Education
10:37:00 AM
Social relationship and belonging needs
After physiological
and safety needs which are known as fundamental needs, the individuals tend to
satisfy their psychological needs in the higher level of the hierarchy of human
needs. Social relationship and esteem needs come under psychological needs to
be satisfied which include affiliation with others, to be accepted and
association with a group of (Wortman, Loftus and Weaver, 1999). During group
work in learning activities, the students’ interactions with the members for
the success of the group in the learning tasks maximize their academic
achievements through collaboration and contribution for their prior learning in
new learning as a group. Peer relations, loneliness and self-perceptions link
significantly with academic achievement of students and determine the behaviors
of the students. Slatta, Valas, Skaalvik and
Sobstand (1996) found in their
study that the degree of peer is acceptance of the students is determined by
teachers’ assessment. It was confirmed in the study that social competencies of
students were found to be negatively predicted by loneliness and positively
predicted by peer acceptance which indicates that the students who were
accepted in the group to work on learning task performed well in activities
than those who were alone. Teachers were suggested to deal with students’
loneliness as well as with their achievements in relevant academic subjects. In
the study disruptive and aggressive behaviours were also found as the result of
low peer acceptance. The value that students have for developing a positive
relationship with their peers and teachers affect the achievement of students.
The students develop schemas and beliefs about their relationships with the
students the teachers which address the problems of non-verbal communication
skills through the extensive interactions and a developed understanding with
the teachers. The findings of research conducted by Davies (2001) revealed that
the value prevailing among the students to build relationships with their
colleagues and with the teacher is associated with the perception of a secure
and supporting interaction in the classrooms. Students who have poor skills can
be motivated to take advantages of verbal cues and other gestures which help in
developing social skills. The study examined a social and dynamic nature of
interrelations between motivation, interpersonal skills and achievement which
were assessed by focusing the values which the students had for relationships
with their teachers. The sense of belonging to the school develops a positive attitude
among the students towards the recognition of school in locality which needs
its effectiveness through academic achievement. The students are more likely to
have a sense of belonging with the school when they experience a culture that
emphasizes the personal improvement, mutual respect and support. According to
Woolfolk (2007), students have a sense of belonging when they know their
teachers care about them academically and personally as learners and as people.
This sense is developed when the teachers make classroom teaching and learning
interesting, fairly and honestly deal with all the students, trust and respect
them. Students can be motivated during learning activities through engaging
them in social groups to work and in small group tasks to accomplish their
academic tasks thus their achievements can be maximized.
References
Davies, H. A. (2001). The
quality and impact of relationships between elementary school
students and teachers. Contemporary
educational psychology, 26, 431-453.
Slatta, O., Valas, H.,
Skaalvik, E., & Sobstad, F. (1996). Peer relations, loneliness, and self-
perceptions in
school aged children. British journal of educational psychology, 66,
431-445.
Woolfolk,
A. (2007). Educational psychology (10th ed.). Boston: Pearson
Wortman, C. B., Loftus, E. F., & Weaver, C. (1999). Psychology
(5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
