The document discusses the concepts of adjustment and maladjustment in relation to individual needs and social environments. It outlines characteristics of well-adjusted and maladjusted individuals, along with the role of teachers in facilitating student adjustment through a supportive classroom atmosphere. Additionally, it highlights various adjustment mechanisms and factors affecting student adjustment, emphasizing the importance of teacher training, curriculum adequacy, and a positive school climate.

1. Adjustment & Maladjustment
Ani Vadakke Purayil
M.Com, M.Ed. NET(Com),NET(Edu),SET
Faculty
Department of Teacher Education
Kannur University
Kannur, Kerala.
anivpknr@gmail.com

2. Adjustment
the concept of adjustment is
originated from the biological term
adaptation .
But psychologist use this term
for varying conditions
adjustment means the reaction to the
demand and pressure of social
environment imposed upon the
individual

3. Definitions
James Drever
Adjustment means the modification to compensate
for or meet special needs
Shaffer
Adjustment is the process by which a living
organism maintains a balance between its needs
and circumstances that influence the satisfaction
of these needs.
Adjustment is the interaction between a person and
his environment .
How one adjust in a particular situation upon ones
personal character and also the circumstance of
the situation

4. Psychologist have viewed adjustment from two
important perspective –
Adjustment as achievement – means how
efficiently an individual can perform his duties
under different circumstances
Adjustment as process – it explains the ways and
means of an individuals adaptation to his self
and environment without reference to the
quality or it outcomes

5. A well adjusted person consider every new
situation as a challenge and meet it with
intelligence, courage and wisdom
Characteristics of a well adjusted person
1. Aware of his own strength and weakness
2. Respecting himself and others
3. An adequate level of aspiration
4. Satisfaction of basic needs
5. Absence of critical – faulty- finding attitude
6. Flexibility in behaviour
7. The capacity to deal with adverse circumstances
8. A realistic perception of the world
9. A balanced philosophy of life

6. Maladjustment
It is a process whereby an individual is unable to
satisfy his biological, psychological or social
needs successfully and establishes an imbalance
between his personal needs and expectations
of the society resulting in the disturbance of
psycho- equilibrium

7. Characteristics of the maladjusted person
1 withdrawn and timid- frequent withdrawal from
difficult situations make individual timid and
weak in facing real life situations
2 shy and self conscious- concern with their
negative evaluation
3 fearful- unpleasant agitation – hide from meeting
students of higher class
4 Anxious –anxiety describe the individuals level of
emotion
5 Delusions- it is irrational belief –ie god
responsible
6 extremely aggressive- leads to tendency to
dominate in the class- hurt herself - kick dogs,
child beats her doll

8. 7 tension – person does not feel inner freedom – strains
leads to muscle contradiction
8 high aspiration - person with high hope over future life
–when not achieved become unrealistic in life
8 Felling of inferiority - arising from the sense of
imperfection and incompletion –each time strive for
higher level development – adverse condition
9 emotionally disturbed
10 Isolated
11 sensitivity – maladjusted children are sensitive
12 Tamper tandrum- when there is a bad tempered out
brust is known as tamer tandrum- if a child does not
get fair treatment , sympathy , freedom within a
reasonable time he feels maladjustment.

9. The role of classroom teacher in student adjustment
The class room teacher plays the most strategic role to bring improvement
in the class room environment and help the students in adjustment. He can
perform the following role :
1. Provide a classroom environment where the children feel free to
express themselves
2.Develop in youngsters a sense self respect and self-esteem by
complements for work well done.
3. Accept the individual differences of students.
4.Develops comprehensive cumulative records by collecting information
through classroom sitting.
5. Practices good mental health
6. Participate and contributes to the effectiveness of case conferences.
7. Teacher himself should adopt democratic and respective behavior.

10. Adjustment Mechanism
An adjustment mechanism is a device used by the individual to achieve satisfaction
of the need indirectly. This helps reducing tensions and assists him in maintaining
self-respect. With limits adjustment mechanisms are desirable and very helpful in
dealing with frustration. Carried to extreme, they lead to behavior disorders.
Following are adjustment mechanisms
Compensation. Compensation is a concept where the individual attempts to cover
up his weakness in one area by exhibiting his strength in another. A student deficient
in physical activities may compensate himself in showing good results in the
academic field and vice versa.
Identification. Identification is a concept when an individual attempts to identify
himself with some successful person. To hide his own failures, a student may
identify himself with his father and talk about his success.
Rationalization. Rationalization means shifting of responsibility for our failures to
factors outside it i.e. many students attribute their failure to the stiff question paper.
Projection. This is a tendency to ‘push out’ upon another person one’s own
unrealized, frustrated ambitions, or attribute to another one’s own faults. For
example, school learners are often the victims of their parents’ projection of their
former hopes for higher education and higher social status.
Day-Dreaming. The imaginative fulfillment of needs is called day-dreaming. Day-
Dreaming provides mental relief to an individual if it is done with limits. It becomes
very detrimental when it is carried to excess

11. Factors affecting adjustment at school
1. Proper training to Teachers : Teacher’s training in educational
psychology may help students in their adjustment. Teachers' personality
and democratic attitude are also important factors which can promote
adjustment in students.
2.Adequate Curriculum : Curriculum should be planned, and transacted in
such a way that it should fulfill psychological and social needs of students.
Need fulfillment leads to better adjustment.
3 Adequate Recreational Facilities: Facilities, such as sports, library,
debate and excursion may help students in their adjustment.
4. Classroom climate : If the classroom climate is affectionate and
cooperative enough, it can facilitate better adjustment in students.
5.Proper relationships between administrations: Cordial relations between
the Principal and teachers, and teachers and teachers, and teachers and
office staff also play an important role in creating harmonious and
congenial environment in the school.
6.Evaluation system of the school: Evaluation should be rigid cum flexible.
Too much subjectivity and unreliability should be avoided. Numerical
marking should he avoided and grades should be given to students. Due to
low marks, students lose confidence in their life which then affects in their
mental health. The world 'fail' should not be used by the teachers