THE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

According to Biiehler, the five definite stages of development from the guidance point of view are:

1. Stage of Growth until 13 years: This stage is regarded as the stage of fantasy. The individual has rapid physical and mental development and participates in all types of activities irrespective of whether it suits his abilities, temperament or not. He fantasies himself in future roles without considering whether he can actually accomplish them. He has still not developed his value system and a definite plan of action to forge ahead. The need for guidance at this stage is most important in the area of development and adjustment. If for any reason, he feels thwarted or strangulated, it would permanently damage his personality, e.g. if parental attitudes are dominant or overprotective; or there is tremendous sibling jealousy, or there is unhealthy antagonistic environment at school. Guidance is also needed in the area of educational and professional development.


2. Stage of Exploration: This is the second stage of development from ages 13 to 25 and is called the tentative stage. By 13, the individual begins to show specialization as special abilities or aptitudes come into prominence. From the world of fantasy, he begins to settle down to a certain plan of action or shows consistency in his participation of activities, not randomly selected or visualizes an educational course which will lead him to his vocational choice and so on. As mentioned, he begins to explore all opportunities coming his way and makes a choice, not out of sheer pleasure or fancy but out of careful considerations of what is possible for him or good for him. Guidance is needed most in the adjustment area, as the individual enters adolescence and finds himself lost with the world around him. Most of the work of a guidance counselor is concentrated at this stage of development. If the individual is properly guided at this stage, his further development will be facilitated.
3. Stage of Establishment: This is the third stage in the development progress between the age group of 25 and 40 years, and it is called the realistic stage. By now, the individual is in a career and has completed formal training and education. He has to gain vocational development, adjustment and maturity. Guidance may be required, if the individual finds that his inter-personal relationship is not in order and is not able to get along with his colleagues or his boss. If he has developed sensitiveness to the miseries of the people around him and desires to do some civic or community service to the disturbed or the handicapped, he may ask guidance in the area and plan his time and energy to gain maximum satisfaction.
4. Stage of Maintenance: The fourth stage is referred to as a stage of stability, between ages 40 and 65. He has by now accomplished all what he needs to and has almost come to the stage of retirement. The guidance that he needs, at this stage is with regard to economic matters and leisure time. If he is dependent on his children, at this stage, he normally intends passing his time in religious activities and projects connected with religious institutions.
5. Stage of Decline: This is the fifth stage, around the age of 65 to 75, when the adjustments become the most. Unless the individual has had a full, contented life, this period becomes one of trials and tribulations. The greatest need is to help the individual to feel that he is wanted, that he is still useful and that his family members care for him. Also gradually, he needs to be prepared to face death and whatever his ailments be, he has to learn to bear them with courage and cheerfulness till the very end.

Thus, we see that at each stage of development, guidance is required and is necessarily sought and if given systematically and scientifically it will help to make the individual fully satisfied and life worth living.

Guidance in Stages

i) Guidance at the Primary Stage: Guidance should begin from the lowest class in the primary school and in view of the large numbers of schools involved, the programme may be introduced through simple measures, such as (a) familiarizing teachers under training with diagnostic testing and the problem of individual differences (b) organizing in-service courses for primary teachers (c) production of occupational literature and (d) helping pupils and parents in the choice of further education.

ii) Guidance at the Secondary Stage: Guidance at the secondary stage helps in identifying and developing of abilities and interests of adolescent pupils. The ultimate objective should be to introduce adequate guidance services in all secondary schools with a trained counsellor in charge of the programme. But in view of the limited financial and personnel resources, a short range programme should be adopted for the next 20 years consisting of proper planning taking into consideration all the aspects.

(a) A minimum guidance programme for all secondary schools through a visiting school counsellor for a group of 10 schools assisted by the school teachers in the simpler guidance functions. (b) Comprehensive guidance programme in selected schools, one in each district, to serve as models, and (c) Provision of necessary supervisory staff in the State Bureaus of Guidance.

iii) All Secondary School Teachers should be introduced to guidance concepts through pre-or in-service training. The training colleges would be suitably staffed for the purpose.

iv) Ancillary Programmes should include the production of guidance literature and materials and research into problems of guidance in the Indian situation.

Thus, it is very clear that the Education Commission has rightly emphasized on guidance services at all levels of education and has suggested suitable methods for implementing the same.

Educational guidance for Adolescents

Adolescents demand independence. Hence the teacher must provide possible opportunities for self-study and self-expression. The teacher would do well to allow the students to participate in the planning of the class and school activities. These youngsters are also mature enough to shoulder responsibilities, moreover educators have noticed that rules and regulations framed with the assistance of the students can be easily enforced and they are readily obeyed. It is also noticed that they themselves corne up with certain disciplinary actions for them. It works, wonders and the administration is on an advantageous position in this regard. This type of democratic functioning with the student body helps them to be better quality leaders in the future.

Teachers must be patient and tactful in all their dealings with the adolescents.

They should guard against hurting feelings or unnecessarily challenging these young people. We must remember that youth gangs are very strong. Though they can do excellent constructive work, provocative situations can arouse very destructive tendencies in them. Simplicity, sincerity and a friendly attitude however works wonders with these young people. The teacher must make the adolescent feel that he / she is really interested in them. Once they spot a friendly adult who is ready to understand them, they become the nicest people on earth.

Adolescents will not tolerate from teacher, favoritism, inequalities, injustice and double standards. They easily locate the double standards adopted by the teachers and then the gap between the two goes on widening as discussed earlier. The adolescents have attained full mental functioning. Therefore abstract reasoning and concentration is developed. The adolescent learns to reason and seeks answer to 'how and why' of everything scientifically.

This is also the age of specialization. By now aptitudes begin to show and the individual has developed his reasoning and stabilized his interests. He begins to conceive great ideals and aspires for doing something in life.

In India, we have common curriculum with various subjects though we follow various streams like SSC, SSLC, ICSE, CBSE, and matriculation etc. Work experience has been defined by the Education Commission (1964-66) as "Participation in productive work, in school, in the home, in a workshop, or a farm, or a factory, or in any other productive situation.

The introduction to the world of work is a career-education programme very well thought out, to help students to decide on their future plan of action, after undergoing a series of educational/vocational exercises. To make this programme a success, educational guidance is essential both to the teacher and the students to collect and disseminate educational and career information and make a detailed study of themselves. The introduction to the World of Work Programme itself is a complete educational/ guidance programme, through which proper guidance would be received by the school-leavers. If the student opts for any of the other branches, an administration of a battery of psychological tests would be needed to identify potential and to find out whether the individual can opt for the same specific branch after school.

The most important task to achieve is to help the student to make the maximum grades in the School Leaving Certificate Examination. In this, the teachers and the parents need to see that each and every child is attended to and each one uses his/ her capacity to the fullest. In a class of fifty or sixty, there will be different categories of students, like weak, average, good, very good and the gifted children. Majority will fall in the average category.

The weak students should be given special care through diagnostic and remedial instruction. This can be given through special coaching classes or by teaching the same topic again and again for them. If correctly motivated, they can surely reach the expected level.