BIG IDEAS

Do the following to ensure mastery of the big ideas presented in this chapter.
1.Meaning of human development is defined as the process of enlarging people’s freedoms and
opportunities and improving their well-being. Human development is about the real freedom ordinary
people have to decide who to be, what to do, and how to live.
2.Four principles of human development and their educational implications.

Principles Educational Implication

a Development is Continuous - The process of growth and development

continues from the conception till the individual
reaches maturity. Development of both physical
and mental traits continues gradually until these
traits reach their maximum growth. It goes on
continuously throughout life. Even after maturity
has been attained, development does not end.

- It does not come all on a sudden. It is also

b. Development is Gradual
cumulative in nature.

- Most psychologists agree that development is

c.Development is Sequential
sequential or orderly. Every species, whether
animal or human, follows a pattern of
development peculiar to it. This pattern in general
is the same for all individuals. The child crawls
before he creeps, stands before he walks and
babbles before he talks.

d.Rate of Development Varies Person to Person
- Rate of development is not uniform. Individuals
differ in the rate of growth and development. Boys
and girls have different development rates. Each
part of the body has its own particular rate of
growth. There are periods of great intensity and
 equilibrium and there are periods of imbalance.

3.Patterns of development
a.The direction of growth following the cephalocaudal pattern is from _______________________ to
the _______________________.
b.The direction of growth following the proximodistal pattern is from_______________________ to the
_______________________.
4.Two approaches to human development
Traditional vs. Life-span Approach

Concept Approach
Development
Traditional
is lifelong Life-span

Development during childhood
The traditional approach
emphasizes extensive change
over birth to adolescent, little or
no change in adulthood and
decline in late old age.
The life span approach
emphasizes development change
during adulthood as well as
childhood.

Development during adulthood
Traditional approaches to human
development have emphasized
change from birth to
adolescence, stability in
adulthood, and decline in old
age. Sears and Feldman have
captured the flavor of some of
the most important adult
changes. The changes in body,
personality, and abilities may be
great during these later decades.
Adulthood, the period in the
human lifespan in which full
physical and intellectual maturity
have been attained.Adulthood is
commonly thought of as
beginning at age 20 or 21
years.Physically, early and
middle adulthood are marked by
slow, gradual declines in body
functioning, which accelerate as
old age is reached.

Developmental stage/s as focus
of study
The traditional approach to the Emphasizes development change
study of development emphasize throughout adulthood as well as
extensive change from the birth childhood.
to adolescence espeacily during
infancy, little or no change in
adulthood and decline in old age.

5.Characteristics of human development from a life-span perspective.

 Socioemotional
processess

Biological

Processess

Development
Development is Characteristic involves growth,
multidimensional s of Human maintenance
Development and regulation

Development Development is
is plastic. contextual.
6. In one sentence, write the principle on human development expressed in this Venn
diagram.______________________________________________________________
7. Discuss the meaning of the quotation written beneath the title of these Unit and Module. Relate
the quotation to your life.
Cognitive
REASEARCH
Research and read any research on human development. Give an abstract of the research by stating
Processess
the:
1.problem
2.methods

3.findings
4.conclusions

TEST YOUR UNDESTANDING

Put a / check before a correct statement and an X before a wrong one. If you put X, explain why.
√ 1.Development is a pattern of change.
√ 2.Development is either growth or decline.
√ 3.From both traditional and life-span perspectives development is lifelong.
√ 4.In the development process, these are things that hold true to all people.
√ 5.Individuals develop uniformly.
√ 6.Development is predictable because it follows an orderly process.
√ 7.Development is unidimensional.

× 8.Development takes place in a vacuum.

Explanation:

Development does not take place in a vacuum. It is always embedded in a particular socio- cultural
context.
√ 9.The effect of biological process on development is isolated from the effect of cognitive and
socioemotional process.
Reflection:

REFLECTION
Guide Questions:

1.You are a bundle of possibilities. You are meant to develop like any other living thing or else you will
rut. Remember "Growth is an evidence of life." If you are alive, then you must be growing any
developing. Are you on your way to development?
2.As a teacher, you are a facilitator of the development of learners. Read and reflect on how one great
teacher played a role in the fantastic development of a child. Here is a true-to-life story of Teddy
emailed to me by a dear friend.

Write down your reflections.

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