Academician and writer Mukhtar Ahmad Qureshi’s latest book, ‘Understanding Child Psychology in the Teaching-Learning Process’, sheds light on the importance of child psychology in education and offers practical insights for teachers and parents.

Hailing from the Boniyar village of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, Mukhtar Ahmad Qureshi is not only an academician but also an accomplished writer. His meticulously crafted columns and write-ups are regularly featured in high-impact and widely read dailies, weeklies, and monthly magazines. Besides writing articles that highlight the educational, moral, social, and economic scenarios of the region, Mr Mukhtar occasionally composes Urdu short stories as well, through which he attempts to reflect on the social and other evils prevalent in society. Recently, on the eve of National Teachers’ Day, Mr Mukhtar was honoured with an award of appreciation by the Postal Division Baramulla for his distinguished services in the educational sector.

Most recently, he has compiled a book titled “Understanding Child Psychology in the Teaching-Learning Process,” published by the renowned GNK Publications. The book, boasting an attractive cover page, spans over 182 pages of exceptional paper quality. The author has dedicated this book to his parents and teachers and, before penning its foreword, he makes a fervent appeal to parents and teachers to work together in an enriching and conducive environment so that maximum brain development of children is achieved, as 90-95% of brain development occurs during this stage. According to the author, early development is crucial as it lays the foundation for the future learning, behaviour, and health of children.

In the foreword, it is revealed that the author has spent almost twenty years in teaching and, having met diverse groups of children and teachers, he has realized the value of teacher training influenced by knowledge of child psychology for an effective teaching-learning process. The book is divided into 14 chapters.

In its first chapter, “Introduction to Child Psychology in Education,” the author highlights the importance of psychology in education, defines educational psychology, and discusses the methods and scope of educational psychology. Similarly, in its second chapter, “Cognitive Development and Learning,” the author provides a brief description of renowned Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development, the effects of culture, tools of intellectual adaptation, and the origin, elements, and models of Information Processing Theory.

In the following chapter, “Emotional and Social Development in School,” he defines emotional intelligence and its impact on learning, besides highlighting the eight ways of building stronger connections in the classroom. In another chapter, “Motivation and Learning,” he discusses various theories and types of motivation. The chapter on “Individual Differences in Learning” is crucial for educators as it talks about using a combination of auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and reading/writing methods to engage multiple senses in order to cater to different learning styles simultaneously.

“Language Development and Literacy” deals with the five stages of language acquisition from 0-5 years. Linguistic abilities develop as a child progresses through different stages, and the author also portrays different strategies for developing literacy skills. “Assessment and Evaluation” reflects on how different types of assessments and evaluations lead to improvement in a child’s teaching and learning simultaneously. It teaches us how instructors can help students grow as good learners by actively engaging them in self-assessments.

“Classroom Management and Discipline” discusses different theories of classroom management—behavioural, cognitive, and humanistic—aiming to help educators achieve mastery in classroom management and discipline among students. This chapter is crucial for every educator as classroom management and discipline are the main challenges in the actual teaching-learning process.

“Special Education and Inclusive Practice” delves into inclusive education for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) under the erstwhile schemes of SSA and RMSA, which has been a major intervention. The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009 mandates free and compulsory education for all children, including CWSN. In this chapter, the author has extensively and comprehensively highlighted the points concerning children with special needs and the special training required for teachers to deal with them.

“Technology in Education” discusses how the nature and scope of education have undergone transformative changes due to digital technology. Smart devices, the internet, AI, and software applications have opened new opportunities for advanced teaching and learning. The author broadly explains how to integrate technology into the curriculum and classroom teaching in this chapter. In this tech-savvy era, making judicious and efficient use of modern and smart technology can bring desired results in classroom teaching.

“Cultural and Societal Influences on Learning” recognizes the differences among people based on colour, creed, race, sex, religion, language, and ethnicity. In the classroom, this diversity is challenging for an educator, who can succeed only by bringing this diversity under a common and unified umbrella.

“Professional Development for Teachers” emphasizes that students never stop learning, and the same holds true for teachers. With changing circumstances and the evolving needs of children, teachers must adapt to newer strategies and maxims of teaching. Continuous professional development helps teachers improve their understanding of how to deliver effectively in the classroom and make the teaching-learning process result-oriented.

Besides being an energetic and enthusiastic teacher in the school education department, Mr Mukhtar is making a significant literary contribution to society through his articles and writings. His book, “Understanding Child Psychology in the Teaching-Learning Process,” is a marvellous contribution to understanding child psychology and helping educators become effective and successful teachers in the classroom.

Last Sunday, a grand literary event was held under the aegis of the Care Foundation and Charitable Trust in collaboration with the Dudpathri Cultural Forum Budgam at Tagore Hall, Srinagar, where this book was released. The event was graced by Dr Ab Hafiz Masoodi, Senior JKAS Officer; Tehsildar Boniyar; renowned award-winning educator Javed Abdullah; M.Y. Shaheen; Shabnum Vijpari; Rayees Ahmad Kumar; Chairman of the Private Schools Association, Mr G.N. War; Chairman of JKECC, Shah Fayaz; and many others. The event was moderated by distinguished literary figure and prominent teacher, Nazir Qureshi Ibni Shahbaz.

The writer is a columnist

By Rayees Ahmad Kumar

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Rayees Ahmad Kumar