

cultural background, educational

level of parents, importance

accorded to education by the

26



family can also other influencing

factors.

Conclusion:

The findings are derived from the

empirical data collected for the

present study. The LCD and OHP

presentations have had a positive

impact on V standard pupils’ science

achievement scores over the

conventional method of teaching.

The boys have had nore attraction

towards both LCD and OHP

presentations while girls were

attracted to LCD presentations alone.

Therefore it is concluded that LCD

and OHP presentations have made

a better impact on V standard pupils’

science achievement scores.

Investigator however, is of the

firm conviction that OHP and LCD

References:

Best John and Kahn James V(1992): “Research in Education” (Sixth Edition), Prentice

– Hall of India Pvt.Ltd: New Delhi.

Coughlin (1999): “Professional Competencies for the Digital Age Classroom Learning

and Learning with Technology”, 27(3), 22-27.

Duhaney, D.(2000): “Technology and the Educational Process: Transforming

Classroom Activities” International Journal of Instructional Media, 27(1), 67-72.

McGrath, B. (1998): “Partners in Learning: Twelve Ways Technology Changes the

Teacher-Student Relationship”. T.H.E. journal,25(9), 58-61.

Pisapia,J., Coukos, E. and Kuntson,K. (2000 April: “ The Impact of Computer on

Teacher Capacity, Attitudes and Behaviors in Elementary Schools”. Paper presented

at the annual meeting of American Education Research Association, New Orleans,

LA (ERIC document 442469).

Ramakrishnan, N. (2000): “ Cross-Media Comparisons and Collaborative Learning

effects on History Achievement of IX standard students” Ph.D. Thesis., Awarded

Doctorate By Madurai Kamaraj University.

Tiene Draw and Luft Pamela (2001): “Teaching in a Technology–Rich Classroom”

In “Educational Technology” (July-Aug 2001) Journal New Jersey, P.23-31.

presentations with the multimedia

component do have a significant

influence on the learning curve of

children especially the V standard

students.

The same methodology can be

used to impart values education and

adolescence education to the

children so that the much needed life

skills can be taught to them from the

most impressionable age. Getting

the right kind of mindset at an early

age will significantly help them

handle problems they are bound to

face in future in physical,

psychological and social spheres.

It would also reduce the stress of

parents in monitoring them at

neighbourhood and the teachers in

mentoring them at schools.

27

Dr Ramakrishnan N



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28


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759Relationship between Academic Confidence and

Academic Achievement of

Higher Secondary StudentsPathmanaban R V*

*Pathmanaban RV Ph.D. Scholar (full-Time), Department of Pedagogical Sciences,

Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University, Chennai-5

Abstract

Academic confidence plays a vital and significant role in any

students’ life. It is proposed as a mediating variable between the

individuals’ inherent abilities, their bearing styles, and the

opportunities afforded by the academic environment of higher

education. Now a day the higher education has been distributed by

various social and technological course and the students were

introduced with all brand new inventions which affects them physically

and also psychologically. So the investigators tend to study about

the academic confidence of the higher secondary students. Normative

survey method has been used in the present investigation. Random

sampling technique has been used in the selection of the sample of as

many as 760 higher secondary students studying in higher secondary

schools situated in the Kanchipuram district, Tamilnadu, India. The

findings of the study revealed that the entire sample of the higher

secondary students have high level of academic confidence, also this

trend is seen in respect of the sub-samples, too.

Key word: Academic confidence, Academic achievement.

Introduction:

Academic confidence stems

from the following four sources:

(i) Mastery experience

(ii) Vicarious experience

(iii) Verbal persuasion and

(iv) Physiological status.

Most of the higher secondary

students who go for professional

degree pass with merit and have a

high level of confidence in their

academics. Also, the students who

score more but choosing the arts

and science degree voluntarily have

the highest confidence level in their

academic than the other students.

Hence, academic confidence plays

a vital and significant role in any

student’s life for better academic

achievement. Sander, P and Sander

L (2006), studied to understand

academic confidence. Lalagos

sanders and Paul Sander (2007)

developed the Academic

Behavioural Confidence scores. In

a comparison of Medical and

Psychology students there was a

significant difference between the

Pathmanaban R V

29



ABC scores for the two groups

(P<.05) in line with the prediction.

Further examination of data showed

that the ABC scores of the medical

students as a group were more

varied than those of the

psychologists whilst the latter

showed more variation across the

elements of this scale. The

academic confidence is

conceptualized as how far the

students have a strong belief and

trust on their academic side. As the

higher education has been

distributed to various social and

technological courses the students

were introduced with all brand new

inventions which affect themphysically and also psychologically.

Above all when their academic

confidence is at their highest they will

have a high level of academic

achievement. The investigator was

interested in knowing the relationship

between the academic confidence

and academic achievement of the

higher secondary students.

Academic confidence:

Academic self-efficacy is

grounded in self-efficacy theory

(Bandura, 1977). According to self-

efficacy theory, self-efficacy is an

“individual’s confidence in their ability

to organize and execute a given

course of action to solve a problem

or accomplish a task” (Eccles and

Wigfield, 2002, p. 110). Self-efficacy

theory suggests that academic self-

efficacy may vary in strength as a

function of task difficulty—some

individuals may believe they are

most efficacious on difficult tasks,

while others only on easier tasks.

Furthermore, self-efficacy is

believed to be situational in nature

rather than being viewed as a stable

trait (Linnenbrink and Pintrich,

2002a). Students make reliable

differentiations between their self-

efficacy judgments across different

academic domains which,

collectively, form a loose hierarchical

multidimensional structure. Self-efficacy should not be confused with

self-esteem or self-concept. Self-

efficacy is a task-specific evaluation

while self-esteem and self-concept

reflect more general affective

evaluations of self (Linnenbrink and

Pintrich, 2002a).

Academic achievement:

These are difficult times for

educators who believe that learning

is worth pursuing for its own sake and

that the chief purpose of school is

nurturing students as whole human

beings. Higher test scores seem to

be the order of the day. To

accomplish this aim, administrators

strain to meet curricular agenda,

Pathmanaban R V

30



teachers respond by teaching to face

the test, and students in turn react

by cheating, taking “learning

steroids” or just not caring in order

to cope with the demands placed on

them in school. The adventure of

learning, the wonder of nature and

culture, the richness of human

experience, and the delight in

acquiring new abilities all seem to

have been abandoned or severely

curtailed in the classroom in the drive

to meet quotas, deadlines,

benchmarks, mandates, and

targets.

Objectives:

The following were the objectives

formulated by the investigators for

the present investigation.

1. To study if there is any

significant relationship between

the academic confidence and

academic achievement of the

female higher secondary students.





higher secondary students

studying in the schools located in

the urban area.







the rural area.






residing in the urban area.

Hypotheses:

The following were the

hypotheses framed by the

investigators from the formulated

objectives.

1. There exists no significant


academic confidence and


male higher secondary students.





female higher secondary students.







the urban area.





Pathmanaban R V

31





the rural area.






residing in the urban area.

Sample:

Normative survey method has

been used in the present

investigation. Random sampling

technique has been used in the

selection of the sample of as many

as 760 higher secondary students

studying in higher secondary schools

situated in the Kanchipuram district,

Tamilnadu, India.

Tool:

Academic confidence scale

(ACS) constructed and validated by

the author has been used in the

present study. This scale consists of

30 statements, which were only

positive statements.

Each statement have five options,

namely

“strongly agree”,

”agree”,

“undecided”,

“disagree”,

“strongly disagree”.

The responses of the subjects

were scored by assigning numerical

values or arbitrary weights to the

items. The statements were having

the scoring as 5,4,3,2 and 1 for the

responses from ‘strongly agree’ to

‘strongly disagree’ respectively. An

individual score is the sum of all the

scores of the 30 items. The score

ranges from 30 to 150. The maximum

score that one can get in this is 150.

For the academic achievement the

half yearly exam marks had been

taken and were converted in to

percentages and utilized for the

computation.

Statistical techniques used:

The means and standard

deviation for academic confidence

scores and academic achievement

scores of the sub-sample were

calculated. The ‘r’ test was used in

order to study the significant

relationship between the means of

the academic confidence score and

academic achievement score.

Analysis and interpretation:

The major inference drawn from

the analysis of the data in respect

of the sub-samples of the higher

secondary school students is that

all of them have a high level of


academic achievement as their

mean scores were above the

average level which is the mid

value.

Pathmanaban R V

32


Volume XII Issue 03 ISSN: 0976-3759 Pathmanaban R V

33

Important findings:

The following were the important

findings obtained from the present

investigation.

1. There is a significant




higher secondary school male

students at 0.01 level of

significance.





higher secondary school female

students at 0.01 level of

significance.




Table 1

The Mean, Standard Deviation and ‘r’ Value of Academic Confidence

Scores and Academic Achievement Scores of the Sub-Samples

Variable N AC Scores AA Scores ‘r’ Value Sig

Mean SD Mean SD

Male students 361 113.56 19.26 72.88 14.08 0.211 0.01

Female students 399 127.34 16.02 73.61 13.90 0.156 0.01

Students residing in

urban areas 374 119.87 20.52 75.22 11.09 0.118 0.05

Students residing in

rural areas 386 121.27 17.85 72.01 16.01 0.231 0.01

Students studying in

schools located in

urban areas 324 121.46 20.26 75.09 10.74 0.190 0.01


higher secondary school students

residing in the urban areas at 0.05

level of significance.






residing in the rural areas at 0.01

level of significance.







the urban areas at the 0.01 level

of significance.

Overall impression gained is that

the rural students also have academic



References:

Sander P and Sander L (2006): Understanding Academic Confidence, Psychology

Learning And Teaching, Vol.12, No.1, pp.29-39.

Sanders L and Sander P (2007): Academic Behavioural confidence: A Comparison

of Medical and Psychology Students”, Electronic Journal of Research in

Educational Psychology, Vol.5, No.1, pp.633-640,.

Pathmanaban R V

confidence as much as their

counterparts in urban areas.

Conclusion:

The present investigation with its

limitation of covering a small

geographic area had revealed that

the higher secondary students

studying in the Kanchipuram district

of Tamilnadu, India, were found to

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have a high level of academic

confidence and academic

achievement which in turn gives a

very low level of the below average

students. So it can be safely

concluded from the investigation that

academic confidence plays a vital

role in higher secondary students’

academic achievement.

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