INTRODUCTION
The hierarchy needs to which Abraham Maslow referred to in order of importance are: physiological, safety, belongingness and love, self-esteem and self-actualization. The first four levels are considered deficiency or deprivation needs in that if they are not satisfied, they causes a deficiency that motivates people to meet these needs.
Physiological needs which are the lowest level on the hierarchy, include necessities such as air, food, and water. These tend to be satisfied for most people, but they become predominant when unmet. During emergencies, safety needs such as health and security rise to the forefront. Once these two levels are met, belongingness needs, such as obtaining love and intimate relationships or close friendships, become important. The next level of esteem needs include, the need for recognition from others, confidence, achievement and self-esteem.
The highest level in the hierarchy of needs is self-actualization or self-fulfillment and is considered as a growth need. Behavior in this case is not driven or motivated by deficiencies but rather one’s desire for personal growth and the need to become all the things that a person is capable of becoming
Educators can assess how well they are applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to their teaching practice by asking themselves whether the five needs are being met in their school or classroom as discussed below.
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS IN RELATION TO KENYAN SCHOOL SYSTEM.
i. Physiological needs.
These are basic survival needs of a leaner such as food, clothing and shelter. It is impossible to advance to higher order needs if students are hungry, don’t have warm clothes or do not have adequate sleep. Some schools in Kenya apply this level of Maslow’s hierarchy by providing low-cost lunch programs to ensure nutrition needs of learning are met. The Kenyan government has also provided free primary and secondary education so that parents can only cater for the lunch program of their children. The higher education loans board (HELB) provides loans to learners in higher institutions of learning at very low interest rates so that learners can feed themselves during their studies in colleges. Many nursery schools in Kenya have mattresses to allow learners to take a short nap at school. Some governmental and non-governmental projects such as the constituency development funds (CDF) and funds from African Development Bank (ADB) have funded purchase of water tanks, water projects and construction of classrooms to ensure smooth running process.
ii. Safety and security.
Once a person’s physiological needs are relatively satisfied, their safety needs take precedence and dominate behavior. In the absence of physical safety due to war, natural disaster, family violence, child abuse and many others, people may re-experience traumatic stress disorder or transgenerational trauma. Safety and security entails; person security, financial security, health security among others.
In Kenyan schools today, various measures have been incorporated to ensure safety and security in the learning environment. For instance, emergency procedures such as fire exits are well planned in Kenyan schools. Fire drills are also regularly practiced to ensure safety of the learners. To ensure financial security of the learners, learners are given pocket money to cater for small needs which are not offered by the school. Several schools in Kenya today also have nurses and well equipped first aid kits and this guarantees health safety of the learner and everyone in the learning environment.
iii. Love and belonging needs.
Student’s social needs should be satisfied. In Kenyan schools, teachers play a major role in identifying and creating awareness among students regarding to their social needs. In regard to student relationships, the school management and teacher help to provide an environment for learners to form better relationships, for example, organizing class meetings and discussions and encouraging peer tutoring. Teachers also provide situations that require mutual trust among learners and the opportunity of sharing their problems or activities. By having good relationship with peers and teachers, learners will have fulfilled their need to belong and the feeling of being cared for and loved. However, the need for love and affection is often overlooked in some schools in Kenya. For example, some students fight with their peers and teachers, some teachers use excessive force in administering punishment to learners and other teachers also use threatening remarks to justify their authority. All these acts make learners feel deprived of love and belonging.
iv. Self-esteem needs.
This is a learner’s belief that he/she is valued and that his/her contributions are recognized thus enhancing the learner’s confidence. The Kenyan system of education has incorporated cocurricular activities such as clubs and societies, games and sports where gifted and talented learners are recognized, praised and awarded. Teachers and lecturers have been encouraged to focus on learner-centered activities in that the teacher is only a facilitator. Learners are therefore involved in classroom participation and responsibilities, hence they feel important and accepted.
v. Self-actualization.
It is the pinnacle need that can only be reached when all of the other base needs are met. Self-actualized learners seek fulfillment in all aspects of their lives and they will do anything in their power to achieve success. To help learners become self-actualized individuals, the Kenyan goals of education are set to be realistic and attainable so that a learner can feel motivated after achieving these goals. Teachers on the other hand track progress of such learners by giving them those challenging tasks and knowledge they need to realize their true potential. For example, math contest questions are set to be challenging to allow learners to gauge the best potential they can attain in difficult situations.
Mwalimu Bonface answered the question on April 14, 2018 at 06:50