life skills integration: relevance, feasibility and opportunities
DESCRIPTION
Life Skills Integration: Relevance, Feasibility and Opportunities. What are Life Skills. Abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life (WHO). What are Life Skills. Psycho-social abilities that: - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
1
Life Skills Integration: Relevance, Feasibility and
Opportunities
2
Abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life (WHO)
What are Life Skills
3
Psycho-social abilities that: •Empower individuals to connect with self as well as others and develop healthy life style and positive behaviors
•Enable people to deal with stresses and pressures in life and equip them with competencies to manage challenging situations and optimize opportunities
•Enhance coping resources, personal and social competencies of individuals
•Enable individuals to respond to situations in logical, sensitive and positive ways without harming either self or the society
What are Life Skills
4
WHO categorizes them as
What are Life Skills
Communication and interpersonal skills
Decision making and critical thinking skills
Coping and self-management skills
Negotiation and refusal skills
Empathy building
Co-operation and team work
Advocacy skills
Problem solving Skills for increased personal confidence
Abilities to assume control, take responsibility and/ or bring about change
Skills for managing feelings
Skills for stress management
5
Categorization may suggest distinctions among many skills but they are inter-related and work in conjunction
Equipped with accurate information and positive attitudes, “life skills provide individuals the tools to actualize behavior change” Prof. J.L. Pandey
Life skills are abilities that each of us possesses, and yet conscious efforts need to be made to enhance these abilities within oneself and others
What are Life Skills
6
Educational processes should engage learners in creating knowledge that is relevant to their experiences and enable them to respond to real-life situations in positive and responsible ways
The purpose of life skills development is in alignment with the larger goals of education
School education could play a vital role in life skills development amongst learners as it exposes them to varied experiences and has abundant potential to create simulated situations to learn and practice
Why do life skills merit integration in the school curriculum
7
As life skills are generic by nature, educational interventions have the potential to develop abilities to apply these skills across a range of different contexts, including scholastic areas
Why do life skills merit integration in the school curriculum
8
Evidence of effectiveness
A meta analysis of 207 school-based drug prevention programs found that the most effective programs teach comprehensive life skills (Tobler, 2000)
High risk sexual activity (Kirby, 1997 and 1994; WHO/GPA, 1994; Postrado & Nicholson, 1992; Scripture Union, Zabin et al., 1986; Schinke, Blythe and Gilchrest, 1981);
Prevent peer rejection (Mize and Ladd, 1990) and bullying (Oleweus, 1990)
Social adjustment (Elias, Gara, Schulyer, Brandon-Muller, and Sayette, 1991) and reduce emotional disorders (McConaughy, Kay and Fitzgerald, 1998)
Health-related behaviours and self-esteem (Young, Kelley, and Denny, 1997)
Academic performance (Elias, Gara, Schulyer, Brandon-Muller, and Sayette, 1991)
Why do life skills merit integration in school curriculum
9
Stand-alone
Utilization of existing spaces in the school, for example, school assembly, PTA, SUPW, annual function and others
Core subject within the broader curriculum
Within an existing scholastic subject like science, social sciences, languages and others
Placement of life skills in school education
10
Opportunities for Integration of Life Skills in Scholastic Subjects
Examples Drawn From NIOS Secondary Curriculum
11NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING
Examples of Integration
Science Lesson: Reproduction and Heredity, (Pg 21, Activity 3.5.1)
Large Population Countries like India
Small Population Counties like Sweden
Advantages Problems Advantages Problems
1) Suppose you are the Prime Minister of India. State three key areas in which your government will invest for improving the pace of development in the country so that the vast human potential can be realized?
2) India is struggling with issues related to a large population. On the other hand, countries like Japan and Sweden are worried that their population is not growing and are giving incentives to young people in their country to contribute towards population growth. Please fill the table below to identify the major advantages and problems that countries with large and small populations face.
12NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING
Examples of Integration
Better use of existing learning opportunities in a lesson
English Lesson: Kondiba, A Hero
In-text Exercise: Use the information given in the chart below. Make as many sentences as you can by combining any two of the sentences at a time. Use the appropriate forms of the verbs (i.e. the simple past tense and the past perfect tense) and linking words when you combine the sentences .
13NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING
Examples of Integration
Before After
7 am: Neena went to school
8 am: I prepared lunch box for father
9 am: Father left for office
10 am: Mother washed clothes
11 am: I went shopping with mother
2 pm: Neena returned from school
3 pm: We ate lunch together
6.00 am : Grandmother put on the music
6.30 am: All of us did Yoga
7.00 am: Father got us ready for school and mother made the lunch box
8.00 am: My sister and I left for school
9.00 am: Mother enjoyed a cup of tea as she made the monthly budget
2.00 pm: We returned from school and ate lunch
5.00 pm: We went out to play
7.30 pm: We worked on the school assignments and shared the day’s activities with our parents
Challenge gender stereotypes
14
Evaluation tools to demonstrate that assessment of life skills is possible but the objectives different from traditional assessment methods:
•Learners’ responsiveness to what is taught rather than their capacity to retain
•Aimed at providing qualitative learning opportunities to the learner rather than validating inputs
•Focus on evaluation of teaching-learning process rather than mere knowledge-based outputs
•Evaluation items woven into lesson writing with focus on assessing the process of experiential and applied learning
Integration of Life Skills in Evaluation Items in NIOS Secondary Curriculum
15NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING
Sample Evaluation Tools
1. Self Assessment Exercises, for example: assess your health and well-being through a questionnaire
2. Motivation to take action to change an existing situation: Letter to consumer complaint redressal forum or mobilizing peer group for a common concern like garbage removal in neighborhood
3. Projects to investigate a social reality in neighborhood: for example, girls drop out rates in secondary schools
4. Games/ Crosswords/ Puzzles/ Quiz that encourages learners to apply learning
Evaluation Tools
16NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING
Example of An Evaluation Item
English Lesson:
The Little Girl
17NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING17
Learning Objectives Assessment Tool Scoring Key
Enable learners to
Appreciate that it is important to communicate effectively in inter-personal relationships
Suggest different mechanisms of promoting healthy relationship between parents and children
Recognize that different family members have an important role in maintaining harmonious relationships
The misunderstanding related to father’s birthday gift almost ruined the relationship between Kezia and her father.
Given her situation, a) If you were in Kezia’s place, could you have done anything different to improve your relationship with your father? Please explain giving one example. b) Please suggest at least two different ways in which Kezia’s mother or grandmother could have helped clear the misunderstanding.
Insufficient (0-33):The learner does not give any positive suggestions for something that Kezia, her mother and grandmother could have done differently to improve the relationship between the father and daughter
Needs Improvement (34-55): The learner is able to provide one example of how Kezia could have tried something different,ORSuggest one or two mechanisms through which Kezia’s mother or grandmother could have helped
18NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING18
Learning Objectives Assessment Tool Scoring Key
Enable learners to
Appreciate that it is important to communicate effectively in inter-personal relationships
Suggest different mechanisms of promoting healthy relationship between parents and children
Recognize that different family members have an important role in maintaining harmonious relationships
Satisfactory (56-75):The learner is able to Provide one example of how Kezia could have tried something differentAND, Suggest two mechanisms through which Kezia’s mother or grandmother could have helped
Excellent (76-100):Besides achieving the objectives for obtaining satisfactory scores, learner demonstrates in-depth understanding of Kezia’s situation and provides suggestions that are possible for Kezia and her mother/ grandmother to implement in their circumstances
19
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING
Example of An Evaluation Item –Science, Control and Co-ordination
19
Learning Objective
Recognize the roles and relevance of reflex, voluntary and involuntary actions in the efficient functioning of human body
Assessment ToolNow that you are aware that the well-thought out voluntary actions that are co-ordinated by the cerebrum and immediate response actions or reflex actions co-ordinated by the spinal cord, please identify whether the following situations may be best managed by well-thought out voluntary reactions or quick response reflex actions. Please provide at least one reason for your choice
Scoring Key
Situation Action (voluntary or reflex)
Reason for your Choice
1.You need to immediately stop your bicycle as a speeding motorbike comes in front of your bicycle
20NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPEN SCHOOLING20
L Obj
Assessment Tool Scoring Key
Situation Action Reason for your Choice
Insufficient (0-33): Not able to provide correct responses on ‘appropriate action ‘ on any of the 4 situations
2.You have scored good marks in all the subjects in class X and now need to choose between science and commerce streams. Your family feels you should study science while you like numbers and would like to study commerce
Needs Improvement (34-55): Able to provide correct responses on any 3 or 4 situations without explaining reasons for making the choice
3.You are cleaning your cupboard and a sharp needle pokes you and you remove your hand immediately
Satisfactory (56-75): Able to provide correct responses on all 4 situations without explaining reasons for making the choice
4.You have moved to a new neighborhood and are trying to make new friends
Excellent (76-100): Provides correct responses on all 4 situations with clear reasons
21
Pre- Conditions
Most effective in influencing behaviors when applied as part of a comprehensive, multi-strategy approach that delivers consistent messages over time
Intensive and should begin before the onset of risk behaviors
Commitment not only from the top leadership, administrative and implementation authorities but across all levels, including communities where possible
Factors that Contribute Towards Effective Life Skills Programs
22
During the Development of Curriculum and Learning Materials
Based on theoretical approaches that have been proven to be effective in similar settings
Context-specific: Program goals, content and teaching methods should be relevant to the age, experience, and culture of young people and their communities
Address a balance of knowledge, attitudes, and skills- rather than heavy emphasis on knowledge
Institutionalize mechanisms for active participation of diverse stakeholders : students, teachers, civil society, content experts, parents, and the wider community at all stages of the program
Factors that Contribute Towards Effective Life Skills Programs
23
During the Development of Curriculum and Learning Materials
Participatory teaching methods
Adequate emphasis on development of tools for assessment of life skills
Factors that Contribute Towards Effective School-based Life Skills Programs
24
During Implementation
Process driven approaches with continuous engagement with the relevant stakeholders that demonstrates that integration of life skills adds value to an existing content area rather than dilute it
Critical mass of key functionaries: Teachers should receive adequate training and regular opportunities for professional development for transacting and assessing skills-based curricula
Should bring about a change in the learning environment rather than a stand-alone initiative
Pilot tested before being implemented on scale
Factors that Contribute Towards Effective Life Skills Programs
25
During Implementation
Clearly defined monitoring protocols and opportunities for ongoing and objective feedback
Concurrent assessments to improve understanding of pathways of life skills development rather than measuring only knowledge
Co-ordination within and among development partners and national programs important
Factors that Contribute Towards Effective Life Skills Programs
26
Infusion across a range of subjects without providing a solid foundation of linking and developing knowledge, attitudes and skills in a sequential, reinforcing manner
Inadequate orientation and training of administrators, teachers and other support staff
Lack of focus in learning materials and teaching methods
Weak leadership and lack of commitment
Barriers to Effective Life Skills Programs
27
Barriers to Effective Life Skills ProgramsExisting perceptions among the existing teaching-learning community: increased work load, dilution of content
Inadequate focus on teachers training
Lack of quality teaching materials and participatory methods
Competition with other topics
Inadequate funding
Inadequate mechanisms for supervising, monitoring and evaluating programs including a lack of documentation