The 'mind-making' process

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES IN EDUCATION: Panch Ramalingam; Pondicherry Psychology Association, Pondicherry. Rs. 300.

THE AUTHOR of the book under review is an academic in the UGC Academic Staff College and has shaped this book for the initial requirements of the teachers working in colleges and universities, who need an orientation to teaching and collegiate student learning. This is a compact book and will be useful as an introductory text. It is very informative and contains an extensive bibliography spanning 24 pages, mentioning 290 references. The opening chapter deals with various aspects of the Indian education scenario. Starting with Swami Vivekananda, who defined education as ``a man-making process'', it covers some important definitions including those offered by the Radhakrishnan Commission on University Education (1949) and the National Education Policy (1986). It describes the ancient Vedic system of education, Buddhist and Islamic systems, before discussing certain sectors of modern education. There are 14 tables of statistical information relating to Indian education in this chapter.

The second chapter, ``Psychological perspectives of education'', gives the title to the book. William Wundt (1832-1920) was the first to set up the laboratory for psychology in Germany (1879). Thereafter psychology began to develop as a subject. The author gives a brief account of six important systems of psychology, viz., experimental psychology, functionalism, behaviourism, psycho-analysis, gestalt psychology and humanistic psychology as part of the psychological foundations. The chapter covers the nature of educational psychology, its scope and the need of educational psychology for the teacher.

``Psychology of adolescence'' is the theme of the third chapter. It covers the various phases of development such as physical, intellectual, emotional, psycho-social, religious and moral. Adolescence is also described as a period of many problems and paradoxes. The teacher needs to know this area of behavioural science for mastering the area of student management.

Motivation has a central place in student learning because it provides the required drive. The several theories of learning such as instinct, reinforcement and cognitive theories, Maslov's theory of hierarchy of needs and the theory of achievement motivation have all helped the teacher to understand the role played by motivation in learning. Besides the intrinsic motivation of the student, extrinsic motivation, as designed and practised in the educational system, is equally important in the context of ``education for all''.

The author also deals with important areas such as behavioural decision-making, stress management, student evaluation, teacher education, guidance and counselling and psychological testing. Curriculum development in higher education has been promoted by the UGC in recent years. Preparation of relevant curricula, production of instructional materials, academic autonomy for institutions, academic staff colleges for life-long learning for teachers and improvements in course design in the forms of semester plan, credit system and grading system are all features of the current scene. The National Assessment and Accredition Council (NAAC) has created a new sense of urgency regarding quality in higher education. The movement for evaluation of programmes, courses, teachers and institutions is now catching up in the country.

M. RAGHURAM SINGH

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : 'Teacher, not a mirror'
Next     : Knowledge explosion and management