Bioecological Model Theory

Lesson of Development
5 - Joecel Gomez, LPT

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to
a) Describe each of the layers of Brofenbrenner’
Bioecological Model; and
b) Identify factors in one’s own life that exerted influence
on one’s development.

Introduction:

Welcome to Lesson 5! In this lesson, we can picture out that environment has
a large impact in the development of an individual. That is why Brofenbrenner, the
proponent, emphasizes the significant influence of the family, community, and even
mass media. As a future educator, this theory reminds us to build fundamental
relationships with our student knowing the fact that we are considered as the second
parent of our students.
Instructions: This activity requires you to recall
experience from your childhood up to the present.
Activity Hence, for you to continue sharing your experience,
read and reflect the following questions and write your
answers on the graphic organizer below.

1. Did you have strong relationship with your immediate environment

(family, church, and school)?
2. Were your needs met by the immediate environment?
3. How often did you seek advice from health professionals in your
community?
4. How often did your parents monitor your school performance knowing the
fact that they are working to address the basic needs of your family?
5. How often did your family initiate bonding together?
6. Did you see the benefits of those programs, projects, and orders
implemented by the local government unit?
7. What are those practices that your family usually does?
8. Did you see the benefits of those programs, projects, and laws implemented
by the national government?

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Analysis
Instructions: Write each answer you gave in the Activity on the circle where it
belongs.

Activity lifted from: Corpuz, Brenda B., Lucas, M.R.D., Borabo, H.L. & Lucido, P.I. (2018) The Child and Adolescent Learners
and Learning Principles. Lorimar Publishing, Inc. Module 6; Activity pp.. 77- 78.

Abstraction
Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model: Structure of Environment

Urie Bronfenbrenner’s model is also known as the Bioecological Systems

theory. This theory describes development as a lasting change in the way which a
person perceives and deals with his or her environment. It comprises multipart layer
of environment that surrounds the child. Hence, each layer is composed of different
structures that may influence some factors of the child’s development. Therefore, any
changes that a child may undergo in any one layer will affect throughout other layers.
So, to fully understand this model, it is best to understand the contribution of each
layer to the child’s emotional, physical, social, and mental aspects of development.
Microsystem. It is the layer closest to the child. This contains the structures
with which the child has direct contact with the immediate environment like
the interaction with his/ her parent and other family members, teachers, and
neighborhood. In this layer, experiences and learnings happen bi-directionally
whom the child may be affected by his/her environment and vice versa. Part of
this system also is the satisfaction of the child’s basic needs such as the

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appropriate care and love given by his/her parents and also to the quality of
learning experience the child received from his/her teacher.
Mesosystem. This layer provides the connection between the structures of the
child’s microsystem. The collaboration between those structures in the
microsystem plays an important role to address the basic needs of the child. In
simpler terms, not all the time parents are experts to everything; so, they need
to connect to other experts or professionals who can be trusted for the holistic
development of the child. For instance, the health personnel/ services unit are
the responsible authority for the health of the child, same way also with
teachers who is the responsible person for their quality education.
Exosystem. This layer refers to the bigger social system in which the child
does not function directly. It comprises the Local Government Unit, the
workplace of the parent, and the mass media. This means that the structures in
this layer impact the child’s development by interacting with some structure in
his/her microsystem. Parent workplace and schedules or community-based
family resources are examples. The child may not be directly involved at this
level, but he does feel the positive or negative force involved with the
interaction with his own system. Probably, parents could not be able to
monitor properly the progress of their child towards their study and
community-related activities. For instance, both parents are working abroad;
there might be these chances that their children are not doing well in their
studies or involved in any vices which affect their performances in school.
Therefore, factors that lead children to a certain development and success may
be compromised and could be possibly failed to achieve their aspirations in
life.
Macrosystem. This layer may be considered the outermost layer in the child’s
environment. While not being a specific framework, this layer is comprised of
cultural values, customs, and laws. The effects of larger principles defined by
the macrosystem have a cascading influence throughout the interactions of all
other layers. For instance, a Filipino Master’s degree graduate is surprised to
know that he cannot proceed the doctorate program applied for in Louvain,
Belgium because of the short year basic education.
Chronosystem. This system encompasses the dimension of time as it relates to
a child’s environments. Elements within this system can be either external,
such as the timing of a parent’s death, or internal, such as the physiological
changes that occur with the aging of a child. As children get older, they may
react differently to environmental changes and may be more able to determine
more how that change will influence them.

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Application
Instructions: Make a minimum of five minute-video reaction on the Movie entitled
“Boyhood”. Discuss some salient events of the movie which best exemplifies a
particular layer in the Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model.
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References
Corpuz, Brenda B., Lucas, M.R.D., Borabo, H.G.L. & Lucido, P.I. (2018) The Child
and adolescent learners and learning principles. Lorimar Publishing, Quezon
City, Metro Manila.
Laganao, E. et al (2015). Child and Adolescent Development. St. Andrew Publishing
House: Bulacan
.

Closure
Job well done, Future Teacher! You are now done with the last lesson of the
Module 2. Truly, Bronfenbrenner came up with a simple yet useful paradigm
showing the different factors that exert influence on an individual’ development.
As for him, “Children need people in order to become human”.