Time (1-2 min)

Words (Approximately 300 words)

Provide an individual reflection on how adolescent development theory, research and practice can influence
your personal teaching approach. Your reflection must include mention of: What you have learnt as part of
this unit including how this knowledge informs the specific strategies you will use to support students’ well-
being and safety, and work sensitively and confidentially with parents/caregivers and other professionals.
You must also describe how this knowledge about adolescent development will influence your future
teaching practice (in terms of teaching strategies and your interaction with students) in reference to at least
one of your chosen teaching areas (E.g., Maths, English etc.).

What you have learnt as part of this unit including how this knowledge informs the specific strategies you
will use to support students’ well-being and safety, and work sensitively and confidentially with
parents/caregivers and other professionals

I have learnt about how adolescents develop, what they are like, the numerous factors that contribute to
their lives and how what I do as a teacher plays a significant role in the development of adolescents. I have
learnt that adolescence is a cultural construct and that there is no one way to go through adolescence. I can
use this understanding to help connect with my students by asking questions about their lives and getting to
know them. I have gained knowledge about genotype-environment theory and I understand that both
genotype and environment make essential contributions to human development. Knowledge of this theory
will allow me to work with my students, find out their backgrounds, their contexts and what makes them
unique. By getting to know my students and their backgrounds and the things that affect them I will be able
to support them and create a great learning environment. By critically understanding all of this knowledge, I
have enhanced my personal teaching philosophy. It has provided me with teaching strategies as well as
giving me the ability to understand what adolescents go through. The main thing I have learnt from this unit
is that I need to make a connection.

Describe how this knowledge about adolescent development will influence your teaching practice in
reference to teaching Maths.

In my teaching area of Mathematics I can use my knowledge of Cognitive Load Theory in order to effectively
display the information I am trying to teach. In Cognitive Load Theory there are ways teachers can teach
which cause extraneous or wasteful load towards students, in my teaching practice I will look to stay away
from strategies that cause extraneous load. For example, using my knowledge of the Split Attention Effect, I
should present textual and visual information spatially rather than presenting them as separate. In addition,
knowing that students working memory is limited to processing 2-4 elements of novel information; I aim to
steadily develop elements of information from my topic over time rather than overloading students. Mainly,
the knowledge I have learnt from this unit will make me try and create connections with my students and
create a warm and safe environment.