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Theorists’ Influence on My Personal Paradigm

Lindee Fenn Phillips

Brigham Young University-Idaho

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Theorists’ Influence on My Personal Paradigm

Introduction

As I have progressed through college, I have received much experience learning about

the different theories and theorists that have influenced the field of child development and made

it into what it is today. For this reason, I am inspired to reflect on what theories have influence

my own person paradigm and how I view the importance of children and families. I will now

review and discuss some of the theories that have greatly influenced my perspective and

understanding of children and how they develop and learn

Theories

Lev Vygotsky

Lev Vygotsky developed a sociocultural theory of cognitive development. He believed

that children’s development is affected equally by nature and nurture, especially when they are

young. He believed that children learn best when adults extend activities just beyond children’s

current level of understanding, but not so far beyond that the children lose interest, in a process

known as scaffolding (Crain, 2011). He believed that teachers can enhance children’s learning in

all domains by determining each child’s Zone of Proximal Development (Crain, 2011). In other

words, teachers can determine what tasks or teaching concepts are challenging but achievable for

each children’s unique individuality. Similar to Vygotsky’s beliefs, I believe that as children

naturally explore, we can extend their learning little by little. This has definitely influenced the

way understand how children learn about their environment and develop new skills. It has

changed the way I interact with and teach children in a preschool setting, and will also influence

the way I teach my own children someday.

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Urie Bronfenbrenner

Bronfenbrenner developed the ecological systems theory. His theory, “views the child as

developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the

surrounding environment” (Berk. 2015. P26). He called these ‘levels’ the microsystem,

mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. The microsystem is the innermost

level of the environment, the child’s immediate surroundings, such as a child’s relationship with

their caregivers or a peer they sit next to every day at school. The mesosystem is the second

level, which connects two microsystems together such as a parent teacher conference. The

exosystem is a social setting or interaction that doesn’t include the children, but still affects

them, such as a parents’ relationship with their mother-in-law. The macrosystem is the level

which consists of values, laws, and customs that have an influence on children, such as a church

regulation or cultural influence. This theory has helped me understand the varying levels of

influences that situations/relationships can have on children’s lives. The theory taught me that

although the innermost level may have the highest degree of influence, the other levels still can

and will influence the child’s life and is worth paying attention to.

Mary Ainsworth

Mary Ainsworth worked alongside John Bowlby and she developed a theory based on the

child-caregiver attachment. She performed the Strange Situation experiment, in which she

recognized several different attachment patterns, including secure attachment, avoidant

attachment, resistant attachment, and disorganized attachment (Crain, 2011). Ainsworth believed

that the type of attachment comes down to how consistent the mother was at giving the baby

attention at home. She said that, “infants and toddlers who have a warm parental relationship

show advanced play and peer behavior, have more extended peer exchanges and learn to
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interpret and send emotional signals” (Crain, 2011). She said that parents should sing, read, and

dance with their children to create a stronger bond with their children. From Mary Ainsworth

(and John Bowlby) I learned that children start learning from birth how to maintain healthy and

strong relationships. Ainsworth’s research has shown that children who have a secure attachment

to their primary caregivers are more likely to build healthy relationships later in life. This has a

huge impact on how I will raise my children in the future. This taught me that consistency and

predictability with my children when they are infants is super important in developing a secure

attachment with my children.

John Locke

John Locke taught that children are largely shaped by the environment in which they are

raised. During his time, many people viewed children as miniature adults. Locke, however, is

known for his idea that when children are born, they are like ‘blank slates’ on which the

environment imprints (Crain, 2011). While I do not necessarily agree with everything else Locke

believed, these few points I can stand by. I believe that the environment plays such a huge role in

a child’s life, which is part of the reason why I emphasize that understanding attachment theory

and ecological systems theory is so important. Both of these theories are about paying attention

to what is happening in a child’s environment.

Conclusion

Throughout my college education, I have learned about many different theories, some of

which I agree with and others not. Here I have discussed only four of the theories that have

changed the way I understand children and families. There are more theories with which I agree

that have not been included in this assignment, such as John Gottman’s emotion coaching theory

and some aspects of albert bandura’s behavioral learning processes. However, I believe the
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theories that I have included have probably influenced my personal paradigm the most and has

made me into the preschool teacher and family advocate that I am today.

References:
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Berk, L.E., & Meyers, A.B. (2015). Infants, Children, and Adolescents. Boston: Pearson.

Crain, W. C. (2011). Theories of development: concepts and applications. Boston, MA: Prentice

Hall.