Psychology is the study of mind, behaviour and cognitive processes through varied perspectives. A student of Psychology will minutely examine stimulating factors of behaviour, studies the meaning and the function of each cognitive process of the human mind and gains an insight into the causes of mental health problems. Study of Psychology imparts sensitivity and empathy and encourages mindfulness behaviour. In fact, every individual should be introduced to psychology at some point in their life because as the incidents of violence and human disregard increases globally, the need to teach sensitivity is an urgent social requirement.
In India, CBS and ISC board offers psychology as an optional subject to school students in grade 11th and 12th. But students should be introduced to Psychology at an even younger grade. According to government regulations, all schools in India have to compulsorily aim for an inclusive education. Inclusive education implies ensuring that students with diverse learning abilities study together. This is a challenging and a daunting task for the teacher because not only does she have to design a lesson plan to cater to the needs of every child in the class, she also has to sensitize her students towards each other’s needs. This is where Psychology comes to the rescue. With the aid of an educational psychologist, an introductory psychology course can be designed for every grade level in the form of a series of workshops, aimed at teaching children about different learning abilities, the need for sensitivity towards children with developmental disorders and to make children aware of issues like bullying.
In senior grades, workshops can be conducted on common teenage disorders like Anorexia, Anxiety, Anti-social behaviour. Students should be made aware of the symptoms, causes of these disorders and encouraged to explore how as adolescents they can support their peers who may be exhibiting symptoms of common adolescent disorders or emotional disturbances. Studying psychology also motivates students to introspect on their behaviour thoughts and motives. By identifying behaviour, students are exposed to various perspectives on the diverse range of behaviours exhibited by they themselves and by others around them. Students also begin to analyze, social, cultural, political, religious factors influencing the society’s psychological balance.
Psychology also plays a very important role in improving and enhancing the teaching-learning process. Teachers should be taught the different kinds of learning disabilities and the symptoms to identify them. This will ensure that no child with a disability goes by unnoticed and can be supported with proper teaching aid. As every class is a mixed bunch of learners with varied learning styles, teachers should be taught about the different techniques to keep their learners engaged by creating a stimulating learning environment. Educational Psychology aids in restructuring the learning process keeping in mind the intellectual level of the students, contents to be taught and the classroom dynamics. Psychology is also an inter-disciplinary subject and can be taught in combination with various subjects like biology and English.
Psychology is not merely a study of behaviour, it is an effort to identify and acknowledge every day psychological disorders, disabilities and impart sensitivity to the coming generation.
