FRANK DIETZ BIBLIA COLLEGE & TECHNOLOGY

KNOWLEDGE FOR SERVICE

CERTIFICATE IN DIGITAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY 2023/2024

TERM PAPER

TOPIC:

THE BENEFIT OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

NAME: BINTU KOROMA

I.D:0021

SUPERVISOR: [Link] HOPE

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TABLE OF CONTENT

 Abstract
 Introduction
 Literature Review
 Methodology
 Reference
 Bibliography
 Conclusion

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Abstract

The primary contribution of the paper is the finding that lack of activities and
interesting learning areas prepared by the teacher in the classroom may
negatively impact children’s social behavior. Classroom design and the teacher’s
careful selection of materials to be displayed in each of the learning areas do
engage young children in learning activities during learning sessions and their free
time. When children group themselves according to their interests during learning
areas, they develop various skills and positive attitude towards each other in their
groups and all members of the class. Children engagement in different learning
areas in their class develop and improve language skills, reading skills, listening
skills especially during dramatization, numerical skills, acquire general knowledge
in various subjects including sciences and their mother tongues. In a participative
classroom, children learn how to share and take care of the materials in their
learning areas. While in their learning centers, children develop manipulative
skills, leadership and managerial skills, learn how to tell simple stories, and learn
how to work together as a team. A friendly classroom develops an environment
that creates a desired children’s social behavior. This paper comprise of
introduction, literature review, methodology, reference, bibliography, and
conclusion.

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Introduction

1.
Children’s movement and interfere with their interaction if the teacher has not
arranged chairs or including chairs or desks tables to give way for children’s
movement and free play. Classroom that lack specific architectural design for
early childhood learning cause some confusion and sometimes make children
develop poor attitudes toward schooling. Classroom design and the teacher’s
arrangement should focus on the needs of young children and the classroom
activities that promote children’s exploration of the environment. The beauty,
teacher’s motherly care and general outlook of the classroom are some of the
agents of children’s motivation and change of behavior. Architectural design, the
teacher’s artist display of teaching/learning materials and classroom arrangement
are the bases for beauty, pride and motivation that encourage children to
generate new ideas as they interact freely with each other. Herbert (1998) urged
architectures to design buildings that respond to future school visions.

1.1 Classroom Environment

Children regardless of cultural beliefs and customs enjoy learning in a
classroom that gives them ample opportunities to play, feel happy, and secure.
A noticeable ambience of a classroom is giving children space for easy and safe
movement. Motion permits children to move freely in the allocated spaces,
create their own boundaries, and explore their abilities by handling different
objectives. Teachers should create environments that match the age and level
of the children they teach. The environment that is created to match children’s
development provide motherly care, space for sleeping, give an opportunity
for children to play and interact with materials. When children feel
comfortable, and secure in their physical environments, they explore materials
that help them generate new ideas that depend their understanding of their
surroundings (olds, 2001). Creating happiness in children is developing
eagerness to explore and develop imaginative skills by using the materials that
are exposed to them. Relevant and sufficient materials make a classroom for
young children to be joyous and encourage them to be creative. An
appropriate classroom for young children should contain displays of beautiful
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 materials that include flowers of different colors, display of children’s work,
collection of different stones, and other materials that encourage children’s
exploration of nature. Classroom arrangement that focuses on space for
groups to work and play, appropriate materials placed in their respective
learning areas, and good room lighting system, would be considered
environmentally appropriate classroom.

1.2 Classroom Design

Classrooms are designed according to the number of students that are to use
them and the function that are to be carried out. Olds (2001) explained that:
“A Facility that works well for children and staff must be designed from the
inside out, and also from outside in, with structural evaluations. The architect
is concerned with the type of building and its outlook, mechanical and
electrical systems, corridors, exits, and overall public-use space”.
Some architectural designs may provide specifications for carpets, furniture,
and lighting. Designing a classroom that has an environment that is conducive
to young children’s learning should be a collaborative effort. The architect(s)
should consult the educations, health officials, and parents in order to design a
classroom that provides enough space for various learning centers, space for
the teacher and space for free movement. Herbert in his article (1998) said
that thoughtful design of the school and classroom environment can shape
children’s self-esteem, and sense of belonging. When children develop self-
esteem, self-actualization and feel that their teachers care for them, they
freely interact with other and develop good social behavior.

1.3 Classroom Arrangement

Good classroom arrangement inspires, and encourages children to easily
interact with each other and develop various skills including language, and
social behavior. Poor classroom physical arrangement may affect children’s
free movement and result into social behavior problems erupt in places that
are not well managed, have no guiding rules, and have mixed objectives to
achieve. Effective teachers arrange their classroom physical environment so
that children can spend some of their learning time in the learning areas that
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 interest them. Materials that are placed in learning centers that engage
children in various activities and learning should be attractive and on the age
level of the children. If the materials located in learning areas are beyond the
age level of children, they may be hard for them to comprehend and formulate
new knowledge but instead, they will cause discomfort and sometimes
aggression which may cause pushing and at times fighting. Isbell and Raines
(2007); Beaty (1996) explained that “the materials place in every learning area
should match the age, development level, and the interest of those children
for which they are intended”.

1.4 Peer Group Contributions in Classroom Social Behavior

Although human behavior may be related to genetics, it is largely influenced
by the environmental factors. Children like any other persons may be exposed
to good or bad behaviors exhibited by peers and copy any of the
characteristics. When behaviors begin to change in a young child from good to
bad, the parents of the child should investigate to ascertain the peers their
child associates with and take intervention steps before other children with
good behaviors reject the child. Morris et al. (1995) and Trawick-Smith (2010)
observed that some children are isolated (rejected) by their peer groups while
others may be isolated from their peer group (neglected) because of poor
social behaviors and socio-economic status. Teachers of young children should
encourage and support good behaviors and peer related competences
because they are the foundations of future adulthood behavior that will be
exhibited in their societies.

1.5 Teacher’s Role in Children’s Social Behavior

Effective learning occurs when children are actively engaged in the learning
process or are paying special attention to what they are learning. The
classroom teacher does not only observe but engages children in learning
activities and posing questions to promote their reasoning abilities and
widening their knowledge in the subject matter (DeVries et al, 2002). Keeping
children engaged help them to be more constructive than would be
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 destructive if left unengaged. Petrakos and Howe (1996) said that
“environmental setup should be determined from theoretical principles and
connected to the daily schedule of activities” (Article, 1996). The role of a
teacher in a classroom that has a conducive learning environment is to provide
good leadership and management skills. Such a teacher provides strong
interrelationships between children, other teachers and parents.

1.6 Parents’ Contribution in a Good Classroom Environment

Children may exhibit several problems when their parents do not monitor of
show interest in their school attendance or classroom work. Simpkins and
Parke (2002) referred to previous researches which had found that poorly
monitored children have lower academic skills, lower peer acceptance, join
delinquent groups, and show higher feelings of depression.

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 Literature Review

Early childhood including elementary school teachers encounter both good

and bad social behavior from their children. These social behaviors develop as
a result of both physical and social factors that are associated with classroom
environment. Some research studies have found that peer settings and
classroom environment play critical roles in children’s behavior development.
It is conceived to compose a range of educational concepts that include
physical setting, the psychological environment that is created through social
interactions, and several instructional procedures that are related to teacher
characteristics and behavior (Miller and Cunningham, 2003). Classroom
environment may be considered to be associated with good planning, effective
teaching, teacher’s concern for the children’s welfare, and the beauty that is
reflected in the classroom (Barth et al.2004). Torelli and Durret (1996) found
that physical environment in group care centers affects children themselves,
their movements, making it difficult to interact with each other.

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 Methodology

Children’s social behaviors depend on several factors both human and physical
environment. Classroom teachers and parents contribute immensely to the
children’s social behavior. If a classroom teacher exhibit administrative
behavior without recognition of each child’s needs and love, then the teacher
will be encouraging bulling and developing children’s hostility among
themselves. A teacher who inventively and creatively plan and conducts
his/her teaching in motherly manner using appropriate methods, instills
positive social behavior in the children. If a teacher uses appropriate
teaching/learning materials, children will develop interest in learning and
become cooperative. Advanced materials may course misunderstanding and
confusion among children and as a result children start developing poor social
behavior.

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 References

Allen, K.E and E.M. Goetz, 1992. Early childhood education: Special problems,
special solutions. MD. Rockville: An Aspen Publication.

Barth, J.M, S.J. Dunlap, H. Dane, J.E. Lochman and K.C. Wells, 2004.

Bibliography
Essa, E.L. and M.M. Burnham, 2009. Informing our practice: Useful research on
young children’s development. Washignton DC: National Association for the
Education of Young Children.

Martin, D.J., 2001. Constructing early childhood science: Includes national

science education standards. USA: Delmar, Thomson Learning.

Conclusion
This research paper explores the impact of classroom environment on the
children’s social behavior. Several researchers and scholars have echoed how
environmental factors contribute to the children’s social behavior at both
school and home but little has been said on how classroom environment
impacts children’s behavior.

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