<KOD KURSUS>

FAKULTI PENDIDIKAN DAN BAHASA

MEI 2017

HBEF 2103

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

NO. MATRIKULASI : 860903526354001

NO. KAD PENGNEALAN : 860903-52-6354
NO. TELEFON : 01110879495
E-MEL : shirllyk@yahoo.com

PUSAT PEMBELAJARAN : PUSAT PEMBELAJARAN SIBU

0
 The world is now embracing the era of globalisation and is rapidly evolving. The
education field is also constantly evolving to meet the current demand of all the
shareholders. Although there are a lot of elements contributing to successful students,
most parties will agree that four elements, namely leadership, spirituality, knowledge, and
self physical or environment are the primary factors contributing to students excellence.
This essay will attempt to discuss the development of the elements of leadership
alongside spirituality based on Banduras Social Learning Theory, a restructured school
model to provide for a conducive learning environment, and also a framework of
activities for meaningful learning based on Constructivism theory.
Leadership skills development is a lifelong process (Henrikson, 2006) and can be
developed through proper planning. Scholars have provided criteria of good leadership
qualities by examining effective leaders (Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 1999) but there is no
best training program to develop effective leaders to date. According to Cambridge
dictionary, leadership can be defined as the set of characteristics that make a good
leader (Cambridge University Press, 2008). More recently, scholars have looked into
developing more holistic leaders that integrates four important areas, namely physical,
mind, heart, and spirit (Moxley, 2000). From there, the term spiritual leadership can be
derived and it can be defined as leaders who have the proper values, attitudes, and
behaviours (Fry, 2003). Spirituality by itself can be defined as the source for ones
search for meaning in life and a sense of interconnectedness with others (Zinnbauer,
Pargament, & Scott, 1999). Leadership is about motivating people to change (Fry,
2003) and by tapping into the spiritual aspect at workplace, workers can be motivated to
work because they will find meaning in their work and they feel that their contribution is
appreciated (Giacalone & Jurkiewicz, 2003). Therefore, it is crucial that the element of
spiritual and leadership are developed hand in hand to produce holistic leaders.
Based on the Social Learning theory, students learn through observing and
modelling people around them and that self efficacy is important to sustain their learning
(Zimmerman, 2000). Schunk (1981) have found that when students witness the success of
a model, their self confidence will be boost that that it affects their learning in a good
way. Bandura himself, places high emphasis on self efficacy and his theory which
emphasises on cognitive, environment, learners observation and the role of good models

1
(Bandura, 1977) can definitely be adapted to suit the needs of developing leaders for the
current and future society. Therefore, teachers should be prepared to lead by example and
also create meaningful and rewarding learning experience to students in order for them to
be well developed into effective leaders.
Students primarily learn by observing people around them, encode based on their
own reasoning and then imitate the behaviour when it is appropriate (McLeod, 2016).
Hence, the school culture and the lessons at school should aim to model good leadership
qualities. Good leadership qualities can be generally categorised into communication
skills, social awareness skills, emotional management skills, self-awareness skills, and
decision making skills (Clark, 2017). Hence, teachers should explicitly teach these skills
by including them in lessons across the curriculum. In addition to that, students should be
divided into groups to provide ample opportunities for them to lead. The teacher should
then emphasise on teams success instead of individual achievement. By making it clear
that they are being assessed based on groups performance, students will be encouraged
to collaborate with each other. Additionally, teachers should also monitor students
collaborative learning consistently and provide help where appropriate. This is because
bound to be conflicts when collaborate with one another due to differences in opinions
and values. Therefore, teachers should be the mediator and mentor by assisting them to
find a common ground and to focus on the goal, which is the successful completion of
tasks assign to their group (Clark, 2017).
It is also important for teachers to show models that students perceive as similar
to themselves. This is because they will be more likely to attend to and imitate those
models (McLeod, 2016). Therefore, teachers can either train a few selected students as
leaders first so that they can be role models or show them recordings of successful people
who are similar to them. For example, teachers can show successful videos of people
solving Mathematical problems. Teachers with students who have special needs can show
successful videos of such people so that students see that it is also possible for people
with the same circumstances as them becoming achievers. Besides that, reinforcement
also needs to be given accordingly to encourage or discourage a child to imitate certain
behaviours (McLeod, 2016). Teachers must therefore take note of students needs and
give reinforcement that suits their need to maximise the impact. In addition to that, it is

2
also important to reward students who are good models. This will also encourage other
students to follow their example because they will also want to be rewarded accordingly.
However, this must be done with extra care to avoid the issue of jealousy among students.
Whenever a reward or reinforcement is given, teachers must make it clear that it is given
due to certain behaviours and not the students in person. Through good modelling and
careful reinforcement, students will surely learn to model leadership qualities from
people around them which include teachers and their peers.
As previously stated, it is crucial to develop the element of spirituality together
with leadership. The spiritual aspect helps leaders to better connect with followers, thus
producing a more productive team. It is not enough for teachers to provide opportunities
through group work and modelling to students. In order to develop this element, teachers
should utilise the cognitive aspect of the Social Learning Theory. This is because students
will only imitate the model if they think that it is beneficial (Bandura, 1977). Therefore,
teachers should provide examples of ethical dilemma and issues in leading a group of
people in addition to providing opportunities to lead. By openly discussing ethical
dilemmas they might have to face and how to properly tackle such issues, students can
act accordingly should the need arises in the future. Besides that, showing real life
recording of such issues will enable students to see the cause and effect of different
decisions made by leaders. Open discussion in the form of debate or forum is a good way
to listen to other peoples opinion and also serve as a platform for students to voice their
own thoughts in a proper and polite manner. Such activities will surely enable them to be
more empathetic of others and this will help to lay a strong foundation of an effective
leader.
The environment is also an important contributing factor in the success of
developing holistic leaders and successful students. Therefore, a suitable school model
should be adapted to provide a conducive learning environment. In my opinion, the
restructured school model can be adapted for this purpose. The restructured school should
have better management, more professional teachers, purposeful learning experience for
students, and close collaboration with community (Newmann, 2015). Firstly schools
management board should be given the autonomy to select staff, manage budget and also
adapt or create a curriculum based on the needs and wants of the community it serves as

3
well as in line with the vision and mission of the Ministry of Education (MOE).
Therefore, the ministry should take measures to transfer authority in these areas to the
school in stages when the school is ready. In order to achieve this, training and guidance
should be given to principals and senior assistance to enable them to make informed
decision and act as beacon of change at the school level. I strongly believe that a school
can only reach its full potential by receiving full trust, support, and autonomy to manage
these aspects by the MOE.
Secondly, teachers at the school should also be proactive and improve on their
professional lives by increasing their knowledge and skills in relevant fields. For
instance, the schools management or MOE can organise courses related to best teaching
practices to expose teachers to support groups around the globe. Teachers also should
take initiative to sign up for additional courses online which can be found for free. Other
than that, teachers can also increase their professionalism by participating in team
teaching activities where they receive constructive feedbacks and sharing of experience
from their colleagues. Additionally, MOE and the schools management should also
reward teachers accordingly for their effort to increase their professionalism and also to
improve students learning experience at school.
Thirdly, by having a strong schools management and highly professional
teachers, students learning experience will be improved. This is because the two
previous arenas will provide conducive learning environment through the use of most
recent technology and pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning. Other than
providing meaningful learning experience at school, the school should also devise
programs to support students in their emotional and spiritual aspect. For instance, mentor
mentee program can be organised where students can choose their peers or adults who
have received adequate training as mentors. These will surely enable students to reach
their full potential as students and leaders of tomorrow.
Last but not least, the school should also utilise its connection with the
community to provide more conducive teaching and learning environment for students.
Schools should take initiative to organise public events such as marathon or fund raising
to make them known as part of the community which have their own needs. Through
such activities, the community can be exposed to the challenges and needs of the school,

4
thus enabling them to help where appropriate. Additionally, schools can also arrange a
special program to better involve parents at school level. For example, parents can be
invited to school to educate students in the areas of their expertise such as computer skills
and crafts. These measures will not only increase communitys support and involvement
at school level but at the same time provide more meaningful and rewarding learning
experience to students.
For the final part of this essay, I will provide a framework of four activities for
primary schools English lesson based on the theory of Constructivism. These activities
aim to guide pupils to create a simple performance at the end. The first activity will focus
on assessing students prior knowledge about plays. This will help the teacher to identify
students schemata and at the same time introducing plays to the class. In this activity, the
role of the teacher is that of a facilitator who will guide students through prompts and
ques. Students will also be guided to reflect on the lesson at the end to enhance their
understanding of the lesson.
Activities Notes
1. Sharing of lesson objective and success criteria. Elicit examples of
-Objective : learn about the elements of drama and play drama or plays they
-Success criteria : name 2 elements of a play that are might have been
achievable by pupils exposed to in the past.

2. Guide pupils to talk about the elements of play and

Elicit response from
identify at least 2 things that are doable by pupils in the
pupils and write the
class setting.
ideas on the
- Ask pupils to guess what they need to make a play
whiteboard for further
interesting ( prop, lighting, script, tone of voice, etc)
discussion. This will
be the foundation of
3. Post questions and things to look for in the video to
their knowledge.
pupils. Then, watch the video of a short play together.
-List the things that make this play interesting.
-How do the actors enter the stage?
-What kind of expression do the actors use?
-Ideas from play usually come from a story or

5
 experience. Where does the idea from this play come
from?

4. Reflect on the video and guide pupils to answer the

guiding questions. Make it clear to pupils that a
Make sure pupils
successful play requires effort from all members. Select 2
know where to locate
elements that are doable and guide pupils on the steps to
resources (recycled
achieve them. (script, prop)
material, parents,
library, storeroom,
etc)

The second activity will focus on guiding pupils to look for ideas and to choose a
suitable story for a play. In this activity, pupils will also be guided to prepare a simple
script based on their groups activity. Stories that have been read will be used for this
lesson. This is in line with the Constructivism theory where we use students existing
schemata and help them to adapt and adopt new knowledge. By using familiar stories, it
will be easier for them to have a deeper understanding of the storyline and more
meaningful conversation regarding the task when they work in groups. The role of the
teacher in this activity is to guide students to choose a suitable story by taking into
consideration their ability and limitations.

Activities Notes
1. Sharing of lesson objective and success criteria.
-Objective : choose a story and write a short script
-Success criteria : write 1 short script based on a chosen
scene

2. Recap on the play watched and talk about the sources of

Emphasise on the
ideas. Show pupils 3 common stories and guide pupils to
importance of
choose a suitable story by looking at the cover.
choosing an enjoyable
-What is the story about?
and doable story as
-What do you need to prepare if you choose this story?
their play.

6
 -Can you find all the things you need?
-Do you enjoy the story?

3. Pupils will be guided to read the story again for deeper

understanding.
-Who are the characters in the story?
-Where does the story take place?
-What happen in the story?
-Why do you think this character took this action?

4. Divide pupils into groups and choose different scenes for

Make sure the groups
them. They are required to prepare a script with guidance.
are equally divided.
-In your own words, write what the characters will say.
Guide pupils to solve
- What are the gestures and expressions that you are
conflicts, highlighting
going to show?
on the importance of
-Who can you look for if you need help?
teamwork. Provide
help where
appropriate.

The third activity builds on their learning from the previous activities. In this
activity, pupils will be guided to prepare props and to practise for their play. The teacher
will only provide help where necessary and will let assigned students to play the role of a
leader. However, close monitoring is required to ensure that students work effectively as
a group and prompt actions must be taken when there is any dispute. Teacher should also
make sure that the work is equally divided among group members based on their ability.
Activities Notes
1. Sharing of lesson objective and success criteria.
-Objective : prepare props and practise for the play
-Success criteria : prepare least 2 props and practise at
least once

2. Guide pupils to read and talk about the story again. Ask

7
 pupils to look back at the selected scenes and the scripts.
-What is the most important thing in this scene?
-What can make your script more interesting?
-How do people know that you are acting as this
character?
-How are you going to divide the work?

3. Guide pupils to prepare props in their own group. After

Make sure students
15 minutes, pupils will be asked to walk around and have
know what they need
a look at the work of other groups for more ideas. Then,
to do. Teacher will
they will be asked to continue with their own work.
guide where
necessary.
4. The last part of this lesson will be used for practise.

5. Pupils will be given 1 week for independent practise Teacher will monitor
sessions before the actual presentation. their practice and
point out areas for
improvement.

The fourth activity will be the actual performance. Pupils will be given the
opportunity to present their play and at the end of the lesson, receive constructive
feedback from their peers. They will be guided to reflect on their learning experience,
especially on the way they build up on their existing knowledge. This is to ensure that
students are aware of the learning process and will acquire skills to enable them to be
life-long learners. The importance of teamwork will also be stressed so that they will
remember that working in groups enables them to push themselves higher and to achieve
more. By experiencing success, they will build up their self efficacy and will want to
learn more. Completing group based tasks will also provide them with opportunities to
lead one another and to prepare them to be effective leaders.

Activities Notes
1. Sharing of lesson objective and success criteria.
-Objective : present and enjoy a short play

8
 -Success criteria : present one short play

2. Guide pupils through their final preparation.

-Do you remember your lines?
-Are the props set up properly?

3. Pupils will perform the play and their performance will

be recorded.

4. Discuss about constructive feedback and guide pupils to

reflect on their learning and performance. Make sure students
-What do you like about this performance? understand how to
-What would you do differently? give constructive
-What do you learn from this teams performance? feedback and be
sensitive to other
5. Emphasise on the benefits of teamwork, good leadership
peoples feelings.
qualities, and congratulate them for an enjoyable
experience.

To conclude, developing successful students requires careful planning in multiple

areas which include deep understand of how children learn, conducive environment, as
well as competent teachers. Leadership is one of the essential elements that schools need
to be aware of and it should be developed hand in hand with the spiritual element in order
to develop holistic leaders. Therefore, all the parties involved to strive to work as an
unified body to produce successful students who will be leaders of tomorrow.

2995 words

Reference
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Cambridge University Press. (2008). Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (3rd
Edition ed.). Cambridge University Press.

9
Clark, D. (2017). Developing Leadership Qualities in the Classroom Through SEL.
Retrieved July 7, 2017, from Getting Smart:
http://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/01/developing-leadership-qualities-through-sel/
Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly , 14,
693-727.
Giacalone, R. A., & Jurkiewicz, C. L. (2003). Toward a science of workplace spirituality.
In R. A. Giacalone, & C. L. Jurkiewicz, Handbook of workplace spirituality and
organizational performance (pp. 3-28). New York: M.E. Sharp.
Henrikson, M. (2006). Great Leaders are made, Not Born : Conclusion of a Four-Part
Series. AWHONN Lifelines , 10 (6), pp. 510-515.
Kakabadse, A. P., & Kakabadse, N. (1999). Essense of Leadership. London: International
Thomson.
McLeod, S. A. (2016). Bandura-Social Learning Theory. Retrieved July 11, 2017, from
Simply Psychology: www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html
Moxley, R. S. (2000). Leadership and Spirit. San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass.
Newmann, F. M. (2015). What is a "Restructured" School? A Framework to Clarify
Means and Ends. Retrieved July 18, 2017, from Wisconsin Center for Education
Research:
http://archive.wceruw.org/cors/issues_in_restructuring_schools/issues_no_1/Framework_
4_School_Restruc.html
Schunk, D. H. (1981). Modeling and attributional effects on children's development: A
self-efficacy analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology , 75, 93-105.
Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Self Efficacy: An Essential Motive to Learn. Contemporary
Educational Psychology , 25, 82-91.
Zinnbauer, B. J., Pargament, K. I., & Scott, A. B. (1999). The emerging meanings of
religiousness and spirituality: Problems and prospects. Journal of Personality , 67, 889-
919.

10