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.
