A STUDY OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF ONLINE LEARNING ON SECONDARY CLASS STUDENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC COVID-19.

Abstract

The school provides an environment to give formal teaching. This environment helps to grow the attitudes and tendency to learn within students, which are necessary for a progressive life in a society. That’s why school acts as an active instrument for social change and progress. Learning can occur everywhere. Learning is the modification of behavior. School plays a vital role in bringing the change in the behavior of students by giving them a platform to gain different experiences. The school gives a space to students to teach collaboratively along with their peers, teacher etc. School helps to raise the social skills and awareness among students besides their fun and curricular activities. Hence the quote “School is the miniature of society.” by John Dewey (1899) fits here. Thus school plays an important role in every child’s life. High school is an important period of time in an adolescent's life. Adolescence is the gap between childhoods to adulthood. During this stage students love to spend time and grow with peers. That's why Erikson categorized adolescence as the event of ‘peer relationships’. (WOOLFOLK, 2016) School is the place where students are able to make different cliques each with unique norms and beliefs. With peers, students share their values and ideas. They actively participate and do the work collaboratively. According to Jean Piaget’s stages of cognitive development, adolescence to adulthood comes under “Formal operational stage’. At this stage their thinking becomes more scientific. They solve abstract

problems in a logical fashion. They can consider multiple perspectives and develop concerns about social issues, personal identity, and justice. They can think hypothetically and deductively. (MUKUNDA)To better understand the concepts and abstract things there is a need for procedural and skill based learning. (WOOLFOLK, 2016). This is better practiced at schools with appropriate infrastructure, equipment and teaching methods. Classroom allows students and teachers to discuss, share ideas and debate about various topics.