by ime5080 | Oct 31, 2024 | Uncategorized
Aggression in schools show up in many forms, It can be hitting, kicking, name calling or the more extremes like bullying, school shootings, self harm. A lot of these types of aggression stem from specifically bullying, Bullying can be direct and indirect. Indirect is more so cyber bullying which is any form of bullying online. Because of the advances In technology that we get every year bullying has been able to take place in many different forms. Rather than bullying being face to face and a matter of strong or week and popular a non popular. This gives a platform for anyone to bully.
In the textbook they explain why kids may bully and bring aggression to school and how it effects the other student, teachers, and the school environment in general. Kids tend to bully for a couple of reasons but one of the main reasons is what they learn from home. When a child is disciplined at home for something that may be normal in other homes they tend to reflect what they learn at home in school. You also as a child learn social norms and what it normal etiquette and what isn’t based off of what goes on at home as well so when children come to school and see other kids acting different or being different they do not take it quite easy. Kids in school also may to feel say due to aggression of others due to the nature of the school changing. School is known to be a safe place and to know that things like this occur in school make other children feel weary of there surroundings.
Social psychology can be used to explain the phenomena of bullying due to the fact that kids can learn from each other and what is around them. This ties straight to Bandura’s social cognitive learning theory (Bandura, 1983). Which basically says that children can learn from observing others behaviors and adopting them. Especially in new environments that they are unfamiliar with children may for to what they see around them abusing them to partake in aggression, or bullying without even noticing and thinking the stay be normal for this area that they are in. Children may also follow others lead in bullying to gain a likeness from others.
There was a study to reduce bullying done in Finland. This was called the Kiva Anti Bullying Program ( Salmivalli & Poskiparta, 2012). This study consisted of observerving the kids and treating bullying different. They flipped the script in this study and instead of the bully getting rewarded or getting rewarded by friendship for bullying they encouraged the children to support the bullied kids. They also created programs for the kids that promoted anti bullying and rewarded the kids for being kind to each other. this tidy also proved to reduce cyber bullying as well amongst the children in the schools that had the program rather than the ones that were in the control schools.
https://www.kivaprogram.net/
Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2005). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Sage Publications, Inc.
by Zam Gwyneth Dote | Oct 31, 2024 | Uncategorized
The fundamental attribution error is the psychological phenomena that occurs when an individuals falsely believe that personality characteristics impact behavior more than situational factors. To simply explain, the fundamental attribution error is “judging the book by its cover.” A person affected by this error of attribution assumes that what they see is what is true. For example, an individual affected by the fundamental attribution error immediately assumes that a homeless person is lazy or “did not work hard enough,” not being aware of the homeless person’s actual situation and past events.
Individualism is a societal belief system that promotes individuality. In an individualistic society, people are seen as independent. People must be self-reliant. People are valued for their achievements, and blamed for their shortcomings. Individuals in an individualistic society are considered to be either winners or losers. Many countries in the West such as the United States and Canada are examples of individualistic societies.
Collectivism is a social belief system that promotes the welfare of the group. People place their value on their group identity. The group or community must unite as a whole. An individual’s achievements are also considered their group’s achievements, and an individual’s failures are also considered their group’s failures. Many countries in the East such as China and India are considered to be collectivistic cultures.
A study in 1984 was conducted by Smith and Whitehead. They gathered participants from both the United States and India. They were asked to rate potential reasons for someone’s promotion or demotion. This is to observe the potential, significant cultural variations in the phenomenon of the attribution of error. As expected, the participants were affected by their varying cultural values. The American participants were more likely to describe personal characteristics as dependent on someone’s promotion or demotion (e.g. skillset), while the Indian participants were more likely to describe external, circumstantial factors (e.g. how difficult the job was, the corruption of the company).
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications
by slf5626 | Oct 31, 2024 | Uncategorized
Discrimination and stereotyping in educational settings remain significant issues that impact students’ academic and personal growth. These biases manifest in various ways, from teachers’ unconscious prejudices to structural inequalities embedded in curricula and policies. For instance, students from marginalized backgrounds may encounter lower expectations, which can stifle their academic ambition and perpetuate cycles of underachievement. Stereotyping based on race, gender, socio-economic background, or ability also influences how teachers and administrators interact with students, often leading to inequitable opportunities and resources.
Stereotypes also affect peer interactions, where students may hold biased assumptions about their classmates’ abilities or behaviors. This can create an unwelcoming environment, isolating certain groups and fostering discrimination within the student body. When students are pigeonholed into rigid categories, they’re discouraged from exploring their full potential. The consequences extend beyond academics, impacting students’ confidence, self-image, and mental health, potentially resulting in long-term impacts on their motivation and aspirations.
Curriculum choices and teaching practices are critical in reinforcing or challenging stereotypes. A curriculum that lacks diversity, for instance, can perpetuate narrow perspectives, leaving students with limited exposure to diverse cultures, histories, and viewpoints. Conversely, incorporating diverse perspectives can help counter stereotypes, promoting inclusivity and empathy among students. Teachers trained in cultural competency can also help dismantle stereotypes by creating equitable learning environments where all students feel valued and understood.
Addressing discrimination in education requires comprehensive strategies. Schools should implement regular diversity and inclusion training for teachers and workshops that allow students to engage in meaningful discussions about biases and prejudice. Enforcing policies that support anti-discrimination measures and holding educators accountable are essential steps. Additionally, schools can involve parents and the community to create a supportive ecosystem that encourages diversity, empathy, and respect for differences.
By actively challenging discrimination and stereotypes, educational institutions can create a safe, inclusive environment that respects every student’s individuality. This empowers students from all backgrounds to thrive academically and socially, setting the foundation for a more equitable society.
by avs6643 | Oct 31, 2024 | Uncategorized
Almost every student today has a cell phone. Generally, the message we hear from parents and teachers is that kids are always on them! And it’s partially true: according to a study by Radesky et. al. (2023), children in middle and high school spend an average of 5 of their waking hours on their cell phones every day.
In the classroom, this is debatable, with students spending an average of around 43 minutes of screen time in school, with a spread of a few minutes to six and a half hours (Radesky et. al. 2023). Either way, schools view cell phones as a major problem. There has been a recent uptick in schools banning cell phones, and the Pew Research Center found in their survey that around 82% schools have a no-phones-in-the-classroom policy, which can be enforced to varying degrees by teachers (Hatfield, 2024).
The dilemma then comes in with the use of cell phones. On one hand, they offer distraction and ample opportunity for students to self handicap (Gruman et. al. 2017) by paying attention to the phone instead of the lesson and to be on the device instead of doing schoolwork. On the other hand, phones can be useful for playing review games like Kahoot as a class and allow students to look things up quickly.
Some schools have attempted to bridge this gap by providing personal laptops to students. Unfortunately, the same issues arise, as students find things to do on the devices that are not work, regardless of the parental controls in place.
Regardless, students can be both harmed and helped by devices, and they often exacerbate existing problems with academic self efficacy (Gruman et. al. 2017). As technology advances, education will need to find ways to adapt or combat it to suit its needs.
Sources
Gruman, J.A., Schneider, F.W., & Coutts, L.A. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Hatfield, J. (2024). 72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in the classroom. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/
Radesky, J., Weeks, H.M., Schaller, A., Robb, M., Mann, S., and Lenhart, A. (2023). Constant Companion: A Week in the Life of a Young Person’s
Smartphone Use. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.
by cpj5193 | Oct 31, 2024 | Uncategorized
I am sure many of us have had conversations with people who talk about how pointless school is and how things they learned in high school will never be applied to their life. This feeling is not uncommon in many people, even in some who are in college but they stay in school because they believe that it is an ends to a means, that means being a higher income. This external motivator of a reward is not the most conducive when it comes to education. In this blog I want to talk about fostering intrinsic motivation in education.
Intrinsic motivation is being motivated to do something for the sake of doing it and not for an external reward. The text refers to research on problem-based learning (PBL) where students are given more responsibility when it comes to completing a task. The results of the research showed that students perceived their subject as more interesting and important. This result makes me wonder if we could enhance not only the learning experience but also their clarity on future aspirations through this style of learning. Education can become tiresome when it feels unrelated to your future goals, but if we create a system where we feel a deeper connection to our coursework and its connection to our future, I believe we can improve people’s lives and careers.
One source outlines 4 motivational areas that if improved can boost intrinsic motivation in students. Those four areas are autonomy, competence, relatedness, and relevance. (Ferlazzo, 2023) Autonomy is rooted in the feeling of control over ones actions and having control over how you complete your work boosts the intrinsic motivation associated with it. Competence makes you feel capable of doing the task and this is where the instructor plays a crucial role in providing students with the knowledge and methods, they need to know in order to achieve their tasks. Relatedness is the feeling of connection to their peers, and this can be boosted via small group discussions and group projects. Relevance is the idea of how the current task helps the student now and in the future. Relevance is the most difficult in general education because some of the standard classes that everyone takes are difficult to relate to one’s own goals, but in higher education there could be more done to reduce some of the redundant courses that leave students feeling bored and uninterested.
Intrinsic motivation is a way of creating a deeper passion for learning in all students. Everyone must go through education at some point in their life which makes it incredibly important that we dedicate time and resources to making it as valuable as possible for each individual. Whether that be reforming high school education in a way that helps students prepare for their careers better or simply making the learning experience in classes more enjoyable in general. We have a responsibility to future generations to implement research in a way that fosters higher education quality.
References
Ferlazzo, L. (2023, March 30). How to Promote the Intrinsic Desire to Learn. Retrieved from edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/article/promote-intrinsic-desire-to-learn
Gruman, J. A. (2016). Applied Social Psychology. Washington DC: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Recent Comments