Basic concepts and issues on human development

Basic Concepts and Issues on

Human Development

EDUC 21 – Child and Adolescent Development

Ferdinand C. Importado

Human Development

• Human development is the pattern of movement or change that begins at conception and continues through the life span.• It includes growth and decline. • Development can be positive or negative.

Some Major Principles of

Human Development

Principle 1

Development is relatively orderly.

Proximodistal pattern

The muscular growth of the trunk and the arms comes earlier as compared to the hands and fingers.

Cephalocaudal pattern

During infancy, the greatest growth always occurs at the top – the head – with physical growth in

size, weight and future differentiation gradually working its way down from top to bottom.

Principle 2

While the pattern of development is likely to be similar, the outcome

of developmental process and the rate of development are likely

to vary among individuals.

Principle 3

Development takes place gradually.

Principle 4

Development as a process is complex

because it is the product of biological, cognitive

and socio-emotional process.

Biological

Involves changes in the individual’s physical

nature.

Cognitive

Involves changes in the individual’s thought, intelligence, and language.

Socio-emotional

Includes changes in the individual’s relationship with other people, changes in emotions, and

changes in personality.

Approaches to Human Development

Traditional

Human development shows extensive change from birth to adolescence, little or no change in adulthood and decline in the late old age.

Life-span

Human development occurs al throughout the life-span of an individual.

Characteristics of Life-span

Development

Life-long

It does not end by adulthood and no

development stage dominates the development.

Multi-dimensional

Development consists of biological, cognitive, and

socio-emotional dimensions.

Plastic

Development is possible throughout the life-span.

Contextual

Individuals are changing beings in a changing world.

Growth, maintenance and regulation

These are considered goals in that varies in every developmental change.

Principles of Child Development and Learning that Inform

Practice

All the domains of development and learning (physical, social, emotional and cognitive) are

important and closely-related.

Many aspects of children’s learning and development

follow well documented sequences, with later abilities, skills, and

knowledge building on those already acquired.

Development and learning proceed at varying rates

from child to child, as well as at

uneven areas across different

areas of a child’s individual

functioning.

Development and learning result from

a dynamic and continuous

interaction of biological

maturation and experience.

Early experiences have profound

effects (cumulative and delayed) on a

child’s development and

learning; and optimal periods exist for certain

types of development and learning to occur.

Development proceeds toward greater complexity,

self regulation, and symbolic or representational

capacities.

Children develop best when they have secure, consistent relationships with responsive adults and opportunities for positive relationship with

peers.

Development and learning occur in and

are influenced by multiple social and cultural contexts.

Always mentally active in seeking to understand the

world around them, children learn in a variety of ways; a

wide range of teaching strategies and interactions are effective in supporting all these kinds of learning.

Play is an important vehicle for developing self-regulation as well

as promoting language, cognition and social

competence.

Development and learning advance when children are

challenged to achieve at a level just beyond their current mastery,

and also when they have many

opportunities to practice, newly acquired skills.

Children’s experiences shape their motivation and

approaches to learning such as persistence, initiative, and

flexibility; in turn, these dispositions and behaviors

affect their learning and development.