Professional Documents
Culture Documents
&
Bello,
Development
of
Upper
Elementary
Children
D. S ELF - CONCEPT , I DENTITY ,
Self
Concept
AND
37
M OTIVATION
to experienced educators. Still, many studies have found that young people who are socially and emotionally competent have a better chance succeeding in school and later in life (Meece & Daniels, 2010). Starting in Upper Elementary, children begin to define their education and its role in their lives. This is apparent in the framework for healthy psychosocial development laid down by Erik Erikson. Hinging on the
idea
that
children
face
specific
dilemmas
during
different
stages
in
life,
Erikson
suggested
that
children
from
the
ages
6-
A
flow
chart
by
Karen
Prager
showing
the
new
environments
associated
with
each
developmental
stage.
http://www.utdallas.edu/~kprager/erik_erikson%202002.htm
10 develop a sense of either industry or inferiority. During this time, students associate their abilities and creations (including academic abilities) with a sense of pride or doubt. As the chart suggests, this is when children associate themselves with school, meaning educators should, help them to find their special competencies (Meece & Daniels, 2010). Yet, studies have found that the stability of a parent-child relationship can greatly impact school performance. If parental attachment is not secure, children may be disruptive or have a hard time adjusting.
Murphy & Bello, Development of Upper Elementary Children This reinforces the idea that teachers must provide positive, nurturing Students perception of their abilities affects their performance in school. environments in the classroom.
38
developing
positive
emotional
competencies.
By
the
upper
elementary
years,
students
emotional
understanding
has
become
relatively
sophisticated.
Most
understand
complex
emotions
(e.g.
bitter-sweet),
perceive
the
causes
of
emotions
and
recognize
societal
rules
for
displaying
emotions.
They
should
also
have
strategies
for
managing
and
regulating
emotions.
For
instance,
they
may
seek
out
alternative
solutions
to
problems
or
seek
out
a
friend
for
solace.
In
Walter
Mischels
classic
experiment,
children
must
delay
the
gratification
of
eating
a
marshmallow
in
order
to
receive
more.
Above,
a
child
uses
self-regulating
methods
to
deal
with
the
stress.
Older
children
use
more
sophisticated
methods.
Yet, as many educators know, this is not always the case and positive emotional maintenance should be supported in others ways. This can range from explicit instruction (i.e. using self-talk to calm down) to careful language use. Regardless, teachers have a responsibility to create positive emotional environments and model pro-social behaviors Numerous studies show the critical importance of cultivating a caring
environment and having positive relationships (Mantzicopoulos, 2005; Phelan, Davidson & Yu, 1998). In fact, one study pinpointed three main ways students believed teachers could show they cared, 1) they cared about their own teaching; 2) they recognized students individual strengths and weaknesses 3) they listened and showed interest (Wentzel, 1997). As this list suggests, building relationships is not
Murphy & Bello, Development of Upper Elementary Children divorced from the curriculum. Because students are defining their own competencies, teachers can build relationships by encouraging exploration and exposing children to a variety of careers in the classroom. By supporting individual investigation and creation, educators can reinforce positive self- concepts and increase a students social and emotional stability for the upper grades. While self-concept refers to the beliefs, attitudes, knowledge and ideas
39
people
have
about
themselves,
self-esteem
is
an
evaluation
of
worth
(Meece
&
Daniels,
2010).
By
late
childhood,
most
children
focus
on
ability
traits
in
comparison
to
other
peers.
They
also
incorporate
positive
and
negative
characteristics,
making
judgments
such
as,
I
am
good
at
math,
but
bad
at
reading,
to
evaluate
their
worth
(Meece
&
Daniels,
2010).
Importantly,
self-esteem
stabilizes
around
age
8,
so
evaluations
of
self
worth
by
upper
elementary
students
will
likely
remain.
It
is
heartening,
then,
that
teachers
and
parents
can
implement
interventions
to
bolster
self- esteem.
Going
beyond
simple
praise,
researchers
Recent
studies
have
shown
that
boosting
self-esteem
requires
more
than
just
praise.
indicate practical interventions, such as support students as individuals and providing developmentally
Murphy & Bello, Development of Upper Elementary Children Identity The process of identity forming, as noted in Eriksons model, happens as
40
children become more involved with their peers. As children develop, what Erikson called their identity status is determined by the extent to which they (1) make commitments and (2) explore different options and alternatives. Yet, as the chart shows, most students have not achieved a solid identity choice until age 16 or beyond. Having said that, awareness of ethnic identity happens much sooner, even as
early
as
age
3.
Around
upper
elementary
age,
children
understand
the
permanence
of
racial
categorization,
although
they
have
difficulty
understanding
prejudice
and
the
social
consequences
of
racial
or
ethnic
status
at
this
age
(Meece
and
Daniels,
2010).
Similarly,
the
development
of
gender-role
conceptions
can
have
a
strong
impact
on
self-esteem.
Children
are
accepting
of
ethnic
and
racial
differences
until
they
are
taught
discrimination.
Although gender identity begins with fairly rigid stereotypes, by 3rd grade students have more flexible
conceptions of gender roles. Still, both gender and ethnic stereotypes persist, behooving teachers to provide positive models for diversity inside the classroom. Motivation