GRACE MISSION COLLEGE

Catiningan, Socorro, Oriental Mindoro

e-Mail: grace.missioncollege@yahoo.com

Module
MODULE 2 10 Subject: The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory

At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

 describe each of the layers of Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model,

 identify factors in one’s own life that exerted influence on one’s development and
 use the bioecological theory as a framework to describe the factors that affect a child and adolescent
development.

INTRODUCTION

Bronfenbrenner came up with a sample yet useful paradigm showing the different factors that exert influence
on an individual’s development. It points out the ever widening spheres of influence that shape every individual, from
his/her immediate family to the neighborhood, the country and even the world!

Activity No. 1 “Looking Back”

Recall your childhood. You may also ask your parents for some information. Answer the following sentence completion
items.
1. When I was 5 years old, my parents __________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2. As a child, my unforgettable playmates were ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
3. When I was in elementary, I regularly watched the television show _________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
4. When I was growing up, we went to church in __________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
5. I cannot forget my teacher __________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
6. When I was growing up, I was away from ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
7. When I was in high school, I was close to _______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
8. As a child, I can recall this big news about ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
9. The most serious challenge our family experienced was ___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
10. The most important thing that I learned from my elementary school was _____________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

ABSTRACTION
Urie Bronfenbrenner’s model also known as the Bioecological Systems theory presents child development
within the context of relationship systems that comprise the child’s environment. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems
theory views child development as a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding
environment, from immediate settings of family and school to broad cultural values, laws, and customs. To study a
 GRACE MISSION COLLEGE
Catiningan, Socorro, Oriental Mindoro
e-Mail: grace.missioncollege@yahoo.com

child's development then, we must look not only at the child and her immediate environment, but also at the interaction
of the larger environment as well.
He formulated the Ecological Systems Theory to explain how social environments affect children’s development.
This theory emphasizes the importance of studying children in multiple environments, known as ecological systems, in
the attempt to understand their development.
According to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, children typically find themselves enmeshed in
various ecosystems, from the most intimate home ecological system to the larger school system, and then to the most
expansive system which includes society and culture. Each of these ecological systems inevitably interact with and
influence each other in all aspects of the children’s lives.

Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model: Structure of Environment

Bronfenbrenner (1977) suggested that the environment of the child
is a nested arrangement of structures, each contained within the next. He
organized them in order of how much of an impact they have on a child.
Because the five systems are interrelated, the influence of one
system on a child’s development depends on its relationship with the
others.

The Microsystem
The microsystem is the first level of Bronfenbrenner's theory, and are the
things that have direct contact with the child in their immediate
environment, such as parents, siblings, teachers and school peers.
Relationships in a microsystem are bi-directional, meaning the child can be
influenced by other people in their environment and is also capable of
changing the beliefs and actions of other people too.
Furthermore, the reactions of the child to individuals in their microsystem can influence how they treat them in return.
The interactions within microsystems are often very personal and are crucial for fostering and supporting the child’s
development.
If a child has a strong nurturing relationship with their parents, this is said to have a positive effect on the child.
Whereas, distant and unaffectionate parents will have a negative effect on the child.
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Catiningan, Socorro, Oriental Mindoro
e-Mail: grace.missioncollege@yahoo.com

The Mesosystem
The mesosystem encompasses the interactions between the child’s microsystems, such as the interactions between the
child’s parents and teachers, or between school peers and siblings.
The mesosystem is where a person's individual microsystems do not function independently, but are interconnected and
assert influence upon one another.
For instance, if a child’s parents communicate with the child’s teachers, this interaction may influence the child’s
development. Essentially, a mesosystem is a system of microsystems.
According to the ecological systems theory, if the child’s parents and teachers get along and have a good relationship,
this should have positive effects on the child’s development, compared to negative effects on development if the
teachers and parents do not get along.

The Exosystem
The exosystem is a component of the ecological systems theory developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner in the 1970s. It
incorporates other formal and informal social structures, which do not themselves contain the child, but indirectly
influence them as they affect one of the microsystems.
Examples of exosystems include the neighborhood, parent’s workplaces, parent’s friends and the mass media. These are
environments in which the child is not involved, and are external to their experience, but nonetheless affects them
anyway.
An instance of exosystems affecting the child’s development could be if one of the parents had a dispute with their boss
at work.
The parent may come home and have a short temper with the child as a result of something which happened in the
workplace, resulting in a negative effect on development.

The Macrosystem
The macrosystem is a component of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory that focuses on how cultural elements
affect a child's development, such as socioeconomic status, wealth, poverty, and ethnicity.
Thus, culture that individuals are immersed within may influence their beliefs and perceptions about events that
transpire in life.
The macrosystem differs from the previous ecosystems as is does not refer to the specific environments of one
developing child, but the already established society and culture which the child is developing in.
This can also include the socioeconomic status, ethnicity, geographic location and ideologies of the culture.
For example, a child living in a third world country would experience a different development than a child living in a
wealthier country.

The Chronosystem
The fifth and final level of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory is known as the chronosystem.
This system consists of all of the environmental changes that occur over the lifetime which influence development,
including major life transitions, and historical events.
These can include normal life transitions such as starting school but can also include non-normative life transitions such
as parents getting a divorce or having to move to a new house.
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Catiningan, Socorro, Oriental Mindoro
e-Mail: grace.missioncollege@yahoo.com

The Role of Schools and Teachers

Researchers tell us that absence or lack of children’s constant mutual interaction with important adults has
negative effects on their development.
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Catiningan, Socorro, Oriental Mindoro
e-Mail: grace.missioncollege@yahoo.com

According to the bioecological theory, “if the relationships in the immediate microsystem break down, the child
will not have the tools to explore other parts of his environment. Children looking for the affirmations that should be
present in the child/parent relationship look for attention in appropriate places.
Bronfenbrenner’s theory reminds the school and the teachers of their very important role. This theory helps
teachers look into every child’s environmental systems in order to understand more about the characteristics and needs
of each child, each learner. The schools and the teachers can contribute stability and long-term relationships, but only
to support and not replace the relationships in the home. He believes that, “the primary relationship needs to be with
someone who can provide a sense of caring that is meant to last a lifetime.
Schools and teachers’ crucial role is not to replace the lack in the home of such exists, but to work so that the
school becomes an environment that welcomes and nurtures families.

Activity No. 2
What can the school, the teachers in particular do in the following situations:
*If there is lack of support, care and affection from the home?
*if there is a serious breakdown of the basic’s relationships in a child’s life?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Activity No. 3
Direction: Read a research or study related to Bronfenbrenner’s theory. Fill out the matrix below
Problem: Research Methodology:

Source: (bibliographical/ link entry

Findings: format) Concusions:
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Catiningan, Socorro, Oriental Mindoro
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How are the findings of this research useful to teachers?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Activity No.
Reflection
From this module, write a memory down from your childhood. The memory should be classified into one of the
layers from Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Prepared by:

ROSWELL O. TOLENTINO, EdD

Instructor

“Every kid needs at least one adult who is crazy about him .”
-Urie Bronfenbrenner