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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVE.RSITY
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NORTHRIDGE
Improving Classroom Interpersonal Relationships and Selftoncepts of Second Grade Culturally bisadvantaged Children
Through Problem-Solving Techniques
Report of a graduate project sutimitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirement~ of the degree of
Master of Arts::l
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Counseling and Guidance
Elizabeth A. Jackson
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Approved by:
January 2, 1973
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ABSTRACT
It was the purpose of this project to investigate the effects of ,
problem solving and group discussion on second grade culturally disad1
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~nterpersonal!
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shown specific
vantaged children with respect to their self-concepts and
!classroom relationships.
Many of these children had
!problem behaviors which interfered with classroom learning.
The set-
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ting of the project was in a self-contained classroom with twenty-seven:
heterogeneously grouped children; thirteen girls and fourteen boys.
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jThe group was involved in daily problem solving experiences and met
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japproximately for twenty minutes each session.
Criterion data respect-
ling to self-concept, peer relationships an~ teacher-pupil interaction
!were collected by means of The Thomas Self-Concept Values Test, Face
!Rating Scale, Sociogram and a Draw Your Class and Teacher projective
!text.
Analysis of data indicated that significant changes occurred in
lthe self-concepts of these children. An objective evaluation by the
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jteacher revealed a definite reduction in interfering behaviors within
Ithe
class room.
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INTRODUCTION
!The Problem
Ito
In the last few years, there has been increasing interest in how l
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improve a child•s behavior and attitude through improving his self-
,concept.
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The purpose of this project has been to evaluate the effects
Ilof group discussion
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and problem solving on the self-concept and inter-
lpersonal relationships of second grade culturally disadvantaged chil-
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!dren.
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The project developed from the observations of the teacher during
!the first week of school in September.
Some of the children had shown
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!symptoms of acting-out behavior, aggression and poor social adjustment.;
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iThe effect of
traditional discipline was minimal and contributed to the
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!frustrations of both the teach~r and the children.
The teacher was not
!interested with the history of a behavior, since that could not be unjdone, but was concerned with present behavior and the present factors
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lin the school environment which contributed to the maintenance of the
ibehavinr.
In the following project, the teacher made an effort to helpl
I~children to acquire behaviors that would serve them better in their
! interactions
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in the classroom and the total school situation.
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The term •culturally deprived• has been so overused in the educa- .1
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jtion field that a word of caution should be added at this point.
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Chil-l
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ldren that are classified as culturally or socially disadvantaged cover i
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Ia wide range of abilities ~nd backgrounds.
Genera 1 1abe 1s may be appro-
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jpriate for some of these children, but not all of them.
;otherwise culturally
~isadvantaged,
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Many children,!
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enjoy good relationships with their\
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parents and sib 1i ngs, and these children have favorab 1e and healthy
self-concepts.
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Regardless of external appearances and characteristics
any ch1ld who has an unfavorable picture of himself .is a socially dis-
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advantaged child.
Review of Literature
William James, among other early American psychologists, conDai (1954} feels that
sidered the self-concept important in behavior.
the self-concept forms the core around which all other facets of personality are organized.
Therefore, what a person thinks· of himself,
!consciously and unconsciously, is the prime determiner of his behavior.
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In the study by Snygg and Combs (1949) they said that how a person
!behaves -is determined by the concept he has of himself and his abili
lities.
They added:
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What a child thinks about himself is seen in his
icontinuous talking, beating up the younger children ... ; and always
ltrying to be the center of attention ...
Several investigators have
!found the self-concepts of disadvantaged children to be characterized
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by low self-esteem, self-deflation, and self-depreciation.
These
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characteristics of the self are manifest in behavior, as difficulty
in interpersonal relations, difficulty in accepting responsibility
and a general pattern of behavior that tends to be fearful and passive.
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Relatively few studies have explored the perceptions which elemen-
!tary school pupils have their classrooms and their teachers. Davidson
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land Lang (1960) investigated the relationship between children's peri
jceptions of their teachers' feelings toward them and their own self-
!
!perception.
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A high positive relation (.82) was found between chil-
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i dren 's ·perceptions of their teachers' fee 1i ngs toward them and the
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children's perceptiOns of themselves •.. The findings of this study
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suggest that children are aware of the way their teachers feel about
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them and that they see
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th~mselves
in the same way as the teacher does.
Lippitt (1940) also demonstrated that individual social behavior is
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determined by the prevailing
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teacher-p~pil
relationship.
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A study conducted by Estvan and Estvan (1959) presented first
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and sixth graders with a picture of a classroom and asked for interpre~
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·tations.
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The younger children gave more positive responses than the
older children.
The
~uthors
interpreted the decline in enthusiasm
for school shown by the older children as a result of increasing re.sistance to authority.
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Powers (1962) found that girls were more
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Iaccepting
than boys of the teacher as an authority figure and that the
Ibrighter students
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Ichildren.
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The use
tended to be more accepting than the less bright
of children•s drawing to explore the pupil •s perception
lof the teacher has given support to~the position that the drawings
!of
chtldren reflect
those features of the environment which have spe1
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\cial significance for them.
Hare and Hare (1956) found that a child•s
!drawing of the group in which he was participating was reflected to
[his social position in the group.
There is little research evidence
!to support blind diagnosis by individual drawings,
altho~gh
develop-
!men:tal levels of drawing ability, organization of the figures and
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\handling of details and comments made during the drawing may provide
!
jhelpful clues.
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Several studies have been completed concerning the effects of
!counseling on elementary students• peer relations.
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The findings have
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been inconclusive and conflicting.· Actording to Shaw and Wurston
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(1965) traditional counseling techniques with groups of children
have emphasized either a didactic approach, or a client-centered
approach with broad goals such as improving self-understanding, self- I
acceptance and interpersonal
relations~
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Munger, Winkler, Ti e.gi and
and Kranzler (1964) found no differences between their counseled
and noncounseled subjects regarding change in sociometric status.
However, in this study it was reported that their subjects did not
perceive their underachieving behavior as a problem that needed correcti on.
This apparent lack of concern would not have aided the
jcounseling relationship.
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Biasco (1965), using fourth, fifth and
!sixth grade subjects of low
~ociometric
lof several .treatment conditions.
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status, compared the effects
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Again, no differences were found
!among counseled and noncounseled students.
Only one study (Kranzler,
et. al., 1966) found counseling to favorably influence peer relations.
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IDinkmeyer and Caldwell (1970) emphasized that counseling with chil-
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dren can and
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should be done in groups.
Faust (1968) definitely stated
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!that group counseling is preferred over individual counseling.
This
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is due to the fact that much of children•s learning occurs in groups.
Therefore, it may be assumed that group counseling offers the most
!effective and economical approach for new learnings and for the un-
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I learning
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of ineffective attitudes and behavior.
The plan of the present project was to provide
~xperiences
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!which would lead the children toward self-acceptance, independence,
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!environmental control and self-discipline.
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It is here hypothesized
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lthat (a) group discussion with second grade culturally disadvantaged
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·children. using a problem solving approach is effective in modifying
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specific problem behav.iors within. the classroom situation and ·(b) .
it is hypothesized that there will be a gain in both self-concept
and sociometric status at the conclusion of the problem solving ex-
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perience.
Method ·
Subjects
The subjects of this project were twenty-seven second grade children, thirteen girls and fourteen boys.
7 months to 7 years 3 m6nths.
The ages ranged from 6 years
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All activities took place within the
school environment which was located in a culturally disadvantaged
:neighborhood.
I!Apparatus
Initial Interview
Through the interview the teacher was able to gain insight into
the child's feelings of strengths and weaknesses, fears and worries
land likes
and dislikes.
The Thomas Self-Concept Values Test--Ages 3 to 9
Child is required to answer fourteen items under four categories:
self, mother, teacher and peer.
Each question is asked with specific
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,reference being made to a photograph, taken of the child just previous •
Ito testing.
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There are fourteen value scores and five
!scores derived from the test.
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self-con~ept
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Responses are scored either positive-
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lly (+) or negatively (-).
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The self value factors being measured are
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jhappiness, size, sociability, ability, sharing, male acceptance, fear
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of things, fear of people,
~trength, cle~riliness,
ness, material and independence.
Test
~as
health,
attractive~ l
administered individually
during 6ne sitting and took approximately 15 minutes.
Face Rating Scale
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Res.ponse to an item is in terms of degree of emotional response.!
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Child puts an X under the face, such as one of those above, that showsl
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how he feels.
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I Sociogram
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Class is arranged in a circular pattern, each pupil being represented by a small circle containing his number.
Children were as-
signed numbers which followed an alphabetical name sequence.
These
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were assigned privately at the start of the school year.
drawn between circles to represent choices.
Lines are
An arrowhead points to-
ward the person the pupil would most like to sit next to in school.
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When there is a mutual choice, there is an arrowhead at each end of
the line.
Each dot within the circle represents a pupil's second
choice.
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Draw Your Class and Teacher
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This apparatus explores the concepts that these second grade chil!
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ldren_:aVe_of- thei ~te:ch:_and~:m:_of :~ co::::~:--~~a~~n:l uen~:J
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these concepts.
For scoring, the qraw.ings were classified ·into two
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categories involving positive interaction· and negative interaction
based on the judgement of _the investigator.
Positive Interaction (+):
(a) a short distance between teacher
and student(s); (b) pleasant, visible features of both teacher-and
student(s); (c) compatibility of activity between teacher and student(s); (d) size of teacher and student(s) in reasonable proportions.
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Negative Interaction (-): (a) teacher well defined and student (s)!
not well defined: (b) aggressive motions of teacher toward student(s);
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(c) passive student(s) and active teacher; (d) heavy shadings of the .
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student(s) figure(s); (e) extreme distance between teacher and stu1
dent(s); (f) no relationship ·of activity between teacher and· stu-
ldent(s}; (g) presence of only teacher or only student(s); (h) drawings cannot be deciphered.
Additional Material Used to EnhancS-Group Problem Solving
Glasser Principles for Group Discussion
From: Schools Without Failure
Critical Incidents (Primary)--Duplicating Masters
By Dr. James Hoffman
This was a series of materials designed to help children develop
a casual orientation toward human behavior and social involvement.
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lco~on childhood problems are stated in brief, interesting story form.
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stories provide a jumping off place for discussi--ons . on dilemmas
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!that are very real to children.
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I ical
Each problem helped to develop crit-
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thinking and problem solving ability and also motivates children
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/to talk and express their op1n1ons.
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Role Playing
From: Role Playing for Social Values
By Fannie R. Schaftel
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This face rating scale was used after role playing
se~sions.
Children were asked to place an ! on the face that showed how they
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::l:h:tc::::b:::::cular time. Faces were either mimeographed or drawn I
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Guess Who?
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The teacher or pupil gives the clues about the identity of differ-!
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lent members of the class; this in effect, gives each child a glimpse
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lof himself as others see him.
IPuppets--Hand or Stick
Stick puppets were made from paper plates and rulers.
Facial
features and expressions were drawn onto or attached to the plates
to give a three-dimensional effect.
Plates were large enough to con-
ceal the child's face as he portrays a character in front of his
classmates.
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!Stories
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The stories selected dealt with the usual- fears, joys, questions
land attitudes of children.
Some were humorous, others were sad; all
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!were provocative and challenging.
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Pictures to Reveal Feelings
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Pictures of various moods (happy, s-ad, tired, etc.) were displayed-and child would then express when he felt like that child in
the picture.
Responses were recorded, typed and mounteq on drawing
paper for the child to illustrate.
Incomplete Sentences
Examples: What I do when I'm angry ...
How I wish I were different •..
What I like about myself.~.
I feel sad when .•.
!Audiovisual Materials
Film strips, records, tape recorder.
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IIndividual
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Drawings
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Draw1ngs of self, family, mother, home, etc.
I·short stories
Children wrote
to go with their pictures and put them into a 11 Book
About Myself ... Various topics were used such as:
My Home
t4y Family
What I Like Best in School
Things I Dream About
What I Want to Be Someday
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!Procedure
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This project was designed to meet a specific need in the class'
!room; mainly to improve interpersonal relationships through problem
'I!solving.
In o.rder to accomplish this goal the following. steps were
!taken:· (1) identifying the classroom problems, (2) diagnosing and
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interpreting them, ( 3) deve 1 oping and adapting a p1an for Change, an:
(4) feedback and
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~valuation.
It was a controlled project based on total class participation
in a self-contained classroom with twenty-seven heterogeneously
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grouped children.
By using a self-contained class, the
teac~e~
had
both the opportunity and authority to assume full responsibility for
pupils, both academic and behavioral.
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Thus it was easier to achieve
the necessary involvement on which problem solving and group discuss-
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ion are based.
Three methods of data collection were employed: (1) an oral
interview with each child, to secure information about self-concepts
jand attitudes on the school
~rivironment,
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(2) observation of classroom
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during and after problem solving experiences, and (3) pro-
ljective testing.
The teacher felt that. these methods would provide
!more than just a description of the development of important personal
Ijconcep t s 1n
· t h.1s groupo f ch"ld
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Identical ·pre-tests and post-tests were administered, approxi!mately three months apart.
These four tests were The Thomas Self-
Concept Values Test, the Face Rating Scale, Sociogram, and the Draw
!Your Class and Teacher test.
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Tests were administered individually.
Directions for the administration of The Thomas Self-Concept
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~jValues
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Test were given under the
appar~tus
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section.
The time spent
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lin giving the test was usually around fifteen minutes with most chili
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idren.
I!the
The Face Rating Scale was administered immediately following
self-concept test.
Here the children were asked to place an
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on the face that showed how they felt at that particular time.
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·first sociogram was administered the last we_ek in September so the
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children would have had ample opportunity to get acqua-inted with their
peers.
After analyzing the sociogram children were arranged in groups i
according to their choices (first and second).
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The children of lowest I
sociometric status were placed next to their first cho1ces.
For the
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Draw Your Class and Teacher test, paper was distributed and the children were given the following directions:
"Write your name on the
top left-hand corner of your paper (demonstrate).
over and draw a picture of your class and teacher.
Now turn your paper'
You may arrange
your drawing any way you wish, however, do not use stick figures
(demonstrate)...
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The time for this test ran approximately twenty min- '
Iutes.
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Group discussions or class meetings were held daily; usually
Ifor a twenty minute
Iall depended on the
period.
However, there was no time limit and it
type of activity that was going on.
The children
lwere encouraged to show their feelings and to learn to listen and observe others.
The primary goals of these discussions were to develop
the child's sense of self-worth, his sense of ability for his own
actions and his ability to think critically and solve relevant probThe group discussed problems relating to school and present
lems.
developmental concerns.
Among these problems were:
relevancy of
school work, teacher-pupil and pupil-pupil interactions, discipline
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! and problems with authority.
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Each problem solving experience which the teacher selected for
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/group discussion included a complete cycle of activities: usually a
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story, a problem-situation, a role playing· activity, puppetry and
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supplementary activities.
The various· units that were presented
Were: understanding and accepting self,
u~derstanding
feelings, under-
standing others, understanding independence, understanding
~oals
purposeful behavior, and understanding choice and consequences.
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and
Chil- j
dren were invited to join the group discussion with the understanding l
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that they did not have to remain if they did not want to.
Idren
Those chil-l
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not ready for group discussions were allowed to sit out and do
,.quiet activities like puzzle making or drawing instead.
were set up with one rule strictly enforced.
all group members were to be attentive.
Guidelines
The rule stated that
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If a child was guilty of dis-\
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turbing, he was asked to leave the group.
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land the
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In the beginning the group organization was formal and structured ,
te~her ~ok
an active role with axtensive pre-planning and
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definite control. so that a predetermine,d problem could be- met through
a specific consequence.
As the children's problem solving ability
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increased, pantomime and role playing were introduced.
cedure for role playing was followed.
The usual pro-
Pupils were encouraged to
· participate in the discussion or warm-up which preceded the first
dramatization and in the evaluation which followed each portrayal of
Ithe conflict.
I to~ard
Through 1 anguage the chi 1dren revea 1ed their attitudes
the teacher and toward their peers.
At the conclusion of each . I
lro1e playing session children were asked to check a Face Rating Scale !
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i (described in apparatus) •. This was used only as an objective evalu-
lation by the teacher to determine the children's responses.
The material for problem solving and role playing was concerned
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iwith enhancing self-understanding, gaining an awareness of self and
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·others, and purposeful motivational involvement.
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The experiences
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1were designed to build a positive self-concept and
fe~lings
of ade-
quacy; as well as helping the children to control emotionai reactions
land to find alternatives for expressing feelings.
After each dis-
cussion the teacher helped the children to review and summarize what
was learned.
At the conclusion of both the pre and post-testing and problem
solving experiences, an objective evaluation was made by the teacher.
Resul·ts
The first hypothesis of the project, stating that the problem
solving approach is effective in modifying specific problem behaviors
!was evaluated objectively by the teacher .. This was accomplished by
weighing the teacher's own perceptions against her childrens• actual
attitudes and feelings.
The results of this
eval~ation
procedure con-
'vinced the teacher that problem solving had been successful in many
ways.
There was less fighting and the pupils played and worked to-
lgether more often.
Pupils who still disliked some of their peers
!were nevertheless now able to work with them without overt hostility.
[Finally, the responses to the problem situations that were
1showed
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improved empathy and understanding.
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The results
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the Thomas Self-Concept Values Test, both pre and post-testing
'iare shown in Tables 1 and 2.
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The second hypothesis stating that there would be a gain in
!self-concept and sociometric status was also supported.
i of
p~e~ented
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Children were divided according to sex
iand the total represents the number of negative responses to each item.
L-·---·---·--· -·~ ~ •----~·-·---~v~•···-~··-·-··-----•--• •-•·•~ ,,._,_, __,_,,,_,_,,,____ ~, ___......:._. ___,___~_' ~ •••·-~··----··-~• ' ·-~· •·-~-· ...
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A comparison of pre and post-test results is found in Table 3.
final analysis of this test, both sexes
indicat~d
In the
positive self-
perceptions, which were neither overly high or unduly low.
The sig-
nificant differences in self-concepts of boys and girls .would seem
to indicate that at this level girls have greater self-esteem than
boys.
The Face Rating Scale as shown in Table 4 also indicated improve-
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ment in the post-test results in the feelings of the children; especially the girls.
All children placed their X's on either the fourth
or fifth face and this was an indication of positive feelings.
Increase or decrease in sociometric status was measured by com-
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. paring the total number of choices received by a child on a pre-test
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as indicated in Figure 1 with the number of choices child received on
a post-test as indicated in Figure 2.
The pre-test showed that there
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were five children; three girls and two boys who were not selected for ;
either first or second choice.
only
on~
Post-test results indicated there was
child, a boy, in this category.
one of those listed in the pre-test.
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However, this child was not
For comparison, Table 5 presents
a tabulation of the same data shown in Figures 1 and 2 so it can be
seen how these two forms compare.
The teacher chose to present the
·data on friendship patterns only, rather than have the children state
!I negative
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associations.
jopposite sex.
Most rejections tended to be directed to the
On the post-test there seemed to be a greater diffusion
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i of positive choices, so that fewer children were very highly liked or
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;very strongly rejected.
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Insofar as the drawings of children may be considered to represent:
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TABLE 1
The Thomas Self-Concept Values Test
Pre-Test Results
Boys--Fourteen P~rticipating--Negative Responses Only
Factors
Self
Mother
Teacher
Peer
Hap pines s
1
0
2
2
Size
3
3
4
4
Soc i ab i1 ity
1
1
2
3
Ab i 1i ty
4
2
5
5
Sharing
3
4
5
3
· Ma 1e Acceptance
6
4
3
5
Fear of Things
4
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2
2
Fear of People
1
1
1
3
0
1
2
3
I Strength
0
0
3
3
I Cleanliness
2
1
2
2
Health
1 Attractiveness
2
0
0
1
10
Ii Material
9
9
10
4
I Independence
7
7
0
l
Girls--Thirteen Participating--Negative Responses
Factors
Se 1f
Mother ... Teacher
0
0
1
I Happiness
6
6
5
1 Size
Soci abi 1i ty
1
2
l
Ability
3
2
.3
Sharing
2
3
1
Male Acceptance
9
9
9
Fear of Things
2
2
1
Fear of People
1
0
0
I
i Strength
8
6
6
I
I Cleanliness
0
1
1
j
i Health
1
0
0
! Attractiveness
1
0
1
i
• 1
i Mater1 a
12
ll
11
'
i Independence
5
5
5
I
I
Total
5
· 14
7
16
15
18
9
6
6
6
I
7
3
38
27
I
Only
Peer
Total
0
1
6
23
5
1
4
1
9
1
12
7
36
0
6
2
24
3
1
1
9
6
3
43
21
1
4
1
L-~-------·~----~------~-~--~--~--~---·---··-·-··------~-------------·--···-·--~---·--,-~----~-~·-··-------···--·-~----~-..:
TABLE 2
The Thomas Self-Concept Values Test
Post-Test Re~ults
Boys--Fourteen Participating--Negative Responses Only
Factors
Self
Mother
Teacher
Peer
Happiness
1
1
1
2
Size
2
2
3
3
Soc i ab i 1 i ty
1
2
4
4
Ab i 1 i ty
2
3
3
3
Sharing
2
6
5
5
Ma 1e Acceptance
3
5
6
4
Fear of Things
0
1
-2
2
Fear of People
1
2
2
2
Strength
0
1·
3
3
Cleanliness
1
1
2
3
Health
0
1
0
2
1 Attractiveness
1
1
1
1
6
7
7
5
IMaterial
Independence
8
3
7
8
Girls--Thirteen Participating--Negative Responses
Factors
Self
Mother
Teacher
Happiness
0
0
0
Size
1
0
1
Sociability
1
2
1
Abi 1i ty
2
0
2
Sharing
2
3
2
Male Acceptance
8
8
8
!Fear of Things ·0
0
0
I
1 Fear of People
1
0
0
I
IStrength
1
3
2
jcleanliness
0
0
0
j He a1th
0
0
0
Il Attractiveness
1
0
1
!Material
10
9
9
i
j Independence
4
5
4
Only
Peer
Total
I
5
l
10
11
11
18
18
5
7
6
7
3
4
25
26
Total
1
0
3
1
5
1
5
2
9
8
0
32
0
1
1
7
0
0
0
0
2
7
4
0
0
4
35
17
·I
II
!
!
L---·-·---------·---·-··---·-·--·----·--------··--..------···---·-·--·-·--·------·"·-·-------·-··-......... .,.......----..-------------....J
TABLE 3
The Thomas Self-Concept Values Test
Pre-Test and Post-Te~t Comparisons
18
Results Based on Negative Responses
Fourteen Boys and Thirteen Girls
I -
I
I
I
II
I - - - - - -_______________________:_____________-;-·"--------------.-·-------------------1
~~
19
TABLE 4
Face Rating Scale
Administered after each Thomas Self-Concept Values Test
1
2
3
4
Results of first administration
(Number of children responding to each number)
Boys
1.
1
2.
3.
0
1
4.
3
5.
9
14
Girls
1.
2.
0
3.
...
4.
5.
1
boys
1
4
7
13 girls
Results of second administration
Girls
1.
., !:!
!
I
!
j
I
4.
5.
0
1.
0
0
2.
3.
4.
5.
0
0
6
8
14
boys
0
1
12
13 girls
5
20 .
FIGURE 1
First Sociogram
27
26
0
~
1
2
~6
3
i
22
I
I
I
?1
I
20
12
0
015
Key:
i
I
I
I
L _ _ _ _"
Qchildren: 1 to 13 (girls)
-4 First Choice
~ Mutual Choice
~Second Choice
~Children not Chosen
·-------·-------
13
14 to 27 (boys
------.__________!
projections of their concept of the classroom situation the follow-
2ilI
ing results were obtained and shown in Table 6: (1) boys are more
I
rejecting of the teacher than girls and (2) boys te_nded to show less
change in the frequency of negative concepts between. the time of pre
II,
and post-testing.
Discussion
Discussion will be divided into two categories:
the first concerning
the test results and the second discussing the problem solving experiences and group discussion.
Test Discussion
According to the results of The Thomas Self-Concept Values Test,
the maJority of these children do not view themselves as failures or
feel rejected or alienated.
Therefore, despite the cultural handicap
disadvantaged children do not necessarily suffer from low self-esteem
or personal worth.
The challenge, then, is to help these children
maintain their positive self-images.
The teacher found that in giving these types of projective
tests,~
that some of the children may have responded as they thought the teacher wanted them to.
i
The teacher believes that even at this age,
children can read into the question and give the accepted response.
This was especially obvious in the Face Rating Scale, since the
children knew which face was the most acceptable.
Even when the
i
-I'
I
teacher stressed the importance of having the children consider their
j
feelings, it was evident that they went to the most positive face
!! without . giving any of the others much thought. This definitely
I
1
I
interferes with the reliability and validity of such instruments.
'------~-----.---~---~-~----~·----
------···-·---"···--···
1
I
-~-~--~--~-------~:"·----~--~------ -~---------·-""'-~~- -------~----
22
. 27
26
0
k"'o
1
2
I
24
I
I
23
I.
01
t '
Os
10
Key:
!
~ Childre~; 1 to 13 (girls) 14 to 27 (boys)
~
First Choice
~
Mutual Choice
c:)
E)
Secqnd Choice
Children not Chosen
·1
t.-.~·-·---------------·--·-----q-·---~·-----~·---,~-----------·--~·---~--~
23
TABLE 5
Pre and Post-Test Sociogram Results
Number of Times Children were Chosen
11 to 13: Girls
14 to 27:
Pre-Test
Second Choice
First Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
~2.
~3.
e4.
1
1
6
0
0
3
0*
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
2
0
0
0
0
3
1
0
1
0
2
0
2
*
*
*
*
1
·2
1
0
1
0
2
0
1
3
0
1
1
0
Boys
Post-Test
First Choice Second Choice
2
1
*
1
*
*
*
*
I
1
1
0
0
•2
0
1
0
0
"1
3
1
1
1
1
4
1
0*
3
0
1
1
2
2
0
2
3
1
~5.
0
k6.
1
0
'
1
27.
0
f* Children not selected either as a first
!
4
0
1
0
2
2
0
1
1
2
1
0
1
1
3
1
0
1
1
2
1
0
0
0*
1
1
l
J
I
I
I
I
,.
I
1
{
I
• I
1
'!
I
I
1
0
0
or second choice
j
!
!
!
I
24
TABLE 6
Draw Your Class and Teacher
Children identified by numbers: Girls, 1-13; Boys, 14-27
{These numbers relate to those on the Sociogram)
+ = positive response
- = negative res~onse
Date
Date
12:..11-72
10-2-72
Girls
1
+
2
3
4
+
+
+
+
5
6
7
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
8
9
10
+
11
+
12
13
+
+
+
+
16
+
+
17
+
+
Boys
14
15
18
I
+
I
+
I
19
20
I
.,
1
I
i
__________________
....
':.,.,..,
25
..
The sociogram gave the teacher a chance to locate the leaders
and isolates and from the results the group structure was changed.
In ord.er to avoid the tendency of boys to reject girls and vice-versa,,
it might be worthwhile to study rejection in single sex groups.
The drawings were quite interesting and useful, in proportion
t.o the small amount of effort which it entailed.
I
I
It was not the in-
tention of the teacher to clinically diagnose these drawings, but to
use them as helpful clues regarding the pupil-teacher interaction in
the classroom.
I Problem-S~lving
Experiences and Group Discussion
Setting up a smoothly running discussion group was no easy task.
1
Since the teacher had previously stated that the children did not
'
I
!
l
!
I
stressed that the group discussions were a privilege and by the end
of the first month there was total class participation.
During the first problem-solving sessions the children had difficulty verbalizing their feelings and usually answered the problem in
two or three words.
The words the children used were often disarm-
jingly simple and the sentences haltingly phrased.
! deal
It took a great
l
1
I
I
I
I
I
I
I were there. The teacher had to learn not to take a position, since
lI
I
!
I the
of effort to unearth the children•s feelings, but the ideas
chi 1dren tended to agree with it instead of revealing their own
I
i
!; reactions. In order to help correct this the teacher wrote the
i child~en•s
i
feelings on the chalkboard.
Throughout the first month
l
L~--#-·--------------------------·-~----.---·-------~---··-·:·-----~------·- --~~-------~-------~-~----~--- -~~--~J
.........
·the majority of children had difficulty exploring alternatives verbally and developing powers in conceptualizing and reasoning.
261
1.
They
had difficulty developing strategies for evaluating information and
also in comparing and contrasting ideas.
Since the children responded more fully and directly to· action
than to verbal explanation, the teacher introduced role playing.
Since role playing involves not only verbal participation but also
· bodily response, the children seemed to find that expression much
easier.
Now their involvement was apparent.
It was very difficult
for the children to sit without suggesting some action and words.
i
i
I
l,i
·
I
There were several children who wanted to act out a story, but refused\
when they were called on.
The teacher suspects that they refused
i;
because of.the ambiguity and the fear of.making a mistake and of
being unable to make up the proper ending.
Other children lost in-
terest because they were not personally involved in each role playing
session.
At times several
childre~
remained defensive and evasive
and they would_ not loosen up until the activity was over.
The atten-
tion span was still short and the children could remain still for a
limited time only.
To many it appeared to be one big game and most
problems were not being solved or at least only temporarily.
It be-
came necessary for the teacher to add more controls and eliminate
1 th·e children who continuously disturbed the group. Although they
!
I were the children who would'benefit the most from these activities,
I! they
.!
I
l
had to learn that no one had the right to disturb those who
i wanted to participate. Weeks of interacting and reacting;· of learn-
!
Ii ing
to live together were needed before everyone was comfortable
L.--~---~--------"--------·--····- ...... -
'·
.-
...............----------·-···----·-·------------- .........................______,
27
enough to settle down and be himself.
Role playing provided the teacher with a great deal of knowledge
about individual children•s inner personalities, their strivings
~nd
I
conflicts and their manner of behaving with members of the class. The '
children often dramatized a character more convincingly when their
own faces were not visible.
The puppets helped in this type of
Role playing helped a great deal in providing a classroom
situation.
I
I
I
1
atmosphere that was understanding and permissive in the area of
human relations.
The .teacher found the story method inhibited spontaneous exHowever, it was useful in me as uri ng comprehension of
pression.
pertinent social implications as well as judging the children•s
I
I
I
I
I
I
''
I
I
turns leading.
Attention often wandered at this time, so each child
led for a brief time only.
Then another child took that important
place and also found satisfaction in being needed.
pleasure in being the teacher.
They found great
The teacher found she could never
leave the group completely in the hands of a pupil leader.
They
always needed guidance in evaluating the relative merits of all
suggestions, combining ideas or rejecting others, or by asking a
child for farther explanation of suggestions.
,
When the-teacher re-
turned to the group after being an observer, the children were asked
I
1
1
1
I
I'
ll
I
1
I
'
L-----------------------------------------------------•----·:·-------------·-·-----·-----------------------__j
'·
.-
.
-
·to analyze what had happened and
~hen .
suggest ways in which they
might act differently next time.
The results from this project are many.
One of the most notice-
able is that the climate of the whole room has changed for both children and teacher.
This does not mean that there are no problems; for
there are still some children whose anxieties interfere with their
1
II
school participation and whose feelings of aggression and hostility
I
prevent their cooperation with classroom controls.
1
Perhaps with more
problem solving activities and positive reinforcement, these children
1,
II
can improve their self-images and learn to relate to others confident-i
ly and enjoyably.
Overall, the atmosphere within the classroom is
!
different and our room is now a place where children can learn to
cope with personal problems.
Conclusions
The data from this project seem to indicate that through
the use
.
~
of problem solving and group discussion favorable changes occurred
in the classroom interpersonal relationships and self-concepts of
these second grade children.
Twenty-seven children; thirteen girls
and fourteen boys were used in this controlled investigation.
The
group was involved in daily problem solving experiences and met apprpximately for twenty minutes each session.
Criterion- data respect-·
ing to self-concept, peer relationships and teacher-pupil interaction
were collected by means of The Thomas Self-Concept Values Test, Face
Rating.Scale, Sociogram, and a Draw Your Class and
test.
Teache~
projective
Analysis of data indicated that significant changes occurred
'·
.......
29
the teacher revealed a definite reduction in interfering behaviors
within the classroom.
Of course, the results presented here do not speak with the
finality on the value of problem solving and group discussion.
In
terms of traditional research, this project is limited because the
collection of data was confined to one.classroom.
However, a system-
f·
I
atic observation and recording of test information by the teacher in
the actual classroom provided objective data which suggests that the
1.
problem solving process contributed significantly to a positive change j
in the children•s self-concepts and behavior patterns.
l
I
30
· References
Axline, Virginia.
Play Therapy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1947.
Barclay, J.R. Effecting Behavior Change in the Elementary Classroom ... An exploratory study. Journal .of Counseling Psychology,
14, 1967' 240-248.
Battle, E.S. and Rotter, J.B. 11 Children•s Feeling and Personal
Control as Related to Social Class and Ethnic Group, .. Journal of
Personality, 31, (December, 1963), 482-490.
Biasco, F. The Effects of Individual Counseling, Multiple Counseling
and Teacher Guidance Upon the Sociometric Status of Children.Enrolled in Grades Four, Five and Six. Unpublished doctoral thesis.
Indiana University,1965.
Dai, B. 11 Some Problems of Personality Development Among Negro
Children, .. In C. Kluckholn and H.A. Murray (editors), Personali.!.Y_
in Nature, Society and Culture. New York: Alfred A. Knofp, 1954.
i
Davidson, H.H. and Lang, G.
Children•s Perception of their Teachers!
Feelings Toward them Related to Self-Perception, School Achieve·
ment and Behavior, .. Journal of Experimental Education, 26, 1960,
107-118.
11
Dinkmeyer, D.C. and Caldwell, C. E. Developmental Counseling and
Guidance: A Comprehensive School Approach. New York: McGrawHill, 1970.
Estvan, F.J. and Estvan, E.W. The Child s World: His Social Perception. New York: Putnam, 1959.
1
Faust, V. The Counselor-Consultant in the Elementary School. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1968.
Glasser, William.
A School Without Failure.
New York:
Harper~
11
I
1969. I
Goodenough, Florence L. Measurement of Intelligence by Drawings.
New York: World Book Company, 1926.
Hare, Paul and Hare, Rachel· T. 11 Draw a Group Test,
Genetic Psychology, 89, (September, 1956), 51-59.
Ii
Journal of
Jennings, Helen H. Sociometry in Group Relations: A Work Guide for
Teachers. Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1948.
Kranzler, G.D., Mayer, G.R., Dyer, C.O. and Munger, P.F ... Counseling with Elementary School Children: An Experimental Study.
Personnel and Guidance Journal, 44, 1966, 944-949.
I
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I