chapter - ii - shodhganga

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2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The related studies on the chosen topic carried out by research

workers at various levels are called review of related literature (Perumal,

2010). It is a key step in research process and works as a guide and enables

one to perceive the gaps and lacuna in the concerned field of research. It

facilitates a cohesive and integrated approach to the problems and serves a

number of important functions in the research process. In order to develop a

theoretical base for the present study, literature was explored. The literature

relating to “IMPACT OF HOME AND SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS ON

VALUES OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS : A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY ” was

reviewed under the following headings:

2.1 Characteristics of adolescents

2.2 Values and value patterns of adolescents

2.3 Factors influencing values of adolescents

2.4 Impact of home environment on values of adolesc ents

2.5 Impact of school environment on values of adole scents

2.5 Need and objectives of value education

2.7 Recommendations of commissions, government poli cies, and

documents on value education

2.1 Characteristics of adolescents

The first use of the term ‘adolescence’ appeared in the fifteen century.

The term was a derivative of the Latin word ‘adolescere’, which means to

grow into maturity, Sigelman and Rider (2009). Maturity not only involves

physical growth but also social, emotional, moral and mental growth. On the

physical side, it means the attainment of mature stature, the acquisition of

physical features, characteristic of a mature individual and the development of

the sex apparatus to make procreation possible. Mentally a mature individual

is one whose intelligence has reached its maximum growth (Baradha, 2007).

The characteristics of adolescents are as follows:

• It is an important period : Hurlock (2007) stated that adolescence is an

important period. Adolescence is one of the periods when both the immediate

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and long term effects are important. Some periods are important for physical

and some for psychological effects. Adolescence is important for both.

Accompanying these rapid and important physical developments, especially

during the early adolescent period, rapid mental development occur. These

give rise to the need for mental adjustment and the necessity for establishing

new attitudes, values and interests.

• A period of change : Santrock (2007) opined that adolescence is a period

of transition from childhood to adolescence. It is complex and

multidimensional; involves a number of biological, cognitive and socio-

emotional changes. The biological changes are the growth spurt, hormonal

changes, and sexual maturation that come with puberty, increase in abstract,

idealistic, and logical thinking. They begin to think in more egocentric ways,

often sensing that they are onstage, unique and invulnerable. In response to

these changes, parents place more responsibility for decision making in the

young adolescent’s shoulders. Among the socio-emotional changes, they

undergo a quest for independence, conflicts with parents, and a desire to

spend more time with peers. Conversation with friends become more intimate

and include self-disclose. Increased sexual maturation produces a much

greater interest in romantic relationship. Young adolescents experience

greater mood swings than they did when they were children.

• A period of rapid physical changes : Berk (2007) was of the view that the

changes of puberty are dramatic and momentous. Within few years, the body

of the school-age child is transformed into that of a full-grown adult.

Genetically influenced hormonal processes regulate puberty growth. Girls,

who have been advanced in physical maturity since the prenatal period, reach

puberty, on average, two years earlier than boys. The physical changes that

take place during the early years of adolescence affect the individual’s

behavioural level, lead to revaluations and a shifting judgment of value. A

child enters early adolescence with the physical appearance of a child and

within a few years, has the physical appearance of an adult. The changes of

puberty are set in motion by an elaborate process in the endocrine system

(Bhatt, 2007).

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• Search for identity : Erickson (1993) said the psychological conflict of

adolescents’ identity versus identity confusion. Successful outcomes of earlier

stage pave the way to its positive resolution. In complex society young

adolescents experience an identity crisis, a temporary period of confusion and

distress as they experiment with alternatives before setting on values and

goals. Adolescents who go through a process of inner soul searching

eventually arrive at a mature identity. Erikson describes the negative

outcomes of adolescents as identity confusion. Some young people appear

shallow and directionless, either because earlier conflicts have been resolved

negatively or because society restricts their choices to one’s that do not match

their abilities and desires. As a result they are unprepared for the

psychological challenges of adulthood.

• A period of transition : Crow and Crow (2008) expressed that

adolescents find that discarding childhood behaviour patterns, as he meets

the demands for appropriate behaviour to his years, may cause him

considerable concern. He faces not only the problem of changing his

behaviour, but also problems resulting from the reaction of others towards him

and his behaviour patterns. Chaubey (2007) stated that adolescents like to

give up many of habits, tendencies of infancy and childhood and becomes

keen to introduce many new things in his behaviour. They begin to

understand what is good and bad for them. This phenomenon transforms

many of the previous attitudes. As a result many of the defects and

inadequacies of their behaviour as observed during infancy and childhood

disappear. Hall (1904) the first psychologist who formulated a theory of

adolescence proposed that the major physical changes that takes place at

this time cause major psychological changes. He believed that young people’s

efforts to adjust to changing bodies ushered a period of storm and stress.

• A period of emotional instability : Hall saw adolescence as a period of

intense, fluctuating emotions, from which young people may emerge morally

stronger. Adolescence can be on top of the world one moment and down in

the dumps the next. In many instances, the intensity of their emotions seems

out of proportion to the events that elicit them (Steinberg and Lavine, 1997).

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Early adolescence is a time when high and low emotion occurs more

frequently (Rosenblum and Lewis, 2003). With little or no provocation, they

may blow up at their parents, siblings, projecting their unpleasant feelings on

to another person. Identity negative emotions can reflect serious problems.

Rates of depressed moods become more frequent in girls during adolescence

(Nolen-Koeksema, 2004). Conflict between parents and adolescents

especially between mothers and sons, is the most stressful. Early maturing

adolescents experience more conflict with their parents (Collins and

Steinberg, 2006). Depressive symptoms increase dramatically around the

time of puberty. They occur more often in adolescent girls than in adolescent

boys, a difference sustained throughout the lifespan (Papalia et al., 2007).

• Period of glandular changes : Conger and Peterson (1984) highlighted

the urge for risk taking behaviour during adolescence and glandular changes.

The physiological and bodily changes that occur at this time are due to

increased output of the gonad tropic hormones of the anterior gland. This

gland, located in the brain, governs and controls the hormone balance of the

body. The gonadotrophic hormone stimulates the activity of the gonads or sex

glands increasing the production of sex hormones and the growth of mature

sperm and ova in males and females respectively. This sex hormones-

testosterone in male and estrogen in female-in combination with other

hormones of the body stimulate the growth of bone and muscles and lead to

the growth spurt.

• A period of problems : The period of adolescence is a stormy one in

which several types of problems emerge in all societies irrespective of its

culture. The adolescents are highly sensitive to personal remarks and very

much conscious of their self-esteem. They easily get emotional, frustrated,

aggressive, violent and go to the extent of facing any situation. The common

unpleasant occurrences often taking place among the adolescents are

delinquency, antisocial activities like thefts, robberies, sex crimes, running

away from homes and sometimes even committing suicide and dying

(Rajamanickam, 2007). Mathew (2006) opined that adolescents face many

problems of demands, uncertainties and competition. Those who are unable

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to face these demands experience more mental health problems. The main

problems of adolescents are to have economic interference to get rid of

parental interference, fulfilment of desires, how to spend leisure, and which

philosophy of life to adopt. They are often worried about their social behavior

and try to escape from others’ criticisms. This worry gives birth to undesirable

elements in them such as carelessness, less care of others, comfort, giving

rude replies, short tempered and express displeasure, interfering in other’s

conversation, quarrelling with guardians for getting more freedom, beating the

younger children in home, rejecting other people’s advice (Davoudi and

Kumar, 2008).

• The threshold of adulthood : Tamizharasi and Manickaraj (2006)

exhorted that adolescence is the period of preparation for adult life. Hurlock

(2007) viewed that as adolescents approach legal maturity, they are anxious

to shed the stereotype of teenagers and to create the impressions that they

are near adults. Dressing and acting like adults, are not always enough. So

they begin to concentrate on behaviour that is associated with the adult

status-smoking, drinking, using drugs and engaging in sex. They believe that

this behaviour will create the image they desire.

• A time of unrealism : The unrealistically high aspirations, the young

adolescents has for himself, family and friends are in part responsible for

some of the heightened emotionality of early adolescence. With increased

social and personal experiences and with increased ability to think rationally,

the older adolescents see himself, family, friends and life in general in a more

realistic way (Devadas and Jaya, 2007).

• A dreaded period : Acceptance of the cultural stereotype of teenagers as

sloppy, unreliable individuals who are inclined towards destructiveness and

antisocial behaviour has led many adults who must guide and supervise the

lives of young adolescents to dread this responsibility and to be

unsympathetic in their attitudes toward and treatment of normal adolescent

behavior (Rueter and Conger, 1995).

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• Increased social relationships and contacts : The social circle of an

adolescent is very wide contrary to childhood, becomes interested in opposite

sex. Believes in making friendships and attaches him closely to a group

(Pressley and Cormick, 2007).

Studies

According to a two year long study conducted by ‘The International

Institute of Population Science, Mumbai and The Population Council, Delhi, in

an attempt to what makes generation next tick over 55,000 youngsters

between ages of 15 and 29, across six states of Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh,

Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu on, ‘Youth in India: Situation

and Needs’ the study offered interesting insights into the young mind. Friends

are important, but so is parental approval. Many preferred not to mingle with

the opposite sex for fear of upsetting their parents. The careful attitude

associated with youth is missing and stress has been acknowledged to be a

major part of their young lives, nearly one in six youth showed signs of stress,

while men tend to worry about jobs and money. Women fret over lack of

education opportunities; 11.2 per cent men and 14 per cent women perceived

themselves to be depressed (Times of India, 2009).

Majed and Fatema (2009) evaluated the difference and relationships

between stress with aggression, social anxiety and social skills across

adolescents of Kuwait and Indian samples. It was found that the level of

stress among Indian adolescents is higher than those of Kuwait, because of

the surrounding environment of the sample of India facing many economical

and sociological problems. Misra’s (2006) study on “Need Assessment of

Adolescents in Bageshwor District, Uttranchal”, on a sample of both boys and

girls in the age range of 14-18 years showed that with the onset of puberty,

the feelings and emotions, which the adolescents went through as follows:

10.66 per cent felt lack of attention, while 47.54 per cent felt lack of

confidence in themselves ; 14.75 per cent felt lonely, whereas 27.88 per cent

felt stressed because of the confusion and changes occur in their bodies. The

response regarding time spending is as follows: 50.82 per cent claimed

spending most of their time with the family whereas, 40.16 per cent said they

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were with their friends most of the time, while 9.02 per cent spent time alone

without the company of friends and families.

Botsari (2005) studied on “Risk / Protective Effects on Adolescent

Depression, Role of Individual, Family and Peer Factors”. The gender, age

differences, family and peer risk factors for adolescent depression were

examined. The results with a sample of 52 adolescents in grades 7-12

showed that : (a) girls were more vulnerable to depressive symptoms than

boys, (b) the effect of self-perception of scholastic competence on depression

was stronger for boys than for girls, while physical attractiveness and parent

relation were more significant for girls than boys, (c) the effect of relationships

with parents on the adolescents’ psychological adjustment weakened during

adolescence, being always stronger for girls than for boys. On the contrary,

the significance of classmate support increased with increasing age, boys and

girls equally benefited from supportive relationships with their peers, (d) early

adolescents’ parent relation influence perceived classmate support, whereas

in late adolescence family and peers appear to form two wholly independent

“social worlds”. The findings of the study revealed that low self-perception of

scholastic competence, dissatisfaction with physical appearance, more

conflicted family relationships and low social support from classmate have risk

enhancing effects on depression of adolescents and depressive disorders

constitute one of the major mental health problems.

Body image has been the subject of much debate and investigation

especially during adolescence. Body image is an important element reflecting

adolescents’ experience and their understanding of their development. It is

thought to be relating to many aspects of human development including

personality development and familial relationships. It is an indicator of

adolescent component of identity development. The results of Palmgvist and

Santa Virta’s (2007) research on “What friends are for: The relationship

between body image, substance use, and peer influence among Finnish

adolescents”, indicated that there was a significant difference between boys

and girls in how they experience their body image in all their body-image

dimensions. In searching dimension, the girls were more occupied with

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thought of how to change their body and lose weight. In the dimension of

satisfaction, the median for boys was higher, suggesting that boys were more

satisfied with their bodies and appearance than girls. In the dimension of

media influence, the median for both boys and girls were low but the median

for girls was slightly higher. Girls may be slightly more oriented to comparing

their bodies to those seen in the media.

2.2 Values and value patterns of adolescents

“Civilization is not built with brick and mortar, s teel and machinery,

It is built with men and women, their spiritual quality and moral character”

The rise and fall of different ancient civilizations, viz., Egyptians,

Persians, Sumerian, Greek and Roman may be attributed among other things

to the values evolved and cherished by them and the subsequent decline in

the evolved value system. The more a society cherishes the values, the better

it would be as a society, in the sense of a standard that influence our choice

of the good, the true and the beautiful. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama

said that in the 21st century, there was great technological advancement but it

cannot create peace, happiness and friendship (Times of India, 2011).

Definition

The word value is derived from the Latin word “Valerie” which means

“to be strong and vigorous”. The German philosopher and father of values ,

Friedrich Nietzsche first used the word ‘values’ in 1880. Until then the word

was used as a verb meaning to value as esteem something or as a singular

noun meaning the measure of something for example, the value of money,

property or labour. Nietzsche used the word ‘values’ in plural to denote moral

beliefs and attitudes what were personal and subjective because the belief in

that Darwin’ s ‘origin of species’ taught him about the survival of the fittest.

According to Rokeach (1973) values are beliefs about how one ought or

ought not to behave, or about some state of existence worth or not worth

attaining. Values are abstract ideals, positive or negative, that represent a

person’s belief about ideal modes of conduct and ideal terminal goals. John

Dewey (1948) also defined value as means to prize, esteem, appraise and

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estimate. It means the act of cherishing something, holding it dear and also

the act of passing judgments upon the nature and amounts of values as

compared with somethingelse. Gawande (2007) viewed that values are

concepts heavily weighted with emotions. They are concepts of the desirable,

which influence the child’s selection from available modes, means and ends

of action.

Significance

• Values reflect

• One’s personal attitudes and judgement

• Decision and choices

• Behaviour and relationship

• Dreams and visions

• Values give direction and firmness to life

• Values bring joy, satisfaction and peace in life.

Baradha (2007) and Hurlock (2007) opined that moral development

during adolescence becomes progressively more abstract and less concrete.

Moral convictions become more concerned with what is right and less

concerned with what is wrong, justice emerges as a dominant moral force,

increasingly cognitive. To analyze social and personal codes more vigorously

than during childhood and to decide on moral issues. Moral judgment

becomes less egocentric, psychologically expensive in the sense that it takes

an emotional toll and creates psychological tension and inner control of

behaviour. One of the developmental tasks adolescents must master is

learning what the group expects of them and then being willing to mould their

behaviour to conform to these expectations without the constant guidance,

supervision and threats of punishment they experienced as children. Siddique

(2009) claimed that with the development of social and civic sense,

adolescents during this period learn to behave according to the norms of their

society and culture. It prepares a stage of proper moral development. The

formation of strong sentiments during this period intensifies the process of

moral development. The character by which we know a person in his life, to a

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great extent is the product of the experiences gained, complexes formed and

sentiments made during this age. Positive and negative attitude towards

morality of adolescents depend upon the learning from their environment.

Kauts and Kaur (2010) emphasized that adolescents try to find a

separate identity of their own by figuring out who they are. They want to make

decisions or choices on their own even if parents disapprove of their

decisions. They question ideas and values and may reject the attitude of

parents because they are building their own sets of beliefs and values. Moral

understanding in adolescents is fostered by warm parenting and discussion of

moral concerns (WHO, 1998).

Studies

Sharma’s (2005) case study on the relation of children’s moral

judgment level to that of their parents and to communication patterns in the

family, revealed that parent’s and child’s moral judgment levels were

moderately related and more advanced parents were more encouraging of

their child. Parent-moral judgment relationship is affected by family conditions

which promote modeling in general, such as amount of involvement and

warmth. The study also revealed that children of principled but remote fathers

had not yet reached a conventional level of reasoning. Their analysis of

discussion time does not rule out the possibility that parents provide the moral

atmosphere and if the child can learn from it, he in turn becomes a

contributing member to it. Thus movement upward in the sequence of moral

stages is a dynamic interchange when it is viewed in the family context.

Education Times (2009) conducted a nationwide poll to check on the

adolescent Gandhigiri quotient. More than 500 students were quizzed on the

various Gandhian principles and their adaptability in their day-to-day lives.

The result of this poll was surprising. For instance Gandhiji believed in

Swadeshi and promoted the cause of khadi. The study exhibited 35 per cent

of the adolescents voted for popular international brands. Regarding self-

sufficiency 41 per cent felt they were entitled to allowance by virtue of their

parent’s children. When they were asked if they would use various means to

get into the college of their choice, an outstanding 41 per cent claimed they

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would go to the dream college and get the degree. Concerning ahimsa, 20 per

cent stated that they also would strike back and give peer fingers and abuse

them right back when asked if they were in arguments with their peers,

whereas 38 per cent said they would lower their voice and hope that they

would follow suit. This finding highlights that still they want to conform to their

peers. Regarding truth when they were asked what they would do if they have

been suspended from college for a week, 38 per cent mentioned that they

would continue pretending like they are attending classes, 13 per cent stated

that it doesn’t make a difference, as they are a serial bunker, 39 per cent

disagreed and stand at the ground in the group of bad company. When asked

if their friends believed that sex, drug and rock ‘n’ roll were ways of life only

13 per cent agreed.

Kalia et al (2004) study on gender-wise analysis of value showed that

the schedule caste adolescent boys were theoretical and religious, the female

schedule caste adolescents were aesthetic and religious, while female

non-schedule caste adolescents were more theoretical. Danino (2007)

reported on the all India survey on the quality of school education. The

International forum for India’s heritage conducted the survey on education for

standards 9-12 which was sponsored by NCERT by soliciting replies from

over 11,000 students of 21 states on a wide range of 72 questions covering

most aspect of school education. Girls formed 40 per cent of the students.

The survey questioned students on aspects of Indian heritage. The results are

striking that 91 per cent of all students felt that they would benefit from

learning elements of Indian culture; while 80 per cent wished Indian culture to

be part of extra-curricular activities; 83 per cent of the students found the

practices of yogasana, pranayama and meditation helpful; 80 per cent were

familiar with the Ramayana; 72 per cent with the Mahabharata; 33 per cent

with the Buddha’s teachings; 51 per cent felt that Indian languages (ancient or

modern) should be learned, half of them for cultural reasons and the other half

for the promotion of national integration. An alarmingly low proportion of

38 per cent felt that they acquired some values at school, seven per cent

specially stated that they did not acquire no values while 44 per cent did not

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reply at all. The values they would like to assimilate and practice in their own

lives were honesty (10%), truthfulness (9%), brotherhood and friendship (6%),

duty and dharma (4%), inspiration from one’s parents, self perfection, courage

and simplicity (3%) each and non-violence (1%). One major finding of this

survey was that students showed a substantial degree of interest in Indian

culture or in learning about it at school, denoting an eagerness for cultural

education and value education undoubtedly.

Gupta (2004) investigated on 250 students from senior secondary

classes of Kendriya Vidyalayas and government schools of Delhi about

students’ perceptions of spirituality. The study revealed that 90 per cent of

students expressed faith in God. Only 50 per cent responded that it was

acquired from family. Regarding understanding of religious teachings, 50 per

cent could explain the messages given by their religion. It taught them to be

truthful, believe in non-violence, peace, unity, love and respect got everyone

but only 25 per cent could explain the meaning of the term ‘secular’. They also

expressed that religion helped them in difficult situations, as it was a source of

strength and support to them. Fifty per cent students expressed the need for

value based education for preparing good citizens with healthy mental

development and for the welfare of mankind. Ninety per cent children agreed

that moral/spiritual education should be available in schools. Forty per cent

were in favour of a separate class for it and 45 per cent felt it could be taught

along with other subjects.

A study was conducted by Subudhi and Sharma (2009) to assess the

psychodynamics of indiscipline in students involving sample of principals,

teachers and students to highlight their perception in socio-cultural,

educational and economic causes of undisciplined behaviour among the

students. The study showed that anti social activities among the students

were the outcomes of their unsuitable status and passion through luxurious

life style learnt due to their wide exposure to cinema, T.V. and other electronic

media that pictures vulgarisms, violence and global culture especially the

western part of the world, deterioration of traditional values in the nuclear

family due to gradual withdrawal of the joint family system from Indian society,

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backed by blind inclination of students to the luxurious lifestyle based on easy

earned money and practice of global culture has caused indiscipline in the

students. This study also reveals that children in broken families or single

child norm are more intolerant, less non-co-operative and less sharing than

those who live with their brothers and sisters. Broken homes characterized by

conflicting home environment, lack of adequate family co-hessiveness, mal-

socialization of children and absence of proper role model for the child at

home constitute the single major factor generating indiscipline among the

students. Such underlying factors changed their direction from constructive

activities to their involvement in destructive and socially unwanted activities.

Saini (2005) carried out a study on family and academic achievement

of adolescent children of working and non-working mothers with 415

adolescents of Chandigar city found that as compared to families and

adolescents of working mothers, the families and adolescent children of non-

working mothers secured higher mean scores in the area of Moral Religious

Emphasis (MRE). This could be due to the non-working mothers having more

leisure time as compared to the working mothers. The families of non-working

mothers in general were more involved so far as religious practices are

concerned. Working mothers went out to work generally had more practical

attitude towards life. They might not find time to discuss religious issue at

home and hence be less concerned about these matters. Sravanthi and Devi

(2009) investigated the personality dimensions of adolescents. The results

revealed that in the dimension of morality, half the samples studied were in

average (51.1) category and it was followed by 34 per cent in high category.

This might be influenced by the parental guidance and support which helped

the child in assessing what is right and wrong in the aspects discussed by

them. The adolescent girls (35%) had high scores on morality compared to

boys (33%). This might be due to the fact that girls try to adhere to more

moral standards compared to boys. This might be influenced by the maturity

shown by the girls where they had better thinking, resulting in emotional

competencies.

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Sharma (2006) did a research on moral judgment ability of pre-

adolescents in Ludhiana city of Punjab. The sample of the study consisted of

120 pre adolescents with equal number of male and female drawn from four

randomly selected schools. The study concluded that majority of the

respondents possessed average ability of moral judgment which increased with

increase in age. The study revealed that more male respondents were having

higher ability of moral judgment than female. The family culture and parental

upbringing seemed to have an impact on moral judgment ability of male

children. It implies that all our efforts must be made to create better

environment in government schools for enhancing the moral judgment ability of

children. Dugar (2003) explored the value patterns of girls by organizing value

based camps and training programme. Besides this, seminars and lectures by

eminent scholars on value based issues; practical methods like yoga,

meditation of different types were adopted. A pre-test and post-test using

psychological test of Ojha’s “study of values” were conducted during the

camps. The results showed that students of post testing group differ

significantly from the pre-testing group on the performance of six values viz,

theoretical, economic, aesthetic, social, political and religious values of

personality. It shows the importance of practical methods, which helps in

internalization and sensitization of students. At the pre-testing stage the

aesthetic value was first, while religious value was last in order. At the end of

training programme their religious value became first and political value

became the last. A significant difference was also observed in the case of

violence and non-violence scales with higher mean scores of post training. Girls

were more influenced by training rather than boys.

Kauts and Kaur’s (2010) research findings revealed that regarding

terminal values adolescent boys had highest preference for the value-wisdom,

whereas girls had highest preference for the value of national integration. The

least preference was given by the boys was value-salvation while girls mature

love. The highly preferred common values by the boys and girls were – a

world at peace, freedom, true friendship, wisdom, national security and

equality. The least preferred common value by boys and girls is salvation.

Concerning instrumental value, the highest preferred value for boys and girls

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was honesty. The least preferred value for boys were-cheerful and girls-

logical. The highly preferred common values for boys and girls were

courageous, honesty and self- control. The low preferred common values by

boys and girls were logical, self control, forgiving and cheerful.

2.3 Factors influencing values of adolescents

Psychologists maintain that human behavior which is the product of

values. Gupta (2008) said that a person’s values may determine to a large

degree what he does or how well he performs. His immediate decisions and

life goals are influenced, consciously or unconsciously by his value system.

Thus one’s adjustment and efficiency is largely the product of values. The

lifelong behavioural pattern, attitude and perception of individuals are guided

and directed by these values. Values that determine and direct one’s

behaviour are acquired and instill through a series of experiences encounter

in certain important and complex networks of environmental factors like home,

school, community and media. Gill and Jaswal (2010) exhorted that

development of values is a function of interaction between many factors

broadly as personal factors and environmental factors. Personal factors point

out that development of values may vary due to age, sex and intelligence,

whereas environmental factors such as socio-economic status, parent child

relationship, education level of parents, quality of home environment and

school environment play a significant role in the development of values in

children.

• Friends : Bhushan and Ahuja (1987) explained that adolescents are often

described in terms of the friends they have, the company they keep and the

moral values they hold. Books, teachers and friends bring them into contact

with sharply conflicting views and his own intellectual powers; stimulate them

to test moral behaviour. Peer relationship plays a unique role in human

development. Healthy peer relationship promotes the development of moral

reasoning, co-operation and reciprocity (Swain, 2007). Bhatia (2008) claimed

that peer groups are more powerful than parents in shaping values and many

struggle for acceptance from their peers. Predictors of a student’s potential for

a successful life after high school are choice of peer group.

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FACTORS INFLUENCING VALUE PATTERNS OF ADOLESCENTS

FIGURE 1

• Religion : Religion and religious institutions are major base for value

development that assume special significance. Religion becomes a source of

identifying oneself a well as others. It can act as a unifying factor against

negative values like hatred, mutual distrust and intolerance (NCERT, 1998).

Gawande (2004) exhorted that in traditional societies like India, the spiritual

values as embodied in its religion and philosophy can claim to be the primary

and original source of all derived social values. Goodwin (2007) explained the

role of religion in human values. Cultural traditions, religion and language

have different meanings that believe and influence social life. Thus it seems

important to revaluate the role of values in social life in a society which is

extremely distinguishable in religious terms. An adaptation of Schwartz’s

value survey (2006) was used in which the overall results indicate that a

combination of Schwartz’ values with insight from individualism / collectivism

useful in contexts like Mozambique, a nation characterized by divergent

religious groups, which can lead to collision between religious viewpoints and

values. It is most important to investigate further the historical and social

Friends

Parents

Religion

Schools

Age

Income

Mass Media Gender

Culture Neighbouhood

Training

Family Type

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influences that shape individual and communal identities with regard to

questions of religion and values. Religion has a strong effect on individual

values. Values are desirable ideals located centrally within one’s belief

system. They constitute an attribute of the individual as well as of the

collective culture. Verma (2007) considered that practices of particular

religion, God and belief system of the individual has significant influence over

one’s value pattern lending to variation in patterns of interaction and

experience which in turn produce the difference in value pattern.

• School : Educational causes of indiscipline include the way schools are

organized and the way the school functions (Manu, 2007). In schools moral

education is overlooked. The administrators are only after high academic

achievements. Intelligence is not measured by considering all the domains.

The emphasis is only on the cognitive domain. However, true education

involves the development of the mental, physical, spiritual and social activities

of a person. Odera (2009) was of the opinion that societal values, norms,

rules and regulations are transmitted through warm caring relationships. As in

family, children in schools care about societal values as long as they know

that teachers care about the same (Kumar and Rajan, 2011).

• Age : Sinha and Verma (2006) said that age seems to be an important

variable affecting values. School children with different age group varied in

their values. A study on individual value structure and diversity attitudes: the

moderating effects of age, gender, race and religiosity was done to investigate

how an individual’s value structure influences his/her attitudes toward others

who were dissimilar and the moderating effects of age, gender, race and

religiosity on this relationship. Age, gender, and race here found to interact

with values to predict diversity attitudes. More specifically, showed that the

impact that a person’s values had on his/her attitudes towards diversity was

moderated by his/her age, race and gender.

• Income : Lower socio-economic status had an adverse effect on

personality as well human values. A child from a low socio-economic status

had more than twice the chance of being psychologically impaired than the

upper socio-economic status counterparts. Person of low socio-economic

30

status were characterized by high aggressiveness and delinquency (Verma,

1990). Rao (2008) exhorted that children from higher status families tend to

display mature moral judgement and this disparity was quite apparent in

adolescent years. Padhan’s (2003) study revealed that socio economic status

was significantly positively correlated with social, economic, knowledge,

power and family prestige value. As exhorted by Damon (2006) there was

greater homogeneity of values in middle class families than lower class

families. Middle socio-economic status parents behaved in a way, which

would tend to produce an internal governor in their children and also used a

verbal medium of discipline and explicit withdrawal of affection.

• Mass media : Media play an important role in inculcating values. Violent

films which depict the lifestyles of the dons, showing glaring pictures of the

underworld sends a message to the children (Manickam, 2011). Exposure to

the visual aggressiveness draws the child to demand toy guns, followed by a

desire to have real one and children grow up to be perpetrators of violence

(Perera, 2008 and Luther, 2008). A study was conducted by Sharma (2009) to

assess the psychodynamics of indiscipline in college students involving

samples of principals, teachers and students to highlight their perception in

socio–cultural, educational and economic causes of indiscipline behavior

among the students. The study shows that anti social activities among the

students are the outcomes of their unsuitable status and passion through

luxurious life style learnt due to their wide exposure to cinema, T.V. and other

electronic media that pictures vulgarians, violence and global culture

especially the western part of the backed by blind inclination of students to the

luxurious lifestyle based an easy earned money and practice of global culture

has caused indiscipline in the students. Bahadur and Dhawan (2008) told that

social values are drastically affected by urban influence and subsequent

assignation of western ideas due to the affect of modernization. Traditional

values have declined considerably.

• Culture : Culture includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and

any other capabilities and habits acquired by a man as a member of society.

Culture creates values through social codes, mores and folkways, customs,

31

social laws, taboos, social norms and heritage. Adolescents’ value, beliefs

and lifestyle are determined by culture. Values are communicated from one

generation to another generation (Sharma and Katoch, 2007).

• Sex : John (2009) reviewed that females attach more importance to certain

prosocial values than males do in late adolescence but has not considered

whether their gender difference is evident across stages of adolescence and

whether it varies by race. They also find important patterns in the gender

difference across racial groups as well as across age. Reddy (2004) viewed

that girls show high preference for religious, aesthetic and social values.

Sharma (2006) reported that men score high than women on theoretical,

economic and political-values but low on aesthetic, religious and social

values. In a case study done on gender, personal values, strategies and small

business performance by Sovana (2008), examined the influence of gender

on the performance of small businesses and how do personal values

influence their strategies. Results showed that there are gender differences in

personal values, which lead to different strategies adopted by women and

men, which in turn influence performance and this affects their pursuit of

specific functional strategies and ultimately their performance in varied ways.

• Neighbourhood : Strong influence of the neighbourhood can help or

hinder, mar or make the development of values in an individual. They teach

acceptance and aversion to certain types of values. This is determined by the

‘sub -culture’ of the neighbourhood. In a neighbourhood, where people belong

to a particular class or status that disapproves anti-social conduct, people live

and function with a sense of responsibility. The neighbourhood is a vital

source of value development as it counters or nurtures the values inculcated

by the family (NCERT, 1998).

• Training : Baligatti (2009) did a study on value orientation and capacity

building through NCC in colleges found that the drill, weapon training,

adventure training, field craft and battle craft activities developed the personal

values. Drill imparted discipline, punctuality and developed stamina to

withstand physical fatigue, weapon training developed the quality of patience

through co-ordination of body movements, and adventure training developed

32

the quality of determination by putting sustained efforts for achieving goals

inspite of hurdles. Training in field and battle craft enhanced self confidence

by putting faith in one’s ability to counter, complex and stressful situation. It

also developed the skill to take quick decisions (Baradha, 2003).

• Type of family : Deterioration of traditional values in the nuclear family due

to gradual withdrawal of the joint family system from Indian society affects the

value pattern of adolescents. The nuclear family structure is assumed to

favour sharing of roles rather than a hierarchical structuring of roles, liberal

rather than conservative attitudes; role diffusion; an overall egalitarian outlook

rather than a traditional outlook (Rokeach, 1973). Audichya and Jain (2009)

also stated that in a nuclear family, most parents want to bring up their

children with their own set of values and principles, without any interference,

wherein the child has to follow only one set of rules.

• Parents : Singh (2007), Dhall (2008) and Kapani (2008) mentioned that

values are significant in one’s personality development. Values developed by

direct learning through parents at home and the teachers at school and later

on, the person acquires the values of his society through the different media

of communication. Differences in family pattern may bring about differences in

social values and ideologies. Mukerjee (2007) exhorted that family is base of

socialization process and parents are the first teachers from whom the values

are transferred through verbal and non-verbal means. Broken homes

characterised by inflicting home environment, lack of adequate family

co-hessiveness, malsocialization of children and absence of proper role

model for the child at home constitute the single major factor generating

indiscipline among the students. Such underlying factors changed their

direction from constructive activities to their involvement in destructive and

socially unwanted activities. Children who have been abused may develop

models of relationships characterized by distrust, leading to aggressive or

defensive behavior (Crittender, 2006).

2.4 Impact of home environment (HE) on values of ad olescents

Many studies have highlighted that adolescents from family

environment of less controlled and high on encouraging children to explore, to

33

be independent and expressive whereas children from families which inhibit

individualization are more likely to feel anxious, depressed and psychosocially

immature (Grotevent and Copper, 1985; Graft, 2003). The environmental

conditions affect the wholesome adjustment to adolescents’ relationships with

people, school performance and choice of vocation and in developing a well-

integrated personality. Parents play an important role in moulding child’s

character, personality, career and advancement in education. Highly involved

parents provide guidance, healthy environment and encouragement to

children (Ahuja and Goyal, 2006). Children coming from homes that have

moral environment were better adjusted and satisfactorily related with others

(Shilpy, 2011).

ROLE OF PARENTS AS VALUE INCULCATOR

FIGURE 2

Bhonsle (2009) highlighted that in a bid to provide their child with the

best learning opportunities and exposures, parent in today’s competitive

world, cease to reflect on what is required to raise a happy child. Children

Role of parents to make an ideal home environment

Develop sense of harmony

Encourage prosocial behaviour

Give respect and try to know

Available when needed

Positive and good role model

Provide unconditional love

Practice sharing and caring

Remember children learn from parents

Create opportunities to develop

Avoid corporal punishment

34

these days are so busy attending tuitions, dance, etiquette, drama, elocution

and sports classes that they have no time to pursue their individual hobbies.

Cases of teenage depression, anxiety and clinical rage are also on the rise.

While much thought and time is put into making a child competent, very little

is invested in helping him become a competent person. Such parents try to

create the perfect humans at the cost of their child’s well being. Parents

influence their children’s activity choices through their general parental style

and the socio- emotional environment they provide for their children.

Adolescents with family relationships characterized by high levels of parental

involvement, engagement and connectedness as well as low levels of conflict

have been found to be more involved in organized activities compared with

adolescents with less favourable family environment (Bohnert et al, 2007).

Family plays a significant role in the personality development and socialization

of the child at different developmental stages of the life span (Vranda, 2009).

Robinson (2009) emphasized that child internalizes the values, norms

and ideals of the cultural group in which he grows and thereby becomes a

functioning member of the society. These values and norms of the society are

largely internalized on the basis of parent child interaction. The basic

personality structure emerges within the framework of family relationships.

The foundation of the child’s capabilities, skills, attitudes and interests is laid

in the family. Men are the product of his environment. He is what his

environment has made him to be. After conception, how he develops is the

outcome of interaction between his hereditary and environment. Pankajam

(2005) and Babu and Mumoorthy (2010) advocated that the most important

school for character building is home. This is where children observe the

behaviour of their parents and siblings and develop their own patterns of

behaviour either for good or bad. The initial training in values is received by

every child at his home. Subhadra (2006) also stated that children emulate

their elders. If parents are honest, socially responsible and non-aggressive,

there is a good chance that their children will act likewise. The child’s learning

starts from the home since it is the first school where good habits and values

are nurtured in a child. The foundation laid in the formative years of a child,

35

plays significant role in determining the personality of a child and making him

a good citizen. It is the family where child learns different values such as love,

sharing, living together, tolerance, respecting others, obedience, honesty and

kindness (Field et al,1995; Kokko and Pulkkinen, 2000; Lau and Kwok, 2000 ;

Lai and Mcbride-Chang, 2001).

Jaya and Subhadra (2006) exhorted that for better social adjustment

each member of the family must show and behave properly with the child. The

behaviour of the children very much depends upon the child rearing practices

used by the family members. Parental attitudes, beliefs and goals that exist in

the daily parenting and parent-child interactions leave an impact on the child’s

development. Broken homes characterized by inflicting home environment,

lack of adequate family co-hessiveness, malsocialization of children and

absence of proper role model for the child at home constitute the single major

factor generating indiscipline and long term effects on adolescents life styles

(Olsson et al, 1991; Probha and Jabun, 2010 and John, 2011). Home

environment and relationships with parents share an influential space in

individual’s life (Kaushik and Rani, 2005). Positive parenting behaviour

protects the adolescents from subsequent substance use and problem

behaviour (Clovelad et al, 2005 and Crittender, 2006).

Studies

A study was conducted by Sandhu and Tung (2005) on psychological

correlates of identity formation in adolescents. Objective of this study was to

examine the correlates of identity formation, among adolescents’ boys and

girls. The sample was administered with various psychological tools to

measure identity statuses, emotional autonomy, family environment, well-

being, intellectual capacity, creativity and personality. Results suggest identity

achievement and moratorium statuses to be linked positively with healthy and

congenial home environment, emotional autonomy, well being, mature

cognitive and personality functioning; whereas opposite is true for diffusion

status. Foreclosure in adolescents is being maintained by high control,

cohesion and moral religious emphasis in the family and such adolescents

seem to be responsible and self-controlling in their personality and high

36

elaborators cognitively. Such families by their strong bonding, value patterns,

and co- operation leave lesser space for familial conflicts and maintain higher

interpersonal values like responsibility and self-control in their children. This

kind of families also placed high expectations from their children. The children

are also desperate to please their parents. Devi and Goyal (2006) conducted

a research on “Adolescent’s perception about family, environment and

emotional intelligence”, showed that adolescents who perceived that they

were expressive and had less conflicts at home, were the happiest persons.

Conducive family environment enabled adolescents to feel free to express

their feelings and thoughts, exhibiting co-hesive behaviour, opportunity to

express their feeling, accepted and cared for by their family members, who

maintained good-interpersonal relations and were popular in their peer group.

Shrivastava and Sharma (2009) compared the mental health of higher

and lower group of class X students on the basis of parent child relationship.

The findings revealed that an entire socio- psychological problem among

adolescents spring up as a result of faulty relationships with their parents.

Healthy and good parent child relationship in the family greatly influences the

mental health of adolescents in various aspects. Family is the chief

motivational factor to influence the personality of an individual. Healthy

relationship in the family makes a child feels well adjusted and accepted. A

healthy family climate may be helpful in making the best use of even the

limited potentialities of the teenagers.

Sinha and Mishra (2007) conducted a study on “Parenting behavior

patterns contribute to parent– child relationship”. The research examined the

relationship between parenting behavior patterns and parent–child

relationship during the early and late adolescence. The study was carried out

in Varanasi with adolescents aged 14-19 years, divided into early and late

adolescent groups. Paternal acceptance, control, rejection, parent–child

intimacy, conflict and admiration were assessed. Findings revealed that as

compared to boys, girls reported to receive greater acceptance, admiration

and lesser rejection from their fathers. It has been pointed out that children

who readily comply with parental commands and quickly internalize parental

37

values were generally more accepted by the parents than those who did not.

A study by Dev and Chatterjee (2008) on “Styles of parenting adolescents:

The Indian scenario” exhibited that when the parents become friendly to their

adolescents and create a comfortable atmosphere for them in the home to

express their feelings frankly to them, then the adolescents feel a lot secured

and turn less towards the peer group for acceptance and acknowledgement.

Not only good parent–child relation but also cordial relationship between the

parents is vital indicator of the happiness and level of adjustment of the

adolescent. Parental hostility is linked to declining school performance and

higher risk of delinquency.

Ackward et al (2006) studied the “Parent- child connectedness and

behavioral and emotional health among adolescents”. The results indicated

that the majority of girls and boys reported valuing their parent’s opinion,

when making serious decisions and believing that their parents cared about

them. Yet, one fourth of girls and boys felt unable to talk to their mother about

problems, and over half of girls and one third of boys felt unable to talk to their

father. Valuing friend’s opinions over parent’s opinions and perceiving low

parental communication and carrying were associated with unhealthy weight

control, substance abuse, suicide attempts and body dissatisfaction,

depression and low self- esteem. Adolescent’s perception of low parental

caring, difficulty in talking to their parents about problems and valuing their

friend’s opinions for serious decisions were significantly associated with

compromised behavioral and emotional health.

Bahadur and Dhawan (2008) conducted a study on social value of

parents and children in joint and nuclear families of Allahabad city. The

children were in the age group of 15-17 years. The study focuses on

individual level changes effected by the modifications that are taking place in

the family under rapid ongoing socio-cultural changes in contemporary Indian

society. The result shows that there is no significant difference between

parent’s social value and children’s value in joint families, social values are

same because family is the basic cultural unit in which socialization of the

child is accomplished. In this study, the child had similar value according to

38

their parents. Also girls show a tendency of having similar values as of their

mothers and boys to that of fathers. These can be attributed to the closeness

of these to each other. Girls are generally said to be close to mother and boys

take father to be a model in joint family system. There are significant

differences between parents and children in social value patterns in nuclear

families. In the nuclear families parents gave more freedom to their children

and they had no control on them. Both parents are dual earner couples so

they have no time on their children.

2.5 Impact of school environment (SE) on values of adolescents

Education is one of the most important aspects of human resource

development (Natesan and Sujatha, 2011) and it aims at making civilized

human beings (Paleri, 2011). A teachers’ vital role is not giving Knowledge to

their students but also to develop human values (Ponni, 2011). Acharya and

Joshi (2011) propounded that school is undoubtedly, the most significant

social context in the life of a child as almost one-third of a day is spent here.

The school is not only an organization to teach cognitive skills and to impart

information. It is also a social system in which the child learns the rules of

morality, social conventions, attitudes and morals of relating to each other.

For an adolescent, the school life signifies both adjustment and achievement,

entailing the emotional as well as the cognitive aspects of life.

School years are the key formative period which prepare future adults

for life’s challenges-personal or professional. Meeting these challenges

successfully depends on life skills and the moral values. Children learn more

social skills-how to adjust, make friends, and accept healthy competition-

during school hours than at home. A child’s journey towards emotional and

intellectual maturity is all about outgrowing self-referential needs and

demands. This rite of passage involves emerging from within the home’s

protective walls to enter the world outside. It is to discover that the self is part

of a larger society, citizenship and membership of a shared planet. Education

plays no small role in teaching people to coexist, respect viewpoints, makes

negotiated settlements on clashing interests and understand the need for

environmental protection. The school system, in short, complements

the family in moulding youngsters into good, caring human beings (Goswami,

2009).

ROLE OF AN IDEAL TEACHER

Dr. Abdul Kalam believes that teachers have tremendous responsibility

in shaping the life of an individual, great mis

young which are most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth and

under the earth. He visualizes that the role of teacher is like the proverbial

‘ladder’ which is used by everyone to climb up in life. The aim of a tea

should be to inculcate values that enhance th

build character and confidence to be innovative and creative which in turn will

make them competitive to face the future. He authored the teacher, the child’s

window to learning and knowledge, has to play the role model in generating

creativity in the child. He pointed out that parents and teachers have great

responsibility in shaping the character of their children especially during

adolescence and the success of students is

Initiator

Agent of social change

Reducer of stress and

anxiety

39

family in moulding youngsters into good, caring human beings (Goswami,

ROLE OF AN IDEAL TEACHER

FIGURE 3


in shaping the life of an individual, great mission to ignite the minds of the



‘ladder’ which is used by everyone to climb up in life. The aim of a tea

should be to inculcate values that enhance the learning capacity of children

confidence to be innovative and creative which in turn will


ning and knowledge, has to play the role model in generating



adolescence and the success of students is a testimony to the great service of

Communi-cator

Counsellor

Impartial

Upholder of values and

norms

Rationalist

Resource person

Value educator

Learning facilitator

Reducer of stress and

Inspirer

family in moulding youngsters into good, caring human beings (Goswami,


sion to ignite the minds of the



‘ladder’ which is used by everyone to climb up in life. The aim of a teacher

e learning capacity of children,

confidence to be innovative and creative which in turn will


ning and knowledge, has to play the role model in generating



a testimony to the great service of

Upholder of values and

40

teacher, who provides knowledge and facilitates the student’s life with great

dreams and aims (Chandra et al, 2007 and Mani and Devi, 2011).

Manivannan (2008) affirmed that values are the socially acceptable

virtues of individuals. These values are inculcated in young minds during

schooling, a miniature society, as per Dewey. School takes the role of

moulding the children to take up the social responsibility and to become good

citizen of the country. A congenial environment is to be provided at the school

according to the requirement of the society. In school, physical environment,

academic input, administrative structure and teacher’s efficiency are

contributing to the total development of the child. Child’s total environment

decides his personality. The school as an agent of social transformation has

to socialize children into the value of Indian constitution. To socialize children

into emergent values as against established value of hierarchy, the school

needs to provide a critical space for children to engage freely with knowledge

and values (Babu, 2007). Rajaguru (2008) recommended that true education

must give importance for all round development i.e., the head, the hands and

the heart and not focus merely on pouring theoretical information in the

classrooms. The destiny of the nation is being shaped in classrooms. The

teachers are architects and vital for the well-being of a nation.

Tembhekar (2009) suggested that regarding the spate of suicides

among students, many psychiatrists and academicians believe the only

solution lies in bringing back the concept of “happy schools”. Children get

depressed and stressed out not only because of competition but also due to

the demanding drill of parent-teacher meetings that focus on children’s

shortcomings rather than strengths, making “schools hungry for marks”. They

insist that expanding a child’s EQ, and not just the IQ, is important. We need

to instill in children that education is not just about marks but also about

elevating their level of understanding concepts, learning newer ideas and

retaining knowledge through practice. Khar (2008) recommended that an

educational climate should be created, which holds high respects for an

individual learner. The development of sense of emotional security, social

responsibility, morality, and intellectual competency is dependent upon to a

41

large extent on the degree of love, respect and recognition which one

commands from others. One becomes a person depending on how one is

treated consistently as an intelligent person. The child will grow into a human

being of moral integrity is respected consistently as a person who has a high

potentiality to become morally integrated. A child, who grows in an

atmosphere where he or she is loved, respected and well- recognized by the

people around is more likely to identify with the community.

Teacher’s role in the development and progress of a student’s life is

very vital, learner driven learning, encouraging learner initiatives, for taking

action, problem solving, group learning and action is fruitful. When the

behaviour of teachers are changed, unless the teacher sets an example by

his/her behaviour, it is very unlikely that learners will acquire enthusiasm and

inspiration. Sa (2006) and Vaidya (2007) exhorted that the teachers should

make the students to understand the aims and objectives of schooling and

make an effort to develop a conducive school climate, better environment

inside and outside the school for the development of the student.

Studies

According to a study conducted by Ryan and Patrick (2007) on “Early

adolescent’s perceptions of the classroom social environment, motivational

beliefs and engagements,” exhibited strong evidence that perception of the

classroom social environment affect student’s academic and social beliefs

about themselves, which in turn, affect their behavior in class. Danino (2007)

conducted a study on “The quality of India’s education” on Indian students

drawn from 278 schools spread over 21 states highlighted that half of the

students find the educational system deficient in some respect. Among their

chief criticisms, lack of Indian culture comes first, followed by lack of practical

applicability. Fewer students of private urban schools find that their education

promotes all-round growth.

Patankar et al (2007) conducted a study on “Indiscipline among school

students: A teacher’s challenge”. The study exhibited that majority of

secondary school students were extremely indiscipline. Secondary school girl

students were more disciplined than boys. Causes of indiscipline among

42

secondary school students were teaching becoming a bore, teachers

assigning extra homework, teachers not sympathetic and affectionate,

unsuitable physical environment, teacher’s voice not reaching students in the

backbenches, lack of motivation and proper guidance by teachers, constant

criticism by teachers and fear of some teachers. The study also highlighted

that students were disciplined when teachers understood student’s problems,

teacher gives individual attention, teachers ask the reason for misbehaviors

before punishment, teaching is effective and teachers’ clear expectations from

students. Thus, student’s indiscipline was mainly related to school

environment. The study suggested for effective classroom arrangement,

meaningful teaching to motivate the students and introducing adolescent

education at secondary level in the school.

Subudhi and Sharma (2009) elaborated that study which highlighted

that ineffective academic leadership on the part of principals, ineffective

educational programmes, less attention on the academic, care to the gifted

students, less vocational oriented and liberal curriculum, were some factors

responsible for student indiscipline. Finding may be stated as follows : Poor

goal setting by lack of direction and less clarity in life by students leads to

indiscipline among them. Inadequate supporting learning devices,

infrastructure and lack of basic facilities were keys to generate student

indiscipline, ineffective teaching, autocratic attitude of teachers and teacher

politics constitute the main teacher-related causes for indiscipline in students.

Ineffective educational programmes and little attention to the students

generate stress and dissatisfaction in students and it makes them aggressive.

Gafoor and Farooque (2006) in their study identified school as high and

low efficient on the basis of student achievement and compared in terms of

seventeen school related, four home-related variables and achievement

motivation of pupils. The study was conducted on a sample of 700 pupils and

80 teachers from four rural secondary schools of Kozhikode district in Kerala.

It was found that significant difference exist between high and low efficient

schools in terms of school organizational culture variables viz., commitment,

formalization of rules, co-operative emphasis, expectations, academic

43

emphasis, professional management and goal consensus ; school social

system variables viz., instructional approaches, interpersonal relationships

and monitoring ; teacher performance ; instructional facilities; and parental

encouragement. The study also recommended that the teachers need to

become aware that their commitment to the pupil, profession and society at

large has a great impact on students. Schools require developing a

professional management system based on rewards and praises,

characterized by encouragement to those who try to improve individual and

collective standards.

Jayanthi and Agarwal (2006) highlighted that verbal classroom

behavior of the teacher formulates the socio-emotional and intellectual climate

of the classroom. For successful and effective teaching the socio-emotional

climate of the classroom should be positive. Students feel comfortable and

are motivated to learn in positive socio-emotional classroom climate. The

teaching behavior of the teachers is guided by their values. They attempted to

determine the relationship between teacher’s values and socio- emotional

climate of the classroom. The sample of the study consists of 100 secondary

school teachers working in the Lucknow city. The data were analyzed using

non-parametric statistics. Result show that the teachers possessing high

school value were found to be successful in creating positive socio- emotional

classroom climate whereas it is opposite in case of power value. Therefore, it

is desirable to develop those human values in teachers, which have been

found to be positively associated with socio- emotional classroom climate.

2.6 Need and objectives of value education

“Value education can bring about

the primacy of person over things

the spirit over matter and ethics over technology”

The need for value education is arising in every moment of our

existence (Nagpal, 2007). In order to preserve, maintain the advanced

position of our country in the world, it is imperative that there should be a

comprehensive programme of value education for the children’s personality

development (Joseph, 2010), starting from the pre primary level, embracing

44

the entire spectrum of educational process (Pathania and Pathania, 2011).

Only value oriented education can promote individual and social welfare, love,

peace, good will and understanding. It is value oriented education which

would implement to utilize atomic energy for the betterment of humanity

rather than destruction. It is the task of education to develop, preach and

practice social, moral and spiritual values as these values are the greatest

unifying force in life (Bhardwaj and Verma,2001). Jitatmananda (2008) has

rightly expressed that value education is going to emerge as a new

science for inspiring human values in the highly sc ientific and

technologically advance society. The challenge in f ront of today’s

techno-globalism is the creation of value based hum an beings.

Einstein’s brain should be combined with Buddha’s h eart to stop the

devastation of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Napoleon’s d ynamism should

be combined with Swami Vivekananda prophetic passio n for helping

human beings to manifest their divinity and Ramakri shna’s universal

love, respect and acceptance of all religions shoul d be combined with

the spirit of intense religious revival which is em erging all over the world

today.

Bhardwaj and Verma (2001) summed up the need and importance of

value education under the following points:

• Moral development : Value education is the foundation of character and

moral development. It inculcates in children humility, truthfulness, tolerance,

honesty, sincerity, courtesy, sympathy, fellow feeling, affection, spirit of

service and sacrifice which form a noble character of child and develop his

personality. Nagamuthu (2011) stated that the present day youth should be

taught moral values and virtues to make them good citizens. Value education

should become a part of the school curriculum as a means of making

future citizens value consciousness (Ganesan, 2009) . To enable them to

meet the future contingencies of value crisis, the student should be trained

to think and take moral decisions independently. Va lue education is a

matter of developing appropriate behaviour and habi ts involving

inculcation of virtues and good habits (Sindhya, 20 07).

• Cultural development

cultural development. It preserves and reinforces culture. Both values and

culture develops hand in hand and influence each others. Values are the

dynamic side of culture and they must have a place in the curriculum. Value

education is important to build a value based society which our forefathers

cherished and fought for values that are

2009). Sharma (2009) viewed that rapid scientific growth and technological

advancement have threatened our age

Swain and Naik (2006) remarked that there

of conflict in our culture in the changing trend. Value education is the single

most potent instrument for cultural transformation. It is the most indispensable

resource in determining the progress of a nation and no country can survive

for long without a value based society

Muthuchamy and Bharat

Comfort Life

Drug Addiction

Hatred Anger

Pride

45

TREE OF VALUE CRISES

FIGURE 4

Cultural development : Value education plays an important role in the


develops hand in hand and influence each others. Values are the



cherished and fought for values that are enshrined in our constitution


ncement have threatened our age old moral standards and cultures.

Swain and Naik (2006) remarked that there are crises in our country beca




t a value based society (Vyas and Basu,

Muthuchamy and Bharathi, 2009).

Comfort Life

Over Population Price

Rise

Racial Discrimination

Tension

Wars Laziness

Attachment

Anger

Sex Lust

Greed

Poverty

Power

Unrealistic Expectation

Value education plays an important role in the


develops hand in hand and influence each others. Values are the



enshrined in our constitution (Hegde,


old moral standards and cultures.

s in our country because




2009 and

Poverty

46

• Development of wider attitude : Value education makes a pupil dynamic

and enlightened. This develops in him a wider attitude towards life. He begins

to take interest in social service by sacrificing his selfish motives. Not only

this, he becomes courageous enough to face the problems of life boldly and

solves them to the best of his efforts and intelligence. Momen (2009) stated

that increasing tendencies of violence, conflict and rising inclination towards

materialistic pursuits at home and in school are some of the consequences

which reflect lack of importance to the role of attitude and beliefs, human

relations and values in life.

• Development of democratic qualities : Value education helps in

developing democratic qualities like liberty, equality, fraternity, justice and co-

operative living. It stresses the dignity of the individual and the sacredness of

human personality. Chatterjee (2009) and Hedge (2009) elaborated that value

education is the most effective instrument to acquire knowledge, nurture

social and moral values, make citizens socially sensitive, responsible and

forward looking, help in promoting national integration, social harmony and in

producing global citizens prepared to take the world in their strides. It can

establish a healthy relationship between the individuals and the society by

inculcating in them the virtues of tolerance, discipline, commitment, culture,

compassion and sensitivity which are the building blocks of a healthy society.

The destiny of a nation is built upon the character of its citizens in the shaping

of which education plays an important role.

• Sublimation of instincts : Value education helps in the sublimation of

instincts and emotion. It sublimates and redirects sex instincts into desirable

and healthy channels. It is so potent a factor that influences all influence of

human life and society of which one is a part. It develops in pupils the desired

social awakening which is essential for the progress of individuals as well as

society. John (2009) explained that all are living in a world of paradox which is

full of temptation. Most societies are facing problems of alcohol and drug

abuse, mental illness, stress and crimes. Therefore value should be

introduced at the school level (Modi, 2007).

47

• Resolving conflicts : In this materialistic age people have more or less

materialistic attitude. It has different types of conflicts such as old and new

belief, old and new values of life, thus there are many social and ethical

conflicts. Value education helps in resolving these conflicts.

• Co-operative living : Value education teaches to live and work co-

operatively. Narrow feelings and attitudes are not praised and appreciated by

others. To word off the evils of competitiveness and use of unethical practices

to go up in the socio-economic ladder, it is necessary that education should

lay stress on the value education, which emphasizes co-operation rather than

personal improvement and learning to live together rather than living in the

hostile camps. Education should serve the community and it should not be

treated as a commodity of trade (Hooda el al, 2009).

• Basis of humanitarianism : Value education is the basis of

humanitariansm. It stands for peace, good will and understanding. It helps in

fostering the brotherhood of man and unity of the world. Absence of value

education has caused exploitation, corruption, disaster, selfishness,

aggression and hatred in the world. People are becoming soulless and

Godless creatures. There is chaos and disorder. Betterment of the world

depends upon value education. It will encourage the policy live and let live

and provide the basis of true humanitarianism. In short value education will

cause happiness, order and contentment in the world by cultivating faith in

truth, beauty and goodness.

• Decoration of soul : Soul is a part of ultimate truth that is God. So it is our

duty to keep it pure and perfect and this is possible through value education.

The individuals become self-disciplined through such education.

• Maintaining harmony : Value education creates harmony in all aspects of

educational philosophy. It aims at developing the whole man, the complete

somato-psychic organism. Thus value oriented education harmonizes

psychological, social and ethical traits. It helps in developing a complete man

with a sound mind and a sound body, harmony between physical and mental

structure. It must be noted that values of life are ornaments which shine like

stars in the personality of the individual who possesses these values.

48

While addressing the first convocation and the silv er jubilee

celebration of the North East Regional Institute of Science and Technology

(NERIST) in 2009, President Pratibha Patil has call ed for a concerted effort

to make value-based education available to all. She stated that education is

essential for preparing a population that is not on ly knowledgeable and

skilled, but it is also aware of its responsibiliti es and is willing to contribute

to the growth of nation. She said education should be a process that

imparts knowledge and values, develops the personal ity of the individuals

and open up new opportunities (Times of India, 2009 ). Panikkar (2007) was

of the view that value education, being the need of the hour in the country

today requires an emphasis for actualization of vast human potential. Value

education is very basis of other developments-economic, social, and political

and so on. Even the material development of the country will be thwarted if

there is no culturing of the masses. There is no education without values.

Objectives of value education

Objectives of value education, according to NCERT (1998) are given

below.

• Promote in children basic and fundamental qualities such as

truthfulness, co-operation, love and compassion, pe ace and non-

violence, courage, equality, justice, dignity of la bour, common

brotherhood of man and scientific temper

• Train to become responsible citizens in their perso nal and social life

• Enable to understand and appreciate the national go als of socialism,

secularism, democracy and to contribute to their re alization

• An awareness of the socio-economic conditions and m otivate them

to improve the same

• Enable to become open and considerate in their thou ghts and

behaviour and help to remove prejudices based on re ligion,

language, caste or sex

• Help to understand and appreciate themselves and co ntinually strive

for their inner development, thus moving towards th e goal of self-

actualization

49

• Develop proper attitude towards:

I. Oneself and fellow beings

II. One’s own country

III. People of other countries, leading to internat ional

understanding

IV. Life and environment

V. All religions

IMPORTANCE OF VALUE EDUCATION

FIGURE 5

Studies

Nagpal (2007) conducted a study on a large number of non-

governmental organizations (NGO) who are implementing value education

project with the financial assistance received from Ministry of Human

Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India under the grant-in-aid

scheme of assistance for strengthening culture and values in education. The

study evaluated the programmes of 36 such NGOs, and found that

manifestation of positivity in participant’s behaviour has been reported by all

observers and also by close associates such as parents, friends and

colleagues of the target group. All kinds of feedback unanimously confirmed

impact of intervention in behaviour modification which was also confirmed

from the available institutional records and in actions. It was also found that

NGOs at rural level have been successful in bringing down dropout rate in the

VALUE EDUCATION

REMOVE IMPURITIES IN MIND

VITAL FOR

PERSONALITY

ESSENTIAL FOR

CHARACTER

DEVELOPMENT

STEAD FASTNESS

OF MIND

FREE FROM

HYPOCRISY

NON ATTACHMENT

ABSENCE OF

EGOISM

SELFLESS

SERVICE

PEACEFUL SOCIETY HAVING NO

CONFLICTS AND TENSION

STRESS FREE

PERSONALITY

50

schools as a result of their interventions. An analysis of 124 research studies

(National and international Ph.D. thesis from 1972 to 2007) regarding

effectiveness of meditation through various psychological variables was done.

It was found that almost all techniques removed negative mental traits such

as stress, psychopathological variables, obsessive - compulsive, interpersonal

sensitivity, depression, anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychotics and

improve/enhance positive mental traits such as intelligences, higher solving

ability, academic performance, psychological health, concentration, decision-

making, cognitive abilities, happiness, the mental health, self- description,

social maturity, emotional stability, spiritual variables such as spiritual well-

being. As a whole analysis revealed that meditation through any technique is

beneficial for children, adolescents and adults (Singh and Kaur, 2009).

A study was conducted by Chandrasekhar (2008) to find out the impact

of value analysis model, which is a scientific way for the development of

values through which factual claim, value reasoning, value criterion and value

judgement can be developed. By using value analysis model, one can

develop moral, social, cultural and religious values in students. A pre-test and

post-test was done involving experimental and controlled groups with students

of standard VIII. The study found that value analysis model is proved

impressive for the development of values in students. Students can take the

decisions regarding value and the reasoning power is increased through value

analysis model and can solve value problems. Venugopal (2008) conducted

an experimental study of pre- test and post- test design on development of

social values and value clarification ability on students of VII standard. The

study exhibited that the experimental and control group deferred in their social

values on post- test. The students of experimental group showed a difference

in the social value before and after the intervention of juris prudential inquiry in

their value clarification ability before and after the intervention.

A study was conducted by Vohra (2006) on sowing seeds of happiness

through value inculcation in adolescents. The study aimed at enhancing a

state of mental well being, referred to as happiness, through inculcation of

values. The sample comprised of two groups- early and late adolescents. The

51

intervention was conducted over a period of five months with the help of

spiritual value positive, mental health module, adopting an action research

model, involving value of critical self analysis, altruism, forgiveness and

detachment. The study exhibited all the four values worked very well with

adolescents. They expressed satisfactions from the programme in being able

to discover themselves, more importantly in relation to the other and as a

result feeling more complete and whole as individuals. The exercise and role

play employed in the inculcation of values worked as an eye opener for most

of them and helped them. This also helped the students in resolving their

inner chaos. The participants in both the groups expressed the understanding

of self-reflection difficulties associated with making the transition from

childhood to early adolescence, acceptance of positive criticism and taking

responsibility for one’s actions. A pre and post analysis of ratings by self,

peers, parents, teachers and facilitators’ observations indicated the efficacy of

the interventions making it successful and served the purpose.

2.7 Recommendations given by education commissions, official

policies and documents on value education

2.7.1 Secondary Education Commission (1952-53) : The commission was

headed by Dr. A.L. Mudaliar. The commission recommended, oral instructions

in the sense of inspiring talks given by suitable persons selected by the

headmaster and dwelling on the lives of great personages of all times and of

all claims will help to drive home the lessons of morality.

2.7.2 Shri Prakasa Committee (1959) : The committee on religious and

moral Instructions (1959) known as Sri Prakasa Committee made following

recommendations:

• The teaching of moral and spiritual values in educational institutions is

desirable and specific provision for doing so is feasible within certain

limitations.

• The inculcation of good manners, social service and true patriotism should

be continuously stressed at all stages.

• It is very important that in any education scheme, the home should not be

left out and through mass media such as leaflets, talks, radio and the

52

cinema and through voluntary organizations, the faults and drawbacks of

homes both in the matter of their physical orderliness and psychological

atmosphere, should be pointed out, and instruction given as to how these

can be removed.

• It would be very desirable to start work every day in all educational

institutions with few minutes of silent meditation either in the class room or

in a common hall. There could be some sort of prayer also which need not

be addressed to any deity but which may be in the nature of an exhortion

for self-discipline and devotion to some ideal. Occasionally in these

assembly meetings inspiring passages from great literature, religious as

well as secular, and pertaining to all important religions and cultures of the

world, could be read.

• Suitable books should be prepared for stages from primary to university

which should describe briefly in a comparative and sympathetic manner

the basic ideas of all religions as well as the essence of the lives and

teachings of the great religious leaders, saints, mystics and philosophers

inculcate patriotism and social services. These should particularly

concentrate on deeds of heroism and self-sacrifice in the cause of the

country and in the service of others.

• In the course of extra-curricular activities, learned and experienced persons

may be invited to deliver lectures on inter-religious understanding and values.

• Special stress should be laid on teaching good manners and promoting the

virtue of reverence and courtesy, which are badly needed in our society.

2.7.3 Indian Education Commission (1964-66) : Indian Education

Commission popularly known as Kothari Commission is bible of Indian

Education. It was headed by Dr.D.S.Kothari. With regard to moral education

the committee has pointed out: “A serious defect in the school curriculum is

the absence of provision for education in social, moral and spiritual values. In

CROSSING THE SEA OF GLOBAL PROBLEMS THROUGH VALUE E DUCATION

the life of majority of Indians, religion is a great motivating force of Indians and

is intimately bound up with the formation of character and the inculcation of

ethical values. A national system of education that is related to the life needs

and aspirations of the people cannot afford to ignore this purposeful force.

Therefore, conscious and organized attempts be made for imparting

education in social, moral and spiritual values with t

possible, of the ethical teachings of great religions.”

2.7.4 Committee of members of parliament on National Poli cy of

Education (1967). The committee suggested

materials, the stress on the proper study of the hu

sciences, including the study of the great universal religious, the rendering of

social service to the community, and participation of games and sports and

hobbies, will contribute to the formation of right attitudes and value.”

2.7.5 The National Policy on Education (1968)

development of values, attitudes and behaviour patterns like noble ideals,

unity and integrity of India, harmony, spirit of common brotherhood,

Love

Corruption

Crimes

53


FIGURE 6



onal system of education that is related to the life needs



education in social, moral and spiritual values with the help, wherever

possible, of the ethical teachings of great religions.”

Committee of members of parliament on National Poli cy of

The committee suggested : “The quality of reading

materials, the stress on the proper study of the humanities and the social




The National Policy on Education (1968) : The emphasis



Pea

ce

Tru

th

Non

Vio

lenc

e

Rig

ht C

ondu

ct

Love

Revenge

Corruption War

Racial discrimination

Depression

Envy Crimes Rape

Hatred Suicide

Greed

Ransom Anger

Drug addiction




onal system of education that is related to the life needs



he help, wherever

Committee of members of parliament on National Poli cy of

“The quality of reading

manities and the social




emphasis is on the



54

preservation of the rich heritage of our composite culture, compassion for

living creatures, scientific temper, humanism, abjuring violence, pursuit of

excellence, higher levels of endeavor and achievement.

2.7.6 The National Conference of Minimum Curriculum Standards for

Primary Stage Organized by the NCERT : The conference was organized in

1970 which emphasized the importance of inculcating in pupils’ moral and

spiritual values which form a part of our culture viz. honesty, kindness, charity,

tolerance, courtesy, compassion and sympathy. The national seminar on

primary and work-oriented education organized by the NCERT in November,

1970 in the context of International Education Year recognized the relevance

and importance of the Gandhian value in reforming education. The seminar,

therefore, recommended the following Gandhian value for inculcation at the

primary stage: dignity of manual labour, a sense of social awareness and

responsibility, respect for other religions, fearlessness, truthfulness, non –

violence, purity, service and peacefulness.

2.7.7 Education in the Fifth Five-Year Plan, 1974-7 9 : A paper brought out

by the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Government of India (1972),

“perhaps the most significant need of the hour is to transform the educational

system with a view to cultivating the basic values of humanism, democracy,

socialism and secularism…..” The teachers, educational worker, and the

administrators should try their best to promote value-oriented education in the

schools. Adequate awareness is to be generated among the adults through

various mass media. The schools can play an important role in inculcating the

desirable values in the pupils through effective organization of different

curricular and co-curricular programmes.

2.7.8 Valued-oriented school education (A publicati on of the NCERT,

1973). The document lists the following situational dimension of the

value-oriented education

• To understand the rights and duties of citizenship as envisaged in the

Indian Constitution.

• To realize the importance of morality is essential for the stability and

progress of society. It includes, respect and obedience, affection and

55

consideration for others, discipline and civic sense, honesty in work and

dealing with others, cooperation and observance of proper manners

• To understand the criteria which make an action moral (related to the social

aspect):To practice values such as courage, truth, universal love, dignity of

manual labour, service, cleanliness, purity, courtesy, peace and joy.

2.7.9 Sixth five year plan (1980-85) made the following significant

recommendations: It is essential to transform the system of education

qualitatively in terms of its value content, standards and relevance to life. The

role of education to promote humanistic outlook, sense of brotherhood and

commitment to ethical and cultural values needs to be re-emphasized.

2.7.10 National Policy of Education (1986) : The NPE 1986 has given the

following justification for value education

• The growing concern over the erosion of essential values and increasing

cynicism in society has brought to focus the need for a readjustment in

curriculum in order to make education a forceful tool for the cultivation of

social and moral values.

• In our culturally plural society, education should foster universal and

eternal values, oriented towards the unity and integrity of our people. Such

value education should help eliminate obscurantism, religious faith,

fanaticism, violence, superstition and fatalism.

• Apart from this combative role, value education has a profound positive

content based on our heritage, national goals and universal perceptions. It

should lay primary emphasis on this aspect.

• The NPE (1986) has rightly pointed out the crisis in values in all aspect of

life. Therefore, it has recommended a special thrust on education of values

at all stages of education, especially at the school stage.

2.7.11 National Seminar of Value Oriented Education , 2002 : The Indian

Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR) has organized a National seminar

on value-oriented education in 2002. Some salient features of its

recommendations are as follows:

• To develop a framework for value oriented education and define clientele

to be covered.

56

• Elaborate strategies and modalities for programme implementation or

programme delivery.

• The government of India may set-up a task force for suggesting a

framework for planning, implementation and monitoring the programme of

value-oriented education.

• To develop relevant and need based material for different clientele groups.

• Monitor the programme implementation.

• Take steps for training of personnel.

• Besides educational organization/instructions, cooperation of NGOs and

volunteers may also be sought for operationalization of the programme of

value oriented education on a grand scale.

2.7.12 National Consultation on Value Education-Bhu baneshwor Chapter

2003 : The following recommendations were derived out of the various

sessions of the three day National consultation on value education-

Bhubaneshwor chapter for school environment:

• Integrating values with school subjects and co curricular activities

• Introducing value education class everyday

• Introducing study circles for teachers on selected topics on every month

• Devoting weekly one hour for organization of different types of value activities

• Organizing value based cultural programmes

• Giving incentives to students and teachers for practice and development of

values

• Strengthening parent contact programme

• Introducing yogasana and practice of silent sitting for two minutes.

Thus, the related literature reviewed enabled the researcher to have a

strong theoretical base for research.

chapter - ii - shodhganga

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