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First Generation Learners and their problems
Typology: Thesis
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Since the independence of India, the education is the area of greater concern for the development of a country. This is due to the fact that when India got independence, less than one fifth of the population was illiterate. Poor literacy rate of India was the issue which got into limelight of Planners to focus on. Various programs were launched by Government of India. As a result, significant improvement was seen in literacy rates from 18% in 1951 to 74% in 2011(according to Census of India). In this process, the major ratio was of the first generation learners or new students, who received education for the first time in their families. Considering that the literacy rate of India is 52 percent (1991 census) a large number of first generation learners were present in the current student population of India. This large group should be given due importance by policy planners in education. “The First” means the one who is doing starting something, sequence or any sort of work etc. The First Generation Learner also has a similar meaning. We can also consider them special need children because the FGL are the starters in their entire generation to receive school education. “First-generation students are especially likely to lack specific types of ‘college knowledge’. They often do not understand the steps necessary to prepare for higher education, to complete basic admissions procedures and to make connection between career goals and educational requirements.” Vargas (2004) Concept of First Generation Learners The term ‘first generation learners’ (FGL) here refers to the students who are the first one in their entire generation to go to school and receive an education or whose parents have attended the formal education system up till primary level of schooling. These children face a multitude of academic, psychological, socio-economic and cultural challenges. This research investigates the academic challenges faced by first generation learners in terms of classroom challenges related to course content, method of teaching, regular attendance, assessment and participation in co-curricular activities. It also looks at how parental support affects these transactions. For this study, first generation learners are considered as those children whose parents have either no education or dropped out after 8th grade. First generation learners are ‘disadvantaged learners’ who are disadvantaged from an educational and economic point of view. They are considered to be linguistically deficient, academically unsuccessful and socially and economically backward^1. Most of these learners (^1) An Ethnographic Study with First Generation Learners
Zaman et al. (2010) conducted study on Acquisition and Retention of Adult Literacy Skills: An Evaluation. The findings of the study reveal that (i) 55% of neo-literate were at prerequisite level of reading skills, 45% of neo-literate were at prerequisite level of writing skills and 40% of neo-literate were at prerequisite level of numeracy skills. It means only half of the neo-literates were able to retain their literacy skills. (ii) Only 12% of neo-literates could perform better in reading skills of literacy, 8% of neo-literates could perform better in writing skills of literacy and 6% of neo-literates could perform better in numeracy skills of adult literacy programmes after three years of their graduation. It meant that all of Neo-literates are not functional literates. Sundar (2017) analysed the Educational Problems of the First Generation Learners by conducting the research on primary schools of Delhi. The research was carried out in 2016-
siblings, financial constraints, no tradition in the community, education not considered necessary & unfriendly atmosphere at schools. Sultan & Najar (2019) examined the impact of Parental Encouragement and Academic Achievement of first generation & non first generation high school students of different schools of Kashmir, out of which 100 were first generation and 100 were non first generation high school students selected randomly. Parental Encouragement Scale for high school students developed by R.R. Sharma in 2010 was used and Academic Achievement was assessed by checking previous two years Academic Performance. The data obtained in the study was analysed by using Percentage, Mean, Standard Deviation and t-test. The result of the research was found to be significant at 0.01 levels. At the end of research it was revealed that there is significant difference between first generation and non first generation high school students on Parental Encouragement and Academic Achievement.
The findings of the present study would help the policy makers in deciding about the appropriate steps to be taken to retain these children in schools and the type of education most relevant for this group. The study would aid teachers to plan for appropriate learning experiences of the first generation learners. It would also facilitate the teachers in understanding the psychology of the learner and his adjustment to the school environment. The study will help the teachers to understand the social and emotional problems faced by FGL’s and will enable them to plan the strategies to help the FGL’s to overcome their problems. The study will help guidance workers, counsellors in guiding the first-generation learners effectively. Children suffer from nightmares due to an unsuitable curriculum, hostile peers and unsympathetic teachers. The counsellors can help the child in adjustment to the school environment and facing the ordeals of school while emerging victorious in academic studies. Researchers working on this disadvantaged section of society have much to benefit from this study. The findings of the study would generate interest among researchers working in this area for further on first generation learners. The dividing line between literate and illiterates determines many factors, which may be relevant for research. Above all much has been studied about disadvantaged sections of Indian society in general but little about first generation learners. However, this study though on a modest scale is expected to add to an important but much neglected area of research.
ii) Educational Problems Educational problems in the present study refer to all the obstacles/difficulties faced by the students relating to their study in school as well as at home. iii) Social Problems The term 'social' is used with reference to the relation of an individual to other individuals in school. Social problems include: 'insecurity and loneliness', 'feeling of inadequacy' and inferiority and shyness. iv) Emotional Problems Emotional problems include: hypersensitivity, feeling of discouragement, hurt feeling and irritability, fear and rage, grief and sorrow, jealousy and anger etc.
Descriptive survey method will be adopted to carry out this research.
The proposed study will consist of 50 first generation learners and 50 non first generation learners of secondary school of District-Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab
The following tools will be used for the study- 1- Educational Problems Questionnaire (EPQ) for students – Dr. Beena Shah and Dr. S.K Lakhera. 2 Questionnaire on Emotional and Social problems will be developed by the investigator 3- Attitude towards Education Scale
t-test will be used for inferential analysis.
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