PSYCHOLOGY APPLICATION

PROJECT: WHAT STAGE DO STUDENTS

DEVELOP SELF-CONTROL?

Presented By: Janee Smith

OBSERVATION: NORTH GATE HIGH SCHOOL COWETA COUNTY

I am going to teach 4th through 8th grade and I am worried that in the two schools that I have student taught at is not preparing the students for high school. I feel like the wonderful teachers that I have worked with give their students so many retakes to get their grades to pass that it is setting the students up for failure in high school. I choose a high school to do this project because I want to see if they are have a good transition to high school.

SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY In elementary

school students are developing self-control skills

In middle school students are developing self-regulation skills

In high school students are developing efficacy skills

RELATING THE THEORY TO MY OBSERVATIONS

Many psychologists have divided these ages of development to outline when children should be moving toward more responsibility. Through my student teaching and observations in this project I wanted to know if teachers were helping this to progress along.

CLASS OBSERVATIONS Location: North Gate High School Grade: 10,11,12 mixed classes Subject: Advanced Placement

Psychology

Number of students: 30-34 per class

Demographics: middle class mostly white with a few other ethnicities represented

Length of observation: 2 days (8 hours each)

THREE FOCUS QUESTIONS1. Are students more

open during class discussion due to the face that they are directly involved with these issues?

2. Can teachers instill motivation in students that other teachers cannot?

3. Do some students in high school have a slower developmental rate for self-control to efficacy?

AFTER COMPLETING THE OBSERVATIONS Narrowing down my questions and the results Over ½ of the class in each class period

brought other materials to work on after the test which shows self-regulation.

Some other students worked immediately on the next chapters packet: Self- regulation

A small group of students passed notes and played on their phones after completing the test, which shows self- control because they did not make noise during the test.

DURING CLASS DISCUSSION New theory was

introduced- most students raised their hand to give an opinion or to ask a question

Other students spoke out but did remain on the topic without being very disturbing

Gender did not seem to play a role but a few students would speak out and be completely off topic.

About 1-2 students in each class were not even part of the discussion at all

ADVISEMENT DAYOne of the days that I observed was a day that the students had to report back to last semesters classes for advisement. This was a senior class that was to get information about graduation. Most students were attentive as the teacher reviewed scholarship deadlines, how to get their final grades, and the transition into the next phase of their education.

CONCLUSION I think that by the

senior year of high school most students reach self- efficacy.

For some students unfortunately still have not reached this and will have a very difficult time what ever they decide to do with their lives.

In addition to teaching the material in school it is very important to make sure that the students are the most prepared they can be.

THE END

REFERENCES Snowman, J. Psychology Applied to

Teaching. R. McCown, R. Biehler, (13th). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

Cooper, J, (2011). Classroom Teaching Skills. (9th). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth