Table of Contents

Background1Analysis on the Results of Each Interview2Theory of Intelligence Interview Reports6Cognitive Development Interview Reports9Moral Development Interview Reports13Parenting and Discipline Interview Reports19

BackgroundThe series of interviews are conducted in order to gather ideas from randomly selected persons about their different views on topics discussed in the course Child and Adolescent Psychology. After each interview, an interview report was created for record keeping purposes. These interview reports are compiled in this document together with the analysis of the author.

There were four core topics that were used in the interview. All questions revolve around them. The core topics are the following: Theory of Intelligence, Cognitive Development, Moral Development, and Parenting and Discipline

For the topic Theory of Intelligence, there were two teachers that were interviewed. One was an elementary teacher and the other was a high school teacher. The requirements of the interview were the following: Ask them how they know that a student/pupil is intelligent. Ask them about the characteristics of an intelligent pupil/student. Ask them of their opinion whether the learners intelligence could be enhanced or not by means of teaching. Analyze and comment on their answers in the light of the Theories of Intelligence.

There were also two interviewees that were interviewed for the topic Cognitive Development. These interviewees were elementary and high school students. The requirements of the interview were the following: Ask them of what they do so that they will learn their lesson. Let them give you maybe 3 ideas of what they do. Are the answers of those you interview similar or different from your ideas, if you were asked of the same question? Comment.

Moral Development was a topic which the author considered to be very interesting. The requirements of this interview were the following: Interview, at least, 4 College students: 2 men and 2 women of their views of untimely pregnancies. Write their responses one by one but no need to write their real name, only alias. Analyze the responses of your interviewees in the light of Kohlbergs Moral Development Theory.

The last topic was Parenting and Discipline. The following were the requirements of the interview: Interview, at least, two parents about their parenting/discipline style or approach. Write their responses. Analyze their responses in relation to Baumrinds parenting style.

Analysis on the Results of Each InterviewBelow are my analysis on the series of interviews I have conducted on the randomly selected respondents. I would like to stress that these interviews are not enough to provide a generalization as that the number of interviewees are statistically insufficient to do so. However, there are statements written as if they are true to all population for linguistic purposes only. A. On Theory of Intelligence

[footnoteRef:1]In the interview of an elementary teacher coming from a private school, I found out that she gives more weight on performance in gauging the intelligence of her students. She does not rely only to questioning because she believes on the theory of multiple intelligences of Gardner. She applies different activities in her classes and through these activities she was able to realize that the classes she handles have students with diverse intelligences. [1: Analyze and comment on their answers in the light of the Theories of Intelligence.]

When she was asked about the characteristics of an intelligent student, she just simply replied with the ability to answer questions correctly and the ability to perform tasks with ease and beyond normal for the students age.

In my interview with a public high school teacher, I found out that he gives more weight on the ability of the students to correctly respond to questions and instructions than on performance in determining students intelligence. He also defined intelligent students with characteristics such as curious, open-minded, and critical thinkers.

Both teachers believed that teaching can enhance learners intelligence. The elementary teacher said that teachers can enhance it through tapping the areas in the brain that are not used through providing stimuli. On the other hand, high school teacher said that teachers can enhance it through providing a venue for learning and the value of learning and how to learn.Analysis:

Elementary teachers are more focused in developing and discovering the different intelligences that a student may have. As to the theory of multiple intelligences authored by Howard Gardner, there are nine sets of intelligences. With that focused, it can be assumed that these teachers have varied teaching styles and that their pupils may experience more fun during their elementary learning journey. Since there is this strong belief in multiple intelligences among elementary teachers, it can also be assumed that their grading system has changed from the traditional grading system which only caters the linguistic, logical-mathematical, and spatial intelligences.

High school teachers also believed in multiple intelligences, however, their focus is different. It can even be said that they are more on successful intelligence theory supporters. Their focus is more on developing the analytical thinking skills of the students. Based on the answers of the respondent, high school teachers have only limited teaching styles since the intelligence they want to develop is very limited. Their grading system is traditional.

Comment:

In my analysis, there is a difference in belief on students intelligences. Elementary teachers believe more on multiple intelligences while the high school teachers give more weight on successful intelligence theory. If this is really true to all teachers in elementary and high school, I guess there would be problem for pupils who will go in high school, especially those students who are having no or minor intelligences on linguistic, logical-mathematical, and visual spatial. Most likely, these type of students will not excel in high school. B. On Cognitive Development

[footnoteRef:2]I found some of the answers of those students whom I had interviewed similar to my own answers if I will be asked of the same questions. It is true that I would listen very carefully to my teachers during class discussions. Listening carefully, for me, would allow me to think critically about the lessons and ask questions to my teachers for more knowledge and clarifications. I also like to take notes on the discussions because I dont like to read books. I only want to read those paragraphs or lines in the paragraphs which I perceived to be the most important to read. Lastly, I want to practice what I learned in order to remember them. I usually do this for subjects like Math, P.E., Programming, Chemistry, and Electronics. [2: Question/Requirement: Are the answers of those you interview similar or different from your ideas, if you were asked of the same question? Comment.]

C. On Moral Development

Analysis:

[footnoteRef:3]Based on the data that I gathered, I can say that those students who are members of religious organizations like Youth for Christ and Catechists are more likely in the Level 2 of Moral Development by Kohlberg. The males are more on the Stage 3 which is the Good boy morality, while the females are more on Stage 4 which is Authority and Morality that Maintain the Social Order. [3: Analyze the responses of your interviewees in the light of Kohlbergs Moral Development Theory.]

The answers coming from an interview who is living in USA for several years already suggest that her moral development stage is in Stage 5 or Morality of Contract: Individual Rights, and Democratically Accepted Law. She believes that untimely pregnancy is not immoral because it is only the result of an act which could either be moral or immoral. She does not even think that premarital sex is an issue which gives an impression that it is a right for every people to engage it or not. What she thinks that is immoral is the killing of an unborn child.

D. On Parenting and Discipline

On the first parent

[footnoteRef:4]The first parent who was interviewed is a working mom with an unstable married life. According to her, it is hard to raise her children because of poverty and irresponsible husband. Even though she was able to set standards in their home, especially on scholastic performance. She was also consistent to her standards as she thinks that these could help her children to have a better life. She also set house rules in their home like no vices (smoking and drinking) and never to come home very late. She applies corporal punishments to her children if ever they violate her rules. However, she always make sure that she explains to them why they are punished. [4: Analyze their responses in relation to Baumrinds parenting style.]

In terms of control, she said that she has more control to her daughter than to her son. Her son is heavily influenced by his peers and has witnessed the negative attitudes of his father. The last reason could be the real reason to the rebellious attitude of her son.

She defined support in to two, monetary support and nonmonetary support. When it comes to monetary support, she barely has it as that they are really poor. However, she does everything in order to provide her children with their needs. All that she can really give is the nonmonetary support. According to her, she would do anything just to be always there to her children in times of need. She had even left her job when she learned that her son has a problem in school.

When it comes to training her children to become independent, she said that she really trains them to become independent so that when the time comes that they have to live on their own, they can survive.

Analysis:

Based on the facts gathered from the first parent, I could say that she raised her children following mostly the authoritative way of parenting and discipline. I was able to say this since, based on facts, she gives emphasis on developing the independence and self-reliance attitudes to her children. She also keeps an open communication to her children and practices the giving of reasons when inculcating discipline to her children.

The most important thing that I learned in this interview is the experience coming from a real person that says that there is no absolute correct parenting style in raising children. When I knew about authoritative parenting, I thought it is really the best parenting style. However, in the case of the first parent, it shows that there are some things which parents really have little control of and perhaps cannot control; and it shows in the hardly manageable behavior of her son in spite of a sound parenting style.

On the second parent

The second parent whom I interviewed was a working mom also, however, she has a more stable job compared to the parent mentioned earlier. Aside from that, she has also a good flowing relationship with her partner who has also a more stable source of income as an LGU[footnoteRef:5] worker. However, the second parent is not married. She and her partner is in Live-In for about five years already. She has only one child who is mostly under the care of a hired nanny for she and her partner are working. She left her son under the care of her partner in Quezon, Bukidnon, while she works most of the days in a week in Cagayan de Oro City. [5: Local Government Unit]

In raising their son, she said that the disciplinarian is her partner. The set rules in their house which she believes that her partner is very consistent of when she is not around at home. She said that she is usually the lenient parent in disciplining the child between them.

Based on her answers to my questions, I can say that she and her partner are loving parents to their child. In terms of support, she said that they are really going to provide it as much as they can as a couple. However, due to their job, she admits that they, especially her, have really less control over their child.

Analysis:

With the data gathered from the second parents, I can say that they are practicing indulgent type of parenting and discipline. They are affectionate, loving, warm, and nurturing, however, they only have little supervision to their son. They are also at time inconsistent with the disciplining because of the idea of making up with the lost time with him.

Field Study 2: Child and Adolescent PsychologySan Isidro College