CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Learning according to Mukherjee (2002) is an inference from the individuals
performance manifesting some changes in behaviour which are seen as gains or as having
survival gains to the organisms. Students differs in their personal values, they receive and
process information differently, their personality traits and understanding are different. A
teacher may do his best to teach his ideas to his class and help them to remove all
obstacles to learning in their particular situation but he can never learn for them nor force
them to learn. The prerequisite of a learning –centred classroom is a favourable
atmosphere. Akrofi (2001) maintained that for a classroom to be a favourable learning
centered classroom, there should be firstly the development of a good self image, that is,
working with the teacher to establish good guides for acceptable behaviour in the
classroom. Secondly, there must be the ability to assess their own progress in
instructional activities and to make use of time efficiently. Thirdly, there must be an
interest in maintaining good working conditions in the classroom both their own personal
benefit and to help one another with their work. Fourthly, there should be confidence,
fearlessness and freedom to ask questions whenever necessary.
A learning –centered classroom helps the child to accept himself and cope well
with the social forces around him. The class atmosphere or climate is the setting in which
the learning and development of children take place. In a good climate, children not only
work well but they also enjoy the work and so benefit from what they are doing. Children
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come to school and enter their assigned classrooms from different homes of different
kinds. Kofi’s father is a Lawyer, Ama’s father is a carpenter, Ali’s father is a farmer,
Obi’s father is a fisherman, Tunde’s parents bring him to school in a car, Titi walks to
school. Dinkmeyer and Dreikurs (2000) are of the opinion that a child can be guided to
become responsible for his actions, be aware of himself and from the situation of
condemning himself to that of encouraging himself. At any given situation, a child should
face any given problem with the determination to succeed. His aim is to adapt to
environmental forces around him.
Educators, researcher and Psychologists have been constantly searching for
harmonious set of variables that predict patterns of students behaviour and their
relationship to academic achievement.
The traits of extraversion – introversion and neuroticism as proposed by Eysenck
is a central dimension of human personality.
According to Lawerence (1997) and Meyer (1998). Personality has been
recognized as a determining factor on how people learn. Digman (1990), Goldberg
(1992) and Witt (2002) have found personality traits to be significantly related to
successful job and school performance both logically and statistically.
Personality according to Eriba (2005) is the integration of all of a persons traits,
abilities, motives, emotional response, cognitive styles, character and morals. In other
ways, personality is simply projection of oneself to others. Illesanmi (2004) defined
personality as the state characteristic and tendencies that determine commonalities and
differences in Psychological behaviour of people that have continuity in time and that
may not easily be understood as the result of social and biological pressures of the
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moment. Aduloju (2007), said that personality is what people do or what they exhibit. It
is an entity, that is, a way of summarizing a person’s behaviour.
Personality is defined by Allport in Lovell. (1971) as the dynamic organization
within the individual of these Psychological systems that determine his characteristics,
behaviour and thought. This suggests in simpler languages that personality is the whole
of a persons outstanding characteristics, his physiology, drives, level of aspiration,
emotional and social traits, interest, attitudes and the like. It represents the whole person,
his physical, mental, social and emotional assets. All these integrate into behavioural
patterns which make a person to be very peculiar. Personality patterns affect how a
student will learn and adjust in the school.
Extraversion is the act, state, or habit of being predominantly concerned with and
obtaining gratification from what is outside the self. Extraverts tend to enjoy human
interactions and to be enthusiastic, talkative, assertive, and gregarious. They take pleasure
in activities that involve large social gatherings, such as parties, community activities,
public demonstrations, and business or political groups. An extraverted person is likely to
enjoy time spent with people and find less reward in time spent alone. They tend to be
energized when around other people, and they are more prone to boredom when they are
by themselves. Zuckerman (1991) maintained that extraversion can also be referred to as
social stability. Ewen, (1998) defined extraversion as “a trait characterized by a keen
interest in other people and external events, and venturing forth with confidence into the
unknown.
Introversion is the state of or tendency toward being wholly predominantly
concerned with and interested in one’s own mental life. Heigoe (2008), said that
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introverts tend to be more reserved and less out –spoken in large groups. They often take
pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, music, drawing, playing video
games, watching movies and plays and using computers, along with some more reserved
out door activities such as fishing. An introvert is likely to enjoy time spent alone and
find less reward in time spent with large groups of people, though he or she may enjoy
interactions with close friends. Introverts are easily overwhelmed by too much
stimulation from social gatherings and engagement. They are more analytical before
speaking. Laney and Oslen, (2002), said that introversion is not the same as shyness or
the social outcast. Introverts choose solitary over social activities by preference, whereas
shy people avoid social encounters out of fear.
According to Carl Jung (1921), extraversion and introversion refer to the direction
of Psychic energy. Extraversion and Introversion are typically viewed as a single
continuum. Thus to be high on one in necessarily to be low on the other. If a person’s
Psychic energy usually flows outward then he or she is an extravert while if the energy
usually flows inward, the person is an introvert. Extraverts feel an increase of perceived
energy when interacting with a large group of people but a decrease of energy when left
alone. Conversely, introverts feel an increase of energy when alone, but a decrease of
energy when surrounded by a large group of people. Eysenck (1967), described
extraversion- introversion as the degree to which a person is outgoing and interactive
with other people. These behaviuoral differences are presumed to be the result of
underlying differences in brain physiology. According to Sharma, (1980), extraverts tend
to wear more decorative clothing, whereas introverts prefer practical, comfortable