Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist concerned with the nature of human experience; that is a humanistic psychologist. In 1943 he proposed a theory that described the different needs that all humans have and the hierarchy in which those needs are organized. According to Maslow, the higher level needs cannot be satisfied unless the lower level needs have been met. This hierarchy has had a significant impact on the field of psychology and education as well; in this section we will discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and how it can be applied to teaching.

What is the Hierarchy of Needs?

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs describes the basic needs that all human beings have and organizes those needs into five categories. Each of those categories of need is placed in the hierarchy; if the most basic need is not met, then Maslow’s theory proposes that none of the needs higher up in the hierarchy can be met.

How is the Hierarchy of Needs organized?

The five categories of Maslow’s Hierarchy are organized as following (from lowest level to highest level):

Physiological: These needs are the most basic related to a person’s survival. They consist of breathing, food, water, sleep, excretion, sex, clothing and shelter. Without most of these things, a body cannot physically function.
Safety: A person’s safety needs can relate to several factors in their life, such as health, financial, physical and emotional security.
Love/Belonging: These are the social needs of people, often seen as the need to belong whether it be in the category of friendship, intimacy and/or family.
Esteem: Each person has a need to feel respected and have a sense of self-esteem. This is also maintained by feeling a sense of accomplishment or achievement.
Self-Actualization: This describes a person’s need to achieve what he believes he is meant to achieve; to meet this need is to reach one’s potential. This need, unlike the others, can never by fully met as it evolves as a person develops psychologically.

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How does the Hierarchy of Needs apply to teaching?

Being aware of Maslow’s Hierarchy is in the best interests of both the teacher and the students. A teacher should use her knowledge of the hierarchy to structure both the lesson plan and the classroom environment; ideally, the classroom would meet as many of the needs of students as possible, especially the safety, belonging and esteem needs. This of course assumes the physiological needs of the student have been met beforehand. However, if the psychological needs have not been met then the teacher has a basis to understand that the student would not be able to focus on learning. A teacher would then be aware of the necessity to make arrangements to help that student in whatever way is needed. Students are happiest and will work best if their needs are being met, so as a teacher it is vital to know what these needs are and how to go about meeting them. To read more about tips for educators, click here .