Teaching five year old is as tricky as dealing with two year old children. Five year olds also have special needs that are critical to their growth and development. In this case, the five year olds perception and cognitive abilities must be harnessed in school for better understanding and good academic performance. In this case, a teacher may come up with activities that a five year old learner can cognitively understand or perceive. It is therefore, recommendable for teachers to use activities such as cooking, while teaching five year olds.
Perceptual development
Perceptual development is an aspect of cognitive development concept that describes the psychological development of a human being. In this case, development is majorly concerned with children, as it deals with sensory aspects of a child. For example, the aspect of a child being able to perceive, understand and interpret is considered as development.
Cognitive development
Cognitive development is a broader term that encompasses development and also deals with perceiving and understanding of concepts. However, cognitive development deals with the memory, the ability to concentrate and use of logical thinking and skills.
Promoting /cognitive development
According to Saracho (1997), research has found that some activities that engage the child in the very activity improve perception and cognition abilities. Cooking is one of the activities that a teacher can use to involve the five year olds. Such activities are basically in form of demonstrations in a lesson. It is important to note that a child attention is captivated by the activity conducted by the teacher.
At this juncture, a teacher can engage the student in other lessons through explanations. Nonetheless, the child must be part of the activity. For example, the teacher can instruct the student to help in adding ingredients in whatever is being cooked. In so doing the teacher can come up with other activities that students can complete on their own. In the very process, a child develops the use of logical thinking by observing the process of cooking.
Using activities such as cooking, explains that action can be a supplementary of perceptual input. Considering that children are able to perceive an action as part of their own doing, the teacher can test the students with similar activities to assess their cognitive abilities.
A cooking activity has the potential of influencing perception and cognitive ability in that it involves action production-observation matching system. Another reason as to why a cooking activity by the teacher could be used in teaching five year olds is that such activities are considered to be motor actions.
The teacher cooks by using various hand and wrist movements and such can be constructed internally by a child, thus developing a mental representation of the activity. If a child is able to remember such movements in cooking, it is because they are mentally constructed. This is a sign of attentiveness of children in the classroom.
As indicated earlier, activities such as cooking can be a major factor in provoking sensory elements in a child. The smell of food, the color of the food being cooked and ingredients used can be instrumental in helping the child learn and name objects. For example, a five year old child can learn that there exist different odors and different colors.
Moreover, activities such a cooking can be instrumental in inspiring children take part in scientific studies, where elements such as water and salt are being used. It is therefore recommendable that lessons with interesting activities be used in teaching five year olds.
References
Marotz, L. R. & Allen, K. E. (2013). Developmental profiles: Pre-birth through twelve. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning
Saracho, N. O. (1997). Teacher’s and students’ cognitive styles in early childhood education. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
The article that will be reviewed in this paper is written by Ronnie Campbell. This text’s title is “Ever learning, ever loving: Augustine on teaching as ministry,” and it was published in 2013 in the Eleutheria magazine. The research question that Cambell seeks to explore is Augustine’s views on teaching and the teacher-learner experiences as the main legacy of this theologian. The thesis is that Augustin’s approach to teaching can be applied to the modern view of Christian education.
Campbell’s main argument is that Augustine and his theological convictions should be reviewed from the perspective of a teacher. Augustine should be viewed as a teacher instead of reviewing his contribution merely from a philosophical perspective, which is the approach taken by other researchers. The refutation to this may be the lack of attention, which teaching as something grounded in the principle of loving one’s neighbor, received from other researchers.
One can criticize Campbell’s work due to its lack of potential counterarguments review and refutation. The methods he uses to illustrate his ideas include the analysis of four domains: love for God, love for truth, anthropology, and illumination (Campbell, 2013). He analyses doctrines and texts written by Augustine to support the idea that teaching is grounded in Christianity. Conclusions include the five central ideas of the teacher-learner dynamics.
Most other works perceive Augustine as a philosopher and theologian and review his legacy from this perspective. In terms of mentorship, Augustine was convinced that it is “a spiritual exercise” for the teacher (as cited in Campbell, 2013, p. 18). Moreover, one of the core principle that Cambel advocates is avoiding the practice of merely retelling since education is “truth-centered, and therefore, God-directed” (Campbell, 2013, 30). Overall, the author raises the research question of how one can integrate Christian principles in education, especially education in fields other than theology.
Reference
Campbell Jr., R. P. (2013). Ever learning, ever loving: Augustine on teaching as ministry. Eleutheria, 2(2), 48–32.
The article under consideration is written by Stimming (1999) and deals with the use of Augustinian Confessions when teaching theology in the classroom. The author does not formulate the research questions or provide a clear thesis statement in his article, which keeps the reader a bit at a loss. However, Stimming (1999) names the purpose of his paper, aiming at the identification of the sources and implications of the theological anthropology. One of the primary arguments of the article is the Augustinian claim, “you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (as cited in Stimming, 1999, p. 137). The author stresses that the review of this statement helped him to acknowledge the subject matter of theology teaching, which is assisting students in opening their hearts to God and finding peace.
Another important point is related to the role of the teacher who should say to themselves, “I cannot reflect on the influence of sin in the classroom without considering the impact of my own diseased self” (Stimming, 1999, p. 139). Teachers should use authority wisely and try to empower students, which will lead to enhanced engagement. The author also stresses the value of self-reflection for teachers who receive an opportunity to identify their weaknesses and build on strengths. The method utilized by the author (self-reflection) is effective as it provides insights into the experiences of an educator. The major implication of the article is its potential effects on teaching practice as educators can improve their teaching methods through the use of self-reflection. The article by Kanu (2019) addresses similar aspects of Augustinian ideas discussed in Stimming (1999), which suggests that educators concentrate on the guiding principles articulated by the Christian philosopher. The article by Stimming (1999) also raises relevant questions regarding the outcomes of using such Augustinian principles by educators in a larger educational setting.
References
Kanu, I. A. (2019). Augustine‟s pedagogy: Religio-humanistic perspective. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 17(1), 45-53.
During ancient times, the gospel was spread throughout the world by God’s disciples. However, during the period, some of the apostles had been against Christianity before being converted. For instance, Smith asserts that Saul was threatening the followers of Jesus and had gone to the High Priest requesting letters to all synagogues in Damascus, allowing him to bring believers to Jerusalem for punishment. Consequently, when Paul became a follower of the Lord, he was seen by many as a “law-free” person throughout the gospel. As such, in his encounter with God, he never saw the importance of the Torah among the Gentiles and the Jews. Conversely, in Galatians, the apostle encourages the practice by asserting that those who accept it are obliged to keep the law (Smith). This paper highlights the consistency of Paul’s teaching on the observance of the law.
According to the New Testament, especially the book of Acts, Paul is seen as a practitioner of the Torah. Moreover, by going through the readings, the narratives show the importance of ritual requirements for the Christians comprised of Gentiles and Jews. This is evident in the circumcision of Timothy by Paul and his participation in the purification rites in Jerusalem that was by the law of Judaism (Smith). Furthermore, he joined people in the church, preaching both in Damascus, Tarsus, and Syrian Antioch, where he advocated for the law of the land.
In addition, although many people see Paul’s identity in Christ as a new person after his conversion, he remains a true believer in the Torah hence teaching its importance among the people. Further, it is evident in Acts 15:1 and 16:3 where he is Torah observant, signifying his consistent teachings (Smith). Perhaps this can be explained through his continuous emphasis on the law as a bridge between his heritage or past and his present persona, who is born again in Christ.
In conclusion, through teachings, Paul often refers to himself as a Pharisee and a Judaist. Furthermore, his proclamation that Christians are not under the law shows that he did not advocate for the imposition of ritual restrictions on others. Lastly, he acknowledges his views on the importance of circumcision as it served Christ, showing his consistent teaching about law and its importance in spreading the gospel.
In the context of this study, it is important to explain the variety of EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the communicative language teaching method adopted at schools of Saudi Arabia. While trying to explain a person’s behavior, it is necessary to analyze his or her attitudes as specific constructs. Thus, Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) claimed in their Theory of Reasoned Action that particular actions of individuals are usually the result of their unique attitudes.
The Theory of Reasoned Action
The Theory of Reasoned Action was later developed into the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). According to the Theory of Planned Behavior, desired behaviors are typically predicted by people’s assessments or attitudes, as well as their expectations regarding outcomes of particular behaviors (Townsend et al., 2003). According to Fishbein and Ajzen (1975), an individual tends to develop unique beliefs regarding objects and situations which can affect his or her attitude to these phenomena. Individuals’ attitudes are associated with predispositions observed in response to objects or situations that are reflected favorably or unfavorably. Therefore, attitudes seem to be in a relationship with a person’s behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). From this perspective, if it is possible to determine teachers’ attitudes, it is also possible to assess their behaviors as direct outcomes of these attitudes, and this relationship between the two constructs is strong.
The attitudes and opinions
In many cases, the attitudes and opinions of those educators who participate in implementing and promoting educational changes are not considered by leaders proposing educational initiatives. Thus, the process of implementing these changes can be affected negatively. Consequently, to guarantee the successful implementation of an educational initiative, it is significant to determine the attitudes of teachers at school (Kumar, Karabenick, & Burgoon, 2015). The existing literature has supported the idea that teachers’ attitudes regarding innovative instruction and methods are critical for the implementation process (Mei Kin, Abdull Kareem, Nordin, & Wai Bing, 2018). According to Fishbein and Ajzen (1975), teachers’ attitudes can affect their behaviors and practice. As a result, examining teachers’ attitudes about CLT is crucial for discerning teachers’ instructional practice in their EFL classrooms.
References
Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Kumar, R., Karabenick, S. A., & Burgoon, J. N. (2015). Teachers’ implicit attitudes, explicit beliefs, and the mediating role of respect and cultural responsibility on mastery and performance-focused instructional practices. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(2), 533-542.
Mei Kin, T., Abdull Kareem, O., Nordin, M. S., & Wai Bing, K. (2018). Principal change leadership competencies and teacher attitudes toward change: The mediating effects of teacher change beliefs. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 21(4), 427-446.
Townsend, M. S., Contento, I. R., Nitzke, S., McClelland, J. W., Keenan, D. P., & Brown, G. (2003). Using a theory-driven approach to design a professional development workshop. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 35(6), 312-318.
Childhood development can be divided into a number of stages. Thus, the development from birth to 8 years old can be divided into 4 major stages (Newman and Newman 67). These stages are infancy, toddlerhood, early school age, and middle childhood (see fig. 1). During these stages, children go through cognition, physical, social/emotional, creative development. Importantly, there are certain standards and educators have to pay attention to them (“NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs” 11).
Fig. 1. Developmental stages of children from their birth to 8 years.
During infancy, children learn how to move their bodies and, by the age of 2, they can usually walk. Major and minor motor skills are developing. Infants can grab, throw and hold things. They can also catch some objects. By 2 years old, infants understand adults and react to their words. Infants also start talking using simple sentences and phrases. They also play with their toys and can copy actions in familiar settings (Shaffer & Kipp 206). Infants also play with their peers, share toys, and so on. They also start acquiring problem-solving skills, of course, with the help of their parents (Petersen 12).
Main body
During toddlerhood, children continue developing major and minor motor skills. They can run, hop, jump, hold and catch big and small things (balls, toys, pencils, and so on) and so on. They also continue developing their problem-solving skills but they still need the assistance of their parents (Petersen 12). They comprehend adults and their peers. When speaking, they use sentences as their vocabulary increases. They also develop their social skills as they communicate with their peers and play together (Shaffer & Kipp 213). Toddlers’ creative development can be traced through their drawings (or mainly coloring drawings).
During early school age, children become more accurate and more integrated socially. As for physical development, children become more skillful. They can run, jump, hop, copy movements of adults with significant precision. They can also write, draw, use scissors, and so on. Importantly, depression and poor psychological and emotional state can slow down the development of motor skills (Piek et al. 143).
As for cognitive development, children at this stage continue improving their vocabulary and they use sentences that are more complex. They can read and write simple words (numbers) and sentences. They can count. Their drawings become more accurate. Their creative development can be traced through their drawings that can include some stories rather than simple objects. Their games also become more deliberate. They also continue developing their social skills when they play with their peers or interact with adults. They can follow the rules of games with significant precision. Of course, they often need the guidance of adults.
Conclusion
During middle childhood, children continue developing their major and minor motor skills. Their movements become precise and accurate. They can read, write, count. Their speech is quite complex. Their attention span also increases. They can retell and make out stories. Their creative development can be traced through their drawings, stories they tell, games they play. At this stage, children’s social development is one of the most important types of development.
Children develop such abilities as self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness (Lantieri and Nambiar 29). Of course, parents and teachers should help children develop proper social skills. Thus, as for social development, children interact with adults and peers in many settings and many ways. Children play games following particular rules and they can create their own games with their rules.
Works Cited
Lantieri, Linda and Madhavi Nambiar. “Cultivating the Social, Emotional, and Inner Lives of Children and Teachers.” Reclaiming Children and Youth 21.2 (2012): 27-33. Print.
NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs. 2009. Web.
Newman, Barbara and Phillip Newman. Development Through Life: A Psychological Approach. Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Petersen, Sandra. “School Readiness for Infants and Toddlers? Really? Yes, Really!” Young CHildren (2012): 10-13. Print.
Piek, Jan P., Greer S. Bradbury, Sharon C. Elsley and Lucinda Tate. “Motor Coordination and Social–Emotional Behavior in Preschool-aged Children.” International Journal of Disability, Development and Education 55.2 (2008): 143-151. Print.
Shaffer, David and Katherine Kipp. Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.
Great relationships between children and parents go along way in equipping them for future learning process. Children thrive in stable relationships, and this affects most spheres of their life. Among the benefits of a good relationship is; the child develops a sense of cooperation and good school performance. A sense of security that develops help children in the future incase they face risky situations. The children will generally be easier to teach and well mannered. The adults including the teachers will have an easier time developing and teaching newer and effective skills. The child will develop great life skills with other children (Eliot 58).
Brain research in a developing child
Studies have shown that at birth the brain does continue to grow and develop. The experiences that a child goes through as well as food they take have an effect on brain development. The genes that are passed on to the child by the parents also have an effect on maturity of the brain. The brain is has a plasticity aspect that helps it learn different new things. Synapses are over produced at birth and during child development they are maintained or destroyed. Good child experiences keeps brain synapses healthy and active (Eliot 65).
Child maltreatment and abuse
Children are defined by law to be under the age of 18 years. An act that includes child’s neglect causes the child sexual, physical, emotional or psychological harm is considered child maltreatment (Eliot 78).The lack of nurturing or proper upbringing of a child results in child abuse.
Teacher interactions with children
Active involvement by teachers towards the children has been shown to have great positive effects on a child’s development. In terms of verbal interactions, studies show that mixing social talk in between teaching lessons seeks to further advance child’s performance. When teachers tend to interact with children on a higher level the children tend to be highly have a high sense of security, spend less time in self discovery distractive behaviors and perform better (Howes and Ritchie 89).
Bronfenbrenner ecological system
The systems here include a microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem. The microsystem consists of the child’s family, classroom, neighborhood and any component of the environment. The mesosytem is when two Microsystems do interrelate, for example the family and the neighborhood. The exosystem is when the child is indirectly involved with the system yet gets affected by what happens in the system. Macrosystem covers the cultural values and beliefs that the child grows up in. Poor cultural beliefs can be a great hindrance to child’s development. Microsystem affect directly a child for example a more involved and supportive family will lead to better school grades. In the mesosystem an example of proper working relationship between the child and the teacher affects positively the child’s development. Exosystem the more stable it is the more stable a child become (Howes and Ritchie 95).
Factors endangering children
A child’s problems may be psychological or hard to diagnose, leading to exhibiting weird behavior. This, impacts on the normal functions that the child is meant to do but does not. This means the right area of the brain that deals with some executive function gets challenged on its growth quest (Howes and Ritchie 100).
Stress influences
Family stress does affect the child whether directly or indirectly? The stress load gets to be released to the teacher. Low grades, accidents, parents financial difficulties are all forms of stress. The younger the child, the stronger the effect brought by negative stress. Adults may respond a bit better than children to high stress levels though it may tend to affect the child’s development indirectly (Eliot 200).
Family value on child development
This is vital in providing the child the ability to make healthy choices in future on their own. Children’s brains do perceive the values they are taught as their moral anchor. These form the normal response in his conscience. Various components namely; normative, cognitive, creative and psychological form the socialization process developed by the family (Eliot 210).
Nature and Nurture
The care given to children especially during early life stage is about developing relationships. The early child’s positive and negative emotions, and the adult’s responses to them. At this point it’s advisable to expose the child to nature and its different components as this helps develop the child (Eliot 215).
Making students read can sometimes turn into a tough challenge for many teachers epically if they work with representatives from Gulf countries. It appears that Emirati students are not introduced to the culture of reading in their free time or at home though the country has faced drastic changes and development over the last three decades. Education appeared to be a key element of those changes considering a vast representation of the UAE on the oil market and other defining industries branches. Language appears to be a new potential resource. It means that strategies of motivating students’ reading also call for changes and development.
Purpose and Methodology
This study is to identify the most efficient motivating strategies for Emirati students. It investigates the literacy and enjoyment level of reading in English in addition to key components that motivate students to read books in their free time. The qualitative case study discusses several motivation types based on teachers and students’ interviews and detects the most important ones. The idea is to reveal possible aspects of effective literacy practices and implement motivating strategies in the classroom setting.
Research Questions
This study contains answers to questions asked during interviews with instructors. These answers are used to synthesize and collect necessary data that will help to determine the main problems of students resistant to reading as well as the most efficient motivation strategies and tools. The research questions are as follows:
What proportion of your Emirati student enjoy reading in their free time? How does this compare with other nationalities that you have taught?
What motivates Emirati students to read books in their free time?
Why do other Emirati students not enjoy reading in their free time?
What strategies do you use to motivate Emirati students to read? Do you try to develop intrinsic or extrinsic motivation? Which is more important?
How can teachers blend student’s’ personal reading motivation in the classroom setting?
Results
The term “motivation” can be defined as the extent to which we opt for particular goals and purposes and make efforts in order to achieve those goals. The deficit of reading has become more evident when the official 2012 IELTS score has been revealed with only 4.6 for UAE. Such score is the worst among all other Gulf countries putting Emirati students in a tight corner. On the one hand, some of them are resistant to reading in the classroom setting.
They have a clear understanding of their weakness in that field considering that “Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the official language of the country and of the public sector; English is the language of much of the private sector” (O’Neill, 2014). Moreover, the UAE can boast a unique educational system with about half Emirati nationals who go to private educational establishments. The current statistics shows that there are “87% of students in private schools” (Kenaid, 2011).
The score is rather low if compared with the average result 6.0 for other countries. Reading comprehension difficulties, Arabic speaking students face, mainly occur “due to deficient lower level processes such as letter and word identification” (O’Sullivan, n.d.). That is why new strategies and motivation tools should be implemented to improve the situation. Education field is improving in view of new technologies. Innovative methods appear making it possible for students from the UAE to benefit from efficient online motivation tools such as Mreader as a part of a university foundation system. Moreover, specific types of books have been determined.
They have proved to be more interesting for Emirati students considering their national preferences. This fact makes the reading easier and more involving which eventually results in a greater success. Most students are used to reading tasks where they need to concentrate on words rather than key ideas and thoughts. This strategy also calls for reframing to make the literacy practice more interesting.
Emirati students’ interviews depict several key factors that motivate them to read books in their free time. Major respondents are eager to study at leading universities abroad. Such eagerness is often pushed by the will of their parents. Statistics shows that boys are pushed less in comparison with the girls considering cultural and social aspects of the UAE. Males are freer than females who are more responsible.
Moreover, Emirati students show their readiness to discuss different topics in the classroom. They include non-academic topics related to society, ethics and more. They only need a close interaction with other participants while instructors are recommended accommodating personal needs of their students. Degree, interaction quality, and duration are among the key factors that influence the motivation to read and develop the level of literacy.
On the other hand, some Emirati students are resistant to reading books. It results in a simple boringness, which comes as a stereotype. Some students simply do not like it to visit libraries or prefer spending free time playing the computer or surfing the net via portable gadgets and laptops. Several efficient methods help to overcome those reasons. Teachers’ interviews highlight various key points that include personal motivation.
Instructors are free to establish personal relations with individual participants. The idea is to express a sincere interest in every student in particular. Development of cultural awareness helps to motivate students to read in the classroom setting. Instructors should always have time to discuss students’ culture developing the in-depth understanding and acceptance. Some teachers opt for describing stereotypes from different cultures and proceed with cultural exchanges involving all participants in the educational process.
This study contains several key concepts based on “the two main types of learner motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic motivation” (Johnson, n.d.). Both types are necessary to develop. However, intrinsic type is more efficient according to the latest researches and interviews. Intrinsic motivation is when a student simply enjoys the activity he or she is engaged. No obvious external awards are necessary when using this type of motivation.
Intrinsic motivation explains why people are involved in particular activities for pleasure and satisfaction. Still there is a type of extrinsic motivation that experienced instructors suggest developing. Some students require a boot and a sense of self-determination. This is why positive feedback is vital. The only thing teachers should keep in mind “every class is a mixed ability class, and, even with a new group, you know who the best students are” (Wilson, 2010).
Motivation to read in the classroom setting includes several defining points highlighted by the interview. First of all, social connection between students in the classroom. It stimulates gender dynamics and results in an efficient and enjoyable work in pairs and groups. The information should be presented in various formats, not only in books. Aural culture and storytelling can also have a great impact on the overall literacy level.
Analysis
Teachers are responsible for creating a students’-friendly atmosphere in the classroom. They are supposed to know much about Emirati culture as well as the linguistic background. It will help to determine the most efficient motivation strategy in future. Using students’ communication capacities is vital. On the one hand, it will result in literacy skills development. On the other hand, it will help to foster the harmony in the classroom and encourage students to achieve their future goals.
References
Johnson, A. (n.d.). To What Extent Can Graded Readers Motivate Emirati Students to Become Extensive Readers?. Web.
Kenaid, K. (2011). In Search of Good Education: Why Emirati parents choose private schools in Dubai. Dubai, UAE: Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
O’Neill, G. (2014). “Just a natural move towards English”: Gulf youth attitudes towards Arabic and English literacy. Sydney, Australia: Zayed University Press.
O’Sullivan, A. (n.d.). Reading in the Gulf: Is it time for a re-focus?. Web.
Wilson, K. (2010). Re: Ten ways to motivate the unmotivated. Web.
Mental health impacts how individuals think, perceive, and respond as well as how they interact with others, manage stress, and make informed decisions. Moreover, this term encompasses people’s behavioral, psychological, and spiritual well-being. The cognitive speciality of counseling includes study and practical work on the therapeutic process and results, support and training, and wellness and issue avoidance. Counselling, contrasting from teaching, provides an individual with personal autonomy and does not tend to interfere with people’s final life choices, whereas teaching offers direct guidance and transfer of knowledge.
Assumptions and Stereotypes about Counselling
Considering the common assumptions and stereotypes about counselling, it is feasible to state that they exist due to the nature of the profession, which is strongly associated with mental, psychological, and social activities of people. Firstly, it is obligatory to emphasize the myth regarding the belief that counselling is exclusively applicable to individuals that have mental illnesses or psychiatric disorders, which are classified as relatively serious internal issues. Therapy can be preventative and it can assist in supplying emotional and cognitive techniques and strategies to a person. In this case, people can utilize these tools in stressful circumstances in the prospective; hence, counselling should not always be employed as a reactionary measure when difficulties arise. Another misconception regarding counselling is connected to the notion that specialists in this practical field cannot properly help an individual since counsellors are unfamiliar with the life of the client, their personality and background details.
Common Belief of Counselling and Its Formation
Prevalently in the Asian context, assumptions and common belief of counselling are generally formed under the conditions of two examples: trust in relatives’ and family members’ opinion, and recognition of someone’s authority. In terms of family trust, Asian foreigners may experience cross-cultural difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, customs, scientific activities, and mental adaptations between their home countries and hosting surroundings (Liu et al., 2020). They are possibly more inclined to pursue counseling assistance when they are enduring physical pain or, for example, academic issues; however, they are less motivated to do act accordingly in case they are struggling emotionally (Liu et al., 2020). Rather than relying on professional groups, Asian people select to request assistance from their social connections, including family and community bonds (Liu et al., 2020). Concerning the position of authority, for instance, the Asian cultural concept of appreciating those in positions of power can provoke the emergence of both favorable and unfavorable evaluations of counsellors’ trustworthiness.
Teaching and Counselling
The contact process is facilitated by a teacher, who serves as an authority figure and provides knowledge or advice. In addition, being an instructor, a teacher tries to encourage a student to develop a skill or convince a student to do or refrain from taking a certain action. A counsellor, in contrast, motivates the client to speak the majority of the time while the specialist observes, listens, and analyzes. Counselors do not make decisions on behalf of their clients, and they particularly do not offer guidance. Clients occasionally shift their opinions about the way to proceed their actions, and it is the counselor’s obligation to provide assistance and support for the individual through this experience. The duties of a teacher and a counsellor are distinct since a teacher’s responsibility is to educate and explain while a person listens, whereas a counsellor’s role is to communicate, lead, and encourage the client.
Features of the Roles of Teachers and Counsellors
Concerning foreseeing any difficulties in differentiating between the role of a teacher from a counsellor, it is reasonable to highlight issues of false or incorrect expectations among the potential clients or students. In fact, incorrect expectations are linked to the process of personal interpretation that can be biased among various individuals. Consequently, a biased and misinterpreted perception of what are the fundamental duties of teachers and counsellors can lead to frustration due to the absence of correlation between desired and actual outcomes of a professional interaction. For instance, a person that seeks assistance and support with maintaining a substantial level of personal autonomy in the decision-making process can choose a teacher instead of counsellor. Hence, in this scenario, an individual can become dissatisfied with the results of the working relationship and cooperation due to the inconsistencies and a lack of proper comprehension of differentiating roles of teachers from counsellors.
Ethical Issues in Counselling
Instead of occurring at random without a specific context, ethical problems tend to arise in specific circumstances where a number of factors increase their probability. As a consequence, while navigating ethical dilemmas might be complex, anticipating them is not constantly complicated. In therapeutic settings, informed consent-related ethical concerns are frequent. One of the fundamental tenets of the interaction between a counsellor and a person is the access to informed consent, in other terms, the ability to be aware of all relevant facts prior to decision-making (Blease, 2020). It enables the client to participate in treatment with confidence and an adequate level of self-reliance (Blease, 2020). The completion of therapy sessions is another ethical dilemma that might occur. Since a client can be unsure of their capacity to proceed independently, this transfer is risky. As a method of safeguarding the wellbeing of a person and counsellors by defining what is proper and permissible, ethical aspects are crucial in therapy and coaching. In general, counsellors, consulting specialists, and therapists can frequently encounter challenging discussions and delicate topics, which place an individual in a precarious situation that subsequently generate vulnerability.
Problems of Children and Adolescents
Considering the commonly observed problems of children and adolescents in the field of mental health, it is feasible to compare the trends and current conditions between Western and Asian countries. Regarding the Western region, which includes Europe and the United States of America, the issues that can be underlined are depression and anxiety disorders. Adult and adolescent anxiety and depression rates in the United States have greatly increased, growing from 8.7% in 2017–2018 to 10.6% in March 2020 and 14.4% in April 2020 (Daly et al., 2021). For all demographic segments, statistically meaningful rises in anxiety levels and depression scores were documented (Daly et al., 2021). In contrast, Asian countries possess the prevalence of bipolar affective disorder and anxiety. According to the estimates, the lifetime incidence rate of bipolar disorder in Asian nations ranges from 0.60% to 5.16% (Kato et al., 2021). Previous research has demonstrated that individuals with bipolar disorder experience issues with interpersonal connections, schooling, work, as well as a diminished standard of living (Kato et al., 2021). Therefore, comparing Western and Asian countries, the major difference is related to the prevalence of depression in Western nations.
Risk of Mental Health Issues among Children
Children and adolescents can be assessed as more vulnerable to the negative impact of mental disorders and psychological problems due to their not fully formed internal mental stability, which is the first example. In this scenario, when opposed to unexpected events or life challenges, children can lack control of their emotions and feelings, which results in psychological instability. The underlying cause of environmental factors linked to mental issues in youth is frequently identified as stress and social pressure. In fact, adolescents can experience social stress, loneliness, or substance misuse due to illegal consumption. Trauma, which can involve mental and sexual abuse as well as physical violence, is another prevalent form of stress.
The second example of how children are more at-risk for mental health issues than others is connected to the notion that children and adolescents are considerably impacted by the changes in their hormones and hormone conditions. As a consequence, due to the process of rapid growth and accelerated development, hormonal shifts lead to serious alterations in social conduct. Finally, the third example of why children are more exposed to psychological challenges is related to initial difficulties in the domestic and parental setting, which is crucial for the first steps of an individual’s development. Young children are especially at risk if their parents have mental health or drug abuse issues or engage in domestic violence.
Conclusion
To summarize, it is possible to conclude that the widespread misconceptions and preconceptions about counseling exist due to the profession’s close links to individuals’ mental, psychological, and social activities. The responsibilities of a teacher and a counsellor are different since a teacher’s job is to inform and explain while a student listens, but a counsellor’s obligation is to guide and inspire clients. Counsellors, consulting professionals, and therapists typically deal with difficult conversations and delicate subjects that put a person in a vulnerable situation and, hence, cause vulnerability. When comparing Western and Asian countries in terms of mental health issues, Western countries vary significantly due to the high frequency rate of depression.
It is a popular pedagogical method to implement various practices for professing the same subject. For instance, Mr. Kipp (a professor from the video discussed in the class) uses his style of teaching that implies discussion with students and is consistent with the Behavioral theory. Mr. Kipp’s approach to his classes is very efficient because students are required to develop their philosophies and explanations of different phenomena. The following paper is intended to present alternative practices (consistent with the Behavioral theory) to profess the same material that Mr.Kipp did in his class.
The First Alternative Practice
The first alternative practice that might be beneficial to implement by any teacher lies in summarizing the knowledge that students have been given a chance to obtain during their classes. Therefore, Mr. Kipp is highly recommended to assess the generalization of students’ skills. This method can be accomplished by offering some extra credit to those students who choose any literature on a given topic and discuss its materials and proposals in essays by the end of a week.
This alternative refers to the content of the video observed in the class and aligned with behaviorism due to the following paragraph’s statements. Indeed, the aforementioned method will have a major impact on students’ knowledge because they will be required to analyze and highlight the main points of their week readings (Ormrod, 2008). Therefore, they will be able to develop their viewpoints on a given topic and argue their opinions in public (Pervin, 2015). It is essential for any professor to make his or her students interested in what they learn. Otherwise, the audience might attend lectures, accomplish various home assignments, but there will be no impressive results if students do it without any interest.
The Second Alternative Practice
Another professing method that Mr. Kipp might consider lies in group contingencies, which implies the presentation of students’ tasks or projects in the class. This strategy might be beneficial for finding and identifying various skills, talents, and abilities of students who were not given a chance to demonstrate these qualities before (Ormrod, 2008). Moreover, when students discuss their mutual assignments, there is a higher possibility of them grasping a given topic faster (Kendall & Hollon, 2014). If each student is responsible for his or her part of the week readings project, the group will be more competent in the information they obtain and prepare because all the members should be aware of one another’s part.
This alternative refers to the content of the video observed in the class and aligned with behaviorism due to the following paragraph’s statements. When presenting a project to other colleagues or peers, it is essential to be assured of one’s knowledge and information authenticity to sound more attractive and appealing to the audience (Ormrod, Anderman, & Anderman, 2017).
Moreover, Mr. Kipp might obtain a better understanding of students’ organizational skills and their approaches to an assignment. “The voluntary nature of responses in instrumental conditioning to occur is an important one for teachers to keep in mind.” (Ormrod et al., 2017, p. 292). Despite the work in a team, every member’s awareness and attitude towards his or her topic will be evident. This factor is instrumental in analyzing each student’s abilities.
Conclusion
Behavioral theory concepts should be implemented in daily activities and practices by professors or teachers who want to improve the average knowledge level and professional skills of a particular student group. Individual tasks and assignments will give the audience more chances to demonstrate their abilities and share valuable information with others. When students are required to summarize readings of their choices, they are more involved and interested in a given study because they consider and implement various methods to grasp the knowledge more efficiently and faster.
References
Kendall, P. C., & Hollon, S. D. (2014). Cognitive-behavioral interventions: Theory, research, and procedures. Saint Louis, MO: Elsevier Science.
Ormrod, J. E. (2008) Behaviorist views of learning. Web.
Ormrod, J. E., Anderman, E. M., & Anderman, L. H. (2017). Educational psychology: Developing learners (7th ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education.
Pervin, L. A. (2015). Goal concepts in personality and social psychology. London, UK: Psychology Press.