Intelligent Behaviours of Primary School Age Children

Abstract

The study entitled Intelligent Behaviours of Primary School Age Children was carried out in Kathmandu district. The main objective of the study was to explore the intelligent behaviours of primary school age children. Moreover, the existing elements in entrance test of selecting children for admission in primary level was also identified. Five schools (Three communities and two institutional) and three campuses (one medical and two education campuses) were selected as study sight. Psychologists,educationists, head teachers, teachers, parents and students were taken as key respondents and as source of information for the study. In order to collect information, interview schedules were developed for teachers,head teachers, educationists, psychologists, and parents.FGD guideline was developed for children. Likewise, documents were also taken as important sources of data collection. The nature of this research is qualitative, so that a descriptive analysis strategy was applied for analysis and interpretation through triangulation. As reported by teachers, head teachers, educationists, psychologists, parents, and children, six areas of intelligent behaviours of children are identified. They are related with play activities, problem solving activities, mathematics, comprehensive of physical world, comprehensive of social world, and discipline. Under the play activities, mastery of table games with rules; such as checker, lundo,and chess have been reported as indoor intellectual activities.Regarding outdoor activities plays involving different rules mastery of football, spontaneous plays are reported under intelligent behaviours by respondents. Under problem solving activities like pre-planning,on familiar tasks such as drawing and building hypothesis when they are not confirmed, can give several meaning of thewords are reported as intelligent behaviours. Under the mathematical activities knowledge and skills in number problems such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division were identified as intelligent behaviours.Beside these, understanding geometrical figures, ability to solve mathematical analogies,mathematical puzzles,understand equalities and inequalities fall under this category. Comprehension of physical world in early age is the intelligent behaviours as reported by psychologists. For example, intelligent children of younger age can distinguishes magic and present form what is real and understands that pouring water into a container of different shape doesn't change the amount. 5 Comprehensive of social world, under this category, intelligent children are able touse Kinship terms such as sister and uncle accurately, understand social rules, such as those governing marriage; emphasize factors such as fairness in explaining right and wrong; shows increased ability to understand others motives and intentions were identified as comprehensive of social world. Parents and children reported that intelligent children,Follow rules and regulations of school, keep own material in proper place, follow time table, do their home assignment properly, help others, be obedient etc. The practices of selecting intelligent children for admission were not same in the sample schools. In some schools children were selected on the basis of their achievement in the previous grade. In some schools children are selected on the basis of entrance test result which includes items related to linguistic intelligence, logical mathematical,comprehension, general knowledge, problem solving skills, computational skills.Basically the items were selected from the courses of previous grades. School administration claimed that they were using intelligence test for taking admission. But the nature of items included in the test was found content loaded. Head teachers and teachers were relatively satisfied with the existing practices selecting children, but wanted revision of test items.Educationists and psychologists were dissatisfied with the test items included in entrance test.According to educationist and psychologists grade wise standardized test should be developed based on children intellectual level.Parents demand entrance test in the form of intelligence test according age grade level of children.In conclusion we can say that intelligent children can perform development tasks in early age. They can show good performance in school activities.They have good talent in language learning, mathematics, learning games and they have high reasoning power and vocabulary etc.