Ph.D Theses

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Determinants of Risk and Resilience among Youth and the Effect of Sensitization Programme
(Avinashilingam, 2025-05) Fenny Leferty Kharpuri; Guide - Dr.Ramya Bhaskar
Youth are the most energetic slice of the population in any country, the future of tomorrow. Youth constitute an integral developmental phase marked by transitioning from childhood to adulthood, characterised by unique cognitive, emotional and social changes. This period encompasses stages of maturation that neither occur in early childhood nor can be delayed until adulthood. It is often expounded by exploring roles and identities, relatively unbound from rigid social expectations, yet progressively shaped by emerging responsibilities and societal norms. Out of the 1.2 billion people living in India, 54 percent are below 24 years of age. Youth lifestyles are of concern. This study examines youth as a formative period that prepares individuals for active participation in the broader social collective. This study explores the concept of risk and resilience among youth. It discusses various factors influencing risk factors and resilience components among the youth. The review of relevant literature highlights the importance of fostering resilience in adolescents and youth involved in various risk factors to support their overall well-being. Understanding the underlying risk factors and process of risk is crucial to the identification of those adolescents and youth who are most in need of early intervention, whereas clarification of protective factors and process of resilience can inform the design of sensitisation and intervention to strengthen those at greatest risk. The primary objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of risk behaviours and levels of resilience among youth, followed by the objectives to analyse the interrelationship between risk and resilience factors, to explore the socio-demographic predictors of risk and resilience and to examine the effect of the sensitisation programme on the risk behaviours and resilience among the youth. In the pursuit of these goals, risk and resilience research has focused on several levels of analysis. An action-based cross-sectional research study was designed to target youth from both urban and rural areas within the Coimbatore jurisdiction, Tamil Nadu. A sample of 1710 youth aged 18-22 years was selected for the study using a simple random sampling technique from the city of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu state. The self-made demographic questionnaire was used to collect the socio-demographic information. The Youth Risk Behaviour Scale 2019 was administered to study the risk behaviours, and the Resilience questionnaire 2017 was also used to assess the youth’s response to resilience. The study also emphasised the sensitisation programme to be conducted to enhance resilience and reduce risk based on the prevalence of risk factors among the selected youth. A sensitisation programme for the youth after obtaining permission from the college administrators. A total of 184 youth were selected using a controlled randomised selection technique, where 122 youth were taken as the experimental group based on their willingness to participate in the programme, and 62 youth were taken as the control group (waitlist). The sensitisation programme was conducted for 2 weeks (4 days per week), consisting of 16 sessions (2 sessions per day) using validated educational content, through delivering lecturers/awareness, clearing doubts, tailoring messages to the students to make them aware on various topics such as unhealthy and abusive risks, the cycle of addictions, problem solving skills, strengthening protective factors and providing counselling sessions if asked and required. Data was collected from the experimental and control groups after the sensitisation programme (post data), and post data collection was done at two intervals . The first post-data was collected after 10 days of the programme, and follow-up data was collected after a gap of a month. The pre-sensitisation scores were taken from the data collected during the II phase (before sensitisation). The sensitisation programme was conducted by the investigator with the help of a trained clinical psychologist. As part of the research framework and the study objectives, multiple levels of analysis was carried out, where the socio-demographic markers which includes age, gender, educational qualification, type of family, area of residents, parents education and occupation and family annual income served as the independent variables and the dependent variables constituted the risk factors (safety issues, attempting suicide, substance use, sexual behavior and health issues) and resilience components (self-belief, optimism, purposeful direction, adaptability, ingenuity, challenge orientation, emotional regulation and support seeking). Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) were used to determine the prevalence of risk behaviours and levels of resilience among youth. Subsequently, canonical correlation analysis was conducted to explore the interrelationship between risk and resilience factors. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the socio- demographic predictors of risk and resilience. To examine the effect and sustainability of the sensitisation programme on the risk behaviours and resilience among the youth, paired sample t test, independent t test and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were applied. The study depicted that most youth experienced moderate to high levels of risk behaviours such as driving safety issues, bullying, smoking, tobacco use, alcohol, sexual behaviour, body weight, eating habits physical activities and health related issues, and moderate to low levels of resilience in the components of self-belief, optimism, purposeful direction, ingenuity, challenge orientation, emotional regulation, and support seeking. A significant interrelationship emerged between risk behaviours and resilience components, indicating that engagement in risky behaviours tends to reduce resilience, indicating high substance use and health issues, lowers ingenuity, challenge orientation, and adaptability. Conversely, low protective factors in youth increase susceptibility to risky behaviours like lower support seeking increases attempting suicide, and higher self-belief lowers the substance use. Socio-demographic markers were also identified as influential in shaping both risk behaviours and resilience of youth, indicating particularly, the gender and age of the youth, educational and occupational backgrounds of parents, family income, and area of residence were evident in shaping youth direction. These factors were linked to both heightened vulnerability to risk behaviours and reduced resilience capacities. The effectiveness and sustainability of the sensitisation programme in preventing risk and promoting resilience were examined. Findings revealed that participants in the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in resilience scores and reductions in risk behaviours at both post-test and follow-up stages. In contrast, the control group exhibited minimal or no statistically significant changes across the same measures. The significant differences in mean scores between the experimental and control groups provide strong evidence for the programme’s efficacy. Nonetheless, it is important to note that certain dimensions of resilience did not show substantial improvement in the follow- up phase, underscoring the necessity for ongoing, targeted interventions to support long- term behavioural change and the continued development of youth resilience. Based on the study's findings, several implications emerged for youth, college administrators, educators, parents, families, communities, and policymakers. These stakeholders must actively engage in sensitisation, intervention or awareness programmes to address the resilience and risk factors affecting young people. The study recommends efforts for fostering healthy development, positive mental health, and overall well-being. Early identification of at-risk students is crucial, along with initiatives to strengthen student–teacher relationships, enhance family involvement, and integrate mental health services on campus through accessible counselling. Keywords: Youth, Risk Behaviour, Resilience Components, Sensitisation Programme, Socio-demographic Markers.
Development of Assessment Scale for Primary School Teachers to Identify Children with Learning Disability
(Avinashilingam, 2024-09) Rajkumari S; Dr. Ramya Bhaskar
Learning Disabilities (LD) are a complex group of neurological disorders that affect various cognitive functions, including listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, and math. Often termed a hidden disability, LD is prevalent in India, with approximately five children in every classroom affected. However, due to a lack of awareness, many cases remain unidentified. Teachers, being key players in early detection, often lack the necessary knowledge and training. The need for a standardised, accessible, handy and user-friendly assessment scale for primary school teachers is critical for early identification and intervention, preventing academic difficulties and social exclusion among affected children. The primary objective of this study was to develop an assessment scale for primary school teachers to identify children with Learning Disabilities. Secondary objectives included assessing the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of teachers regarding LD, studying the socio-demographic determinants of KAP, conducting a Sensitisation Programme, and evaluating its impact on KAP. A cross-sectional research design was employed, with purposive sampling targeting primary school teachers from rural and urban parts of Coimbatore jurisdiction, Tamil Nadu. The assessment scale's development initially involved an extensive literature review and expert validation. The scale consisted of 104 statements. These statements were integrated into a 5-point Likert scale designed to aid in the identification of specific learning disabilities. The developed scale underwent rigorous validation procedures, including face validity and content validity assessments by a panel of nine experts. Incorporating the suggestions and opinions of these experts, the assessment scale was refined, resulting in a total of 96 items. The Teacher’s Knowledge Scale on Learning Disability, the Attitude Scale for primary school teachers towards Learning Disability, and the Checklist on Teaching Practices of primary school teachers were developed and also underwent rigorous assessments for both face and content validity. The knowledge scale comprised 57 items, the attitude scale consisted of 35 items and the practices checklist contained 24 items. Subsequently, the tool was deployed in a pilot study involving 133 samples. The data collected from the pilot study underwent thorough analysis, including the application of Cronbach's Alpha test for tool reliability. The results of Cronbach's alpha analysis provided conclusive evidence of the reliability and robustness of the developed scale. The actual study started with responses from 514 teachers who were considered for the standardisation of the assessment scale. During data collection, the tools were administered with clear instructions. The data was scored and consolidated according to developed scoring norms. KAP of teachers on learning disability was analysed and a sensitisation programme was designed and implemented, grounded in Gagne's Conditions of Learning Theory. The programme consisted of 12 one-hour sessions over six weeks, targeting 53 teachers. Data collected before, after, and during the follow-up of the sensitisation programme was done to find the effectiveness. The standardisation procedures encompassed various validity and reliability tests. Further factor analysis using PCA reduced the items to 48. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis results were as follows: KMO Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy = .959, Bartlett's Test of Sphericity significant at 1% level, with a total variance explained at 65.58%. Confirmatory factor analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated a good model fit, with values like CFI= 0.90 and RMSEA= .062 in the acceptable range. Cronbach's Alpha test showed excellent reliability, with a value of 0.972 overall. Test-retest reliability showed Pearson correlation at 0.703, and inter-rater reliability (IRR) was 73.3%. Sensitivity and Specificity were at 91.3% and 96.83%, respectively, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.862. KAP analysis revealed that 13.4% of primary school teachers exhibited high knowledge, 33.7% of teachers demonstrated a favourable attitude and 39.1% of teachers employed good/satisfactory teaching practices regarding learning disabilities. A positive correlation was found between teachers' knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding LD. Looking at the influence of Socio-Demographic markers on KAP. Higher knowledge levels were associated with older age groups (51-60 years), married teachers, those with more children, teachers with over 15 years of experience, ICSE board schools, private schools, joint families, and those with child development/psychology in their curriculum. Regarding attitude, favourable attitudes were seen in older teachers (51-60 years), married teachers, those with more children, teachers with over 15 years of experience, diploma/teacher training qualifications, ICSE board schools, private schools, and those with child development/psychology in the curriculum. Good/satisfactory teaching practices were associated with older age groups (51-60 years), married and widowed teachers, those with children, teachers with over 15 years of experience, ICSE board schools, private schools, and those with child development/psychology in their curriculum. The Sensitisation Programme significantly improved teachers' knowledge from a moderate level (mean score: 34.47) to a higher level (mean scores: 39.62 and 40.87 in follow-up). Attitudes remained neutral with no significant change (mean scores: 84.82 before, 83.15 after, and 82.98 in follow-up). Practices improved from an average level (mean score: 18.96) to satisfactory/good levels (mean scores: 19.42 and 19.87 in follow-up). The study underscores the need for a standardised assessment scale for primary school teachers to identify LD and targeted sensitisation programmes to enhance teachers' capacity to identify and address LD effectively in primary schools. Socio-demographic markers play a significant role in shaping teachers' KAP, and sensitisation can lead to notable improvements in knowledge and practices. The study emphasised the importance of continuous professional development, and comprehensive support systems, including the involvement of school counsellors. Furthermore, implications for central and state governments, educational institutions, teachers, parents, and future research were explored. The findings advocate for the integration of specialised modules on LD in teacher training programs and highlight the role of parents in collaborating with educators to create supportive learning environments. This research concludes that ongoing advancements in policy, technology, and regional adaptations are essential to enhance the effectiveness of LD identification and intervention strategies. Keywords: Learning Disabilities, Primary School Teachers, Assessment Scale, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Sensitisation Programme, Socio- Demographic markers.
Effectiveness of Developmentally Appropriate Practice-Based Curriculum Framework on Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Skills of Preschoolers
(Avinashilingam, 2025-05) Kongkona Sonowal; Guide - Dr. K. Arockia Maraichelvi
The early years of a child’s life are crucial for holistic development, laying the foundation for physical, cognitive, emotional, and social growth. Between ages 3 and 8, children acquire essential skills that influence their academic success and lifelong learning. Recognising this, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) has gained global and national focus. In India, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 prioritises universal access to quality ECCE and foundational literacy and numeracy. Despite this, significant gaps remain in ECCE delivery, with issues of quality, access, and equity hindering children’s development. The major challenge is the lack of developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive pedagogical framework to support Emergent Literacy and Numeracy, essential skills of school readiness. These gaps underscore the urgent need for context-specific, evidence-based interventions to translate policy into effective classroom practice. Furthermore, the systematic review conducted in the initial stage using the PRISMA model substantiates the critical and persistent challenges in India’s ECCE system, underscoring a significant disconnect between ECCE policy intentions and on-ground implementation. The findings of the systematic review not only identified the systemic barriers but also pointed towards actionable reforms in terms of DAP’s five key dimensions as outlined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Henceforth, with a realisation that adopting DAP is not just a pedagogical choice, but a strategic imperative to achieve equitable, inclusive, and high-quality early education in India. In response to this need, the present study was undertaken with the primary objective of developing a DAP-based curriculum framework focused on Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Skills of preschoolers. Secondary objectives included assessing skill acquisition under the existing pedagogical framework, examining the impact of socio-demographic factors on these skills, and implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of the DAP-based curriculum in enhancing these foundational skills. The study was conducted in two sequential phases. Phase I employed a cross- sectional research design to establish a baseline understanding of the Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Skills of preschool children. A sample of 281 children, aged 3 to 6 years,was drawn from five private ECCE centres in Coimbatore District, of Tamil Nadu. An “Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Pack”, a modified version of the North Carolina Kindergarten Common Core Standards (2017), was used as the assessment tool, which was tailored to suit the Indian context. The assessment tool included 22 items divided between Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Skills. The Emergent Literacy comprised 13 items, with a focus on Reading Skills such as Phonological awareness, Print awareness, and Listening comprehension. Writing Skills involving Alphabet and Number writing. Emergent Numeracy Skills contained 9 items, covering key areas such as Number and operation, Data analysis, measurement, Algebra and pattern making, Geometry and spatial awareness. Moreover, socio-demographic markers - such as age, gender, birth order, parental educational and occupational status - were collected to identify patterns or disparities in skill acquisition across different backgrounds. Percentage analysis and ANOVA were carried out in the subsequent phase. Phase II of the study adopted a "Before and After with Waitlist Control Group" design. A total of 62 children, aged 4–5 years, from four of the preschools of phase I were selected and equally divided into an experimental group and a control group. A Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)-based curriculum framework focused on Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Skills was developed, drawing on the HighScope and Head Start curricula, with significant adaptations to suit the specific needs and contextual realities of Indian preschools. The curriculum was implemented over a period of 70 working days by the educators who were trained for 7 days. A pre and post-assessment test was conducted using the same adapted tool from Phase I, and results were analysed using ANCOVA statistics.Key findings of Phase I revealing the existing levels of Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Skills demonstrated that the educators' practices were particularly effective in fostering Listening comprehension and Number writing skills. While some children aged 3 to 4 and 4 to 5 were in the gaining stage in Print awareness, mastery level in Phonological awareness, and Alphabet writing, and just approaching level in all indicators of Numeracy Skills. Over a quarter of 5–6-year-olds remained at lower performance levels across these areas. These findings further confirm the need for a suitable pedagogical framework grounded in DAP. Further, significant associations were identified between various socio- demographic factors and these foundational skills. Birth order influenced Listening comprehension and Number operation skills of the preschoolers, with first-borns performing better. Writing skills and Number and operation were linked to the type of ECCE centres. Fathers’ education was significantly related to Number writing, Geometry and spatial awareness, and Algebra and pattern-making, while mothers’ education influenced Listening comprehension, Phonological awareness, and Algebra and pattern- making. Fathers’ occupation was associated with Print awareness, and mothers’ occupation impacted Listening comprehension, Geometry and spatial awareness, and Algebra and pattern-making Skills. The key findings of Phase II revealed that except for Listening comprehension, all other indicators of Emergent Literacy and Numeracy showed significant positive effects following the DAP-based intervention, with moderate to high effect sizes demonstrating the curriculum’s effectiveness. Phonological awareness had a large effect size of 78%, reflecting the success of rhyming and phoneme manipulation activities. Print awareness improved moderately by 25%, showing increased engagement with print. Writing skills saw notable gains, with Alphabet writing improving by 27% and Number writing by 54%, highlighting the impact of structured, age-appropriate, play-based activities. Numeracy skills also improved significantly across domains: Number and operations (43%), Data analysis and measurement (64%), Algebra and pattern-making (41%), and Geometry and spatial awareness (54%). Thus, the developed DAP-based curriculum framework holds strong potential to bridge existing gaps and significantly enhance preschoolers’ Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Skills. Additionally, aligning ECCE efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) - ensures that such initiatives contribute to inclusive and equitable quality education for all children, promoting lifelong learning opportunities and supporting broader social and economic development. Key words : ECCE, NEP, Preschoolers, DAP, NAEYC, Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Skills,Emergent Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Pack, Preschoolers, ANCOVA
Effectiveness of Music and Meditation on Psychological Status of Pregnant Women in Lakhimpur District Assam
(Avinashilingam, 2024-04) Sharanoor Hussain; Dr.M. Priya
Pregnancy involves drastic changes in both physiological and psychological states, which significantly affect pregnancy outcomes, but only a few studies have discovered the relationship between multiple psychological factors with music and meditation intervention. The study‘s primary objective focuses on assessing the effectiveness of music and meditation intervention on psychological status of pregnant women. The study also aims to examine the socio-demographic profile of the pregnant women, construct and validate a pregnancy psychological status scale, assess their psychological status and its dimensions based on the socio-demographic variables, create music and meditation intervention modules for pregnant women, and compare their effectiveness. In this quasi-experimental study, 300 pregnant women in their first trimester were purposively selected from government and private health centres in Assam‘s Lakhimpur District. Following stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria, 120 pregnant women were chosen for the final intervention. Starting in the second trimester and continuing until the eighth month (third trimester), targeted music and meditation interventions were introduced to the selected pregnant women, commencing in the fourth month of pregnancy. The pregnant women were subjected to music (n=60) and meditation(n=60) intervention, further randomization was done in the control (30 respondents) and experimental (30 respondents) groups for each intervention module. The music and meditation experimental groups underwent 20 and 14 sessions respectively. Pre, mid and post-intervention data were collected and assessed using a self-constructed Pregnancy Psychological Status Scale with 40 items. Statistical analyses were employed, including independent t-tests, ANOVA, repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-tests. In the present study, a pregnant woman‘s psychological status is a representation of her level of happiness, stress and anxiety, family relationships, socialization, physical health, and body image. Pregnant women‘s psychological status was divided into three categories: high, moderate, and low. High psychological status (scored between 121 and 160) means that the woman is happy, able to cope with stress and anxiety, has strong family relationships, is better able to socialize, has good physical health and a positive body image. Moderate psychological status, with a score ranging from 81 to 120. It indicates pregnant women have average levels of happiness, average levels of stress and anxiety management, average family relationships, moderate levels of socialization, average physical health, and body image. Low psychological status (with a score ranging from 40 to 80). It indicates that pregnant women are less happy, have trouble coping with stress and anxiety, have poor socialization, poor family relationships, poor physical health, and have a negative body image. Findings revealed that the majority of respondents (45.00%) exhibited moderate psychological status, followed by low (30.00%) and high (25.00%) psychological status, with the younger age group (18-24 years) experiencing poorer psychological status than the older group (25-40 years), supported by a t-value of 4.078 (p<0.01). Education levels also played a significant role, with illiterate participants and postgraduates exhibiting significant differences in psychological status (t-value 4.677, p<0.01). Higher monthly income (55,001-80,000) was associated with a higher mean psychological status score (t-3.41, p<0.05). Planned pregnancies showed a higher mean psychological status score than unplanned pregnancies, supported by a t-value of 4.165 (p<0.01). Additionally, the multivariate analysis of variance in the music intervention mean profile plot showed that significantly improved psychological well-being in pregnant women, particularly better in coping stress, family relationships, socialization, physical health, and body image. On the other hand, the mean profile plot of meditation demonstrated that it has significant impact on managing stress, family relationships, physical health, body image, and overall psychological status in pregnant women. Despite these improvements, the control group's mean value remains unchanged. Based on the findings of comparison between the music and meditation experimental group, the multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in overall psychological status between trimesters (F=20.64, p<0.01, η2=0.420), indicating a large effect size. The mean profile plot of the study revealed that music and meditation interventions improve psychological status in the areas of happiness, coping stress & anxiety, good physical health. Meanwhile meditation has a more significant effect on body image and family connection dimensions in all trimesters. The study advocates heightened attention from healthcare professionals, society, and family members to recognize and address psychological well-being during pregnancy. It recommends integrating meditation practices within Assam's healthcare centres, presenting a transformative opportunity to enhance pregnant women's mental health and overall lifestyle. Keywords: Pregnant women, psychological status, music, meditation intervention, trimesters
Effectiveness of Traditional and Modern Games on Socio-Cognitive Development of Children in Biswanath, Assam
(Avinashilingam, 2025-04) Karishma Begum; Guide - Priya M
Play is a collection of mental or physical activities that can enhance children's social skills and provide them with joy and fulfilment. It is an essential component of early childhood that fosters the development of children's tactile, sensory, motor, and verbal skills as well as their awareness of their surroundings. Children can develop and explore the world they can master via play, which helps them build new competencies that boost their confidence and resilience when faced with obstacles in the future. Early childhood is a time of fast development that starts at birth and lasts for eight years, in which play is the main way that children learn; therefore, playing does not necessarily mean that they are squandering their time. Through play-based learning, children can improve their physical ability, social-emotional skills, creativity, language, and overall well-being. Children's development is directly influenced by their upbringing, including their immediate environment and the kinds of play they participate in. Traditional games such as Luka bhaku, Along dolong, Tekeli bhonga, Ganga rani, Sit pokhila, Kut kut, Aire amar togor, Rumal sur, and Borof aru pani are based on cultural values and beliefs, which considerably help children in preparing for life. Additionally, traditional games help children learn how to cooperate in groups, balance their behaviours, respect others' rights as they respect their own, and form appropriate relationships with others. These games' interactive elements promote cooperation among children and help them develop critical social skills like communication and teamwork. These games also provide mental and physical exercise that improves creativity and problem-solving skills. These games foster helpful brain development in children by allowing them to learn, solve issues, have fun, and boost their self-esteem. Modern games, on the other hand, listed as Ludo, Building Blocks, Jigsaw Puzzle, Checkers, Maze, Crossword Game, Seriation Board Game, Memory Game and Matching Game that are played in a setting with toys and play materials. Parents and siblings may help children acquire the social skills they need to succeed in life by picking the correct toys and giving them chances to play with others.Furthermore, children can learn how to use these materials by trial and error in modern games, which helps them develop certain skills in particular areas that promote brain development. However, due to the development of technology, it has been noted that it has become common for young children to watch videos or play online games. This behaviour has a negative impact on children in many ways, including inattention, irritability, tantrums, and poor academic performance. Hence those games were not included in the present study in modern game list. Furthermore, at age six, a critical psychosocial stage, children enter the "Industry vs. Inferiority" stage. Encouraging children's efforts, recognising their achievements, and supporting their learning enable them to establish a sense of competence and self-esteem throughout this time, which is essential for their overall self-image and future success. In contrast, if they are not given the chance to feel competent and valued in their skills, an adverse setting can cause emotions of inferiority and inadequacy, which can result in social disengagement or difficulties forming relationships with peers. In light of these facts, the researcher intended investigating the Effectiveness of Traditional and Modern games on socio- Cognitive development of children in Biswanath, Assam with a sample of 590 children (6–8 years old) using simple random sampling procedure for the study. These children were initially assessed with Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) and Malins Intelligence Scale for Indian Children (MISIC) to measure their socio-cognitive development. Later based on inclusion and exclusion criteria control and experimental group of 120 children were selected for intervention. For these children, application of Traditional, Modern, and Blended games was given based on safety and developmental domains for a period of three months. The samples were then assessed three times such as before, during, and after intervention. the results were analysed using appropriate statistical application and found that the blended games intervention outperformed the traditional and modern games in terms of social and cognitive development among children. In case of social development, self-help general, self-direction, occupation, communication, and locomotion found to have better improvements with large effect size. On the other hand, cognitive development, children’s information, comprehension, arithmetic, vocabulary, picture completion, block, object assembly, coding and maze were improved much better than other interventions. Thus, in order to promote development and to give children a wide variety of activities that encourage social and cognitive development, this study recommends blended games which could potentially improve children's over-all wellbeing.Keywords: Traditional games; modern games; blended games; social development; cognitive development; early childhood
Parent’s Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice on Pre-requisite Skills for Children with Autism and its Influence on Parents Mental Health and Self-efficacy- A Sensitization Study
(AVInashilingam, 2025-08) SeemaSaikia; Guide - Dr. RamyaBhaskar
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that requires intensive and continuous care, where parents play a vital role in both management and day-to-day support. Parents serve not only as primary caregivers but also as consistent facilitators of their child’s learning and socialisation, making them critical partners in intervention processes. Nevertheless, the present study has focused on the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of parents of children with autism on pre-requisite skills. These pre-requisite skills, which include social, communication, and self- help abilities, are essential for children to progress in learning and independence, leading towards vocational development. Without a clear understanding and effective practice of these skills at home, interventions often lose continuity and efficacy. Thus, the present study was undertaken with the objective of assessing the KAP of parents regarding pre-requisite skills, while also evaluating the effect of a sensitization programme designed to enhance parental knowledge, attitude, and practice in this domain. In addition to KAP, the study also addressed a crucial but often overlooked dimension: the mental health of parents themselves and their self- efficacy. Parenting a child with autism is stressful and emotionally taxing, often contributing to poor mental health outcomes and reduced self-efficacy among parents. In recognition of this challenge, the study simultaneously aimed to assess parents’ mental health and self-efficacy, while examining the impact of the sensitization programme on these parameters as well. The study was conducted in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.Out of the 16 special schools shortlisted for the present study, only 5 schools accepted to be a part of the research, and 143 parents of children with autism consented to participate. The study followed an action-based cross-sectional design by adopting a purposive sampling technique. The study was also approved by the Institutional Human Ethics Committee of the University (approval No. IHEC/19-20/HD/46).For the present study, four assessment scales were chiefly used, such as a self-developed tool to elicit socio-demographic profile of parents of children with autism, which includes the gender of parents, qualification, occupation, family income, number of siblings, types of family, and area of residence. ALikert scale consisting of 35 items each was developed by the researcher to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) of parents towards pre-requisite skills. The items covered the aspects of scheduling, attention, socialisation, self-control, self-advocacy, safety, communication, and imitation. The tool was tested for reliability and validity. Face validity and content validity were done, and the feedback and suggestions from subject experts were considered and incorporated to further refine the scales.The reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha reliability test, with scores of 0.94 for knowledge, 0.84 for attitude, and 0.79 for practice,showing an excellent, very good, and good reliability of the scales, respectively. Validity was tested using principle component analysis (PCA) where the sampling adequacy was also found to be adequate for KAP with 0.760, 0.846, and 0.645, respectively and Bartlett’s test of Sphericity showed the significant level with cumulative percentage of 69.240 for knowledge, 69.652 for attitude, and 69.201 for practices, which were in the acceptable ranges. Standardised tools such as Mental Health Inventory (MHI) by Jagdish and Srivastava 2005, and Early Intervention Parents Self- Efficacy Scale (EIPSES) by Guimond, Wilcox, &Lamorey2008, were utilized to assess parents’ mental health and self-efficacy.The baseline findings of the study revealed that parents of children with autism demonstrated average to low levels of knowledge, unfavourable attitudes, and low to average levels of practice regarding pre-requisite skills. This indicated that while some awareness existed, a lack of comprehensive understanding and consistent application remained barriers to supporting children effectively. Parents’ mental health levels were found to be poor to very poor, highlighting the significant emotional strain and stress endured by families. Self-efficacy levels were also reported to be average to low, reflecting a lack of confidence among parents in their ability to handle the complex and demanding requirements of raising a child with ASD. These findings underscored the need for sensitization/interventions that simultaneously address both skill-based awareness and the psychosocial challenges parents face.A sensitization programme was planned and conducted, specifically designed for this research, aimed at equipping parents with an improved understanding of pre-requisite skills and strategies to effectively support their children in everyday situations. Of the larger pool, 30 parents were placed in the experimental group and another 30 in the control group for the sensitization component of the study.Statistical analyses revealed that paired t-tests demonstrated meaningful differences between pre- and post-test scores when compared with the control group, showing small to medium effect size in knowledge and attitude, as well as practice, respectively. These findings suggest that while knowledge improved modestly, the programme was particularly effective in reshaping parental attitudes and practice areas. Repeated measures – ANOVA was conducted to examine the sustainability showed that there was no significant variance in the experimental group’s post-test scores and follow-up scores. This was observed both at the first follow-up (after a 10-day interval) and the second follow-up (after a month’s interval), indicating that the improvements were largely retained. However, a slight decline was observed across follow-ups, implying reinforcement over time is necessary. In terms of parental mental health and self-efficacy, the experimental group showed significant improvements compared to the control group, with medium effect sizes, indicating meaningful changes in the mental health state and self-efficacy levels of parents. Repeated measures - ANOVA again confirmed that these improvements were largely sustained across follow-up assessments, although some minor declines were evident, indicating consistent reinforcement and long-term support mechanisms are necessary for enduring impact. The findings from this study carry important implications, highlighting the critical need to focus on parents not only as caregivers but also as individuals who require knowledge, skills, emotional resilience, and confidence to manage the demands of raising a child with ASD. Training programmes should therefore be designed to be holistic, integrating both informational and psychosocial support elements. The study points to policy and practice implications. There is a strong case for embedding parent sensitization and support programmes within the infrastructure of special schools and community health systems. Policymakers and practitioners should consider establishing formalized parent training modules as a routine part of early intervention services. In conclusion,this study demonstrates that while parents of children with autism often begin with limited knowledge and confidence, when parents are supported with knowledge, attitude, practice, mental health care, and self-efficacy, the outcomes can be transformative for both children and parents contributing to better developmental outcomes for children with autism and a healthier, more resilient family system. Keywords- Autism, Parents, Pre-requisite skills, Mental health, Self-efficacy, Sensitization
Predictive Models of Multiple Intelligence, Learning Style and Teaching Pedagogy for the Academic Achievement of School Children
(Avinashilingam, 2023-12) Vijaya Lakshmi G; Dr. K. Arockia Maraichelvi
Academic Achievement (AA) portrays the academic outcome that indicates the extent to which students have attained their educational goals. To perform well academically, children must be made aware of not just their intelligence level but also the kind of intelligence that each possesses (Batdi, 2017). Learning Styles (LS) is concerned with how the learners learn rather than what they learn and are believed to be a crucial factor for students' AA (Gokalp, 2013. More so, Yasin, 2020) has stated that a well-thought-out Teaching Pedagogy (TP) is essential in aiding school children to learn more effectively and develop thinking skills of higher order. The study was undertaken with the primary objective of developing predictive models of MI, LS, and TP for the subject-wise AA of school children. The study's secondary objective was to determine the influence of socio- demographic variables on AA, MI, LS, and TP. An exploratory research design was adopted with randomly selected 3026 school children (studying in schools following the Samacheer Syllabus - Uniform syllabus of Tamil Nadu) enrolled in 6th, 7th, and 8th standard who constituted the sample and 215 teachers handling classes for these children. Four tools were used to get the necessary data from school children, namely a self-formulated general background questionnaire to get the personal and parental profiles of the school children. Standardized tools, namely the Multiple Intelligence Scale developed by Agarwal & Pal and the Learning Style Inventory developed by Misra, were used to determine student respondents' intelligence and learning patterns, and the Teaching Style Scale developed by Sharma and Saran was used to assess the teaching style of the teacher respondents. Likert Scale to assess subject-wise Academic Achievement (secondary data procured from the student's report cards) of the selected students. The average marks of five major subjects (Language, English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science) in the five major exams conducted in an academic year were categorized using the commonly used grading system of the schools of Tamil Nadu. The collected data were statistically computed using frequency analysis, t-test, and ANOVA with the independent (socio-demographic variables) and dependent variables (AA, MI, LS, and TP) Hierarchical regression was used with the outcome variable AA in all five subjects and predictor variables as the 9 types of MI, 6 types of LS, and 5 types of TP. The study revealed that more than 50% of the student respondents had only average and above average levels of AA in almost all the subjects except Language. However, 60 - 70% of the respondents were observed to possess average and above-average levels in all domains of MI. In terms of LS, except for FC, all other types of LS were practised only at an average level. The five types of TP, as practised by the selected teacher respondents, were at average and above-average levels. However, the Delegator type of TP was practised at a higher level (17.6%) than other teaching pedagogy. Among all the socio-demographic factors pertinent to school children, the type of family was found to be an independent factor for AA, MI, and LS. The father’s educational status was the next least influencing factor. Teachers' experience and educational qualifications influenced the Formal authority TP and Demonstrator TP, respectively. The five predictive models of a good fit for AA derived in each subject provided the following clues regarding positive and negative contributors to AA. Logical, Spatial, Naturalistic, and Intrapersonal types of MI positively predict the AA of one or the other subjects. Likewise, in terms of LS, only ER influenced AA on a positive note. Language - the finding of the study stated that an increase in one unit of naturalistic intelligence and expert TP of teaching will increase the language scores of children by 0.075 and 0.081. The negative regression weight signifies an indirect relationship between these predictors and language score. Increase one unit of an existential intelligence, demonstrator and formal authority TP will decrease the language score of children by 0.090,0.059 and 0.043 marks. English - an increase in one unit of Facilitator style and Formal Authority style of teaching increases the score of children by 0.045 and 0.042marks. The negative regression weight signifies an indirect relationship between these predictors and English score. Increase in one unit of figural reproducing, expert, and delegator will decrease the English score of children by 0.056, 0.070, and 0.138 marks respectively. Mathematics - an increase in one unit of Logical, Spatial, Naturalistic, and Intrapersonal MI, Enactive Reproducing LS, and Delegator TP increases the Mathematics score of student respondents by 0.093, 0.069, 0.091, 0.119, 0.071and 0.112 marks. All the more, an increase in one unit of Linguistic and Existential MI, Figural Reproducing LS, Formal Authority, Demonstrator, and Facilitator TP decreased the Mathematics score by 0.203, 0.114, 0.055, 0.094, 0.068, and 0.251 marks, respectively as it had a negative regression weight. Science (Fit Model) - β0 + .104 (logical intelligence) + .077 (spatial intelligence) +.076(naturalistic intelligence) + .138 (intrapersonal intelligence) +.054(enactive reproducing) +.048 (expert) + .115 (facilitator) – .275 (linguistic intelligence) – .151 (existential intelligence) –.042 (verbal Constructive) – .046 (figural reproducing) –.228 (formal authority). Social Science - None of the LS had a significant relationship with the outcome variable with respect to social science score. Increase in one unit of facilitator style of TP, and one unit of intrapersonal MI will increase the social science scores of children by 0.087 and 0.103 marks. The negative regression weight signifies an indirect relationship between these predictors and social science score. Increase in one unit of linguistic MI, and demonstrator TP will decrease the Social Science score of children by 0.077 and 0.048 marks. Regarding TP, except for the Demonstrator, other styles predict AA. The higher the linguistic and existential MI, the lower the AA. Similarly, VC and FR were negatively contributing to the AA. The demonstrator style of TP negatively influenced all the subjects except Science. The predictive models also suggested some of the non-contributing factors and cautious factors to AA. Bodily-kinesthetic, Musical, and Interpersonal domains of MI, EC, VR, and FC of LS were the non-contributing factors, as they did not show any relationship with AA. The cautious factors have positive and negative values and to be taken care of for the respective subjects. For example, Formal Authority TP, which positively predicted AA in English, negatively predicted Language, Mathematics, and Science learning. Similarly, Facilitator TP that positively predicted AA in English, Science, and Social Science was found to be negatively influencing Mathematics learning. Key Words: -, Academic Achievement, Multiple Intelligence, Learning Style and Teaching Pedagogy, and Samacheer Kalvi

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