Learning Objectives:

 Domains of Development: Identify and describe

the three domains of adolescent development.
 Developmental Issues: Be able to describe and
discuss basic developmental issues: nature or nurture,
universality.
 Theories of Child Development: Be able to list and
describe seven basic theories of child development:
Biological, behaviorist/social, psychodynamic,
cognitive-developmental, cognitive process, socio-
cultural, developmental systems.
Learning Objectives:
 Developmental Periods: Be able to describe main
characteristics of early and late adolescence.
 Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Describe
developmentally appropriate teaching choices for
adolescent students.
Three Developmental Domains:
 I. Physical Development: physical changes
of body and brain.
 How does the domain of physical development affect
adolescents in a school setting?

 II. Cognitive Development: changes in

reasoning, concepts, memory, and language.
 What can we learn about adolescent cognitive
development to facilitate student learning?
Three Developmental Domains:
 III. Social-Emotional Development:
Changes in emotions, self-concept, motivation, social
relationships, moral reasoning and behavior.

 How does an adolescent’s social-emotional

development affect their learning processes and their
overall-school success?
Effects of Context:
 Context: Broad social environments including
family, schools and community services,
neighborhoods, culture, ethnicity, and society at large,
that influence children’s development.

 Give some examples of how context affected your own

personal experience.
 Why might understanding a student’s context be
useful in teaching successfully?
Nature and Nurture:
 I. Nature: inherited genetic characteristics and
tendencies that influence development.
 Some characteristics are universal:
 Physical Development:
 Language Development, etc.
 Some characteristics are unique to individual:
 Temperament: characteristic ways of responding to
emotional events, novel stimuli, impulses, etc.
 Maturation: genetically guided changes that occur over
the course of development.
Nature and Nurture:
 II. Nurture: the environmental conditions that
influence development.
 Physically: nutrition, activity, stress
 Intellectually: informal and formal experiences and
instruction
 Socially: adult role models, peer relationships,
community connections.
Nature and Nurture Effects:
 I. Effects of heredity and environment vary for
different areas of development:
 Brain Development: genetic
 Speech Sounds and Use: environmental
 Experience and Success w/ School Subjects:
environmental
 Response to Environmental Influences: genetic /
environmental
 II. Extremes in Environmental Influences: deprivation,
etc., may negate intellectual potential.
 III. Timing of Environmental Exposure Matters
Universality and Diversity:
 Universality: Developmental changes that occur in
just about everyone are said to reflect a certain degree
of universality.
 Diversity: Other developmental changes are highly
individual reflecting diversity.
 Factors Affecting Development: Culture, family
relationships, communication systems, values.
 More diversity in Social-Cultural Development.
Qualitative and Quantitative
Change:
 Qualitative Change: dramatic developmental change
that reflects considerable reorganization or
modification of functioning. Ex: Walking, running,
concrete to abstract thinking, etc. (change in
qualities).
 Quantitative Changes: dramatic developmental
changes that involve minor, measurable modifications
over time. Ex: Height, weight, cultural conditioning,
etc.
Theories of Child Development:
 Biological Theories: Focus on how genetics and
physiology contribute to development. Emphasis on
maturation.
 Behaviorism / Social Learning: Developmental change
is almost exclusively due to environmental influences
(nurture).
 Psychodynamic Theories: Interaction between certain
inborn traits and the environment. Early experiences
play a critical role in later characteristics and behavior.
Sigmund Freud. Social-emotional needs.
Theories of Child Development:
 Cognitive-Developmental Theories: Emphasize
thinking and how it changes over time. Children play
an active role in their own development by seeking out
new and interesting experiences and working actively
to reconcile any discrepancies between old and new
information.
 Cognitive Process Theories: Focus on basic thinking
processes. How people interpret and remember what
they see and hear and how these processes change
during childhood and adolescence.
Theories of Child Development
 Sociocultural Theories: Study of social and cultural
impacts on development. Process by which children
become full adults vary from culture to culture. Roles
in society.
 Developmental Systems Theories: Multiple factors
combine to steer children’s development. From
systems perspectives, no single factor predominates in
directing the course of development: genes, children’s
efforts at understanding, social experiences, reward,
cultural tools, etc. combine to govern children’s
physical, dognitive and social-emotional development.
Developmental Periods:
 Infancy (Birth – 2 years): Trust vs. Mistrust
(Erikson)Basic human traits, emotional bonds,
nonverbal communication, language expression,
motor exploration and systematic approaches to
learning begin during this period.
 Early Childhood ( 2 – 6 years): Autonomy vs. Shame
and Doubt (toddler), Initiative vs. Guilt (preschool)
Erikson. A period of creativity, fantasy, wonder and
play. Language and communication skills develop
rapidly. Physical changes are apparent. High levels of
energy. Progressively more interested in peers.
Developmental Periods:
 Middle Childhood: (6 – 10) Industry vs. Inferiority
(Erikson). Sustained attention to real-world activities.
Persistence in mastering the customs, tools, and
knowledge of community and culture.
 Early Adolescence: (10 – 14) Identity vs. Role
Confusion (Erikson). Slow loss of childlike bodies and
progress toward reproductive maturation. Dramatic
reorganizations in learning processes and
relationships with parents and peers.
Developmental Periods:
 Late Adolescence (14 – 18 years): Identity vs. Role
Confusion continues and moves into Intimacy vs.
Isolation in early adulthood. (Erikson)
 Sense of identity develops. Decision-making skills
develop. Peer relationships highly important. Begin
to take on adult responsibilities. Experimentation w/
drugs, alcohol, sex, violence. Differences in academic
achievement and interests.
Developmentally Appropriate
Practice:
 Capitalize on children’s strengths.
 Recognize the children’s immaturity serves a purpose.
 Meet diverse needs.
 Nudge children toward advanced thinking and
behaving.
 Continue to gain knowledge about adolescent
development.
 Obtain new perspectives from colleagues.