Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies, Online ISSN 2278-8808, SJIF 2019 = 6.380, www.srjis.com PEER REVIEWED & REFEREED JOURNAL, NOV-DEC, 2020, VOL- 8/62
PERSPECTIVES OF FUTURE TEACHERS ON CULTIVATING HARMONY AMONG STUDENTS T. Sahaya Saila, Ph. D. Assistant Professor of Tamil Education, N. K. T. National College of Education for Women, Triplicane, Chennai-05, Tamil Nadu, India. Email Id: arunsailajesun@yahoo.co.in
Abstract This study mainly focuses on investigating perspectives of future teachers on cultivating harmony among students for a peaceful nation. The population of this study was composed of 222 studentteachers studying in the B.Ed., course at Chennai. Normative survey method was used. Modified version of the questionnaire developed by Nabeela Sulaiman was used and the reliability of tool was found to be 0.71. Findings of the study revealed that 75% of student-teachers have agreed that students should perform culture activities based on societal problems and programmes have to be conducted on national interests to cultivate harmony among students which can ultimately promote harmony in the nation. Student-teachers have to make substantial efforts to create harmony among students. Some strategies were also given to enhance the role of future teachers in promoting national harmony. Keywords: Perspectives of Future Teachers, Harmony among Students Scholarly Research Journal's is licensed Based on a work at www.srjis.com
INTRODUCTION “Everyone must be committed in the matter of peace, to do Everything they can Peace is the language we must speak.” — Pope Francis Harmony is the most fundamental asset to community building, to personal growth, and to the very survival of our planet. At the heart of many faiths, practices, and cultures, advancing peaceful co-existence is essential to ensuring productive, meaningful lives and sustainable societies. It is never clear how to prepare the young for future needs in a way that fosters their future well-being. Related to this endeavor, pre-service teacher education has to be designed to prepare teachers to adapt to the changing environment and to continually upgrade their teaching for cultivating harmony among students. The characteristics of the ideal teacher, needed in future must be carefully considered. Ideal teachers have to control their own Copyright © 2020, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies
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continued employability, professional knowledge and skills, and their ability to undertake ongoing professional development to meet the future. Thus, teachers have to commit themselves to continuous development of their teaching skills to meet the demands of future students. Whether as a student, parent, teacher, administrator, policymaker, or community member, there are many numbers of creative and powerful ways to support schools to effectively advance peace. Many effective models can be drawn upon. These can be embedded in the design of school systems, initiatives targeted to local needs and assets, ethics and peace curricula, and other services. Elements in school system design can start within a school's mission and vision and then range anywhere from graduation requirements to a disciplinary system based on restorative justice. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE For any researcher, it need not be emphasized that the review of studies related to the area of investigation is essential, but providing information of what has already been done in the field gives direction to the present study. The purpose of the investigation is to study the perspectives of future teachers on cultivating harmony among students. Studies reviewed pertaining to the present study have been compiled and presented below under appropriate headings. Ho, Li-Ching (2017) conducted a study on the concept of harmony and investigated the implications of the state incorporating this concept as an educational goal for the public education system, and also examined teachers' understandings of multicultural education. He suggested that a focus on harmony as an educational goal may help facilitate a move away from programs that emphasize the development of individual students' social and political competencies towards programs and policies designed to promote communal trust and social cohesion. Balakrishnan and Balamuralithara (2017) performed an Investigation on Promoting unity in a multicultural society among the Malaysians.The findings showed that through Arts Education, the unity and harmony among children in a multicultural society could be flourished and strengthened. It shows that the proposed Arts Education module could be used among students from different schooling systems and different races to cultivate unity and harmony among them. He suggested that strengthening the unity among children in a multicultural society could bring harmony and peace in future.
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TOOL FOR THE RESEARCH STUDY The data-gathering instrument that was used in the study was teachers in cultivating cohesion among students questionnaire –checklist adapted from (Nabeela Sulaiman, 2015) and modified to suit the present study. The instrument consisted of twenty-five (25) statements from the respondents’ level of perspectives of future teachers cultivating on harmony among students. METHODOLOGY This study mainly focused on the perspectives of future teachers on cultivating harmony among students for a peaceful and integrated nation. For this purpose, perspectives of teachers and students were considered as focal point to have an initial look on the scenario. From this study B.Ed., student-teachers were considered as sample of the study. As many as 222 individuals from a B.Ed., College, were randomly selected for data collection. A questionnaire was developed to solicit responses from student-teachers regarding the hurdles in cultivating harmony and suggestions to develop role of teachers in preaching harmony. The tool was validated by taking the opinion of experts about the face, content and construct. After taking reviews from them and making necessary amendments a final version of questionnaire was constructed to collect data from selected sample. Reliability of the scale was 0.71. RESULTS Only one group of items was made to make results objectively. It was related to the perspectives of future teachers in cultivating harmony among students. A percentage was calculated to have a comprehensive view of the results. Results are presented below:
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Table-1 Perspectives of Future Teachers on Cultivating Harmony among Students S. No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Statements
Agree Disagr ee Teachers should treat all the students equally. 72% 28% Teachers should avoid favoritism for the students of their sect. 70% 30% Teachers should avoid favoritism for the students of their caste. 61% 39% Teachers should have intention to know hobbies of all students. 69% 31% Teachers should promote self-esteem of students 77% 23% Teachers should promote honesty among the students. 80% 20% Teachers should encourage students to take their own decisions. 70% 30% Teachers should not encourage bullying activities in their 82% 18% institutions. 9 Teachers should preach equal respect to all religions. 73% 27% 10 Teachers should do special care for students. 77% 23% 11 Teachers should relate their teaching with national interests. 83% 17% 12 Teacher-student relationship is based on mutual respect. 71% 29% 13 Teachers should see that there is not language bias among 68% 32% students. 14 Teachers should see that students enjoy learning environment of 72% 28% the educational institution. 15 Teachers should see that students from different sects tolerate 70% 30% each other. 16 Teachers should develop tolerance among students in matters of 79% 21% religion. 17 Teachers should make the students have a sense of self-respect. 69% 31% 18 Teachers should make the students feel that their teachers are 74% 26% deeply concerned for their success. 19 Teachers should encourage team spirit among students. 75% 25% 20 Teachers should make the students feel comfortable discussing 78% 22% the controversial issues. 21 Teachers should make the students sing National Anthem on the 85% 15% start of academic events. 22 Teachers should not make the Students feel embarrass in 78% 22% discussing caste related issues with their class fellows. 23 Teachers should encourage students to make friends from poor 82% 18% families. 24 Teachers should make the Students become friendly with disabled 83% 17% students without any hesitation. 25 Teachers should make the students perform cultural activities 85% 15% based on prevailing societal problems. Total 75% 25%
Table 1 - Indicates the percentage of student-teachers in cultivating harmony among students and how successfully they are being created as a positive role model for their students and to what extent they have to play their part in creating sense of harmony among students in future. As many as 75% of the respondents have agreed that teachers are playing their required role in promoting peace and harmony without discriminating on the basis of students’ background and social groups.
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RECOMMENDATIONS Teachers have significant lasting impacts on students’ mindset regarding peace and harmonious environment but we can turn it from “little” to “more” by implementing following strategic recommendations: Future teachers play a crucial role in cultivating harmony among students. Teachers can play their role in creating harmony among students by making the students perform cultural activities based on the prevailing problem and to bring awareness among the people to cultivate harmony in the society. The students should be encouraged to conduct Sarvodhaya prayer. Peace building programmes have to be organized in schools. National Functions has to be celebrated by bringing the importance and creating awareness among the students. National Unity Day has to be celebrated in schools to inculcate the values among students. Special cultural events can be organized within and among institutions to refresh the sense of National identity and to promote cohesion. Students’ groups can be made heterogeneously on the multi-cultural basis. They will have more opportunity to share their ideas with each other and interact to recognize crucial diversity. In tribal areas, radio is the most effective way of communication. Government should air special interactive programmes to promote harmony. Involvement of local people is necessary, as many of them don’t even allow their children to get education. Teaching students the importance of Honest Living will inspire harmony. Educational institutions can organize students’ trips to temples and churches to create awareness among them about the culture of other religious groups. They can hold collaborative events among the students of different religious schools. Spreading awareness through workshops, seminars and media, about the urgency of the need for harmony. CONCLUSION The Nations’ harmony depends on the future citizens of the country. The future citizens have to be shaped by the teachers. As a saying goes, the future generation are being shaped in the classrooms. Teachers should encourage activities which can ultimately build a peaceful nation. The future of a country depends on the hands of the students. They should Copyright © 2020, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies
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perform activities which can bring unity and discipline among the students. Promoting peace is not a solitary activity. Everyone has to join in the effort by the vast majority of people in the world who yearn for peace, and work to live together peaceably. There is a saying beautifully “Drops of water turn a mill, singly none, singly none.” Every teacher has to move forward step by step, together to carve the path toward peace dreamed of by Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., alongside so many others. From finding peace within one's life to demonstrating the greatest compassion and commitment to social justice, extending the principles and the practice of peace to others can guide us to a richer, more secure co-existence. REFERENCES Nabeela Sulaiman, (2015). Impact of Teachers on Cultivating Harmony among Students Journal of Contemporary Studies, Volume. IV, No.1, pp108-123. Jia-Li Huang, (2015). Cultivating teacher thinking: ideas and practice Students Journal of Educational Research for Policy and Practice,Volume 14, Issue 3,pp247–257 National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei Taiwan. Balakrishnan, and Balamuralithara, (2017). A Novel Module for Cultivate Unity and Harmony in Multicultural Society through Arts Education Journal for Multicultural Education, v11 n4 pp306-322 Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Ho, Li-Ching, (2017). Social Harmony and Diversity: The Affordances and Constraints of Harmony as an Educational Goal. Teachers College Record, Volume. 119 pp4.
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