The ‘learner’ is the term which denotes the child in whom one attempts to bring out desirable changes in behaviour. Here a learner takes support from his past experiences as well as maturation in order to enhance his learning. Generally, the learner in school premises represents that child who is quite immature and incompetent individual, learning the social and cultural values which turn him as a good citizen in near future. It is the reason that a society has an agency called a school.
characteristics of a learner
The main characteristics of a learner are as following:
1. Heredity and Environment
2. Instincts
3. Emotion and Sentiments
4. Play and Play way
5. Child growth and Development
6. Motivation
7. Habit and Fatigue
Besides there are a number of other psychological characteristics of the child (learner) which influences his total behaviour. These are intellectual abilities, socialization, forgetting, study habits and mental health etc.
1. Heredity, and Enviornment
Inheritance of the parental characteristics is called heredity. It follows the maxim-Like begets like. Generally, children inherit their physical and genetic traits from their parents.
Heredity, according to Douglas and Holland includes all physical structure, appearance, capacities from his parents, or previous generation and these are specific to represent his species in the universe.
Process of Heredity
The basic unit of human body is known as a cell. The human body form from two types of Germ cells i.e., mother’s germ cell called ‘Ovum’ and father’s germ cell called ‘Sperm’. All the germ cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes in it. Besides it each chromosome has about 40-100 ‘Genes’. These ‘genes’ are responsible to determine any specific quality in a human being. Actually these genes are the vehicular mechanism transferring all types of characteristics from one generation to other in a family.
Principles of Heredity
The heredity follows the certain rules and laws which are given as following:
1. Law of Germ Plasm Continuity
2. Law of Resemblance
3. Law of Variation.
4. Law of Regression
5. Law of Transmission Acquired Traits
6. Mendal’s Law.
1. Law of Germ Plasm Continuity
The main function of germ cells is only to produce productive cells. The genetic material in these germ cells inherited by one generation is automatically transferred to next generation through Germ plasm. Thus the process of hereditary goes on interruptedly.
2. Law of Resemblance
The law of resemblance propounded that generally the children of gifted parents are gifted and its vice-versa i.e., the children of average parents may appear as average children. Besides in mental qualities the children also resembles with their parents in their physical appearance.
3. Law of Variation
Always children do not L acquire all the similarities with their parents but represent marked variation in relation to some peculiar traits. The reason of these peculiarities or variations lie in the congruence of the ‘genes’ during the fertilization and further development of the mother and father.
4. Law of Regression
Sometimes the children have some contrasts in relation to their parents. For example, sometimes gifted parents have subnormal children. This law where the parents and their children represents contradictions in their traits is called law of regression.
The reason of regression lies due to two types of genes i.e., Dominating genes and Recessive genes. The fusion of these genes either in superior or inferior order lead to give the impression of regression.
5. Inheritance of Acquired Traits
According to this law it is hypothesized that the parents who have acquired the traits in their life time by their own efforts to mitigate the demand of society are not transferred through genetic material in next generation. Although Lamarck has opposed this law and given a illustration of evolution of Girraffe to justify his opnion.
6. Mendal’s Law
This is the scientific law propounded by a Church monk John Gregor Mendal. According to this law when hybrid forms its mother and father germ cells then they produce the pure having all the qualities of the parents. He had carried out pure types intensive experiment to prove it on pea plants and rats.
