Self-Actualization and Personal Growth Initiative among the Teachers of Adolescents

Jeny Rapheal, Varghese Paul K

Abstract


This paper investigates into the nature and degree of “Self-actualization†and “Personal growth initiative†among higher secondary school teachers. Of 128 faculties, 72 teachers were selected from private sector and the remaining 56 teachers were from aided/govt higher secondary schools of Trissur district in Kerala state by convenient sampling. Two scales namely Self-actualization index by Jones and Crandall and Personal growth initiative scale by Robitscheck were used for collecting data5. Most of the teachers constituting the sample exhibited moderately high level of self-actualization and personal growth initiative. Data analysis revealed significant positive correlation between SAI and PGI values. Also, a significant correlation between the independent variables like “age†and “years in service†and the dependent variable “self-actualization†was observed. But, correlation of same with the dependent variable PGI was not significant. Single factor ANOVA revealed a significant difference in the means of SAI&PGI values for different age groups. Differences in terms of ‘type of school’ and ‘religion’ showed no impact on PGI and SAI values of teachers. At the same time, a significant difference between the means of PGI values of Math and English teachers was noticed. The paper, in an attempt to explore the rationale behind the topic of study, presents a theoretical analysis based on previous research findings in adolescent and educational psychology about the role of teachers in adolescent mental health scenario. Also, it gives a glimpse into the overlapping areas between the characteristics expected from an effective teacher and a self-actualized individual.

Full Text:

PDF 152-159

References


Bar-On, Reuven. (2010). Emotional intelligence: an integral part of positive psychology. South African Journal of Psychology, 40(1), 54-62.

Birch, Sondra H, & Ladd, Gary W. (1998). Children's interpersonal behaviors and the teacher–child relationship. Developmental psychology, 34(5), 934.

Boykin McElhaney, Kathleen, & Allen, Joseph P. (2001). Autonomy and adolescent social functioning: The moderating effect of risk. Child development, 72(1), 220-235.

Cohen, Jonathan. (1999). Educating minds and hearts: Social emotional learning and the passage into adolescence: Teachers College Press.

Crosnoe, Robert, Johnson, Monica Kirkpatrick, & Elder Jr, Glen H. (2004). Intergenerational bonding in school: The behavioral and contextual correlates of student-teacher relationships. Sociology of education, 77(1), 60-81.

Demaray, Michelle Kilpatrick, Malecki, Christine Kerres, Rueger, Sandra Yu, Brown, Sarah E, & Summers, Kelly Hodgson. (2009). The role of youth’s ratings of the importance of socially supportive behaviors in the relationship between social support and self-concept. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38(1), 13-28.

Eckenrode, John. (2013). The social context of coping: Springer Science & Business Media.

Education, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher. (2008). Professional standards for the accreditation of teacher preparation institutions: ERIC Clearinghouse.

Ellonen, Noora, Kääriäinen, Juha, & Autio, Ville. (2008). Adolescent depression and school social support: A multilevel analysis of a Finnish sample. Journal of Community Psychology, 36(4), 552-567.

Furlong, Michael J, Gilman, Richard, & Huebner, E Scott. (2009). Handbook of positive psychology in schools: Routledge.

Goldstein, Kurt. (2014). Der Aufbau des Organismus: Einführung in die Biologie unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Erfahrungen am kranken Menschen: Wilhelm Fink Verlag.

Gregory, Anne, & Ripski, Michael B. (2008). Adolescent trust in teachers: Implications for behavior in the high school classroom. School Psychology Review, 37(3), 337.

Hamre, Bridget K, & Pianta, Robert C. (2001). Early teacher–child relationships and the trajectory of children's school outcomes through eighth grade. Child development, 72(2), 625-638.

Hoge, Dean R, Smit, Edna K, & Hanson, Sandra L. (1990). School experiences predicting changes in self-esteem of sixth-and seventh-grade students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(1), 117.

Jones, Alvin, & Crandall, Rick. (1986). Validation of a short index of self-actualization. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 12(1), 63-73.

Kaufman, Scott Barry. (2018). Self-Actualizing People in the 21st Century: Integration With Contemporary Theory and Research on Personality and Well-Being. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 0022167818809187.

Maslow, Abraham H. (1971). The farther reaches of human nature. New York: The Viking Press.

Maslow, Abraham H. (1989). A theory of human motivation. Readings in managerial psychology, 20.

Maslow, Abraham Harold. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological review, 50(4), 370.

Maslow, Abrham H. (1956). Self-actualizing people: A study of psychological health. New York (Harper & Bros.) 1956, pp. 160-196.

McNeely, Clea, & Falci, Christina. (2004). School connectedness and the transition into and out of healthâ€risk behavior among adolescents: A comparison of social belonging and teacher support. Journal of school health, 74(7), 284-292.

Midgley, Carol, & Edelin, Kimberley C. (1998). Middle school reform and early adolescent well-being: The good news and the bad. Educational psychologist, 33(4), 195-106.

Pianta, Robert C. (1999). Enhancing relationships between teachers and children. Washington DC: American Psychological Association.

Robitschek, Christine. (1998). Personal growth initiative: The construct and its measure. Measurement and evaluation in counseling and development, 30(4), 183.

Robitschek, Christine, & Cook, Stephen W. (1999). The influence of personal growth initiative and coping styles on career exploration and vocational identity. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54(1), 127-141.

Shostrom, Everett L. (1964). An inventory for the measurement of self-actualization. Educational and psychological measurement, 24(2), 207-218.

Suldo, Shannon M, & Fefer, Sarah A. (2013). Parent-child relationships and well-being Research, Applications, and Interventions for Children and Adolescents (pp. 131-147): Springer.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

World of Researches Publication