Self-Analysis an Innovative Strategy in Teaching-Learning Psychology

Abstract

Self-analysis is an effective psychoanalytical technique to analyze one’s own personality and behavior. This technique is an effective approach in establishing concrete learning among knowledge seekers. The experiment is conducted on 50 teachers by applying self-analysis technique. For example, the concept to be taught is “Learning”, each teacher has to introspect on the topic “Learning” by answering the questionnaire on the components of “Learning” namely i) knowledge; 2) behavior; 3) skills and 4) values. Each of these components consists of 20 statements which analysis the concept “Learning” because knowledge, behavior, skills and values are the major outcome of “Learning”. By self-introspection every teacher arrives at clear specific learning objectives regarding the concept to be taught. This method helps the teachers to arrive at a clear picture to frame the lesson-plan to meet learning outcomes.

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Navaneedhan, C. (2015) Self-Analysis an Innovative Strategy in Teaching-Learning Psychology. Creative Education, 6, 2397-2402. doi: 10.4236/ce.2015.622245.

Received 28 October 2015; accepted 22 December 2015; published 25 December 2015

1. Introduction

The literal meaning of self-analysis is a systematic evaluation by an individual to understand his or her own personality without the aid of another person. Hence, it is very essential strategy that every teacher should adopt in a regular classroom teaching leaning process. Didier (1986) mentioned in his research that self-analysis was the ability with which an individual interpreted his/her own conscious as well as unconscious thoughts. Dasautels (2014) conducted a study to establish the significance of self-analysis in promoting learning. According to her human brain was naturally wired to adopt this strategy in order to create conducive state of mind facilitating learning, Webb (2002) pointed out that teacher practicing self-analysis refining one’s own ability promoted the ability of recalling and recognizing the given information at the knowledge level, classifying, organizing, estimating and comparing the given information at the behavior level, drawing conclusions, observing the facts, collecting evidence to formulate logical reasoning, solving new problems using the existing knowledge at the skill level, making conclusions by using extended thinking at value level represented in a simple model as shown in Figure 1.

2. Self-Analysis in Promoting Knowledge Acquisition

Self-analysis is one of key attitude an individual should develop in knowledge acquisition as correctly pointed out by Gopee (2008) in study with Nursing school students that by creating a good learning environment everyone learns throughout their lives, and they learn new knowledge and skills which are for self improvement and to acquire comprehensive relevant knowledge because they take pride in their profession. A good learning environment refers to a platform in which a teacher and a student decide together what they would like to achieve at the end of the course. Further Morton-Cooper & Palmer (2000) suggested that a teacher as a facilitator entrusts the knowledge to his/her students by developing trust, respect and valuing the ability of one another. Therefore, it is recommended that by providing a good rapport with the learner as well as developing a sense of empathy proved to be effective in knowledge acquisition as it motivates the learners. Knowledge acquisition could be promoted through self-analysis by adopting the following strategies:

Ø Setting specific learning objectives relevant to the given information;

Ø Setting attributes to each of the learning objectives.

These two strategies help the teacher to fulfill the objective of improved performance as well as personal development (Chin, 2007) .

3. Relationship between Self-Analysis and Behavior

Self-analysis helps individuals to develop the attitude of mastering difficult tasks rather than avoiding it (Williams, 2010) . Hence, it is the responsibility of the teacher to promote the positive behavioral outcomes among the learners by enforcing the following self-imposed affirmations:

v Do learners possess the ability to complete the given task?

v Do they have enough time to complete the task?

v Do they have access to quality information?

v Do they spend stipulated time to complete the task and get expected end result?

v Do the teacher and the learner communicate without inhibition to achieve the expected end result?

v Do the learners possess the desirable self-confidence to complete the task?

v Do the learners have the comfortable study level required for the stipulated course?

Repeatedly answering the self-imposed affirmations not only the quality of the teacher improves but also positive behavioral changes among learners resulting in self-motivation which would enhance their classifying, organizing, estimating and comparing the given information. The importance of quality of teachers and its impact on learner’s behavior was mentioned in a research conducted by (Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2005) . Research studies conducted by (Lloyd, Forness, & Kavale, 1996) supported that self imposed affirmations by teachers as one of the teaching-learning strategies proved to bring positive behavior motivating them to actively participate in the class room interactions by drastically reducing the challenging behavior.

Figure 1. Model representing self-analysis to refine one’s own ability.

4. Role of Self-Analysis in Skill Development

As self-analysis is the important aspect of cognitive and constructivist theory attempting to explain learning and motivation proposed by Shepard (2001) . Self-analysis exercise practiced by the teacher in the regular class room teaching-learning process provides guidance to learners to organize, evaluate, and connect new information with the prior knowledge. These acquired skills enable the learners to internalize their learning strategy leading to the development of concrete learning experience (Joyce, Weil, & Calhoun, 2005) . Developing self-analysis attitude by the teachers promotes the students in goal setting, high academic achievement etc as the teacher’s attitude is reflected on his/her students. Thus the students develop the ability to consider their own performance and to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and areas that require improvement enabling them to use this knowledge to influence their future work, let it be on a program of study or in employment. Thus self-assessment as a teaching and learning exercise provides students with the opportunity to develop a core lifelong learning skill. The skill development model explains how the self-analysis attitude of the teacher reflected on his/her students (Figure 2).

5. Self-Analysis in Developing Values

In the process of teaching and learning teacher’s self-analysis attitude plays a vital role in the development of values among the students which would eventually shape his/her personality development. For example some of the core values that the learner tends to achieve is depicted in the form of a model in Figure 3.

Self-analysis attitude practice in the teaching-learning process enables the teachers to inculcate extended

Figure 2. Skill development model.

Figure 3. Value development model among learners.

thinking among the students developing a sense of responsibility and commitment among learners.

6. Objective of the Study

Ø To find out inter-relationship between the various components of self-analysis model.

Ø To find out effectiveness of the self-analysis model as one of the strategy to be followed in teaching-learning process.

7. Research Questions

Ø What is the impact of self affirmations made by the teacher on components like knowledge, behaviour, skill and values?

Ø How are the components related to each other?

Ø How self-analysis considered as one of the effective teaching strategy?

8. Sample

Sample consists of male and female teachers in the age group 25 to 50 years with varying experience were selected for the study. The total number of teachers enrolled in the study was 100 (male = 10 and female = 90). They were selected by means of random sampling technique. The teachers selected for the study possess experience in handling 9th and 10th grades.

9. Methodology

Research was conducted using survey method by administering Self-analysis questionnaire consisting of four components namely: Knowledge, Behaviour, Skill, and Value. All the four components are related to each other and the teacher has to focus on all the four components in order to achieve positive learning outcome. Hence, the statements were formulated to evaluate the four components. The questionnaire consists of a total of 80 statements with 20 statements evaluating each component. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using odd and even method. Each statement in the questionnaire is evaluated using five point Likert scale. The teachers are asked to read each of the statements carefully and tick the appropriate option. The maximum and minimum score value range is from 400 to 1. The scores thus obtained are subjected to find Pearson product moment correlation coefficient using MS office 365 tool. In the present study the objective was focused on finding the inter relation between the four components mentioned in the questionnaire. Hence, MS office 365 tool was used for calculation. From the correlation coefficient values the need to establish the significance of the four components namely knowledge, behaviour, skill and values were projected. The aim of the paper was to ascertain that the teacher need to focus on the self-analysis strategy based on the four components mentioned in the questionnaire in order to enhance the effectiveness of teaching /learning process.

10. Limitations of Study

The sample is restricted to city school teachers only based on urban environment. The survey conducted was limited to calculate only the co-relation coefficient values and a detailed statistical calculation considering the demographic variables namely teaching experience, gender could be considered for future research.

11. Result of Analysis

Table 1 displayed the value of “r” between the various components at 0.001 significant levels statistically showing the vitality of the four components in self-analysis as teaching-learning strategy. Close examination of the “r “values reveal that the teacher has to focus on developing the skill and value components of self-analysis strategy in comparison to the other two components though all the four components are of equal importance. The scatter diagram also represents the relationship between various components showing the densely populated points representing skill and value component of self-analysis strategy (Figure 4).

12. Discussion

From the table values of the correlation coefficient “r” shows that the self analysis components are closely re-

Figure 4. Scattered diagram showing the relationship between various components.

Table 1. Shows the correlation coefficient “r” values of the sample as shown below.

*P < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, NS = Not significant.

lated to each other which are further supported by the scattered diagram. Among the various components behaviour and value shows absolute relationship showing that they complimentary to one another that good value reflects good behaviour, vice versa, in other words they follow absolute cause-effect relationship. The “r” values shown in the table answers the research questions formulated indicating that self-analysis is one of the recommended strategies to be followed by teachers in a regular classroom teaching in order to bring positive learning outcomes among learners.

13. Conclusion

As seen from the above discussion that self-analysis is closely related to knowledge, behaviour, skill and value, components indicates the practice of self-introspection strategy by all the teachers in general , in particular psychology teachers help to arrive a clear learning objectives regarding the subject to be taught. Hence the following learning outcomes listed below highlight usefulness of the above teaching-learning strategies:

Ø Self-analysis helps teachers to impart in-depth knowledge as the result of understanding their own thinking enabling them to be more effective in nurturing the thinking of their students.

Ø Teachers develop willingness to question their own affirmations resulting in creating an autonomous learning environment to the learners kindling their motivation.

Ø Teachers develop the attitude of empathy as the result of prolonged self-analysis practice, eventually enable them to understand the problems of students in assimilating knowledge, once the teacher caters the need of the student automatically, it will result in desirable behavioral changes among the learners.

Ø Self-analysis strategy helps teachers to develop a sense of analyzing their own thinking, learning as well as teaching which result in their own self growth. As the result, the teacher plays an important role in helping the learners to organize, to attribute, to solve problems and to make decisions.

Ø Result of this strategy is proved to be effective as it enables the teachers a clear understanding of what they are going to teach during the session as their ideas regarding the concept are reflected on in the class-room.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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