SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT OF PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED CHILDREN (13-17 YEARS)
NEERU SHARMA, PAYAL MAHAJAN and ANJU BALA
Authors’ Address: NEERU SHARMA, PAYAL MAHAJAN and ANJU BALA, P. G. Department
of Home Science, University of Jammu, Jammu 180 006, Jammu and Kashmir,
India
Address for correspondence: Payal Mahajan, F-6, Rani Park, Kachi Chawni,
Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Telephone: 2579590: E-Mail: payal_research@rediff.com
KEY WORDS： Physically Challenged Children. Institutionalized Children. Physically Disabled. Physical Impairment
ABSTRACT
The present study was conducted to explore the Social Adjustment Of Physically
Challenged Institutionalized Children at a residential institution of Jammu.
The study was exploratory in nature and case profiles were prepared based
on the individual interviews, observations and rating scales. The data
presented below shows the analysis of these tests on 10 adolescents (13-17
years) individually. The results revealed that the most of the children
were in the category of well adjusted in school environment. Sociometric
analysis revealed that most of the children had positive relationship with
their peers, but there were few who needed guidance in forming social relationships,
as they remained isolated.
Physically handicapped individuals are
those who have non-sensory physical limitations i.e. limitation not because of
sense organs like eyes or ears, but because of other organs like limbs, bones,
joints or muscles.
The physical challenge is a relatively
visible challenge and it becomes more so by the societies prejudices for a
disfigured body. The person who doesn’t appear normal is an applied label,
which makes his adjustment difficult. Though the society has modernized enough
to accept the disability and work out ways to face these challenges, yet these
facilities have not reached everywhere.
School is one of the mechanisms of
adjustment for the physically challenged, because they usually have normal
functioning brains. It is only in their physical stature that problems are
there and there are various orthetic and prosthetic devices to aid their
adjustment to environment. The teachers training curriculum too prepares the
teachers for teaching special children in regular classrooms.
According to Ottaway’s view, “ The school may be regarded as a social invention
to serve society for the specialized teaching of young”.
Healthy environment in school can help them in better adjustment and fighting
with the clichéd beliefs. They may require a little more efforts on the
part of the teachers and the students to help them in better adjustment.
A teacher or educator should be less interested in the physical aspects
of disability and should be more concerned with the manner in which it
affect his functioning in a learning situation (Panda, 1994).
Along with the self and the teacher, it is the peer group too which helps
in proper adjustment in every field. Hardman (1990) suggests that the classroom
can be a useful place to discuss disabilities and to encourage understanding
and acceptance of the child with a physical or health impairment. He says
that classmates should learn to use appropriate terminology and to offer
the correct kind of assistance when needed.
Some adjustments are also required in the
structure of the school building, but may not be possible in the improvised
government schools, which usually cater to the needs of these children, in
India. So it is the children only who have to make major adjustments in a
society still marked with prejudices and lack of planning especially in the
educational sector.
The study was exploratory in nature hence
in-depth data was collected from 10 physically challenged institutionalized
children in the age group of 13-17 years. Purposive sampling technique was used
to select the sample. Tools used for the collection of data were: School
Adjustment Checklist – is a 45 item checklist, yielding scores in 7 different
dimensions of the school adjustment – general characteristics, frustration
reactions, school adjustment, social adjustment, large group relationship,
behaviour related class assignment, and annoying behaviour; Sociometry – was
administered on individual child to know the preference of his/her peers
regarding different activities as with- whom does the child like to sit, class
representative, liking for sharing things, like to play with, share lunch with,
like to talk, cracking jokes and best friend.
After the collection of data, both
qualitative as well as quantitative analysis were done. For quantitative
analysis, statistical measures were used. Mean and standard deviation were
calculated to know the level of children’s adjustment as measured on school
adjustment checklist.
The sample of the study consists of 10 physically challenged children both
males and females. Results revealed that majority of the respondents were
females in the age group of 13-17 years, were 1st born and the age of onset
of disability in most of these children was after birth.
Table 1 reveals the mean educational qualification of the respondents was
8th class and was from nuclear families. Mean age of joining the institution
was 9 years; visits made to home by children were yearly whereas visits
made by parents to the institution were weekly.
|
Variables |
Mean |
|
Studying in class |
8th |
|
Type of family |
Nuclear |
|
Age of joining the institution |
9 years |
|
Visits made to home by children |
Yearly |
|
Visits made to institution by parents |
Weekly |
Table 2 reveals that majority of the children were well adjusted to average adjusted in School Adjustment Checklist.
Table 2: SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT CHECKLIST
|
Categories |
Well adjusted |
Average adjusted |
|
School environment |
6 |
4 |
|
General category |
2 |
8 |
|
Frustration reaction category |
8 |
2 |
|
School adjustment category |
10 |
- |
|
Social adjustment category |
4 |
6 |
|
Large group relationship* |
2 |
7 |
|
Behaviour related |
7 |
3 |
|
Annoying behaviour |
10 |
- |
* Child was poorly adjusted in the large group category
Table 2 reveals that the majority of the children were well adjusted in School Adjustment Checklist and only 2 children were average adjusted; teachers gave high rate to all their students in Teachers Rating Scale (TRS); where as it is inferred that majority of the children rated their teachers in the category of high on the Teacher Student Interaction Checklist. Peer Student Interaction Checklist (Sociometry) analysis reveals that most of the children have positive relationship with their peers, but there are few who are isolates and need guidance in this direction.
|
Choser |
Rekha |
Ritu |
Sunny |
Arti |
Madhu |
Meena |
Shivani |
Jyoti |
Shruti |
Ashwani |
|
Choser |
||||||||||
|
Rekha |
-- |
-- |
2 |
-- |
1 |
-- |
-- |
3 |
-- |
-- |
|
Ritu |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1 |
-- |
2 |
3 |
-- |
-- |
|
Sunny |
1 |
2 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
3 |
|
Arti |
-- |
3 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2 |
1 |
|
Madhu |
-- |
1 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2 |
-- |
3 |
|
Meena |
-- |
1 |
2 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
3 |
-- |
|
Shivani |
1 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
3 |
2 |
|
Jyoti |
-- |
1 |
2 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
3 |
-- |
|
Shruti |
-- |
1 |
2 |
-- |
3 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Ashwani |
-- |
2 |
1 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
3 |
-- |
|
1stchoice |
2 |
4 |
1 |
-- |
2 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1 |
|
2ndchoice |
-- |
2 |
4 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
3rdchoice |
-- |
1 |
-- |
-- |
1 |
-- |
-- |
2 |
4 |
2 |
|
Total |
2 |
7 |
5 |
-- |
3 |
-- |
1 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
The most popular and widely used form of Sociometric evaluation is the
sociogram. In this approach, all children were given the opportunity to
answer the specific questions, which were designed to know what they feel
about each other.
In this sociogram, Ritu received most of the points so she is the star
in the sociogram. She has been choosen many times by her peer group. It
was inferred that she was the most familiar child in the group.
Those who have emerged as co-stars are Sunny, Shruti and Ashwani, they
received large number of points but they were not the most familiar child
in the group.
Those who have emerged as co-stars are Sunny, Shruti and Ashwani, they
have received large number of points but the group less preferred them.
They were as popular as Ritu in the group.
Neglectees are Madhu, Rekha, Jyoti and Shivani. Although they were not
totally rejected by their peers, but still were not viewed as desirable.
They were not familiar within the group.
Arti and Meena have been identified as isolates in the sociogram. Arti
and Meena were those children who received no points at all in the matrices
format. They were seen totally rejected by their peers.
1) For Parents: Polio vaccination should be given in time to their
children; precautions should be taken during pregnancy; children with disability
shouldn’t be neglected in the family.
2) For Teachers: Teachers should not be biased; should not lay stress on
academics only should encourage children even in their small achievements;
games and sports should be included in the curriculum of these children.
3) For Institutions: Vocational training in computer education and other
fields should be given to these children, as these are needed in the modern
world. Also life skill education should be imparted to them.
4) For Community: Community members should have positive attitude towards
these children and should give them some time.
5) For Government: Government should see the proper functioning of the
dispensaries in the far flung areas especially hilly areas to which these
children mostly belong and should organize seminar and camps on courses,
prevention, cure, adequacy of rights and rehabilitation provided to such
children.
REFERENCES
Gearheart, B.R.
and Weishah, M.W. (1980) cited from Prillaman, D. and Abbott, J.C.: Educational Diagnosis Prescriptive Teaching. Pitman, California (1983).
Hardman, Drew, Egan and Wolf.: Human Exceptionality. 3rd Ed. Allyn and Bacon, Boston, Pp 343-376. (1990).
Ottaway, cited from Walia, J.S.: Management of School Education. Paul Publishers, Jalandhar (1999).
Panda, K.C.: Elements of Child Development. New Delhi; Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi, Pp 355-363 (1994).
Sprague, R., and Sheatge, S.: cited from Prillaman, D and Abbot, J.C.:
Educational Diagnosis Prescriptive Teaching. Pitman, California (1983).
Walia, J.S.: Management of School Education. Paul Publishers, Jalandhar (1999).
[contents]