1. Yes. Performance of students is predominantly affected by the level of education, level of income of parents and professionalism. Supplying students with required learning materials and attending good schools solves only one part of the equation. The fact is there is a correlation between the qualities of the environment at home and success at school. The nature and nurture of cognitive development are greatly influenced equally by the home environment as well as the school environment. The home environment like the diet and availability of other basic needs play a big role on how the child develops and thereby directly affects his performance at school.
2. The classroom should be arranged in such a way that all students benefit from the learning environment. For instance, adequate space may be set in the classroom to accommodate additional staff who may work with a slow student. Elsewhere a student who needs to develop peer relationship may be placed at the centre and not at the perimeter of the classroom in order to maximise opportunities to interact. In a broader sense, each child’s needs must be identified and the classroom arrangement is done according to the children’s’ needs.
3. Piaget suggests that children be active and motivated learners who should be allowed to interact with the physical and social environment through which they will construct an understanding of the world around them. Elsewhere, Vygotsky believes that adults play a role in promoting children’s cognitive development by passing along meanings that their culture assigns to objects and events and by assisting children with challenging tasks. Vygotsky’s theory is more valid for it incorporates the importance of social interaction and a co-constructed knowledge base to the theory of cognitive development; unlike Piaget’s proposition of educational strategies such as those that whose emphasis is on activities and play. By using the Vygotsky theory, a child is helped within their zone of proximal development and hence learning strategies are offered to them by an experienced teacher, which they will internalize and utilize later.
4. Bullying is an aggressive behaviour in which a person intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort and in many cases it is through forcing, threatening or coercion to abuse. Social cognitions refer to how people process, store and use information about other people in a social set up and how they interact with each other and environment. The social identity and social cognition involving ideas in the minds of some individuals (bullies) trigger aggressive behaviours and attitudes and eventually develop bad feelings towards other people whom they consider to be inferior, defenceless or weak and thereby want to take advantage of them. It can be well illustrated in a situation where someone is abusive, belittling or intimidating someone, or even being rude and using sarcastic comments directed at someone.
5. Yes, it is correct. It is true that some cognitive abilities are associated with male and others to female. Such abilities include the higher verbal abilities favouring women; higher spatial abilities favouring men; and higher arithmetic abilities favouring men again. These variations are attributed to biological and environmental factors; among the biological factors it has been found that hormones are associated with certain aspects of brain differentiation. Sex differences in cognitive abilities also have been related to environmental influences, educational background and culture.
6. It is the idea of certain people considering they do not fit the typical masculine and feminine gender roles in society. A lesbian is a female person who takes up roles and activities which are associated with the other gender. Androgyny may be disadvantageous in some cases where an androgynous person learns the bad side from his or her masculine and feminine side. For instance, he may become too shy, obsessive and perhaps stubborn.
7. Yes. Positive self-esteem is valued as a good quality and is important to a happy and productive life. It may be a bad thing for instance when it is accompanied by verbal defensiveness in which one lashes out at others when he or she feels his opinions, beliefs and values are threatened.
References
(www.sciencedaily.com)
