ABSTRACT
The study was to investigate educational influence of 5-8 year olds children’s aggression. Aggressive behaviours include the behaviours that are directed in harming others and tend to be a nuisance to many people. The study was guided the Social Cognitive Learning Theory by Albert Bandura-learning by observation and modellingand Social Constructivism Learning by Lev Vygotsky-learning through interaction. The objectives of the study were to: determine the factors that contribute to aggression among children in Mwingi Central Sub County; determine the effect of children’s aggression on their educational progress; assess the effort of teachers and other children institutions in helping children with aggressive behaviours and find out the teacher’s challenges in handling children with aggressive behaviours. It was a descriptive survey in Mwingi Central Sub County in Kitui County. Through stratified sampling, the researcher picked 10 schools (5 private and 5 public) out of 104 total schools. In each school purposive sampling was used to pick aggressive children from nursery to class three. Thereafter with the help of the class teachers, two most aggressive children identified for observation. All the teachers in preschool and lower primary (4 teachers per school = 40 in total) were issued with questionnaires while 40 parents of the aggressive children were randomly selected for interviews. The District Centre for Early Childhood Education (DICECE) officer and the district special education officer were purposively picked and issued with questionnaires. Checklists were used to collect information on children’s behaviour. In order to understand children’s academic performance, children’s progress records were scrutinized. The instruments validity was ensured through review by the early childhood experts and the reliability was ensured through test retest method with a consistency of 0.80 established. Permission from NACOSTI was sought before data collection. Data collection took 32 days; 3 days per school where observations were conducted first followed by interviews then analysis of the children’s academic progress records and finally administration of the questionnaires. Thematic content analysis with excerpts was used to analyse qualitative data. Descriptive statistics was used to summarise data while quantitative data was analysed through and linear regression. The study established that there is no significant relationship between aggressive behaviours and academic performance. However children with aggressive behaviours have low class participation and task completion. They show poor school attendance but rarely drop out of school. Teachers, DICECE and education officers are not well prepared to handle the children with aggressive behaviours. Children with aggressive behaviours face challenges in their academic progress. There is need for increased funding and research to help these children. Child guidance and counselling programme in schools is highly recommended.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
This chapter presents information on the background of the study, the statement of the problem, purpose of the study; research objectives, research questions and significance of the study. The chapter further describes the delimitation and the limitations of the study, the research assumptions, theoretical framework, conceptual framework and operational definition of terms.
Background to the Study
Aggressive behaviour is a behaviour directed toward causing harm to others either physically for example fighting or socially for example spreading malicious rumours (Gasa, 2005). Moeller (2001) gave a clear picture of the early warning of signs of potential future aggressive behaviour. These warnings include: social withdrawal; low school interest and poor academic performance; expression of violence in writings and drawings; uncontrolled anger; patterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating and bullying; intolerance of differences and prejudicial attitudes; drug and alcohol abuse; affiliation with gangs; serious physical fighting with peer or family members; severe destruction of property; detailed threats of lethal violence; unauthorized
possession of and/or use of firearms and other weapons and self-injurious behaviour or threats of suicide. Sajeda (2012) points out other signs especially in young children which include, grabbing objects, biting and kicking others, answering back to adults, challenging instructions, swearing, offensive comments and name calling.
These children manifest such characteristics as overt or covert hostility, disobedience, physical and verbal aggressiveness, quarrelsomeness, vengefulness and destructiveness. It also includes spreading rumours, telling lies, giving dirty looks, gossiping, being insulting, and humiliation (Botha, 2014). The problems that affect aggressive children affect their school performance and how they perceive themselves in the world. These children are more likely to do poorly at school as compared to their peers.
Behaviorally disordered children for a long time were labeled as insane or idiots and were committed to adult institutions (Pursue University, 2008). By mid 19thcenturyeducation begun to be organized for such children teaching methods such as individual assessment; structured environment; functional curriculum and life skills training were developed (University of Michigan, 2012). In America the United States Education for All Handicap Children Act (Public Law 94-142) mandated that all children with handicaps including the emotionally disturbed receive a free appropriate public education and which
emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs. Each handicapped child should be placed in segregated settings only when their education cannot be achieved in the regular classrooms.
For a long time, behaviorally disordered children have been underserved; many children who qualify for service have not received yet according to Botha (2014), aggressive behaviors tend to impact negatively on individual’s emotional well-being. It may lead to deterioration in children’s school work, loneliness, anxiety, fear of social situations, negative emotions, depressions, poor socials kills, failure to develop new friendships, becoming suspicious of their peers, emotional development, continual absenteeism, and hostility towards peers, emotional stress, low self-esteem, adjustment difficulties, poor relationship and friendship skills. Botha, (2014) reveals that aggression impedes negatively on learners’ social and academic development and well- being of children. This jeopardizes the schools’ endeavors to effectively socialize learners
Aggressive adolescents in South Africa (Gasa, 2005) and in Ghana (Owusu- Banahene & Amedahe2000) were found to lack core abilities for satisfying social relationships. These include; developing and maintaining sound friendship, sharing laughter and jokes with peers, knowing how to join an activity; skillfully ending a conversation and interacting with a variety of peers
and others in class and in the playground. They thus miss out on peer and group learning which are key methods of instruction thus negatively hurting their academic progress.
In a study on “Aggressive behaviour among Swazi upper primary and junior secondary students: implications for ongoing education reforms concerning inclusive education”, Mundia (2006) indicated that aggression was one of the many conduct disorders cited. According to the study, there were more students with aggressive tendencies in government schools than other types of schools. These students lived mainly with biological parents. Furthermore teachers relied mainly on punishment to deal with aggressive students. The study recommended that teachers skills in handling aggressive cases need to be enhanced by both pre-service and in-service courses. School counsellors need to be appointed to provide suitable psychological interventions.
