Social Factors to Influence Learners Achievements - Essay Example

The various aims in schooling could be identified and compartmentalized under the following heads:

1. Development of cognitive skills: When a child grows up into an adolescent and later on into an adult, it has to be gradually trained to observe and understand various things, principles and aspects of life. The environment teaches many things but if the learner is not properly trained to understand things in the proper perspective, then s/he is likely to misunderstand many principles which ultimately may have an adverse impact on the entire life. It is here that education steps in and assumes a responsible role of helping the learner to observe and understand things from the proper perspective. Under Instructional objectives in any learning exercise, the “ cognitive objectives assume primary significance and these comprise, i. Knowledge ii. Comprehension iii. Application iv. Analysis v. Synthesis and vi. Evaluation “2 ( Rashid, M 1999) The main perceptive skills of seeing, hearing, and feeling have to be gradually developed to a mature level of understanding to make the learner’s judgment faultless and worthwhile. The various subjects he studies at school, the various exercises he is put under and the instructions given by his teachers greatly help to hone the understanding skills. This helps him to perceive different stimuli properly and assimilate their import properly in his memory file, and for later reference and judgment. The periodical tests and examinations aim at evaluating how well the learner has been developing his cognitive skills so as to understand the issues involved in various problems and come up with acceptable, if not entirely ideal, solutions. If this aim of education is achieved, full credit can be given to such an education and the educators.

2. Development of analytical skills: At every point in a grown-up individual’s life, whether he is an adolescent or an adult, he or she is called upon to make decisions on various issues, affecting their lives as well as those of others. Unless he takes the right decisions, his further actions cannot be expected to bear favourable results.