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Learning ability and self-esteem: How does the progressive neuro-degenerative disease (NCL) affect self-estimation and self-image
Topic: Assessment
Heli Hietaharju-Mölsä
Special teacher
School for the Visually Impaired in Jyväskylä
Box 319,FIN-40101 Jyväskylä
Finland
+358-14-3343100
heli.hietaharju-molsa@jynok.fi
The aim of this study was on one hand to find out if the progressive neuro-degenerative disease (NCL) affect the ability of a pupil to evaluate him/herself as a learner and on the other to discover how the disease affects self-image. The pupils (9) were observed during three years on the average and they were asked the questions of the form at quarterly intervals. In addition, unstructured questions were used to reveal possible changes in self-image.
All the pupils participating in the study had the juvenile form of the NCL syndrome.
The group of disease known as neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinoses are metabolic progressive degenerative diseases that occur in children and adults. The various childhood forms of the disease are inherited as autosomal recessive and represent one of the largest groups of progressive neurodegenerative diseases in children.
As JNCL does not develop until the child is between 5 and 12 years old, development up to this point is quite normal. The first symptoms that are apparent are clumsiness, problems with schoolwork, speech problems, a decreasing attention span and the degeneration of cognitive skills.
The main or key symptoms to notice are: deterioration of sight, loss of sight, deterioriation muscle control, epilepsy, cognitive problems, dementia, emotional disturbance, agression.
There is not known treatment at the present time that can stop the progression, or reverse the effects of JNCL. Symptomatic and supportive treatment is used, and medication is used to help control symptoms.
Self-image in a human being is defined as the way a person conceives himself and his relationship with the environment. Self-image develops and changes throughout a person’s life as he gets feedback concerning his behaviour and personality from other people. Information from other people strongly affects a person’s concept of himself, what he is like, what he can and can’t do. A characteristic of humans a species is the ability to create a realistic self-image. One of the central aims of school is to strengthen and support in co-operation with the family the development of a realistic self-image. It is important to make use of age- and motivation related factors in enhancing the child’s belief in his capacities and skills. The way a child sees himself as an outsider should be modified in such a way that the child begins to see himself as an individual in society. The learning environment and the learning methods used play an important part in this development.
Self-image develops in relationship with the environment, parents, siblings and school. Childhood is critical in the formation of self-image. At this stage cognitive development forms a basis for believing in one’s own capacities. The development of self-image continues throughout life on the basis formed during childhood. A person who believes in his own skills and a positive self-image can generally cope difficult situations in life. An unfavourable self-image can cause failure and feelings of inferiority. In general people explain their failures with external factors and success with internal ones. Thus, a person protects his own positive self-image in order to be able to cope in everyday life. Two dimensions are always incorporated in the global self. The first one is me as a subject, doer, one who experiences, that which is within me. This self is present in all behaviour and it supervises the self, but it is very hard to assess or measure. The other dimension is me as an object, as experienced by others and as an object of behaviour and it can be assessed and measured from without. Me is always an object when a person reminisces, thinks about his former actions or conversations.
A realistic self-image is a person’s truthful, conscious understanding of what he is like. The real me comprises the external, public self-image, which can be seen during interaction, and the personal self-image, e.g. opinions about characteristics which are not necessarily revealed to outsiders. This study focused mainly on the social and emotional self-image of the pupils. It can also be defined as the pupil’s overall opinion of himself. A closer assessment of self-image and self-esteem in a child requires the use of several assessment tools.
Self-assessment has become part of the renovated assessment method in schools. Its purpose is to support and enhance the overall personality of the child and to help it grow towards independence. Each pupil should be provided with optimal opportunities. Self-assessment can manifest itself as conversations with the teacher, discussions with the rest of the class or in forms filled in by the pupils. All material that has to do with self-assessment serves as a guideline in teaching and helps construct news learning entities more effectively. Self-assessment always aims at discovering personal resources and strengths.
A complex analysis of reality through the use of knowledge and thought helps the learner to strengthen emotional life and broaden his outlook on life as well as help him in the field of self-assessment. Self-assessment provides a foundation for a realistic self-image and evaluation of one’s social skills. It also helps a person cope with everyday situations by enhancing self-expression and means of interaction. With all pupils self-assessment begins with a description of oneself as a learner, a girl, a boy, what I’m good at, what I see and why I go to this school. The use of self-assessment alongside academic assessment is an opportunity for every teacher to learn to know the pupil better and to help develop skills and increase knowledge. This is especially true when the pupil has a special impediment or illness as self-assessment in such cases serves as part of the overall assessment of the pupil. Each pupil should have an opportunity for a constructive discourse on himself and his learning.
Every pupil is an active member of the reality that surrounds him. He has the right to learn and to broaden his horizons. Knowledge is not static and it is not pursued for its own sake. The stability and application of knowledge to existing circumstances can be viewed through self-assessment by learning to know one’s own reality.
The questions used in this study were as follows:
1. At the beginning of the autumn term each pupil was asked about his own expectations concerning the school year ahead of him, his strengths, favourite subjects and learning prospects.
2. This section of the questionnaire dealt with learning matters: what, how, where, when do you want to learn.
3. Opinions of self as a learner; the pupil was asked to describe his own success at school, weaknesses, attitudes towards learning, his own physical appearance, his relationship with his teacher and class mates.
4. This section dealt with attitudes towards the learning environment, the contents of teaching and satisfaction with the pupil’s achievements in learning.
5. Unstructured questions: the pupils spontaneously told about themselves, how they regarded themselves and other people. The leading questions were: Which subjects do you like best and least at school? If you were an animal, which animal would you rather be? If you could change something in the world, what would it be?
1.The expectations of every pupil at the beginning of term were lots to do and learning new things.
“I wish I have lots to do, carpentry, reading, fun, new things.”
The pupils had very clear ideas about their own strengths, characteristics and capacity to learn new things.
“I can draw, I can listen, I’m a slow learner, I know how to be a schoolboy, I like handicraft.”
Almost all considered themselves to be ordinary learners at the beginning of the study. As the illness progressed, consciousness of the visual impairment and of one’s own difference changed the description of oneself.
Throughout the study the pupils were highly motivated towards learning and the emphasis in strengths was on subjects dealing with manual activities.
2.All wanted to learn by doing and to learn at school every day. Several pupils wished to make the school day longer. They had a clear idea on when they were not learning: tiredness was the worst obstacle to learning, it prevented learning. With some, headaches were an obstacle. Everybody wanted to learn for adult life, so that I can do it when I’m grown up. Two pupils mentioned reading and writing, but a brief pondering on the necessity of these skills was also directed at the future. Every pupil wished to learn lots of things in order to be able to do them when they were grown ups.
3.All said that learning was fun, a joy in general. Learning new things was also a pleasure. Learning was not fun when the subject was without interest. Such subjects were most often a foreign language (English) and mathematics. Everyone’s estimate of his own success was favourable. They all had clear views on the fact that they might, at times, study more and more effectively. The strengths were often the favourite subject, even though the pupil often needed assistance. The most common strong / what I’m good at -subject was manual skills, carpentry, handicrafts and PE came second. Everybody’s strength was in doing something.
At school, a subject involving making an effort and thinking was considered difficult. Mathematics were difficult for most pupils, but two considered it their favourite subject. Some of the pupils felt that nothing was difficult for them.
All saw themselves as active and happy: I’m active and well, I have poor vision!
All the pupils were happy with their own classes and wanted to be with the other people. Nobody felt lonely.
The teacher was important and very much liked.
4.At the beginning and end of the questionnaire all admitted to having learned lots of things. It was difficult for them to list the three most important new things. The most common answer was to list the three latest learned things. The youngest pupils (7-8 yrs) were most satisfied with themselves. The pupils became more critical as puberty approached. The girls were clearly less satisfied with their physical appearance than the boys. They boys expressed their dissatisfaction with their manner of learning: “I’m slow, I can’t concentrate”.
All felt that school was meaningful, fun, the subjects weren’t boring, everyone had found joy in some part of their performance: I learned Braille, I can use a CCTV, I learned to use Ritmuff (plastic foil that can be drawn on with a ball-point pen which causes the line to rise and become tactile), I learned the multiplication tables. Happiness was also obtained form getting birthday and Christmas presents. The length of the school day was considered suitable, though some pupils wished it to be longer. It was important that everybody could work in peace. Attention from the teacher enhanced learning and motivation.
5.Talking books or books being read aloud were named as favourite subjects. The books were stories that the pupils had chosen themselves or children’s books or books for teen-agers and they brought forth mental images. Relaxation lessons were also pleasant as the pupils could sit in soft chairs, lie on a mattress and listen to music or a book. The most difficult subjects were maths and languages.
Prevailing emotional factors were reflected in the pupils’ answers: I would like to be a lion so that I could eat everybody, I would like to be a dog so that I could sleep, I would like to be a cat so that everyone would stroke me, I would like to be an octopus so that when one tentacle fails, the others would still be in working order.
Not a single pupil wished to be someone else, but the oldest pupils wished to get back their eyesight (those whose vision had degraded the most and caused big changes). Those who used sighted techniques and could travel independently using a white cane wished to change the least.
The starting point of this follow-up study was the individual level of each learner. The underlying hypothesis was that each child had a self-image of a normal child and knowledge of the illness that all children with NCL undergo normal development as such. No psychological or cognitive assessments were carried out in connection with this study.
At the beginning of the study, each pupil described himself as just an ordinary boy or girl. As the illness progressed, a description of vision was often added. The self-image changed as regards seeing, but the description concerning personality remained the same. Difference appeared as a problem of seeing. The good and not so good characteristics remained the same throughout the study. There were no changes in the description of the inner self or physical appearance. The social self-image was weakened when relationships with friends changed due to visual impairment. Each pupil emphasized the importance of going to school: it helped the children feel part of the group.
At the beginning of the study, the younger learners in particular had difficulties in explaining their own learning capacity. They did, however, express their willingness to learn by doing. This supports that assumption that concrete activity (doing) in any school subject increases the motivation to learn.
The results support the importance of an individual education plan as a tool for the teacher. Self-assessment also has an important effect on the education of a learner. Being part of the class helps realize a favourable self-image and supports learning. This study shows that the illness does not prevent a learner from learning new things.
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