In the fast moving and technology driven life, the schools need to give all the more emphasis on developing student's emotional intelligence. Many educators feel that emotions play a critical role in the teaching-learning process.
According to citizen journalist Narender CH, reduction in face-to-face learning and excessive use of multimedia are detrimental to real learning. He says in comment on this portal, "Due to glamour on information technology (IT), we are neglecting basic sciences and our children are hardly acquiring sound knowledge in maths, physics and chemistry. It is very dangerous phenomena."
"There are two types of emotional experiences, namely, positive and negative emotions. But in schools positive emotions such as affection, joy, wonder and curiosity should be promoted and negative emotions like fear, jealousy, anxiety and anger need to be done away with. A deliberately built learning environment based on positive emotions is a precondition to quality learning," says the Jaipur-based former professor of psychology Dr. Anita Srivastava.
In the light of foregoing view, the development of a stable positive emotional behaviour is learned or acquired through constructed experiences in a classroom. My experience of working with school students reveals that cooperative learning strategies and life-skills education elements can combine both cognitive and emotional developments of students. Promoting group leaning; self-assertion; humour; mutuality; positive self-feeling; and self-worth can be helpful aspects of learning environment for positive emotional development of students.
Schools and classrooms need to take precautions to prevent the upsurge of negative emotions like anger, hate, envy, escape etc., which can only happen if positive emotions are emphasized and taken as guiding principles of maintaining a learning conductive school environment.
"The lower brain centres and more specifically, the thalamus and hypothalamus, are responsible for inciting emotional reactions on the basis of stimulus or input and determine the particular form of emotion to be expressed. Neuroscience studies inform that the cognitive factors and feelings are the potent determiners of our neurons' activation. This evidence has an implication for both learning environment and teaching methods. The psycho-social foundation of classrooms need be created in a sensitive way," says the medical researcher Dr. Mukesh Sharma working in a local private hospital.
With latest research in neuro-science and educational practices, emotions can be understood in a better way and students can gain optimal emotional maturity since emotions can be educated and trained to make students better learners and teachers better practitioners of teaching. Are schools listening!
Note: Earlier published at Merinews (now closed) and then link washttp://www.merinews.com/article/schools-need-to-focus-on-developing-students-emotional-intelligence-along-with-cognitive/15903594.shtml&cp