An International Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed E Journal

An International Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed E Journal
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Volume 1 Issue I Bi-monthly March- April, 2012
Attitude of Prospective Teachers towards Inclusive
Education
Sonal Chabra,Vanita Chopra and Indrajeet Dutta
Seminars and Conferences as the part of Faculty
Development Programmes (FDP) - The Grey Areas
Dr. Kulwant Singh Pathania and Dr Anuradha Pathak
Mental Health of Adolescents in Relation to Family
Environment
Dr. S. Francisca and Mrs. Sujitha Jasmine.W.A
Promoting Inclusive Practices: Role of Teachers
Dr. Taruna Malhotra
Assessment of level of Academic Stress among
postgraduate students of Himachal Pradesh University
Dr.Prakasha K.
Perspective of Self-directed Learning (SDL)
Prof. Bharat Joshi and Dr. Mahesh Narayan Dixit
Editor- in- chief
Prof. R G Kothari
Executive Editor
Dr J R Sonwane
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Editor- in - chief
Prof. R G Kothari
Professor, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda,
Vadodara Gujarat
Former Vice-chancellor, VNSG University, Gujarat, INDIA
Executive Editor
Dr J R Sonwane
Associate Professor, Bhavnagar University, Gujarat, INDIA
Editorial Board
Dr Bharat Joshi Professor, Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Dr Dhanjay Joshi Assocaite Professor, GGSIPU University , Delhi
Dr Dilip Barad HOD, Dept of English, Bhavnagar University, Gujarat
Dr Nidhi Agrawal HOD, INMANTEC, Ghaziabad, UP
Dr Tapan Basantia Associate Professor,Assam University, Silchur, Assam
Dr Kamaljeet Singh Assistant Professor,Punjabi University, Punjab
Dr Vijay Grover Assistant Professor,Punjab University, Chandigarh
Dr Shirish Pal Singh Dy Director, IGNOU, New Delhi
Dr Sanjeev Kumar Associate Professor,Patna University, Bihar
Dr Manoj Saxena Assistant Professor, MM University, Ambala, Haryana
Dr Amarendra Behra Associatet Professor,CIET, NCERT, New Delhi
Dr Ajay Surana Associate Professor, Banasthali University, Rajasthan
Dr Samson Olusola Associate Professor,University of Ibadan , Nigeria
Dr Manas Panigrahi Assistant Professor,Haramaya University, Ethiopia, Africa

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Contents
No Title and Author Page No
1
Attitude of Prospective Teachers towards Inclusive Education
Sonal Chabra,Vanita Chopra and Indrajeet Dutta 1-10
2
Seminars and Conferences as the part of Faculty
Development Programmes (FDP) - The Grey Areas
Dr. Kulwant Singh Pathania and Dr Anuradha Pathak
10-14
3
Mental Health of Adolescents in Relation to Family
Environment
Dr. S. Francisca and Mrs. Sujitha Jasmine.W.A
15-25
4
Dr. Taruna Malhotra 26-36
5
Assessment of level of Academic Stress among postgraduate
students of Himachal Pradesh University
Dr.Prakasha K.
37-44
6
Perspective of Self-directed Learning (SDL)
Prof. Bharat Joshi and Dr. Mahesh Narayan Dixit 45-52

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Attitude of Prospective Teachers towards Inclusive Education
Sonal Chabra,
Aravali College of Advanced Studies in Education, Faridabad, Haryana
Vanita Chopra
Institute of Home Economics, Hauz Khas, Delhi - 16
Indrajeet Dutta
College of Teacher Education, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Bhopal
Abstract
Recent Government policies and directives are pointing towards the formal adoption
of inclusive education in Indian education system. However, for the embracement of
inclusive education, teachers need to be prepared accordingly. Pre-service training
may be the optimal time to address educators’ concerns and alter any negative
attitudes about inclusive education. This paper is based on a study to ascertain the
attitudes of prospective teachers towards inclusive education. A sample of 150
prospective teachers was randomly selected from 10 different teacher education
colleges situated in Delhi and Faridabad. Data was collected with Attitude towards
Inclusive Education Scale developed by Wilczenski (1992). Results indicated that
prospective teachers ‘disagree somewhat’ with inclusion of students with special
needs in the regular settings. Further the paper argues that teacher education
programmes should consider for inclusion in their programs practical experiences
and opportunities should be provided to prospective teachers to experience success
and reflection, and academic content regarding knowledge of policy and law
relating to inclusive education.
Keywords: inclusive education, teacher education
Introduction
Education is a powerful instrument of
social change, and often initiates upward
movement in the social structure. Thereby,
helping to bridge the gap between the
different sections of society. Since long it
has been highlighted at several platforms
that efforts should be made for education
of children with special needs. In 1944, the
Central Advisory Board of Education
(CABE) made provisions in the report for
the education of the handicapped as an
essential part of the National System of
Education. According to this report,
handicapped children were to be sent to
special schools only when the nature and
extent of their defects made this necessary.
The Kothari Commission (1964-66)
observed: “the education of the
handicapped children should be an
inseparable part of the education system.”
The commission further recommended

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experimentation with integrated
programmes in order to bring as many
children as possible into these
programmes. (Alur, 2002). Until 1970’s,
the policy encouraged segregation. Most
educators believed that children with
physical, sensory, or intellectual
disabilities were so different that they
could not participate in the activities of a
common school (Advani, 2002). Recent
educational developments and the seventy
third and seventy fourth Constitutional
Amendments outline the possibility of
entrusting basic education to the local
elected bodies in towns and villages. This
would allow for community participation
in education at the elementary level and
would introduce radical change, leading to
the empowerment of learners with Special
Educational Needs (SEN).
In many countries today a large proportion
of disabled children are in fact educated in
institutions under the regular system.
Moreover, the concept of children with
SEN extends beyond those who may be
included in handicapped categories to
cover those who are failing in school, for a
wide variety of reasons that are known to
be likely impediments to a child’s optimal
progress. Whether or not this more broadly
defined group of children is in need of
additional support, depends on the extent
to which schools need to adapt their
curriculum, teaching and organization and
/or to provide additional human or material
resources so as to stimulate efficient and
effective learning for these pupils.
Coming back to India, the Government
launched the Centrally Sponsored Scheme
of Integrated Education for Disabled
Children (IEDC) in 1970s. The scheme
aimed at providing educational
opportunities to learners with disabilities
in regular schools, and to facilitate their
achievement and retention. The objective
was to integrate children with disabilities
in the general community at all levels as
equal partners to prepare them for normal
development and to enable them to face
life with courage and confidence. Later,
the National Council of Educational
Research and Training (NCERT) joined
hands with UNICEF and launched Project
Integrated Education for Disabled Children
(PIED) in the year 1987, to strengthen the
integration of learners with disabilities into
regular schools. In 1997, IEDC was
amalgamated with other major basic
education projects like the DPEP (Chadha,
2002) and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
(Department of Elementary Education,
2000).
The National Curriculum Framework for
School Education (NCFSE) (2000),
brought out by the NCERT, recommended
inclusive schools for all without specific
reference to pupils with SEN as a way of
providing quality education to all learners.
According to NCFSE: Segregation or
isolation is good neither for learners with
disabilities nor for general learners
without disabilities. Social requirement is
that learners with special needs should be
educated along with other learners in
inclusive schools, which are cost effective
and have sound pedagogical practices
(NCERT, 2000). For years the education
system has provided special education and
related services to students with SNE and
systematically developed a dual service
delivery system comprising different
settings, different curricula, different
services, and different service providers
for students with and without SEN. But
now in the context of the struggle to affirm
and guarantee the rights of the disabled,
the ethics of the dual system are being
questioned. The common system, which

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would bring “all” onto a common
platform, is being thought of as a better
and viable option.
Now the efforts are pointing towards
inclusive education, which is a move
further from integration and
mainstreaming. The term ‘inclusive
education’ needs to be well understood.
The Draft scheme on Inclusive Education
prepared by the MHRD (2003) uses the
following definition: “Inclusive education
means all learners, young people- with or
without disabilities being able to learn
together in ordinary preschool provisions,
schools, and community educational
settings with appropriate network of
support services”. The philosophy
underlying inclusive education is that
schools have a responsibility to meet the
needs of all children, and that teachers
should be able to differentiate and adapt
curriculum and instructional strategies to
suit the different needs and abilities of
each child in the classroom. It is also
referred to as the ‘whole school approach’.
The idea of inclusive education rests on
certain principles which advocate the
inclusion of the special child in each and
every aspect of teaching learning process.
Inclusive education is on one hand, a
human right issue and on the other a
strategy to develop a child into a balanced
personality capable of not only surviving
in a society but also to compete with
others without any fear of failure or a
complex. Inclusive educational practices
are being endorsed internationally. The
UNESCO sponsored ‘Education For All’
initiative, states that all children, including
those with disabilities and other special
needs, are entitled to equity of educational
opportunity. UNESCO and the OECD
have also determined that inclusion is the
preferred approach to providing schooling
for students with special needs. It is widely
accepted that the conditions required to
allow for successful inclusion are also
those that contribute to overall school
improvement and high levels of
achievement for all children. Inclusive
education has been introduced in many
countries with modest education budgets,
and relatively little technical help.
Improvements in teaching quality and
student achievement (as well as reduced
drop-out and failure rates), have been
some of the positive outcomes. Experience
in many countries such as UK,
Switzerland, Germany, France, Norway,
Finland, Iceland, and Luxemberg
demonstrates that the integration of
children and youth with special needs is
best achieved within inclusive schools that
serve all children within a community. The
different perspectives all point towards the
adoption of inclusive education in India.
Inclusive education has yet not been
heartily accepted in our system. Several
reasons are cited for the same. The real
problem lies with the historical investment
in separate, segregated systems of ‘special’
schools, the lack of political will to make
inclusive education available to all, and the
uncertainties of some parents that
inclusion will benefit their children.
Another important factor is the attitude of
the different stakeholders of the society
towards inclusive education, especially
teachers.
Purpose of the study
Several efforts have been made for
inclusion in India however they have not
reached to something very concrete owing
to quite a number of factors. One of the
important factors which has been impeding
these efforts is the attitude of teachers
towards inclusive education. Very little

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research has been carried out to investigate
the attitude of teachers towards education
of children with disabilities (Jangira and
Mukhopadya, 1991). Jangira and
Srinavasan (1991) studied the attitudes of
educational administrators and teachers
towards inclusion in schools in which the
Government of India had launched field
demonstration projects under the PIED and
IEDC programs to support universalisation
of basic education. Similarly, Dev &
Belfiore, P.J. (1996) studied teacher
perspectives towards mainstreaming in a
private school in Delhi. With the
enforcement of RTE and adoption of zero
rejection policy, all the children regardless
of their abilities have to be provided
education facilities in the same set-up.
This necessitates that the prospective
teachers are equipped with skills and
knowledge to work in inclusive settings.
Equally necessary is to develop a positive
attitude among them towards inclusive
education. Highlighting the need for
positive attitudes, Murphy (1996) argues
that if pre-service teachers leave teacher
preparation institutions with negative
attitudes then those attitudes are difficult to
change. Hobbs and Westling (1998) state
that positive attitudes can, and need to be,
fostered through training and positive
experiences with students with disabilities.
While pre-service teacher education is
seemingly the best point at which to try
and influence positive attitudes toward
inclusion, studies investigating the
attitudes of pre-service teachers toward
inclusive education remain limited in
number and scope. Infact the researchers
have not come across a singly study in
India which has studied the attitude of
prospective teachers towards inclusive
education. This necessitated the need for
conducting such a study.
Objectives
1. To find out about the nature of
attitudes of prospective teachers hold
towards inclusive education
2. To identify whether the nature of
disability affects the attitude of
prospective teachers towards inclusive
education.
Method of the study
The present study is a Descriptive
Research as information was gathered
from a sample of prospective teachers
drawn from a cross section of pre-
determined population of prospective
teachers of teacher education colleges at
one point of time.
Sample and Sampling Technique. 149
prospective teachers were randomly
selected from 10 teacher education
colleges located in Delhi and Faridabad.
The colleges in Delhi are affiliated to Guru
Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and
those in Faridabad are affiliated to
Maharshi Dayanand University, Faridabad.
Tool. Data was collected with the help of
‘Attitude towards Inclusive Education
Scale’ (ATIES). ATIES was developed by
Wilczenski (1992). This instrument
includes 16 items that deal with four
categories of mainstreaming
accommodations: physical, social,
behavioural and academic. A total score on
the ATIES is the sum total of the raw
scores on each item. High scores indicated
more favourable attitude towards
inclusion.
Data analysis. Descriptive and statistical
analysis was conducted on the data

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collected. One way ANOVA with
replication was used to investigate if the
attitude of prospective teachers towards
inclusion varied across the four factors of
physical, social, academic and
behavioural.
Results and Discussion
As discussed earlier knowing the attitudes
of prospective teachers towards inclusive
education is very necessary to ensure the
smooth espousal of inclusive education in
any educational system. The ATIES scale
of Likert-type responses were designated
as follows- 6 strongly agree, 5- Agree, 4-
Agree somewhat, 3- Disagree somewhat,
2-Disagree, 1- Completely disagree. The
results have been encapsulated in the
following points for better
comprehensibility of the readers-
1. The overall mean of all the responses
on all the 16 statements was calculated
to be 3.2. This indicates an attitude
towards inclusion as falling between
response numbers 3 and 4; i.e between
“disagree somewhat” and “agree
somewhat”, but leaning more towards
number 3 which indicates disagree
somewhat. This reveals that attitudes
that prospective teachers hold towards
inclusion of children with special
needs is neither too positive nor too
negative. The results are similar to
ones obtained by Dev & Belfiore, P.J.
(1996) who found that 28% of the
teachers were willing to educate
students with special needs into their
classrooms, 26% were undecided and
46% expressed unwillingness to
mainstream students with special
needs in their classrooms.
2. The attitudes on different factors are
given below-
Physical factor. The mean was
calculated for the respondents’ scores
on the physical factor and this was
3.3, which falls between number 3 and
4, namely between “disagree
somewhat” and “agree somewhat”,
leaning more towards disagree
somewhat. These include children
with orthopaedic disabilities, speech
impairments, hearing impairments and
visual impairments.
Academic factor. The mean was
leaning more towards disagree
somewhat. Academic disabilities
included children with learning
disabilities and children with mild and
moderate intellectual disabilities.
Behavioural factor.The mean was
3, namely between “disagree” and
“disagree somewhat”, leaning more
towards disagree. Behavioural
disabilities included children with
disruptive, non-compliance and
aggressive behaviours.
Social factor.The mean was
leaning more towards agree
somewhat. This refers to those who
are shy and withdrawn, frequently
absent, or have difficulty verbally
expressing them.

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Factor Mean SD
Physical 3.28 0.944
Social 3.67 0.995
Academic 3.41 0.860
Behavioural 2.79 1.112
3. Further the analysis showed that there
was significant difference between the
means of the four factors of the
ATIES. This indicated that the attitude
scores were highest for inclusion of
children with social needs. Next, they
were positive about students with
academic and physical needs such as
communication and language issues,
as well as students who are behind
academically and who need
instruction in self-help skills. The pre-
service teachers were least positive
about including students with
behavioural issues such as verbal and
physical aggression, and those who
are disruptive. This suggests that pre-
service teachers are worried about the
prospect of including students with
behaviour concerns, especially those
who are physically aggressive. This is
consistent with research by Subban &
Sharma (2006) which highlights
international concerns about including
students with behaviour difficulties
from both in-service and pre-service
teachers. The more favourable
attitudes of pre-service teachers
towards students who are verbally
rather than physically aggressive is
understandable in terms of the need
for immediate intervention when
physical aggression occurs.
4. These results need to be analysed in
depth. Those items which loaded on
the social factor represent, at best,
fairly minor inconveniences for
teachers. For example, students who
are shy and withdrawn are hardly
likely to represent significant demands
on a teacher’s time and energy, and
those who are absent, aside from
perhaps evoking feelings of
professional and personal concern, are
also unlikely to be troublesome to the
daily work of a teacher. The need to
address such concerns is rarely
immediate, especially when compared
to other issues such as behaviour
problems like physical aggression
which under normal circumstances
must be dealt with at the moment
when it occurs. Certainly students
with the type of social issues
described above are generally not the
ones screened out at the time of
entering the institution also. This
finding is consistent with the findings
of Avramidis and Norwich (2002)
who found that teachers held more
positive attitudes towards the
inclusion of students with more mild
disabilities. Teacher education
programs need to reinforce to pre-
service teachers that simply because
some students require more effort to
work with does not necessarily mean
that they are less worthy of being
included in regular classes.
Implications and Recommendations
The study has left us with many questions
as well as directions for further action.
These are highlighted below-
1. Basic training of teachers is
necessary to enable them to cope

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with differentiated education. This
could be achieved by redesigning
the curriculum of teacher education
programmes at all levels, so that
when a teacher qualifies she has
completed theory and practical part
of the training in regular as well as
in inclusive setting. She should
demonstrate that she is able to cope
with challenges of meeting the
needs of learners with special
educational needs within the
inclusive setting. On top of the
training there should be some well
structured and coordinated ongoing
trainings enabling teachers to keep
abreast with new developments in
education.
2. Demographic variables which can
be emphasized by teacher training
institutions such as close contact
with a person with a disability,
training, teaching experience,
knowledge of policy and law, and
confidence levels, all had a
significant impact on attitudes.
3. Since research concerning attitude
change towards people with
disabilities and towards inclusive
education is completely lacking in
India, attitude-change workshops
with pre- and post-tests would be
very helpful indicators to guide
educators and advocates who are
working towards inclusion.
4. Pre-service teachers need to be
made aware that both forms of
aggression need to be adequately
dealt with in any classroom. This
topic warrants more research and
attention in our country in teacher
education programs if attitudes in
this area are to improve.
5. The highly significant impact that
training has on attitudes towards
inclusive education is not only
evident in this study, but is also
well documented in the literature in
terms of its influence on pre-
service and in-service teachers.
Studies conducted by a range of
researchers including Avramidis
and Norwich (2002), Center and
Ward (1987), and Subban and
Sharma (2006) have demonstrated
a positive correlation between
training and positive attitudes.
Clearly, universities need to
consider the impact training has on
attitudes.
Conclusion
Today, the concept of Inclusive Education
is accepted as an efficient means of
realising the dream of ‘Education for All’.
Inspite of inclusion being practical,
economical and educationally valid and
can be accomplished at minimum cost; it
requires a climate of acceptance. The
acceptance has to come from both parents
and teachers. Teachers are prepared and
nurtured in the teacher education
programmes and it is at this point that a lot
can be done regarding shaping the attitude
of teachers. This paper provides teacher
education programmes with concrete
suggestions for improving their programs.
If prospective teachers are going to enter
the field with positive attitudes towards
inclusive education then teacher education
programs need to consider providing
opportunities for direct interaction with
people with disabilities, instruction on
policy and legislation relating to inclusive
education, and opportunities for pre-
service teachers to gain confidence in

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practical teaching situations with students
with disabilities.
References
Advani, L. (2002). “Education: A
Fundamental Right of Every Child
Regardless of His/ Her Special
Needs”. Journal of Indian
Education; Special Issue on
Education of Learners with Special
Needs. New Delhi: NCERT.
Alur, M. (2002). “Special Needs Policy in
India”, in S. Hegarty and M. Alue
(eds), Education and Children with
Special Needs: From Segregation to
Inclusion. New Delhi: Sage.
Avramidis, E., & Norwich, B. (2002).
Teachers’ attitudes towards
integration/inclusion: a review of the
literature, European Journal of
Special Needs Education, 17(2),
129-147.
Chadha, A. (2002). “Inclusive Education
in DPEP”. Journal of Indian
Education. Special issue on
Education of Learners with Special
Needs.
Center, Y., & Ward, J. (1987).Teachers’
attitudes towards the integration of
disabled children into regular
schools, The Exceptional Child,
34(1), 41-56.
Department of Education (2000). Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan: A Programme for
Universal Elementary Education.
New Delhi: MHRD, GOI.
Department of Education (2003). Inclusive
Education Scheme (Draft). New
Delhi: MHRD, GOI.
Dev, P., & Belfiore, P.J. (1996).
Mainstreaming students with
disabilities: Teacher perspectives in
India. A paper presented at the
Annual International Convention of
the Council for Exceptional
Children, Orlando, FL (ERIC
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DPEP (2000). Empowerment through
Education: Identification and
Enrolment of children with Special
Needs in DPEP. New Delhi:
Education Consultant of India
Limited.
Hobbs, T., & Westling, D. L. (1998).
Promoting successful inclusion
through collaborative problem
solving, Teaching Exceptional
Children, 31(1), 12-19.
Jangria, N. K & Mukhopadya (1991)
Special education: A trend report, in:
M. B. Buch (Ed.) Fourth survey of
research in education, Delhi:
National Council of Educational
Research and Training.
Jangria, N. K. & Srinivasan, A. (1991)
Attention of educational
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education of disabled children,
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Rehabilitation, July–December.
Murphy, D.M. (1996). Implications of
inclusion for general and special
education. Elementary School
Journal, 96, 469-493.
NCERT (2000). National Curriculum
Framework for School Education
(NCFSE). New Delhi: NCERT.
National Curriculum Framework (2005).
Position paper on Education of
Children with Special Needs. New
Delhi: NCERT
Subban, P. & Sharma, U. (2006).
Teachers’ perceptions of inclusive
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Wilczenski, F. L. (1992). Measuring
attitudes towards inclusive
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Paper received March 12, 2012
Revision received March 23, 2012
Paper accepted April 4, 2012

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Seminars and Conferences as the part of Faculty Development
Programmes (FDP) - The Grey Areas
Dr. Kulwant Singh Pathania
Director, UGC-Academic Staff College, H.P University, Shimla, (H.P)
Anuradha Pathak
Assistant Professor,NL College of Commerce and Management, Navsari,Gujrat.
Abstract
In the fast, ever changing times, no one can afford to remain stagnant. It has become
necessary, rather inevitable to go on exploring new horizons in order to stand in the
competitive era. Faculty Development Programmes are thus boon for those aspirants
who are keen for professional growth. But are such programmes really meaningful, or
have they remained simply a formality for career growth rather than paving way for
inner development is a matter of serious concern. This article is contemplation on the
said issue.
Keywords. Faculty development, seminar, conference
Introduction
The world today is accelerating at a
tremendous speed. Knowledge is
increasing by leaps and bounds. The
sources of access to knowledge are
countless. This has, in turn, imposed an
alarming problem to human race- how to
acquire knowledge in as least time as
possible. Again, simply acquiring
knowledge is in no way going to suffice.
In a highly competitive era, one needs to
manifest the knowledge so acquired. This
is a known fact that Teachers’ professional
competence and commitment determine
the quality of education. “There is need to
update and improve teachers’ knowledge.
In-service education is as good as the pre-
service education, even better for quality
improvement,” (Panda, 2003).
One negative scenario observed in
the field of education is that with jobs
being secured, people in the field of
education tend to get stagnant. This
imposes woeful plight to the quality of
higher education since there is a natural
tendency to develop pathetic contentment
with jobs getting secured. In the
knowledge economy, the fact that has been
accepted universally today is that survival
is of the most knowledgeable person. The
UGC and many organizations operating at
state level and national level realized this

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fact and hence FDP was made mandatory
for career advancement by UGC, AICTE
and so on. PDF is a part of continuing
professional development and career
advancement for those engaged in higher
education, as well as for the personnel
from corporate world and students aspirant
to be teachers. It has been suggested as an
indicator of CAS. As per UGC regulations
2010, teachers should be sent for regular
updation of their knowledge. Its records
are also to be sent to the UGC on regular
basis. The main purposes of professional
development are the acquisition of subject
or content knowledge and teaching skills
(Hoyle, 1980).
Brighter Side:
FDP was introduced keeping in mind the
below cited advantages that it could
provide to the teachers in higher education,
research scholars and corporate experts.
• The FDPs provide the platform for
the ones who have done extensive
research work in their respective
areas of knowledge. PhD thesis
alone cannot serve the purpose.
Besides, thesis submission is a
single-time activity. Once the viva
has been conducted, it does not
imply that new horizons should not
be explored.
• Such programmes provide ample
scope for exchange of views and
ideas. An idea generated at the
micro level gets suitable network
for contemplation. Novel ideas
cannot find practical implications
in corporate world when restricted
simply as ‘an idea in mind’ or ‘a
purposeful thought’.
• Yet another advantage of
programmes so conducted is that it
provides wide opportunity for
social networking. The knowledge,
values, beliefs, customs and
cultures being practiced in one part
of the country can be transmitted to
the other parts quite effectively
with the help of a single platform.
By and large, the social needs of
human beings are also satisfied by
such practices.
• The programmes so conducted are
usually chaired and leaded by
eminent resource persons in their
respective fields. One can easily
avail of knowledge and experience
of such highly talented and
resourceful people. The daises of
such programmes are also dignified
by the presence of the personnel
with the immense treasure of
corporate world exposure. As such
there is an ample scope for
‘knowledge sharing’ and
‘knowledge gaining’.
• There is also the practice of
publishing original/though
provoking research papers in the
journals of national and
international repute, and also
bearing ISSN numbers. The ISSN
numbers accord high value to the
articles published. Such articles
and research papers are highly
essential for career advancement
and professional growth of teachers
involved in higher education.
• It is a known fact that knowledge is
‘ever growing’. It should also be
made ‘ever flowing’ with the help
of such programmes. A teacher
getting stagnant with the passage of

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time can seriously hamper the
quality of higher education in the
long run.
• The fact that the active
participation of teachers in such
programmes update their
knowledge which ultimately passes
on to the students cannot be denied.
(Pathania, 2007)
• Many times awards and prices are
announced for the best
original/thought provoking
research work. This is a step in the
direction to encourage originality
and novel ideas in research work.
• Many times Seminars/ Workshops/
Conferences are conducted in
collaboration with recognized
academic associations/ academic
bodies, academic/professional
institutions or associations of
business/ industry. Thus, a perfect
blend of academic advancement
along with professional exposure
can be maintained.
• Many such programmes are
sponsored by UGC or state/central
government. They provide
financial assistance to the
institutions for organizing
conferences, workshops and
seminars at State, National and
International levels in various
fields. The intention here is to
promote high standards in Colleges
by way of extending facilities to
teachers, researchers and students,
by providing a forum for sharing
their knowledge, experiences and
research findings. In other cases,
nominal registration fees are
charged to meet with the expenses
of conducting programmes. The
emphasize on fees is to encourage
quality participation and to
eliminate unnecessary chipping in
of the participants.
• The well reputed institutions
organizing such programmes
follow the strict procedure of
thorough scrutiny of research
papers. Generally, the papers are
scrutinized by the members of the
editorial committee. The papers
usually pass through two or
sometimes even three phase of
scrutiny. Again, the intention is to
encourage quality and originality in
research work.
Grey Areas:
The darker side of such
programmes is a matter of serious
concern and, as such, it cannot be
overlooked.
• Neither UGC nor NAAC provides
any specific guidelines for
differentiating state level
programmes from the ones
conducted at the national or inter-
national level. The single criteria of
inviting people from different
states in case of national
conferences and from different
countries in case of international
conferences is not a sufficient
parameter for differentiation.
Another malicious criterion is the
amount of registration fees.
International conferences and
seminars charge exorbitantly high
fees.
• It is a matter to be considered
seriously when in two or three days
eighty to ninety, and sometimes

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more than 100 research papers are
to be presented. No doubt, the
papers are divided subject wise,
and are presented separately in
different rooms. Yet the lot size
forces us to contemplate over the
issue of the eminence of paper
presentations.
• Many times institutions initiate
such programmes simply to get
good rating from NAAC. They are
happy with a large number of
participants irrespective of the
worth of their work. Attractive
records and rosy pictures have
become necessity of the time.
When the fake proceedings of the
programmes of such institutions
are put on their official web sites,
wide publicity can be gained. Such
strategies are, indisputably useful
to withstand competition.
• Many institutions conduct such
programmes simply to show the
use of funds sanctioned by UGC.
Under such cases, FDP simply
becomes a formality. Organizers
very conveniently compromise
with the quality of participants.
• Though participation in such FDPs
is mandatory for career
advancement, it has been observed,
especially more in case of self
financed colleges, that enough
incentives are not given to the
aspirants. Rather, those likely to be
promoted are deliberately not
permitted to attend such FDPs.
Some are sponsored by the
institutions, others are not. Because
of such biased attitude of
management, candidates with
genuine research work are not
encouraged.
• It has been the common experience
that earlier research papers get
ample of time for deliberation and
discussion, while the later ones are
presented just for the sake of
formality. A candidate who has
laboured seriously for the paper,
and who is eager to share his study
with others get demotivated.
• Dearth of highly exalted research
work is yet another serious short
coming of such programmes.
Selection of papers simply on the
basis of abstracts submitted needs a
thorough consideration.
• Nevertheless, this has been the
experience of many that those with
strong social influences very easily
find place in such programmes
irrespective of the type of work
they have done.
• In most of such programmes no
body bothers to see the practical
applicability of research papers.
Such programmes have more or
less, become the means for the
participants to gather certificates.
Suggestions:
This is a universally accepted fact
that change is the law of nature, and
some steps need to be initiated even in
FDPs to bring grass root changes in the
system. But this fact also cannot be
discarded that positive change needs
persistent efforts both, individually as
well as collectively. Here are some
suggestions that my help bring radical
changes in the way FDPs are being
conducted:

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• Focus of organizers should be on
originality of the research work.
Care should be taken to see that the
papers are worth implementing
practically.
• Number of participants should be
strictly restricted to 15 to 20 to
bring quality in research work.
Participants should be allowed to
present their papers thoroughly.
There should be enough scope for
discussion and deliberations for
every research paper.
• There should be a reasonable gap
of time duration in presentation of
two research papers by the
presenters. This will pave way for
authenticity in research work.
• Grade should be given to all the
participants. The criteria of grading
should be decided and
communicated to the participants
before hand. Career advancement
should be based not simply on
certificates, but also on the grades
scored.
Conclusion:
Conducting FDPs is a step towards
advancement and awareness in the
field of education. Care should be
taken to see that such programmes
provide an opportunity to sit for some
hot debates, to share feelings together
and to reach each other to discover
new identities, deeper connectivity,
and explore synergies. Contemporary
issues should especially be included in
such programmes. While selecting
research papers, all submitted works
should be reviewed rigorously and
should be called only after the positive
response of reviewers.
References:
Hoyle, E. (2980). Professionalisation and
Deprofessionalisation in Education.
In E. Hoyle, & J. Maggary (eds.)
World Year Book on Education,
London: Kogan page.
Panda, P. (2003). Professional
Development of Teachers: Practice
and Promise, Journal of Indian
Education, 29 (3), 18-28.
Pathania, K.S. (2007). Attitudinal Study of
the Teachers towards Orientation
Scheme of UGC, University News,
45 (39), 14-18.
Swain B.C. & Das R. (2011). Academic
Staff Colleges and Professional
Development of Teachers in Higher
Education: A Research Perspective,
University News, 49 (48), 23-26.
Revision received March 30, 2012
Paper accepted April 4, 2012

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Mental Health of Adolescents in Relation to Family Environment
Dr. S. Francisca
Associate Professor , St. Ignatius College of Education, Tirunelveli
Tamilnadu India
Mrs. Sujitha Jasmine.W.A
Research Scholar, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University
Tirunelveli,Tamilnadu, India
Abstract
Mental health has emerged as a crucial concept in different walks of life; mental
health in education has become the imperative need of the day. The present study is an
attempt to investigate Mental Health of adolescents in relation to family environment.
Eight hundred higher secondary students were involved in this study. From the
analysis it was found that there was a significant correlation between Mental Health
and family environment with reference to background variables
Keywords. Mental health, family environment
Introduction
The mental health of adolescents is one of
the major issues in modern world.
Adolescence is a period of storm and
stress. The number of adolescents who
seeks counseling and other psychological
help is on an increase in the modern
technologically driven societies. Jahoda
(1958) has said that aspects of attitude
towards self, growth and development, self
actualization, integration of personality
and mastery of the environment must be
considered in judging whether a person is
mentally healthy or not.
Education and Mental Health.
In the mid-19th century, William
Sweetzer was the first to clearly define the
term “Mental hygiene”, which can be seen
as the precursor to contemporary
approaches to work on promoting positive
mental health. The WHO define mental
health as the concept as: a state of well-

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being in which the individual realizes his
or her own abilities, can cope with the
normal stresses of life, can work
productively and fruitfully, and is able to
make a contribution to his or her own
community. (WHO, 2007, p. 1).
Individually, mental health affects our
expressive, cognitive, perspective,
relational, and coping abilities,
undergirding our general health and
wellbeing and capacity to integrate into
and become productive members of
society (Dwivedi & Harper, 2004). The
National Association for Mental Health
describes some of the characteristics of
people with good mental health:
comfortable feelings about one’s self,
feeling ‘right’ about other people and
being able to meet the demands of life. To
attain these, one should get well or adjust
to the environment. Mental health is a state
of successful performance of mental
function, resulting in productive activities,
fulfilling relationships with other people,
and the ability to adapt to change and to
cope with adversity. Mental health is
indispensable to personal well-being,
family and interpersonal relationships, and
contribution to community or society. It is
easy to overlook the value of mental health
until problems surface. Yet from early
childhood until death, mental health is the
spring board of thinking and
communication skills, learning, emotional
growth, resilience, and self-esteem. These
are the ingredients of each individual’s
successful contribution to community and
society. Educators look for happiness and
welfare of the students, they should take
mental hygiene approach to curriculum, to
methods of teaching and class room
practices, to school administrations and to
discipline.
Family Environment and Mental
Health.
The term family has its root in the
Latin word 'familia' that denotes a
household establishment, akin to 'famulus',
which denoted a servant who came from
that household establishment. Family
denotes a group of individuals who live
together during important phases of their
life time and are bound to each other by
biological, social and psychological
relationship. It is a group defined by a
sexual relationship sufficiently precise and
enduring to provide for the procreation and
upbringing of children. When we look at
the family as a unit, the following features
are common across the globe: it is
universal, permanent, nucleus of all social
relationships, has an emotional basis, has a
formative influence over its members,
teaches its members as to what is their
social responsibility and the necessity for
co-operation and follows a social
regulation. The family environment of the
child plays a vital role in developing sound
mental health.
According to Baumrind (1971)
authoritative parenting is a democratic
style of parenting that encourages children
to be independent while placing realistic
limits, demands and controls on their
behaviour. A number of researchers have
investigated the relationship between
family variables and mental health
outcomes (Hetherington & Martin, 1979;
Petit & Bates, 1989).
Significance of the study.
Mental Health approach in education
has emerged as strong movement that has
spread to all enlightened educational
systems of the world. While we must have

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education in mental health and we must
also have mental health in education. It is
very widely accepted that good mental
health would definitely enhance the
efficiency of learning and will therefore,
lead to more satisfying school
accomplishments. The researches relating
to mental health of adolescents in higher
secondary school needs to be strengthened.
School curriculums in many countries
have been adapted to teach new topics:
AIDS, adolescent suicide, drug and
alcohol abuse. A considerable number of
adolescents are in high- risk category of
drug and alcohol abuse, depression and
sexually transmitted diseases Dryfoos,
(1990). The main goal of any type of
education is development of sound mental
health. In fact mental health is an
inseparable part of education.
The role of Parents in moulding the
personality of the child is very important.
Many researches stress the role of parents
in developing mentally healthy
individuals. Parents determining the
behaviour of their children both direct and
indirect influence. But due to changing
family patterns parents seldom get the
opportunity to mould them onto healthy
adults. The present study is primarily an
attempt to find the relationship between
mental health and family environment of
higher secondary students. The test results
will serve a valuable aid in guidance and
counselling.
Objectives.
1. To find out significant difference
between Higher Secondary
Students in Mental Health and its
dimensions such as attitude
towards self, perceptions of reality,
social competence, regularity of
habits, emotional stability,
autonomy and mental health total
with respect to gender, location of
school and type of family.
2. To find out significant difference
Students in their perception of
Family Environment with respect
to all background variables such as
gender, location of school and type
of family.
3. To find out significant correlation
between Mental Health and its
dimensions and perception of
Family Environment.
Hypothesis
1. There is no significant difference
Students in Mental Health and its
dimensions such as attitude
towards self, perceptions of reality,
social competence, regularity of
habits, emotional stability,
autonomy and mental health total
with respect to gender, location of
school and type of family.
2. There is no significant difference
Students in their perception of
Family Environment with respect
to background variables such as
gender, location of school and type
of family.
3. There is no significant correlation
between Mental Health and its
dimensions and perception of
Family Environment.
Toos. Mental Health Status Scale of
adolescents constructed and validated by
the Investigator and Francisca
(2011).

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1. Family Environment Scale by
Jacob George (2003).
Mental Health Status Scale.
To assess the mental health status
of adolescents in higher secondary level,
the investigator developed a tool known as
Mental Health Status Scale. After a very
careful analysis of the factors, the
investigator decided to study mental health
status under six dimensions. They are
attitude towards self, perceptions of
reality, social competence, regularity of
habits, emotional stability, and autonomy.
Dimension 1:Attitude towards self
In the present study attitude
towards self includes various aspects of
attitudes of an individual towards the self,
self acceptance, self confidence, and self
reliance. Self acceptance implies that a
person has learned to live with himself,
accepting both the limitations and
possibilities he may find in himself. Self
confidence expresses the judgment that
imbalance the self, is good capable and
strong. The content of the scale consists of
traits motives, feeling, interests and values.
Dimension 2:Perception of reality
Perception of reality
includes the way an individual perceives
the world around him. The perception of
reality is called mentally healthy, when
what an individual sees corresponds to
what is actually were. Perception of reality
is very essential for healthy living. It
indicates the ability of an individual to
envisage and respond to the actual
situations of life without falsifying to
himself.
Dimension 3 :Social competence
For the present
investigation social competence is
operationalzed as the capacity to develop
and sustain intimate, harmonious and
meaningful interpersonal relationship, with
mutual acceptance and trust, recognizing
each others’ individuality and purpose.
Dimension 4 :Regularity of Habits
It is obvious that the
establishment of good regular habits is a
pre-requisite for proper Mental Health.
Right from childhood, children should be
helped to established healthy habits of
eating, sleeping, sphincter control,
working and playing that make life more
comfortable. The child accounted to such
regularity of habits has little difficulty in
adjusting to school program. For the
present investigation regularity of habits
means regularity in studying, eating,
bathing, going to school, reading
newspaper etc.
Dimension 5 :Autonomy
Steinberg and Silverberg
(1986) have conceptualized autonomy as a
multi- dimensional construct, the three
dimensions of which are emotional
autonomy, resistance to peer pressure, and
subjective sense of self- reliance. The
development of autonomy has important
implications during adolescents, because it
causes radical shift in the relationship
patterns for the present investigation,
autonomy is defined as sense of self
direction, self initiation, increased ability
to make independent decision and
emancipation from undue social
influences.

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Dimension 6 :Emotional Stability
Emotional stability is
defined as the capacity for positive and
spontaneous emotional experience, steady
and balanced emotional expressions and
control over unrealistic and disruptive
emotions.
Method
The method adopted for the present
study was determined by considering the
nature of the problem, the kind of data
required for its solution and the objectives
of the study. The purpose of the study is
to find the mental health of adolescents
studying in higher secondary level. . They
can be gathered by employing survey
method to achieve the purpose of the
study. So, the investigators adopted
survey method for the study.
Population.
The population for the present
study consists of adolescents studying in
Higher Secondary level in schools of
Thiruvananthapuram District.
Sample.
The investigator had used simple
random sampling technique for selecting a
sample of 800 Higher Secondary students
in Thiruvananthapuram District.
Distribution of the sample in terms of background variables
Sl.No Background
Variables
Categories No. of
students
Percentage
1 Gender Male 380 47.5
Female 420 52.5
2 Location of school Rural 396 49.5
Urban 403 50.5
3 Type of family Joint family 91 11.4
Nuclear family 709 88.6

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Analysis and Interpretation
Table 1
Difference between higher secondary students in mental health with respect to gender
Dimension Variable Count Mean S.D
Calculated
‘t’ value
Remark
Attitudes towards
Self
Male 380 30.615 4.833
1.862 NS
Female 420 31.215 4.149
Perception of reality Male 380 28.131 4.822
6.159 S
Female 420 30.250 4.897
Social Competence Male 380 29.321 5.064
3.298 S
Female 420 30.514 5.161
Regularity of Habits Male 380 24.821 6.703
5.472 S
Female 420 27.347 6.314
Emotional Stability Male 380 20.310 5.939
0.207 NS
Female 420 20.395 5.584
Autonomy Male 380 26.721 5.674
4.153 S
Female 420 28.381 5.613
Mental Health Total Male 380 159.926 21.931
5.455 S
Female 420 168.176 20.712
S- Significant NS- Not Significant
(At 5% level of significance the table value of ‘t’ is 1.96)

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Table 2
Difference between higher secondary students in mental health and its dimensions with
respect to location of school
Calculated
‘t’ value
Remark
Attitudes towards
Self
Rural 396 31.149 4.577 1.372 NS
Urban 404 30.712 4.406
Perception of reality Rural 396 28.941 5.009 1.701 NS
Urban 404 29.539 4.924
Social Competence Rural 396 29.790 5.224 0.854 NS
Urban 404 30.101 5.072
Regularity of Habits Rural 396 26.780 6.964 2.684 S
Urban 404 25.527 6.208
Emotional Stability Rural 396 20.722 5.971 1.789 NS
Urban 404 19.995 5.513
Autonomy Rural 396 27.944 5.811 1.731 NS
Urban 404 27.247 5.573
Mental Health Total Rural 396 165.388 22.285 1.461 NS
Urban 404 163.148 21.043

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Table 3
Difference between higher secondary students in mental health and its dimensions with
respect to type of family
Calculated
‘t’ value
Remark
Attitudes towards
Self
Joint Family 91 30.527 4.881 0.841 NS
Nuclear Family 709 30.980 4.443
Perception of
reality
Joint Family 91 28.703 5.197 1.059 NS
Social
Competence
Joint Family 91 30.274 5.407 0.617 NS
Regularity of
Habits
Joint Family 91 26.351 6.563 0.315 NS
Emotional
Stability
Joint Family 91 19.626 6.061 1.226 NS
Autonomy Joint Family 91 27.692 6.228 0.164 NS
Mental Health
Total
Joint Family 91 163.175 23.906 0.464 NS
Nuclear Family 709 164.396 21.394
NS- Not Significant

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Table 4
Difference between higher secondary students in their perception of family environment
with respect to background variables
Background
Variables
Categories Count Mean S.D
Calculated
‘t’ value
Remark
Gender Male 380 81.381 15.654 5.155 S
Female 420 87.090 15.630
Location of School Rural 396 86.058 15.331 2.976 S
Urban 404 82.732 16.270
Type of Family Joint Family 91 83.197 14.571 0.811 NS
Table 5
Correlation between mental health and its dimensions and family environment
Dimensions Count Table Value ‘r’ Result
Attitude towards Self 800 0.062 0.353 S
Perception of reality 800 0.062 0.373 S
Social Competence 800 0.062 0.325 S
Regularity of habits 800 0.062 0.449 S
Emotional Stability 800 0.062 0.297 S
Autonomy 800 0.062 0.390 S
Mental Health Total 800 0.062 0.555 S
S- Significant
The results in the table 1 show that the
difference between Male and Female with
regard to mental health and its dimensions,
there is difference in the Mean of the two

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groups and “t” is significant at 0.05 level.
Female higher secondary students have
better perception of reality, social
competence, regularity of habits and
mental health than male higher secondary
students. This may be due their family
background and various types of
exposures.
The results in table 2 show that there is
significant difference between rural and
urban higher secondary students in the
dimension regularity of habits. Comparing
the mean score rural students have better
regularity of habits. Urban students more
susceptible to greater stress on their daily
affairs and may be busy with their non
academic activities and they don’t keep
regularity in sleep, eat, study, etc.
The table 3 show that there is no
significant difference between higher
secondary students in joint family and
nuclear family in their mental health and
its dimensions.
The results in the table 4 show that there is
significant difference between higher
secondary students in their family
environment with respect to gender and
location of school. Comparing the mean
scores female students perceive better
family environment than male students and
rural school students perceive better family
environment than urban school students.
The female students perceive better family
environment due to similarity in child
rearing practices adopted by parents of
both sexes.
It is inferred from the table 5 that the
calculated ‘r’ value is greater than the table
value, at 5% level of significance for the
dimensions attitude towards self,
perceptions of reality, social competence,
regularity of habits emotional stability,
autonomy and mental health total. That is
there is correlation between the
dimensions attitude towards self,
perceptions of reality, social competence,
regularity of habits emotional stability,
autonomy and mental health total and
perceived family environment.
Recomendation
1. Take up measures to introduce
guidance and counseling programs
in all the schools in the state.
2. Facilitating opportunities for
children to take part in co-
curricular activities so that they can
express their pent up emotions and
channelise their energies in creative
work.
3. Reorganizing curriculum to relate
to the reality of life.
4. Detection of extreme cases of
maladjustment among pupils by
careful examination and referral for
special treatment.
5. Organizing extension lectures to
parents and community leaders
focusing on the need for helping
students to minimize their problem
both in school and in the
community and thereby enhance
their mental health.

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References
Baumrind, D.(1971). Current patterns of
parental authority. Developmental
Psychology Monographs, 4 (1).
Dwivedi, K.N & Harper, P. B (Eds) (2004)
Promoting the emotional wellbeing
of children and adolescents and
preventing their mental ill health: A
hand book in K.N.Dwivedi and
P.B.Harper (Eds), pp.15-28 London.
Jessica Kinsley Pub.
Dryoos, J.G. (1990). Adolescent at risk:
Prevalence and prevention. New
York: Oxford University Press.
Hetherington, E.M & Martin, B (1979)
family interaction. In H. Quay &
J.Werry (Eds) psychopathological
disorders of child hood (2nd
Edn.)
New York: Wiley.
Jahoda.M.(1958) Current concepts of
positive mental health. New York:
Basic Books.
Pettit,G.S & Bates,J.E (1989) Family
interaction pattern and children
behavior problems from infancy to 4
years. Developmental psychology
25, 413-425.
Steinberg, L., & Silverberg,S.B., (1986).
The vicissitudes of autonomy in
early ,adolescence. Child
development, 57, 841 – 851.
World Health Organization
(2007). Strengthening mental health
promotion. (Fact Sheet No. 220).
Revision received April 1, 2012
Paper accepted April 4. 2012

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Dr. Taruna Malhotra
Vaish College of Education, Rohtak
Abstract
For life to go on—change is inevitable. Change is never easy especially when it involves
a large number of individuals and an established system. Yet change is necessary when
innovative practices demonstrate greater effectiveness than past services. Inclusive
education differs from previously held notions of ‘integration’ and ‘mainstreaming’,
which tended to be concerned principally with disability and ‘special educational needs’
and implied learners changing or becoming ‘ready for’ or deserving of accommodation
by the mainstream. By contrast, inclusion is about the child’s right to participate and the
school’s duty to accept the child. Inclusion rejects the use of special schools or
classrooms to separate students with disabilities from students without disabilities.
Inclusion teachers are educators who maintain a general education classroom with the
enrollment of at least one student with special needs while establishing and maintaining a
community environment where each of their students is welcome and attended to. The
duties of an inclusion teacher demand the ability to multitask with a high level of
performance. Understanding inclusion teacher duties attached to this position will
improve the quality of student function and the overall success of the entire arrangement.
This paper aims to explore the crucial role of teachers in addressing the challenges of
inclusion in classrooms and the need for teacher reflection in developing the inclusive
practices in the classroom.
Keywords. Teaching practices, special education needs
Throughout the world, there is an
increased awareness of differences in
access to and outcomes of education. This
has to be understood in the power of
education to reduce poverty, to improve
the lives of individuals and groups, and to
transform societies (e.g. Grubb &
Lazerson, 2004). Developing ‘schools for
all’ is important because schooling is
linked to human, economic and social
development goals. Inclusive education is
an approach to educating students with
special needs with non disabled students. It
is, basically, about the child’s right to
participate and school’s duty to accept the
child and rejects the use of special schools
or classrooms to separate students with
disabilities. A premium is placed upon full
participation by students with disabilities
and respect for their civil and educational
rights, inclusion creates schools in which
all students feel included and the education
reforms itself for every child, not the child
changes to receive education.
It is an exciting process which has great
benefits for everyone. According to
Kaufman et al. (2005), successful teaching
of children who are different, requires that
they be grouped homogeneously so that
special pedagogical approaches can be

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deployed by teachers who have been
trained to use them. In this sense, to make
all children able to receive education in a
proper way, there is no other better way to
create an inclusive education environment
where trained and dedicated teachers play
a vital role to ensure the quality teaching-
learning process. Inclusive education
focuses on how schools can provide the
"least restrictive environment" for students
with disabilities through ensuring all
opportunities for all types of facilities and
services. Thus the professional focus tends
to be on what is ‘additional to or different
from’ the provision which is generally
available, rather than on what can be done
to make schooling more accessible for all
(Florian, 2007).
Common fallacies Inclusion: Some
opinions about inclusion is based on
unsound information. Three common
fallacies about inclusion are:
Old practices New trends
Separation is necessity that disabled
children when separated, learn better and
easily.
I
Isolation is not the right solution:
EFA declares that Right to have education is
equal for all without consideration of any
grounds i.e. caste, creed or color etc.
Research shows that typical children and
children with disabilities learn as much or
more in inclusive classes.
Children must be "geared up" to be
incorporated: that children should be mere
a part of general education.
Children, who learn together, learn to live
together: Research shows that a child with
disabilities when becomes the full-time
member in general education, performs
better.
Family doesn’t cooperate in inclusive
settings
Family proves to be the driving force for
inclusion. When there is collaboration,
communication and, most of all, trust
between parents and professionals , this joint
venture produces positive results, benefitting
the disabled children.

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Ms. Usha Grover, (National Institute for
the Mentally Handicapped, New Delhi) in
the paper, “Inclusion of Mentally
Challenged Children.” outlined
requirements for implementing inclusion.
The acronym INCLUSION stands for:
I - Infrastructure
N- National Level Policies to implement
C- Capacity Building
L- Legislation Reform
U- Understanding
S- Sensitization
I- Initiatives
O- Organization
N- Networking
According to her, it is important that all
ingredients come together in timely
manner to successfully implement
inclusive education.
Principles instilling inclusion:
• Every student has an inherent right
to education on basis of equality of
opportunity.
• No student is excluded from, or
discriminated within education on
grounds of race, color, sex,
language, religion, political or
other opinion, national, ethnic or
social origin, disability, birth,
poverty or other status.
• All students can learn and benefit
from education.
• Schools adapt to the needs of
students, rather than students
adapting to the needs of the school.
• The student’s views are listened to
and taken seriously.
• Individual differences between
students are a source of richness
and diversity, and not a problem.
• The diversity of needs and pace of
development of students are
addressed through a wide and
flexible range of responses.
Practices for developing
inclusion:
Rouse, 2007 suggested that
developing effective inclusive
practice is about not only about
extending teachers’ knowledge, but
it is also about encouraging them to
do things differently and getting
them to reconsider their attitudes
and beliefs. In other words, it
should be about ‘knowing’,
‘doing’, and ‘believing. The
practice for developing inclusion
involves:
• Understanding inclusion as a
continuing process, not a one-time
event.
• Strengthening and sustaining the
participation of students, teachers,
parents and community members
in the work of the school.
• Restructuring the cultures, policies
and practices in schools to respond
to the diversity of pupils within
their locality. Inclusive settings
focus on identifying and then
reducing the barriers to learning
and participation, rather than on
what is "special" about the
individual student or group of
students, and targeting services to
address the "problem".
• Providing an accessible curriculum,
appropriate training programs for
teachers, and for all students, the
provision of fully accessible
information, environments and
support.
• Identifying and providing support
for staff as well as students.

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Mechanisms of Enhancing
Inclusion: Innovative
Organization:
Innovation configurations have
been used for at least 30 years in
the development and
implementation of educational
innovations and methodologies
(Hall & Hord, 1987; Roy & Hord,
2004). The essential components of
the Inclusive Services Innovation
Configuration are as follows:
Inclusion fundamentals
Teachers’ attitude, available time,
the knowledge and skills of
teachers and teaching methods and
material on hand seem to be
important prerequisites for special
need teaching in regular setting.
The different type of resources can
be deduced from micro-economics
of teaching (Brown & Saks.1980;
Gerber & Semmel,1985).
Administrators and general and
special education teachers should
know the major legal and policy
foundations for inclusive practices.
Deep knowledge of the LRE
principle, civil rights conceptions
of inclusion, and prior research on
inclusion is essential areas of
background knowledge.
Increased Understanding
Children with differing abilities
will learn from each other. Because
it creates a solid group, the
inclusive classroom promotes the
civil rights of all students, provides
support to the social value of
equality and respect, teaches
collaborative and socialization
skills, builds interdependence and
support between students,
promotes social peace, and
provides children a micro model of
the real world.
Two-way Teaming/Planning and
Collaborative Skills
Collaborative teaching
arrangements require a belief that
all students can learn, coupled with
competent communication and
problem-solving skills (Friend &
Bursuck, 2006; Gable &
Hendrickson, (2000). A high level
of collaboration requires a
significant amount of trust between
partners and an open, flexible
approach in lesson planning and
implementation of instructional
strategies. The national and state
high standards and accountability
requirements are driving the
growth of collaborative practices
within the public schools (Austin,
2001).
Admittance to the broad
edification Curriculum:
worldwide Design for knowledge
and distinguished lessons
Teaching all students in the same
way no longer meets the rigorous
academic demands of today’s
education reform (Hitchcock,
Meyer, Rose, & Jackson, 2002).
Successful engagement of diverse
students requires diverse
instructional methodology,
curriculum materials, and
assessment methods (Bateman &

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Bateman, 2002; Hitchcock et al.,
2002).
Admittance, participation, and
progress in the universal edification
curriculum for students with
disabilities describes an
examination of the curriculum
intended for the common
population .Accessible curricula
establish greater learning
opportunities for students with
disabilities. Accessibility alone,
however, may not foster student
engagement or drive academic
achievement. Instructional
strategies also require
diversification in order to
effectively engage all students. The
Center for Applied Special
Technology (CAST) applied the
universal design concept,
originated in the architecture field,
to curriculum materials and
instructional methods as a means to
provide equitable access (Dolan &
Hall, 2001; Hitchcock et al., 2002;
Meyer & Rose, 1998; Pisha &
Coyne, 2001; Rose, 2001; Rose &
Dolan, 2000; Rose & Meyer,
2002).
Inclusive Services Models
Various models of inclusive
teaching have been described,
including the following:
(1) The consultant model in
which the special educator consults
with the general educator in areas
pertaining to curriculum
adaptation, instructional
accommodations, remediation for
struggling students, and assessment
accommodations and/or
modifications.
(2) The coaching model in which
the general and special educators
take turns coaching students in
those areas of the curriculum and
instruction in which they have
more knowledge and expertise.
(3) The collaborative teaming
model in which the special and
general educator share equal
responsibility for the lesson design,
implementation, and assessment of
instruction.
Choices among inclusion models
should be guided by several
factors, including student abilities,
needs, teacher philosophy,
knowledge, expertise, collaboration
time, and administrative support
(Cole, Horvath, Chapman,
Deschenes, Ebeling, & Sprague,
2000; Friend & Bursuck, 2006;
Snell & Janney, 2000). All factors
are integral to the decision-making
process and are enormously
variable depending on the student,
school climate, and educational
personnel (Gee, 2002; Snell &
Janney, 2000).
Understanding Policies,
Classroom Association and
Conduct Supervision, And
Scientifically Based Evaluation
Teaching
Teacher preparation in the use of
evidence-based instructional
strategies—including

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Understanding policies, classroom
association and conduct
supervision, and Scientifically
Based evaluation teaching are
essential to the success of students
with disabilities in the general
education classroom. Teachers
skilled in scientifically based
evaluation teaching and classroom
association and conduct
supervision have the competencies
to establish classrooms conducive
to learning and improved results in
reading. To help students with
disabilities, teachers can point out
specific textbook elements, such as
summaries, introductory
objectives, and questions
(Polloway, Patton, and Serna
2005).
Family Contribution
Family Contribution is a vital
constituent of the Inclusive
Services Innovation Configuration.
Parent and family support for
students with disabilities
sometimes present differing
inclusion views. Informed and
supportive students and families
often are powerful advocates for
inclusive services (Friend &
Bursuck, 2006; Wood, 1998).
Sharing consistent and frequent
information on the purposes and
benefits of inclusion and involving
the students and families during the
development and implementation
of inclusion plans facilitates buy-in
and secures support, Teacher
training programs and proficiency
advanced activities that provide
teacher candidates with
opportunities to acquire and
practice family support strategies
for inclusive practices.
Learner Self Autonomy and
Group Effort
No one has a greater interest in the
success of inclusive efforts than the
students with disabilities
themselves. Students who are
actively involved and engaged in
planning and evaluating their
learning experiences are more
likely to improve academic
achievement (Choate, 2000b). The
independence of students with
disabilities, in terms of effort and
task persistence, is essential in an
effective inclusive services
environment and even more critical
as these students exit school and
move on to postsecondary
education and the world of work.
Role of Teachers:
Teaching is first and foremost a
social practice which demands
more than mere technical strategies
or disciplinary knowledge (Sim,
2006, Thurlow, Long and Stuart,
2004). The nature of teaching is
constantly requiring situational
judgments based on complex
situations and diverse settings.
Teachers are crucial in determining
what happens in classrooms and
there are those who would argue
that the development of more
inclusive classrooms requires
teachers to cater for different
student learning needs through the
modification or differentiation of
the curriculum (Forlin, 2004).
Diversity is both an issue for

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teachers in general, including
subject teachers, for instance in
topics such as history, language,
civic education, religion etc., as
well as for teachers with expertise
in a particular aspect of diversity.
How teachers are prepared to
engage with diversity in its
broadest sense is of crucial
importance.
Significance of teachers'
perceptions for inclusion:
Teachers are perceived to be
integral to the implementation of
inclusive education. Research
communicates the view that
teachers are the key to the success
of inclusionary programs, as they
are viewed as linchpins in the
process of including students with
disabilities into regular classes
(Stewart, 1983; Whiting & Young,
1995). Other studies acknowledge
that inclusive education can only
be successful if teachers are part of
the team driving this process
(Horne, 1983).It is important to
examine the attitudes of educators
toward the inclusion of students
with disabilities into regular
settings as their perceptions may
influence their behavior toward and
acceptance of such students. To
effectively prepare teacher
candidates to successfully teach
learners with high incidence
disabilities from diverse
backgrounds, an integrated
curriculum approach is needed
including a focus on dispositions
(LePage, Nielsen, & Fearn, 2008).
Brownell et al. (2005) found that
teacher preparation programs that
integrated coursework content into
field experiences promoted better
skill development for beginning
teachers.
WHAT ATTRIBUTES TEACHERS
MAY NEED FOR INCLUSIVE
PRACTICES
Pragmatic and realistic attributes:
• Producing informative surroundings
in which students face stereotypes
about language, disability, race,
gender, ethnicity, culture,
geographical location.
• Undertaking analyses of barriers to
learning and participation in the
local teaching framework.
• Generating comprehensive culture
in the school where all learners,
staff, parents and community
members are cherished and precious·
• Organization a variety of
approaches to education such as
team work, shared learning,
individualized learning, peer-
mediated learning, in different
learning circumstances and with
different groups of students to
fabricate learners self-belief,
• Creating lesson plans that are
approachable to students’
multiplicity,
• Developing assets to sustain learning
and involvement of disabled children
to increase the level of confidence.
• Drawing on society resources to
uphold teaching-learning
progression,
• Drawing on a variety of
instructional strategies and

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evaluation techniques, and
developing the ability to use them
successfully and correctly,
• Evaluating learners' presentation and
proficiency in a reasonable and
receptive manner.
Functional attributes:
• Considering the values and
assumptions regarding inclusive
education policy and practices.
• Accepting the nature of obstacles to
learning and involvement, and the
ideologies underlying various
strategies that can be used to tackle
them,
• Considering different learning
approaches, inclinations and
enthusiasm,
• Understanding the nature of
multiplicity in schools and society.
• Considering the suppositions that lie
behind a series of evaluation,
approaches and their particular
potentialities and limitations in
relation to learner diversity.
• Considering that inclusion is
concerned with increasing the
participation of all students who are
vulnerable to exclusion, not just
those with disabilities.
• Understanding approaches to
conflict resolution, problem-solving,
and mediation.
Spontaneous and natural attributes:
• Introspecting on the extent to which
objectives of the learning occurrence
have been accomplished and
deciding on alteration where
necessary.
• Considering that how language,
disability, race, gender, ethnicity,
culture, geographical location and
other differences impact on learning,
and making appropriate adaptations
to teaching strategies,
• Introspecting on whether students
are enthusiastically involved in their
own learning, and intensifying
strategies to make best use of
participation for all learners,
• Introspecting on all proficiencies
learners bring to the class and
making it clear that all proficiencies
are valued, not merely scholarly
skills.
• Introspecting on and understanding
evaluation results, and feeding these
into processes for the improvement
of learning programs,
• Introspecting on strategies to assist
teachers in working collaboratively
to develop inclusive curricula.
• Introspecting on whether there are
any exclusionary practices in the
ethos and culture of the school, and
developing strategies to address
them,
• Introspecting on usage of language
in schools as that may endorse
discriminatory practices, and
developing a language that affirms
all learners,
• Introspecting on the effectiveness of
staff development programs, and
finding ways to ensure that they
meet the needs in the school
Context.
Conclusion
Because the philosophy of inclusive
education is aimed at helping all children
learn, everyone in the class benefits.

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Children learn at their own pace and style
within a nurturing learning environment.
Professional development programs, and
teamwork by teachers will help in
achieving inclusion's ultimate goal: to
provide a challenging and supportive
educational experience for all children.
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Assessment of level of Academic Stress among postgraduate
students of Himachal Pradesh University
Dr.Prakasha K.
National college of Education, Shivamogga, Karnataka
Abstract
Present study aimed to assess the level of Academic stress among postgraduate students
of himachal pradesh university. A total of 41 post graduate students were selected for
the study. Random sampling technique were used in the present study. A scale to
measure the academic stress in the form of self-report questionnaires in five point scale
along with personal data was used in the study. On the whole it was found that found
that the mean scores of the total level of academic stress among the post-graduate
students of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla of the total sample is 44.22, which
means the general level of academic stress among the post-graduate students is less than
the average point on the scale. It revealed that post-graduate students face low level of
academic stress. This means that the university provides conducive environment for
teaching learning, interaction with professors, interaction with peer group and campus
life. Among the various dimensions of academic stress Interaction with professors
(42.2%) showed the least scores. This means that the teacher student relationship
existing in the university is an ideal one which can be emulated by other university.]
Introduction
Academic stress is common
phenomenon among post graduate
students. Academic stress results from a
complex interaction between the events of
life and the perception of those events by
the students. The element of perception
indicates the personality of an individual.
As the personalities of individuals are
distinctive, the reaction to stress of
individuals are too. It is unique and
personal to each of the students. The
response to stress varies with the
individuals, gender, streams of study,
family income and locality.
Academic stress is an individual’s
physical and mental reaction to
environmental demands or pressures. It
comes from mental or emotional activity,
as well as physical activity. Stress
condition is relative in nature. Extreme
stress conditions are detrimental to human
health but in moderation it is normal and,
in many case, proves useful. Infact, a
certain amount of stress is actually
necessary for survival. Stress thus adds
flavor, challenges and opportunity to life.
Academic stress implies pressure
and causes tension of worry resulting in
various problems. Stress acquires

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importance because of its consequences.
Though stress causes both positive and
negative effects, excessive stress produce
not only psychological disturbances but
also several harmful effects on the bio
system.
According to Kyriacou “stress is an
unpleasant emotional state.”
Thus stress can be defined as the
harmful physical and emotional responses
that occure when the requirements do not
match with the capabilities, resources, or
needs if the workers. Stress can lead to
poor health and even injury.
Stress is an emotionally disruptive
or up setting condition of mind, which
occurs in response to adverse external
influence. Stress raises the level of
adrenaline and corticosterner in the body,
which leads to increase in the heart rate,
respiration, and blood pressure and puts
more physical stress on bodily organs.
When something pleasant or unpleasant
happens around you. Which puts you in a
state of strain or pressure, it is called
stress.
In simple words, stress refers
pressures or tension people feel in life.
ORIGIN OF STRESS:
Stress is natural, on going dynamic
and interactive process that takes place as
people adjust to their environment. The
word ‘stress ‘ is derived from the Latin
word ‘strictus’ which means ‘tight’ or
‘narrow’ and ‘stringer’ which means to
‘tighten’. These rafers to the internal
feelings of constriction that many people
feel when they experience stress.
According to Selye ‘stress is a
generalized response of body to demands
placed on it, whether they are pleasant or
unpleasant; Hans selye, a psychologist
considered as father of stress ,tried to
analyze the different dimensions of stress-
its to analyze the different dimensions of
stress- its intensity and its impact.
MODELS OF STRESS:
Stress is a state of mind, which
reflects certain biochemical reactions in
the human body and is projected by a
sense of anxiety, tension and depression
and fear is caused by such demands by the
environmental forces that cannot be met by
the resources available to the person.
Stress is elementary form may not
be dangerous but it prolongation causes
worry, loss of interest in life, and a
tendency to do no work. Ultimately the
prolonged stress leads to lack of
motivation and achievement in human life.
Or when a body is subjected to a
challenging stimulus, a characteristic
response occurs. Selye identified three
stage, each stronger than the previous one.
FACTORS/CAUSES INFLUENCING
STRESS
Stress may be defined as a pattern
of disruptive psychological and
physiological reaction to events that
threaten our ability to cope. It is a common
occurrence among people causing health
hazards, laziness, disinterest, and lack of
physical and mental utility. Factor which
influence the stress of a person must be as
follows:
Over expectation from the parents. One
of the striking characteristics of human
being is individual differences. No two
persons are alike in physical,
psychological and intellectual capacity.
But most of the parents don’t realize these

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differences and compare there child with
other children and magnify the formers’
defects. They have a lot of expectations
regarding their child’s education and
future employment. As a result they
compel their children to learn more. Which
after exceeds their intellectual limit. This
obviously leads the children to frustration.
Such children gradually develop hatred,
fear and tension towards learning. In the
later stages of their education they may
invite negative reinforcement from their
parents and slowly start hating the
educational system itself.
Methods of teaching and learning .The
educational institutions generating into
mere coaching factories contribute to the
students academic stress. The educational
institutions is supposed to be an ideal place
for enjoyment, recreation, fun and
intellectual development. But the modern
university system deviates from what it
should be. It tries to make the students
acquire more than its intellectual caliber.
The all-round development of the students
are almost narrowed down to a single
aim,i.e.to obtain more marks or better
grades. The other aspect of development
are ignored and the value of life is
engulfed in the coaching factories to obtain
more marks. College students have to
sacrifice everything in fulfilling the
aspirations of their parents and teachers.
Narrowly Conceived Curriculum. All
the education commissions have stressed
the need for a balanced curriculum at least
at the college level. But most of the states
do not fallow the suggestions and frame an
impractical curriculum for the students
most of the classes are unrelated to life and
they have no practical value. This makes
the students think in a negative way and
then develop stress to learn the lesson, for
the sake of examination only.
Present day examination systems. The
modern evaluation system not only values
and judges the writing skills and memory
power of the students , but it also totally
ignores the child’s attitude, aptitude,
interest and other related abilities. Thus
their creativity and imagination have
nothing to do with the examinations. A
students with a very good language ability
scores more marks in the examination than
are with a lesser language skill. A skilled
and brilliant students may be neglected and
he underestimated in the present system of
evaluation only because of its inability of
verbal expression.
Unattainable goal.Some learners never
realize their unique abilities and
potentialities. They may aim at high goals.
They do so because their neighbors or
friends have such and such aims. They
aims themselves. But they pursue them
desperately and get disappointed. They
live in a dream world of their own making.
However hard they may try, they may not
be able to achieve their goals; this aids to
their stress.
Less motivation.Most of the students are
less interested in studies and related works.
Learning requires patience, skill and
efficiency for coordinating and co relating
various facts and events. As commonly
seen it is a risky and uninteresting factor
for learner’s .so they don’t have much
motivation in learning. In such a situation
the other students, parents and teachers
worry about the learner’s future life and
force him to do something, which he is not
at all interested in doing, this ultimately

An International Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed E Journal

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