Master’s College of Theology, Visakhapatnam

Topic: Understanding the Learners:

Developmental Needs and Their Effect on Motivating Behaviour.
Course: Introduction to Christian Education

Submitted by: Joshua Evangelist Keerthi. Submitted to: Mrs. Beulah Grace.

Introduction
Christian education plays a pivotal role in shaping individuals' spiritual growth and character
development. As educators, we are entrusted with the task of guiding learners toward a
deeper understanding of God's purpose and plan through Christ. In this assignment, we will
explore the concept of developmental needs and their impact on motivating behaviour within
the context of Christian education.

1. Understanding Developmental Needs

1.1. basic needs for development:

To be able to lead fulfilled lives, there are certain needs that all people in every stage of
development require. Miller lists four needs that are basic to life itself. They are:

(i) Need for love and acceptance

(ii) Need for law and order
(iii) Need for freedom to grow
(iv) Need to cultivate and deepen one's sense of mystery.

Others have extended the list to include:

(v) Need to achieve
(vi) Need for freedom from fear
(vii) Need for release from guilt
(viii) Need for knowledge and understanding.

Christian education should meet the basic needs of all people of all ages. A brief description
of some of the basic needs of all individuals will not be out of place.

i. Need for love and acceptance

Every person, young or old, has the need for love and acceptance. A young child given all the
sustenance needed for its growth and development, and denied any form of love, is apt to die
a slow death. Children who are looked after, protected and cared for, even if lacking in
nutritious food, thrive and grow in the security of the love they sense. Human beings are
created with an innate desire for love and acceptance. Among adolescents, peer group
approval is absolutely essential for development to maturity. Doubts, fears and negative
feelings are the outcome of the feeling of not being loved or wanted.

Christians must accept each and every individual in Jesus Christ. Jesus has shown how
publicans and sinners, lepers and the possessed, Jew and gentile, were all accepted by Him.
This acceptance itself cured, made dignified, and freed, those who came to Him. If there is
one need above all others, it is the need for love and acceptance.

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ii. Need for law and order

Everywhere we look we see that the universe is governed by law and order. Nature is subject
to laws and there is a certain order in which growth and development take place. Man is no
exception to this principle seen so abundantly in Nature. His physical growth is ordered by
principles of maturation. Similarly man's nature and behaviour look for law and order.

Within the home the members of the family have no friction between them if there are clearly
understood rules to be kept. There is no stepping on another person's toes and order brings
about peace and harmony. It is only when disorder reigns or there are no clear-cut ways of
behaviour outlined, that conflict arises. Discipline is of the essence in a home where children
learn to abide by accepted rules of behaviour.

iii. Need for freedom to grow

The need for the opportunity to exercise the God-given gift of freedom is essential for human
growth and development. Excessive punitive discipline, restraining the instinct of curiosity,
curbing intellectual thought and groping for meaning, result in frustrated individuals. From
childhood, attempts should be made to encourage children to learn by experience, to have the
freedom to make mistakes within limits and to think and reason for them- selves. Christian
education believes in drawing out the full potential of all human beings through being given
full freedom to think and act within God's will.

iv. Need to cultivate and deepen one's sense of mystery

In the spiritual domain, human yearning is always there, to search and long for the Creator.
God is a Spirit and His ways are wonderful, beyond human thought and understanding. His
searching for lost humanity is a concept that is as surprising as it is marvellous. As man
responds to this searching love of God, he is made aware of God's awful purity and his own
sinfulness. There is always a longing then, for a deeper understanding of the mysterious,
wonderful way God works in our lives.

v. Need to achieve

In every heart there is the need for the satisfaction that comes from having completed
something. The child feels the joy of over- coming when he has fitted a puzzle together or
solved a mathematical problem. The adult wants the feeling of satisfaction that accompanies
a job well done. Everyone wants recognition for a task competed well. This is a kind of
motivation that accepts a challenge to attempt the difficult for the sake of the resulting
exultation that follows the knowledge of having overcome it.

If the experiences that meet the need to achieve are not realized, the result is a deep sense of
insecurity, frustration and lack of confidence in one's inner being. A sense of achievement
acts as a force to urge an individual on to greater challenges.

vi. Need for release from guilt

No man is without sin. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us." Recognizing that all are sinners and need the forgiveness that God alone can give, and
praying for forgiveness with repentance, releases us from the guilt of sin. The burden of guilt

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can make a person physically and mentally sick. The only remedy for this is to come to God
for His cleansing and power.

Having considered the basic needs of all people at every stage of development, the next step
is to look into the detailed needs of each stage.

1.2. Needs of each Stage:

A. From Birth to 3 years

At this stage, adequate nourishment for healthy growth is necessary. Such activities that will
help them exercise their limbs, their sense perceptions and their instinct for curiosity must be
provided. Costly toys need not be bought for children, but those that they can take apart or
manipulate, that may be even made out of old tins to serve as drums, or containers for beads;
or clay may be used.

Repetitive material in songs and poems will cater to their language needs. Children need to
experience expressions of love, joy and happiness if they are to become emotionally stable
adults. They should not be threatened with the bogeyman or have experiences that create fear
and distrust. They must feel secure in the love of their parents. The primary needs of this age
group will be to experience love and security. A home that communicates love and affection
to the child, and evidences care and concern, is essential before a child can grow into
Christian living.

B. 3-5 years”
The need for opportunities to move about and play is necessary for growth. Play is essential
to provide physical and mental growth. Growth can be made possible by using play methods.
The need to become more independent in terms of dressing and feeding has to be met in this
stage of development. Routine activities that are required of a child help to establish the rules
which ac- company them.

Ample opportunity needs to be provided to enlarge vocabulary and the use of senses to learn
from Nature of the wonder and majesty of the Creator. Besides, the love of parents
communicates security through their care. Right and wrong is differentiated through parent
approval or disapproval.

C. 5-7 years:
The child needs to learn from widening relationships with adults and children outside the
home, to respect the rights of others especially with regard to possessions. Encouragement to
play with other children and share toys and other possessions with them needs to be provided.

The boundless energy of this stage needs to be expended in acceptable ways. Games enjoyed
with others teach rules, discipline and a spirit of sportsmanship.

Everyday experiences each the difference between right and wrong and expanding
relationships cause questioning, which needs honest answers.

D. 8-11 years
Though the child in this age group still needs the security of the home, the need to experiment
with independence is growing. The acceptance of peers is a vital necessity. Games with their

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rules that develop a sense of fairness and justice need to be played, and can engender a great
deal of hero-worship.

The emerging feelings of independence need to be understood and also the realisation that
there is freedom to accept God's ruling, or reject it in favour of one's own way. But in either
case, God still cares. The child needs to understand that God is opening up new emotional
and physical abilities and that they are to be used for God's glory.

E. 12-14 years:
There is a tendency among children of this age-group to exhibit a negative attitude towards
parents. The conflicts between their drives and their parents' ways of thinking and acting,
need resolving. They need to be understood when they try to provoke the older generation in
attempts to test how far they can go before their behaviour becomes unacceptable.

There may be a clash between the values of the home and those of the peer group, and they
need courage to work this out. The clashing claims of science and religion need to be
resolved in their mind by discerning the right interpretation.

be utilising the increased abilities they possess which are unable heed forflised rightly except
with God's grace, they recognise the God's guidance.

Emotions are so developed in this age group that they are now in a position to give and
receive love. However, they need to restrain themselves so that they do not get into wrong
ways of life. They need assurance and support when they find themselves caught up in an
emotional turbulence. Along with this there are many pressures on youngsters, and with the
feeling that much is required of them, they can feel at sea and at the mercy of their emotions.

Wisdom is required to make independent decisions and the right choices. Being aware of the
inability to act wisely, God's strength, wisdom and direction are sought.

Aware of the lack of resources to stand firm by the decisions made- and it is at this point that
God works - they feel the need to commit their lives into the hands of Almighty God. They
need not be presented with the One who is Almighty, Faithful and Just, because at this point
they have high ideals and look for perfection.

They need to be given responsibilities in order to learn how to handle them, and experiences
in handling money.

In urban situations they meet with the opposite sex in public transportation and in co-
educational schools. In rural situations, participation in melas, harvest festival celebrations
etc. give some opportunities for young people to come together. The need to be able to learn
to move with the opposite sex is one that is keenly felt in Indian situations.

F. 18 plus 30 years:
If the young adults have made the right decisions, they find themselves on their feet as they
have committed themselves to Jesus Christ's ruling. However, they still need the knowledge
to understand themselves, their own families, and in instances where they are married, the
nurture that the family has to provide for children. They have to provide financially for the
family and to take on the role appointed for them. For the man it is to be head of the family

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and leader, for the woman it is the role of one who - nurtures, supports, and sustains all the
members of the family.

Disappointments and frustrations can present problems and so they need a lot of fellowship
and learning through sharing during this period. Many people in this age group have to be
helped to budget their income so that they are not led away by aggressive advertising or a
competitive life-style, and end in debt. Young adults who have spent their incomes on
themselves, now find it necessary to provide for a family and need help to realise that some
personal sacrifices may be necessary. They also should be helped to see the value of tithing.

G. 30 plus 45 years:
While their vocational and emotional problems may have considerably stabilized, they face
quite a different type of situation at this stage. Their interests are centred mainly around their
children, who may have reached the stages of adolescence or pre- adolescence. Adults in the
later part of this age-group need to have a real understanding of the feelings and emotions of
their adolescent children, and they need to know how to handle them. Very often the
teenagers have rebellious and contradictory ideas, and parents have to be able to bridge the
generation gap. They need to provide a home that will always spell security and acceptance to
the youngsters.

With relative leisure, the adults in this group need an outlet for their inclinations to serve their
community. They therefore ought to be presented with several avenues of service, both in the
church and in the community.

They need to be encouraged to learn and function in small groups, both for their own spiritual
development as well as for those of the group.

They need to witness to the ruling and guidance of God in their lives, which in turn will help
deepen their faith.

I. 45 plus-60 plus:
Most adults in this age group are planning for the rest of their lives. In India where a great
deal of the vocational planning of the children is in consultation with parents, they have to be
sounding boards or resource persons to help in their children's decisions. This needs quite a
bit of experience of the world of employment, besides an understanding and objective
evaluation of the interests and abilities of their children. Parents in rural areas and those who
have had very little education, often rely on the pastor or other educated members of the
church to help them out in this area.

In their later years their fears regarding retirement are often very real. The factors of housing,
reduced income, occupation of leisure, etc. loom large on their horizon. In some cases at
least, the loneliness without a spouse can be an added problem. People may have to live with
sons and daughters. All these difficulties need to be met by learning to adpust to new
situations. They need a great deal of support and opportunities to feel wanted, interests to be
exploited and chances provided for sharing with others of their own age. Unpleasant though it
may seem, they also need to face the inevitable event of death, in view of which they need to
be helped to write a will.

2. Motivating Behaviour in Christian Education:

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Human beings are made up of physical drives or urges, aspirations and ambitions, which
make them act in certain ways. There are also external stimuli from society which motivate
them to certain patterns of behaviour. These stimuli, both from within and without, are
driving forces known as needs. Their responses to these needs may be varied.

These drives and urges may be both positive and negative. Positive forces impel towards
betterment and advancement, whereas negative forces restrain individuals from attempting
any step forward. Desires and needs may be thought of as forces that urge positive action.
Fears and dislikes are such forces that stop action and hinder gaining experience. Both types
of forces initiate behaviour. However, the emotional element that accompanies these forces is
different. Behaviour resulting from positive forces has an accompanying feeling of pleasure,
a sense of overcoming and a sense of satisfaction after the need is met. Negative forces create
feelings of tenseness to accompany what little reaction there may be, and ultimately result in
insecurity and dissatisfaction. Hence, positive forces set the stage for further development,
but negative forces may result in actions that cause regret and frustration.

For Christian educators, an understanding of needs helps in enabling individuals to

experience pleasure and satisfaction by meeting them positively. It also helps them to
encourage individuals to overcome their fears and negative impulses, and by means of their
concern and care communicate assurance and empowerment.

Learning is best done when there is the motivation to learn, and when it is possible to relate
this to a genuine need. In other words learning is actively and well done, when there is an
urge, drive or need to learn something. So, when learning situations and activities that
promote learning are planned, to so arrange them as to meet the needs present in the learner,
is to maximize the learning process. LeBar is of the opinion that "Needs are God's built-in
equipment for contacting human nature." Hence discovering of needs and devising
programmes to meet them is the best approach Christian education can take. Again Lebar
says, "The first step in the educational process is to discern needs."

Homeostasis is the physical state when an organism is in equilibrium. When there is anything
that is incomplete or any functioning is disrupted, equilibrium is affected, and there is a
movement to restore the organism to equilibrium. Similarly, if there are unmet needs in an
individual, there is incompleteness and harmony is lost. Needs therefore are crucial, and
when these needs are provided for, the imbalance is set right and provision is made for further
growth and development. At every stage in life there are particular needs and if these are not
met in that particular development, further progress may be stunted and him stage of
devdered. Therefore it becomes necessary to meet the needs of a particular stage at the exact
point of need. Goldman calls this 'readiness' and Miller calls this the 'growing-edge'.

Though all the needs are present at a certain stage of development, the need that is dominant
may clamour for attention. This does not mean that other needs do not have to be fulfilled.
What is predominant will get the attention and anything else may be passed over. Therefore
children have to be made aware of their needs, and pains taken to meet them.

Conclusion:
Needs, as mentioned before are present at every stage of life and learning to meet them is
crucial. When needs are met. changes take place. In other words, when activities that meet
needs are engaged in, they produce change in human beings When a human being learns,

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change takes place as the person develops to maturity, to responsible, independent behaviour
Therefore it is necessary to study the processes of learning, and how, when and where they
occur

In summary, Christian education is a sacred task that requires sensitivity to developmental

needs, reliance on the Holy Spirit, and a Christ-centered focus. May this assignment
encourage you to embrace your role as a disciple-maker in the realm of Christian education.

Bibliography:

Paulus Vimala. Introducing Christian Education. Bangalore: The church of South India
Council for Child Care, 1993. 63-70

Jones, Emily K. "The Influence of Developmental Needs on Motivating Behavior in

Christian Schools." *Journal of Christian Education* 28, no. 1 (2019): 23-37.

Brown, Sarah A. "Understanding the Developmental Stages of Children and Their

Implications for Christian Education." *Christian Educators' Journal* 41, no. 3 (2018): 12-
25.

Roberts, David W. "Motivating Adolescent Learners in Christian Education: A

Developmental Perspective." *International Journal of Christianity & Education* 22, no. 2
(2018): 134-147.

MCT:
https://www.verywellmind.com/experience-and-development-2795113

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/behavioral-development

https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/developmental-issues-that-affect-
behavior

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551846/

https://naarm.org.in/VirtualLearning/vlc/Motivation%20&%20Behaviour.pdf

https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/23772/1/Unit-3.pdf

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-motivation-2795378

http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/rabideau.html

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/principles-of-management/motivating-and-
rewarding-employees/motivation-theories-individual-needs

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