Chakar School and Maslow's Hierarchy of Need

Writer : Mahreen Mamoon, Education Consultant, IHF. Assistant Professor, BRAC University.

Motivation is a dynamic process of inner urges and changes that stimulate behavior to achieve these needs, mediated by the environment and individual. The Hierarchy of Need is directly related to learning through motivation. In order for students to succeed in the classroom they must be motivated to learn. As an educator, it will be important to consider Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need for every student in the classroom. It will, however, be even more important to specifically link Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, students with exceptionalities, and specific practices in classroom. To help a teachers prepare for their classes by understanding learners’ behavior. In other words, the appearance of new need generally depends on the satisfaction of the previous needs. There are five sets of basic needs that can be arranged in a definite hierarchical order for understanding human motivation to learning and striving- Physiological, Safety and Security, Love and belongingness, Self-esteem and Self Actualization.

Learners’ behaviors mainly center around meeting the needs in the lowest order, and then progresses to higher order as needs are satisfied. Physiological needs include food, shelter, clothing, and sleep. If these needs are not met, then all efforts are focused on ways ro fulfill these needs. A learner may act out and cause disruptions or be insubordinate beacue the learner’s concern is not learning but rather obtaining food. After physiological needs have been met, the next need that must be satisfaied is safety. Safety needs are generally concerned with the environemnt and can be seen at home, at school, and elsewhere. If children have a bad home where parents fight or are absent of if they live in an unsafe neighborhood, they will have trouble focusing on learning when as they do not feel secure. Likewise, if a student doesnot feel safe at school, due to bully or a feeling of dislike from teacher, the student will also have trouble completing task. Love and beloningness needs become imporant as third in line. These needs include friendships and family relations. This sense of belonging is developed through participation in groups, teams and so on.When individuals feel deprived of love and belongingness, they long for an affectionate relationships with people or strive for a place from a group. The need for love and belonging is often overlooked; however, this need can often be just as important as physiological needs. Self-esteem includes confidence, respect others, and a need to be a unique individual. Most people desire to have a high evaluation of their self, which is based upon a realistic interpretation of their capacity and achievement from others. When both groups of needs are satisfied, individuals feel worth, strength, capability, and adequacy. However, if they are not met, individuals will feel inferior, weak, and helpless and will be less willing to follow teacher’s instructions. Self-actalization individuals are spontaneous with an increased perception of relaity and are independent in nature. We have a lovely student named Mashrura at Chakar School. Let’s follow our conversation reflecting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need-

Chakar School provides healthy meal to the learners. The children and their family are made aware of he necessity of nutritious meal and often several events are arranged where they are fed traditional meals. The teachers are are trained and are instructed to look for signs of hunger and thirst in their class students- gloomy, lethergic unmidful and visibly tried. . If teacher sees that any student is feeling sleepy or drousy he/she will address the matter by talking to the parents and advise them to maintain a healthy sleeping and meal routine.. Chakar School shall provide comfortable uniform for the kids from December and winter clothers too. The teachers constantly ensure that the kids wash their hands and maintain social distancing to address the covid issue. There are several factors that teachers and school community at large can consider to help make learners feel safe. Chakar School teaching strategies has been designed and administered to make sure that all the children have core belongingness. They learn teambuilding and team spirits in a collective manner. Teacher and staff on site have full control on managing unruly students who might at times overpower other timid learners. Learners should feel psychologically and emotionally safe in a learning environment made sure by the school authority and implemented by the class teacher. A learner would want to feel loved and cared for. Teachers at Chakar School make sure that the sitting arrangements allow them to to collaborate with one another. As the school project is running through the time of pandemic, three feet physical distancing sitting arrangement is maintained. Teacher can promote sensible ground rules about respecting and helping each other so that students can fit in. Project works, study tour, fun activities should be done in groups under teacher’s guidance. Teachers must take advantage of every opportunity to reinforce positive learner behavior and self-esteem. Teachers can appreciate the effort they are making which will aid in a learner’s development of a favorable self-image.

In pratice and generic observation when all the deprvational needs are fulfilled, studnets can perform at their fullest potential. The students shall proactibvely look for ways to fulfill their potential for learning, and seek fulfillment. Studnets will strive for higher learning goals and seek to achieve them, such as aim to be the top performer and actively does what is required to be done. Students become self-motivated learner. School and teachers mainly deal with the four deprivation needs. Any effort on these will greatly improve a learner’s ability to learn and achieve greater goals. Teachers at the Chakar School aim to ensure all the learners’ needs are addressed within the project’s capacity and that these twenty children can truly live a happy and fulfilling life.

References

Maslow, A.H (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-396.

Doi:10.1037/h0054346

S.K. Mangal (2015). Essentials of Educational Psychology. PHI Learning Pvt. Limited. 9th Edition.

M.Zhou (2011). Educational Learning Theories. Education Open Textbooks.