Building effective relationships : how beneficial is the inclusion of PSD in the primary school to these aspects of the child's holistic development?

Abstract

This study examines three elements necessary for the building-up of relationships, namely self-esteem, communication skills and responsibility towards oneself and others. It explores how these factors influence interpersonal relationships amongst peers, and among peers and adults. This study is carried out from a personal and social psychological perspective, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Questionnaires were administered to randomly selected 15 5 males and 173 females attending Y ear Six, State Schools. Another 53 questionnaires were distributed to all Form One PSD specialists in Maltese State Schools, in order to understand any difference in attitude between those pupils who had PSD timetabled sessions and those who did not during their primary school years. Sixteen interviews were carried out with Form One students to identify how the personal and social development of the pupils is tackled in primary schools, either during PSD sessions or during other lessons. An interview was carried out with the PSD Education Officer to gather information about the history of PSD in Malta at the primary level. Finally, two focus groups were conducted with 20 parents of Y ear Six students, to identify the general relationship between parents and children and PSD influence on their development, if any. The main findings showed only a marginal difference between students who had PSD sessions and those who had personal and social development throughout the curriculum. Another :finding was, that personal and social development, was most effective within schools where such practice was part and parcel of the whole school philosophy and/or the teacher's philosophy of holistic education in the classroom.