UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

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Module 3: Managing and Caring for the Self - Research shows that students who
set goals to be more persistent and
Lesson 1: Becoming a Better Student
are more likely to achieve their
LEARNING goals.
➢ A Result of Experience
Behaviorists defined learning as a relatively - Learning is often associated with a
permanent change in behavior as a result or change in behavior as a result of
experiences. experience. This entails that learning
comes with one’s interaction with the
Cognitive psychologists defined learning as environment.
a process that leads to change as a result of - Learners may be able to define
experience. particular terms, state general
principles. However, they can make
“In other words, Learning is the acquisition them meaningful if they understand
of knowledge, skills, and attitudes through them well enough and be able to use
experience.” and apply them in real- life
situations.
A transformational process that leads to ➢ Multifaced
personal growth and development. Learning “A sound mind in a sound body”
helps an individual to adopt to a constantly - A famous quote that exemplifies the
changing environment. It start at birth and connection between the physical and
continues throughout life. A Constant mental well- being of a person.
process that can result from direct and - Educational institutions must hone
indirect experiences. not only the intellectual but also the
physical social, emotional, and
- Individuals learn from one another spiritual potentials of learns in order
through observation and imitation. to produce well- rounded graduates.
- Learning is important to the survival - Incidental knowledge, skills, and
of human beings because it enables attitudes are also taught and
them to discover new knowledge, developed.
technology and innovations. ➢ An Active Process
- Learners should not be mere passive
Learning is… receivers of information and learning
➢ Purposeful is not rote memorization.
- Human action is motivated or - The principle of teaching states that
inspired by one’s aims, goals or the students should be the center of
intentions. learning process.
- Learning occurs because it is - Active participation in class
planned, desired or even forced. activities is important in order for
- No matter what the case, there is them to fully grasp the concepts and
always a purpose why a person seeks skills that they need to learn.
more knowledge.
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What Happens During Learning? Metacognition and Self- Regulated

Brain Changes Learning
When a person learns something new, the Metacognition
brain undergoes changes. The changes in the - Defined as cognition about cognition
brain during learning are: or thinking about thinking.
- New nerve cells may grow and new - Awareness of one’s own thinking and
neural networks will then be formed. the strategies one uses to learn.
- Strength of existing synaptic Psychologist John Flavell identifies two (2)
connections changes, thus components of metacognition:
functionally changing the • Metacognition Knowledge
connectivity (and activity) within the - Includes knowledge of cognitive
existing neural networks in response tasks, and knowledge of the
to a sensory stimuli. strategies to complete tasks.
- New synapses are formed between • Metacognition Regulation
neurons that were not connected - Refers to how an individual monitors
before, thus effectively creating new and controls her or his cognitive
networks of neurons that, when processes.
active, represent a new memory. 3 Essential Components of Regulated
With the advent of modern technology, Learning
almost everything is possible for human to Planning
decode and unlock, even the most - Increases efficiency, control and
complicated hardware like brain which is motivation.
composed of more than 8.5 billions neurons Problem Solving
(like microprocessors) and 10 trillion - Allows students to learn to think and
dendrites and synapses (like wires and look for solutions when faced with
connections). adversaries.
Self- Evaluation
Behavioral Changes - Increases self- awareness that leads
- Learning has been defined as a to the better understanding of ones
permanent change in behavior as a own emotions, strengths, and
result of experience. weaknesses.
- Learning requires continuity of
behavioral change.
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Good Study Habits 4. Test yourself or ask someone to

To be a successful student, you must test you
establish good study habits to learn - Can be done by simply recalling
effectively. lessons and writing them on a piece
of paper or by asking someone to ask
Study Habits questions and answering as many
- refers to the attitudes and behaviors questions as possible.
of students when preparing for tests 5. Allot time to take a break to
or any learning assessment. eliminate stress
Shown are some of the ways to develop - during break time, short physical
good study habits. activities can be done such as
1. Get Organized stretching, listening to music, or
- Plan ahead of time drinking coffee.
- A lot time to read everyday in order 6. Create or join study group
not to cram days before the exam. - Enables to take notes, discuss
- Make a study plan thoughts brainstorm, ideas, and tutor
- Prioritized subjects where you have concepts.
difficulty - This helps you to calibrate your
- Make an outline to organize thoughts understanding of a certain concepts,
and ideas rules, principles, and theories.
- Fix your study area and eliminate all 7. Teach what you have learned
distractions such as phones and other - Can be done by sharing what you
gadgets have learned to others. As they say
2. Prepare your review materials practice makes perfect.
- Make review notes 8. Study to understand, not to
- Create flashcards remember
- Make mind maps and mnemonic - Memorizing is not very effective
patterns to easily recall terms and habit because the brain cannot make
concepts sense of information quickly and
- Read and record important terms and thus will not form strong
concepts connections.
- Play recordings before sleeping or - Understanding the ideas, concepts or
while on the road principles; do not just memorize
(Note: mnemonic is a learning technique them verbatim.
such as pattern of letters, ideas, (note: verbatim means n exactly the same
associations that assists in remembering words as were used originally)
something. For example: acronyms,
acrostics)
3. Ask help
- Seek help from the others if you’re
not able to understand a particular
lesson or topic.
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Lesson 2: Setting Goals for Success According to Bandura, the following are
The Importance of Goals ways to strengthen self- efficacy:
John Maxwell once posted these scenarios:
“have you tried playing darts without a Mastery Experiences
dartboard? Have you tried playing basketball - Refer to firsthand or direct
without a ring?” experiences that a person acquires.
When the frequency of success is
A life without a purpose is a wasted life. A high, there is greater belief in one’s
life without a goal is a pointless life. It is personal efficacy. Likewise, failures
said that a person has two birthdays: one is discourage one’s belief in
the actual date when someone was born and accomplishing a task.
the other is the day when one finds his or her Vicarious Experiences
purpose in life. - Emanate from observing people,
especially those that one regards as
Very few people find their purpose in the her or his role models. This increases
early stages of their life. There are some one’s belief that she or he will also
who find their purpose only towards the end succeed.
of their life while there are some who simply Verbal Persuasion
never find their purpose at all. - Refers to motivation coming from
influential people such as parents,
A truly successful person finds his or her friends etc.
purpose in life and does everything to fulfill - Statements like “kayang- kaya mo
such purpose. A life without a goal similar to yan” provide very significant
the given scenarios above will be pointless motivation, in such way that one
and useless. exerts extra effort so as not to
disappoint these people.
Albert Bandura’s Self- Efficacy Theory Emotional and Physiological States
Self- Efficacy - Refer to the emotional and
- Refers to one’s belief in one’s ability physiological conditions that a
to succeed in specific situations or person is in. A person suffering from
accomplish a task. depression or undergoing stress will
- Can play a major role in how one likely have a small percentage of
approaches goals, tasks, and success.
challenges. Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset Theory
- Operative word in the concept of - Introduced the idea of mindset which
self- efficacy is “belief”. If a person she defined as the implicit theories
believes in herself or himself, then that individuals hold regarding the
half the battle is already won. Some nature of intelligent behavior.
would even have another word for - Fixed theory of intelligence (fixed
this “faith’. If one has faith, then mindset), people believe that basic
nothing is impossible. qualities such as intelligence and
talents are fixed traits.
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- Growth theory of intelligence For Julian Rotter, behavior is determined not

(growth mindset), people believe that only by the kinds of the consequences called
talent and intelligence are developed positive reinforcement, but also by the
through learning, effort, training, and expectation that a particular behavior will
practice. result in those consequences.
Edwin Locke’s Goal- Setting Theory
- A goal (or outcome) has two sides: 2 Kinds of Locus of Control:
a) Mastery Goals – where the desire to a. Internal Locus of Control
gain knowledge and skills are - A person believes that events are
reflected. controlled by her or his own efforts.
b) Performance Goals – where the - Believe that their achievements come
desire to look competent in other from the effort they make for
people’s eyes are manifested. themselves.
5 Principles of Goal- Setting: - Individuals “make things happen”
1. Clarity- means being clear and not - They are active rather than passive
vague. A goal must be specific and b. External Locus of Control
the person must set a period for its - A person believes that events are
attainment and completion. determined by external forces
2. Challenge- goal must trigger the determine events over which she or
knowledge, skills, and abilities of a he has no control.
person and it should require extra - When succeeds, they attribute their
effort for its attainment. success to chance or luck.
3. Commitment- reflects a person’s
dedication towards the attainment of Lesson 3: Taking Charge of One’s Health
the set of goals and it requires Three Domains that Dominate the Self
sincerity and focus. - Based on the domains of biorhythm,
4. Feedback- serves as a mechanism to self is dominated by three domains
ensure that everyone sharing the that operate in a cycle, these domains
same goal is on the right track and all manifest regularly and one may
are in the same direction. dominate the other.
5. Task Complexity- pushes people to Physical Domain
take the extra mile and work hard. - Includes coordination, strength, and
The more complicated the goals, the well- being.
higher the motivation will be. Intellectual Domain
Julian Rotter’s Expectancy Theory - Includes alertness, analytical
- Learning creates cognitions knows as functioning, logical analysis,
expectancies, that guide behavior. A memory or recall, and
person’s decision to engage in a communication.
behavior is determined by what the Emotional Domain
person expects to happen following - Includes creativity, sensitivity, mood,
the behavior and the value the person perception, and awareness.
places on the outcome.
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• Taken as a whole and as a framework Personal Health responsibility involves

or indicator of health. active participation in one’s own health and
• These domains must be balanced by healing plan through education and lifestyle
individuals. changes. Although the concept of personal
• Imbalances results in incongruence health responsibility seems simple, it is
and thus is an unhealthy condition. often overlooked when people are diagnosed
• Contemporary medicine prescribes with an autoimmune disorder and seeking a
that in order to be healthy, one must quick fix.
exercise regularly, control the intake
of unhealthy food, and be in a - One needs to be sensitive about the
forgiving mode, so as not to poison importance of good health.
one’s mind. If there’s a physiological - People should think more about
poison, there is also a psychological prevention of diseases than the cure
poison. of these. Diseases may be avoided if
• Negativity on all domains opens the everyone is conscious about what
possibility of occurrence of sickness one does since most diseases are
or disease. To avoid sickness or acquired as a product of unhealthy
disease, a positive and proactive lifestyle.
score in these domains leads to a - Part of personal health responsibility
healthier life. is knowing one’s family history. This
• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a is one way to determine hereditary
choice. Suffice it to say that being illnesses which can be avoided in the
physically active, intellectually future.
hungry and emotionally stable is - Another health responsibility is
healthy. This mindset leads to a conducting research on effective
healthier life and a happier herbal medicines, and food
perspective in life. supplements.
- In the Philippines, several measures
Personal Health Responsibility have been enacted to instill health
awareness and encourage personal
- Steinbrook (2006) stated that today,
health responsibility like the anti-
more than ever, personal health
smoking campaign.
responsibility or taking charge of
Stress
one’s health is an essential step in
disease prevention as well as in Stress- refers to the reaction of our
protocols for healing and recovering physiological and psychological self to any
from diseases. kind of demand or threat.
Eustress- a beneficial stress that can be in
the form of physical, psychological and
biological stimuli. Greek prefix eu- means
good, hence the word “eustress” meaning
“good stress”.
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Distress- bad stress which occurs when Signs and Symptoms of Poorly Managed
there is a tension buildup which becomes Stress
unbearable and difficult to cope with. Physical Symptoms
Stressor- is any event that compels a person - Characterized by inability to sleep,
to adjust or change. fatigue, headache, cramps,
Stress Tolerance- refers to the ability of an unpleasant aura, and gastrointestinal
individual to endure stress. An individual’s problems. Stress also causes aging,
stress tolerance is dependent on her or his and malignant diseases like cancer.
psychological and physiological Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms
constitution; thus everyone reacts differently - Include lack of concentration,
to stress. irritation, nervousness, panic, lack of
appetite, in food or too much intake
▪ One’s perception of stress is of food, low level of enthusiasm, and
subjective. A eustress for someone desire, and mood swings.
could be distress to another. Reality (Some who are unable to properly manage
is that one cannot really eliminate stress are vulnerable to unhealthy habits.
stress, but one can manage it. When these unhealthy habits persist, those
Common Stressors that are unpleasant people are led to undesirable behaviors.)
and life- threatening:
a. Catastrophic events and life- Coping with Stress
threatening experiences Problem- focused Coping Method
- Unforeseen experiences or traumas - Involves an attempt to change or
b. Life changes and strains eliminate sources of stress.
- Circumstances that demand people to Ex. Confrontation, seeking social support
adjust. Emotion- focused Coping Method
c. Chronic problems - Aimed at controlling the negative
- Exist for a long period of time which emotional consequences of stressors.
include circumstances such as Ex. Self- control, distancing, accepting
suffering from serious illness, having responsibilities, and wishful thinking
irresponsible neighbors, and failure
to acquire a lucrative or high-income Social and Cultural Dimensions of Stress
job. - Culturally and socially, stress is
d. Everyday hassles typically viewed negatively.
- Irritations, pressures, and annoyances - Recent research revealed that stress
that may not be significant stressors is a neutral concept.
by themselves but whose cumulative - One’s perception of stress depends
effect can be significant. Ex. Traffic on the perspective of the individual.
congestions, waiting in a long line, This perception is always subject to
or just having a bad day. change; a typhoon could be a menace
to some but for rain- starved locality,
it could be a blessing.
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In the Philippines, there are perennial Social self- care

stressors that frustrate people. Some of these - includes all the activities one does to
are: connect with people valuable to her
a. Public transportation or him. Means spending time and
b. Frequent increase in prices having great time with loved ones
c. Unfinished project that can cause and other valuable people in one’s
further traffic congestion and risk to life.
people’s safety. Spiritual self- care
- Includes all the activities one does to
The Need of Self- Care strengthen one’s relationship with
- Taking charge of one’s health her or his beliefs.
- You cannot give to others what you
do not have. Benefits of Self- Care
- Psychologically and philosophically 1. Enhanced Productivity
speaking, a selfless individual does - When a person distances herself or
not exist. A simple analogy would be himself from vices, they will have
to yield that there is always more time to improving their
something for someone. physical well- being.
- One must take care of herself or 2. Improved Vitality
himself before being able to take - Physical care activities like
care of others. exercising, eating the right food,
Self- care drinking enough water, and getting
- Refers to all activities that a person enough sleep increases resistance to
does to maintain and improve their diseases.
physical, psychological, emotional, - Unhealthy habits make a person
social, and spiritual well- being. vulnerable to diseases.
Physical self-care 3. Enhanced Self- Esteem
- Includes all the activities that one - Avoiding self- berating is very
does to maintain and improve her or important. Negative self- talk is
his physical well- being. damaging to how one perceives
Psychological self-care themselves and may lead to anxiety
- Includes all the activities one does to and stress.
deal with or resolve mental health - It is important for a person to
issues, process both positive and discover and accept who they are and
negative emotions, and learn to deal be proud of their identity.
with negative self- talk (self- 4. Increased Self- Knowledge
criticism). - After discovering and accepts who
Emotional Self- care they are, it is important to know what
- Includes all the activities one does to they want and what they love to do.
cope with stress and deal with grief. They will be able to live their life to
the fullest according to the purpose
that they have.
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5. Mindfulness and Compassion

- Knowing and being good to oneself
stems from goodness and
compassion one directs towards
other people.

Self- Compassion
- Defined as showing compassion to
oneself. Involves being open to
moved on by one’s own suffering,
expressing care and kindness
towards oneself, taking an
understanding and nonjudgement
attitude towards one’s inadequacies
and failures, and recognizing that
one’s own experience is part of the
human experience (Neff, 2018).

Three (3) Components of Self-

Compassion
Self-Kindness
- Means not being physically and
verbally harsh to oneself. Self-
berating is a kind of verbal abuse
directed to oneself. Involves an act
where one blames oneself for her or
his actions or decisions.
Common Humanity
- Means acceptance that one is an
imperfect being, one makes mistakes
along with everyone else, and one
does not always get what she or he
wants.
Mindfulness
- Practice of being fully present in the
moment. One has to turn towards her
or his painful thoughts and emotions
in order to embrace herself or
himself with compassion.