Juvenile Delinquents

Juvenile Delinquents

01. Definition:
• From a legal point of view, a person between 15 and 20( this age varies from country to country-India 16, USA 17) who involves or indulges in anti-social activity.
• In USA, a JD is one who breaks the law is a vagrant, persists in disobeying orders, whose behaviour endangers his own moral life as well as others .
• From psychological point of view, any and every child of either sex between 15 and 18 who commits a crime, irrespective of the fact that he is apprehended or not, is a JD.
• Therefore, JD is one who forcibly possesses the property of another or causes its damage, indulges in anti-social activity etc.
• From legal point of view, those who are not apprehended are not criminals but according to psychology, all such offenders are criminals.
• New Meyer says that a delinquent is a person under age who is guilty of anti-social act and whose misconduct is an infraction of law.

02. Causes of JD:
• A. social causes:
1. Defects of Family:
a. Broken families- absence of intimacy
b. Attitude of parents- scolding by parents
c. Character& conduct of parents-immoral behaviour of mother
d. Influence of brothers and sisters

2. defects of School:
a. attitude of teachers
b. attitude of peers
c. attitude of management-discipline and punishment
d. curriculum-boring ,not recreating

3. Living area:
a. crime dominated area
b. poor living condition
c. war-affected conditions

4. Bad company
5. Recreation:
a. absence of Recreation
b. defective recreation

6. Displacement


• B. Psychological Causes:

a. intellectual weakness
b. mental diseases
c. characteristics of personality
d. emotional instability
• C. Economic causes
a. poverty leading to crime


03. Techniques to cure JD
a. play therapy
b. painting to express his emotions
c. cultural programmes

04. treatment and prevention of delinquency:

• being sympathy and affectionate towards them
• create congenial atmosphere at home and school; do not reject them
• provide good models and moral character
• watch over children’s activities and friends
• provide extra activities
• proper co-ordination between home and school with proper guidance

National Level seminar Paper Presentation

KOLB’S LEARNING STYLE

X. VENGO REGIS

Introduction

David A. Kolb is a professor of organizational behavioural in the Weatheread School of management. He was born in 1939, joined the school in 1946. Kolb received his bachelor of arts from Knox College in 1961, his MA from Harvard in 1964 and his PhD from Harvard in 1967. Besides his work on experiential learning, David A. Kolb is also known for his contribution to thinking around organizational behavior (1995a; 1995b). He has an interest in the nature of individual and social change, experiential learning, career development and executive and professional education.

Kolb’s experiential learning theory (learning styles) model

Kolb's learning theory sets out four distinct learning styles (or preferences), which are based on a four-stage learning cycle. (This might also be interpreted as a 'training cycle'). In this respect Kolb's model is particularly elegant, since it offers both a way to understand individual people's different learning styles, and also an explanation of a cycle of experiential learning that applies to us all.

Kolb includes this 'cycle of learning' as a central principle his experiential learning theory, typically expressed as four-stage cycle of learning, in which 'immediate or concrete experiences' provide a basis for 'observations and reflections'. These 'observations and reflections' are assimilated and distilled into 'abstract concepts' producing new implications for action which can be 'actively tested' in turn creating new experiences.

Kolb says that ideally (and by inference not always) this process represents a learning cycle or spiral where the learner 'touches all the bases', i.e., a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. Immediate or concrete experiences lead to observations and reflections. These reflections are then assimilated (absorbed and translated) into abstract concepts with implications for action, which the person can actively test and experiment with, which in turn enable the creation of new experiences.

Kolb's model therefore works on two levels - a four-stage cycle:

1. Concrete Experience - (CE)
2. Reflective Observation - (RO) (information, idea)
3. Abstract Conceptualization - (AC)
4. Active Experimentation - (AE) (helpful)

and a four-type definition of learning styles, (each representing the combination of two preferred styles, rather like a two-by-two matrix of the four-stage cycle styles, as illustrated below), for which Kolb used the terms:

1. Diverging (CE/RO)
2. Assimilating (AC/RO)
3. Converging (AC/AE)
4. Accommodating (CE/AE)

LEARNING STYLES (This interpretation was amended and revised March 2006)

Kolb explains that different people naturally prefer a certain single different learning style. Various factors influence a person's preferred style: notably in his experiential learning theory model (ELT) Kolb defined three stages of a person's development, and suggests that our propensity to reconcile and successfully integrate the four different learning styles improves as we mature through our development stages. The development stages that Kolb identified are:

1. Acquisition - birth to adolescence - development of basic abilities and 'cognitive structures'
2. Specialization - schooling, early work and personal experiences of adulthood - the development of a particular 'specialized learning style' shaped by 'social, educational, and organizational socialization'
3. Integration - mid-career through to later life - expression of non-dominant learning style in work and personal life.

Whatever influences the choice of style, the learning style preference itself is actually the product of two pairs of variables, or two separate 'choices' that we make, which Kolb presented as lines of axis, each with 'conflicting' modes at either end:

Concrete Experience - CE (feeling) -----V-----Abstract Conceptualization - AC (thinking)

Active Experimentation - AE (doing) -----V----- Reflective Observation - RO (watching)

A typical presentation of Kolb's two continuums is that the east-west axis is called the Processing Continuum (how we approach a task), and the north-south axis is called the Perception Continuum (our emotional response, or how we think or feel about it).

These learning styles are the combination of two lines of axis (continuums) each formed between what Kolb calls 'dialectically related modes' of 'grasping experience' (doing or watching), and 'transforming experience' (feeling or thinking)

The word 'dialectically' is not widely understood, and yet carries an essential meaning, namely 'conflicting' (its ancient Greek root means 'debate' - and I thank P Stern for helping clarify this precise meaning). Kolb meant by this that we cannot do both at the same time, and to an extent our urge to want to do both creates conflict, which we resolve through choice when confronted with a new learning situation. We internally decide whether we wish to do or watch, and at the same time we decide whether to think or feel.

The result of these two decisions produces (and helps to form throughout our lives) the preferred learning styles, hence the two-by-two matrix below.

	Doing (active Experimentation – (AE)	Watching (Reflective Observation –RO)
Feeling (Concrete Experience – CE)	Accommodating (CE/AE)	Diverging (CE/RO)
Thinking ( Abstract Conceptualization – AC)	Converging (AC/AE)	Assimilation (AC/RO)

Thus, for example, a person with a dominant learning style of 'doing' rather than 'watching' the task, and 'feeling' rather than 'thinking' about the experience, will have a learning style which combines and represents those processes, namely an 'Accommodating' learning style, in Kolb's terminology.

Diverging (feeling and watching - CE/RO)

1. These people are able to look at things from different perspectives.

2. They are sensitive.

3. They prefer to watch rather than do, tending to gather information and use imagination to solve problems.

4. They are best at viewing concrete situations several different viewpoints. Kolb called this style 'Diverging' because these people perform better in situations that require ideas-generation,

5. For example,

a. Brainstorming, People with a Diverging learning style have broad cultural interests and like to gather information. They are interested in people, tend to be imaginative and emotional, and tend to be strong in the arts.

6. People with the Diverging style prefer to work in groups, to listen with an open mind and to receive personal feedback.

Assimilating (watching and thinking - AC/RO)

1. The Assimilating learning preference is for a concise, logical approach.

2. Ideas and concepts are more important than people.

3. These people require good clear explanation rather than practical opportunity.

4. They excel at understanding wide-ranging information and organizing it a clear logical format.

5. People with an Assimilating learning style are less focused on people and more interested in ideas and abstract concepts.

6. People with this style are more attracted to logically sound theories than approaches based on practical value.

7. These learning style people are important for effectiveness in information and science careers.

8. In formal learning situations, people with this style prefer readings, lectures, exploring analytical models, and having time to think things through.

Converging (doing and thinking - AC/AE)

1. People with a Converging learning style can solve problems and will use their learning to find solutions to practical issues.

2. They prefer technical tasks, and are less concerned with people and interpersonal aspects.

3. People with a Converging learning style are best at finding practical uses for ideas and theories.

4. They can solve problems and make decisions by finding solutions to questions and problems.

5. People with a Converging learning style are more attracted to technical tasks and problems than social or interpersonal issues.

6. A Converging learning style enables specialist and technology abilities.

7. People with a Converging style like to experiment with new ideas, to simulate, and to work with practical applications.

Accommodating (doing and feeling - CE/AE)

1. The Accommodating learning style is 'hands-on', and relies on intuition rather than logic.

2. These people use other people's analysis, and prefer to take a practical, experiential approach.

3. They are attracted to new challenges and experiences, and to carrying out plans.

4. They commonly act on 'gut' instinct rather than logical analysis.

5. People with an Accommodating learning style will tend to rely on others for information than carry out their own analysis.

6. This learning style is prevalent and useful in roles requiring action and initiative.

7. People with an Accommodating learning style prefer to work in teams to complete tasks.

8. They set targets and actively work in the field trying different ways to achieve an objective.

Reference

www.wikepedia.org

M.Ed Research Article

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRAIN DOMINANCE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF HIGHER SECONDARY STUDENTS IN ZOOLOGY

X. VENGO REGIS

INTRODUCTION

If a man of a last century rises to life today he will find it difficult to recognize the face of the earth. The science and technology has developed by leaps and bounds. Man, being a social animal finds meaning only in relation with other; at the same time he is a thinking being. The thinking activity reflects his existence. Thus, by applying his i.e. dreams and expectations mind on the reality, he is able to effect a vast change in his living. Differentiated from the animals with his sixth sense, he projects himself as a supreme creature in the world. In other words, the man exploits god-given brain to the maximum and makes his living a meaningful one. His brain activity is classified further, under science into left-brain and right brain. Scientists, after a long research of human activities, have found out the dominance of brain particularly in the process of education.

Education is a main force which influences the quality of life; it adds new dimensions to our present and future scenario. It is a tool in the hands of elders towards the construction of new society. By analyzing the brain dominance of the students and designing the curriculum to suit the needs of the students we will be able to mould the young generation as the future citizen of our country. Therefore it is imperative that we analyze the relationship between brain dominance and academic achievement of higher secondary students.

BRAIN DOMINANCE AND ACADAMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Brain Dominance

Each person has a dominant side of the brain. Individuals who are predominantly left sides tend to be more verbal, analytical and problem solvers; while individuals who are predominantly right sided tend to be artistic, good with mathematics, and more visual in nature. Brain dominance refers to the extreme use of left or right or whole brain.

Achievement

It refers to performance in given skill or body of knowledge.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

We have a natural tendency towards one way of thinking, two sides of our brain work together in our everyday lives. The right side of the brain focuses on the visual, and processes information in an intuitive and simultaneous way, looking first at the whole picture then the details. The focus of the left brain is verbal, processing information in an analytical and sequential way, looking first at the pieces then putting them together to get the whole. Educators must make provisions for individual; differences in learning styles by providing alternative grouping arrangements, instructional material, time frames and so on. Instruction for beginning language learners, in particular, should take into account their need for context-rich, meaningful environments. Individual differences in learning style may not be a simple matter of personal preference, but rather of individual differences in the hardwiring of the brain and thus, beyond individual control. Most people have dominant side of brain. Dominance goes into affect when thinking becomes increasingly more complex. Although each sides of brain have its own set of in information processing and thinking.

Achievement in higher secondary is a turning point in an individual life. Therefore brain dominance and achievement are very closely related. Achievement refers to the knowledge attained or skills developed inn the school subjects, usually designed by test scores or by marks assigned by teachers. Achievement of the students depends upon so many factors. Brain dominance is one of the factors. This factor is in positive, and then they will lead to good achievement. Therefore this study gives importance to higher secondary students. So the investigator selected the problem.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To find out the level of brain dominance and its dimensions of the higher secondary students in zoology, with reference to background variables.

2. To find out the level of achievement of higher secondary students in zoology with reference to background variables.

HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY

1. To find out the significance difference in brain dominance and its dimensions of higher secondary students with reference to nature of management.

2. To find out the significance difference in brain dominance and its dimensions of higher secondary students with reference to medium of instruction.

3. To find out the significant difference in achievement of the higher secondary students in zoology with reference to sex.

METHOD OF STUDY

The present investigation was undertaken by using the survey method among higher secondary students in Cheranmahadevi educational district. Survey method is a procedure in which data is systematically collected from a population through some from of direct solicitation such as interview, questionnaire and attitude scales. Survey referees to the gathering of the data regarding current condition, an academic achievement, the quarterly examination of the higher secondary students had taken and the scores were statistically treated to find out the effectiveness.

TOOL USED IN THIS STUDY

The investigation of the present study has chosen the following tool for data collection, that is, brain dominance inventory tool developed by Evelyn C. Davis, Ed.D.

STATISTICAL TECHNIQUE USED

In this present investigation the following statistical techniques were used.

1. Measure of central; tendency (Mean)

2. Measure of variability (Slandered Deviation)

3. t test (to be find the level of significance)

4. ANOVA and

5. Chi-square

SAMPLE OF THE STUDY

The present study consists of 200 samples which are consists of 112 girls and 88 boys were taken from pure science and math biology group students in higher secondary. The sample was taken from Cheranmahadevi educational district which is come under the Tirunelveli district, TamilNadu, India.

Table. 1

difference between government and private school management students with reference to brain dominance and its dimensions

Dimension	Nature of Management	Mean	S.D	N	df	‘t’	Remark
Right hemisphere (a)	Govt.	12.43	3.53	93	198	2.67	S
	Private	11.17	3.09	107
Left hemisphere (b)	Govt.	9.75	5.34	93	198	1.30	NS
	Private	8.91	3.50	107
Middle hemisphere (c)	Govt.	15.56	4.33	93	198	2.24	S
	Private	5.01	4.80	107

Since, the calculated value of ‘t’ is greater that the table value (1.96) at 5% level for 198 degree of freedom, the Null hypothesis is rejected.

When compare to the mean score of the Government and private school students with reference to the right hemispheric dominance (a), government school (M=12.43) students are better than the Private school (M=11.17) students.

When compare to the mean score of the Government and private school students with reference to the middle hemispheric dominance (c), Private school (M=4.80) students are better than the Government school (M=4.33) students.

Since, the calculated value of ‘t’ is less than the table value (1.96) at 5% level for 198 degrees of freedom; the hypothesis 1 b is accepted.

TABLE. 2

difference between english medium and tamil medium students with reference to brain dominance and its dimensions

Dimension	Medium of instruction	Mean	S.D	N	df	‘t’	Remark
Right hemisphere (a)	Tamil	11.33	3.74	15	198	0.46	NS
	English	11.73	3.33	185
Left hemisphere (b)	Tamil	11.00	3.18	15	198	2.06	S
	English	9.16	4.53	185
Middle hemisphere (c)	Tamil	12.00	4.02	15	198	2.31	S
	English	14.52	4.64	185

Since, the calculated value of‘t’ is greater the table value (1.96) at 5% level for 198 degree of freedom, the Null hypothesis is rejected.

When compare to mean scores of Tamil and English medium students with reference to left hemispheric dominance (b), English medium students (M=11.73) are better than the Tamil medium (M=11.33) students

When compare to mean scores of Tamil and English medium students with reference to middle hemispheric dominance (c), English medium students (M=14.52) are better than the Tamil medium (M=12.00) students.

Since, the calculated value of‘t’ is less than the table value (1.96) at 5% level for 198 degrees of freedom, the hypothesis 2 a, is accepted.

Table. 3

difference between 16 year old students and 17 year old students with reference to academic achievement with respect to age

Variable	Category	Mean	S.D	N	df	t	Remark
AGE	16	65.24	16.60	75	198	1.52	NS
	17	68.69	3.67	125

Since, the calculated value of‘t’ is less than table value (1.96) at 5% level for 198 degree of freedom, the Null hypothesis 3 is accepted.

IMPORTANT FINDINGS

1. When compare to the mean score of the Government and private school students with reference to the right hemispheric dominance (a), government school (M=12.43) students are better than the Private school (M=11.17) students in their brain dominance.

When compare to the mean score of the Government and private school students with reference to the middle hemispheric dominance (c), Private school (M=4.80) students are better than the Government school (M=4.33) students in their brain dominance.

2. When compare to mean scores of Tamil and English medium students with reference to left hemispheric dominance (b), English medium students (M=11.73) are better than the Tamil medium (M=11.33) students in their brain dominance.

When compare to mean scores of Tamil and English medium students with reference to middle hemispheric dominance (c), English medium students (M=14.52) are better than the Tamil medium (M=12.00) students in their brain dominance.

3. There is no significant difference between 16 and 17 year old students in their academic achievement. But, when compare to the mean scores, 17 year old student are better (M=68.69) than 16 year old students (M=65.24)

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The teachers can be trained in operating computer system, so that they could create power point slides and use flash movie maker for better learning and information gathering.

2. The teachers can be trained to prepare learning materials which are whole brain compatible.

3. The teachers can be given training on ICT based pedagogy.

4. The students may be trained use different styles of learning.

5. The teachers can use McCarthy’s 4 MAT models for teaching in Zoology.

6. The teachers can be given training on multiple intelligence based teaching.

REFERENCE

1. Aggarwal, J.C. (2000) “Essential of educational psychology” Vikas publishing House Pvt. Limited, New Delhi.

2. Best John W., Kahn, and James (1998) Research in education. Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi

3. Dwivedi, R.S. (1997) “Research methods in Behavioural sciences” Macmillan India limited

4. Kathleen M Galotti (1999) Cognitive psychology” an international publishing company

5. Taschetta, J.J. (1990) “The whole brain approach in teaching engineering technology” New York.

6. Gonzales-Mena, Janet (1977) “Right Brain thinking and Teacher Education. Published by journal articles of opinion papers, vol.66 page no. 31-46 sep.1982.

7. Marini, A. Carlomangno, S. (2005) “The role played by the Right Hemisphere in the organization of complex textual structures”. Journal of Brain and language vol.93, page no.46-54, April 2005.