Institute: National institute of Teachers

Programme: P.G.D.E

Lugbe Center , Abuja

Course: P.D.E 702( Development psychology)

Question:

(1) Discuss the significance of Developmental Psychology to the teacher (at least ten points).

(2)The significance of the principles of development in the classrooms

Date: 27/5/2023

Developmental psychology is a significant tool for a teacher. It provides

them with a credible framework to address the needs of students and to
educate them in a way that reflects the way in which they learn most
effectively.

Moving on to specifics, think about how developmental psychology has

helped people understand that children learn best when they see how what
they’re learning connects to everyday life.

A teacher might use this discovery to better teach their students about
math. If a teacher is instructing their young students how to add,
developmental psychology should propel them to do more than just say,
"five plus five equals ten." A teacher, under the influence of developmental
psychology, could devise a lesson plan that puts this knowledge into a
compelling context. A teacher might create a story in which a young person
with five Skittles acquires five more Skittles. Now, the students should see
how addition relates to real-life circumstances.

Regardless of the creativity of their lesson plans, a teacher could find they’re
having trouble reaching a student. Developmental psychology can be used to
effectively deal with a student who’s having a hard time learning. Perhaps
the student doesn’t think that they have the ability to learn. The teacher can
remedy this by treating the student like they have the same capacity to
learn as any other student. They can, according to developmental
psychology, give the student confidence.

Teacher needs to have knowledge of the current status of their students’

brain development in order to be able to plan and provide lessons that are
suitable for their students’ current developmental stage. This is where
developmental psychology comes in: developmental psychology provides
knowledge of brain development throughout the different stages in life.

For example, very young children do not have the ability to think in abstract
terms, as their brains have not reached that ability yet. This is crucial
knowledge for a teacher, because a teacher needs to take that into account
for their lessons. In this example, a teacher would need to ensure that the
lesson content relies on clear and straightforward content and activities, as
the children would struggle to learn and engage in a lesson where the
content is too abstract for their current developmental stage.

An example for this could be a math lesson where a teacher is trying to

teach addition. A teacher of younger students who is a aware of their
students’ current mental developmental stage might choose to use actual
items, such as wooden bricks, to explain the topic of addition in a more
accessible way. In this scenario, a good teacher would know that just
looking at numbers written on a board would be far too abstract for younger
learners. Learning about addition by looking at actual bricks being added up,
on the other hand, would be a much more useful learning experience for
these learners.

Another example you might want to consider is the development of the

ability to comprehend implied content. We have found out through
psychological research that the ability to understand implied content
develops over time within children and needs to be practiced. Therefore, an
English teacher, for example, needs to design tasks in their lessons that
practice that skill if they want their students to be able to deal with
comprehension questions. If the students are not yet at the right
developmental stage to be able to deal with comprehending implied
messages in a text, then they will need a lot more support and guidance in
their lessons than older and more mature students.
Developmental psychology is of prime importance to teachers. Our
knowledge of the developmental stages of our students enables us to tailor
our curricula, our lessons, our teaching strategies, our assessments, and our
expectations to the stages our students are in. People develop along
different dimensions, cognitive, social, physical, and I like to add moral, so
at any given moment, students may be highly developed in one dimension
and not particularly developed in another. All of this must be taken into
consideration by a teacher. Let me give you a few examples concerning
cognitive development.

Jean Piaget was a theorist who offered a theory of cognitive development

that is of great use to teachers. He posited that there were several stages
children go through, and until they are at a particular stage of development,
they are incapable of learning certain concepts. The most striking example of
this for me is pouring water from a container of one shape and size to a
container of another shape and size. Until a child has reached the concrete
operational stage, the child will report that the second container holds a
different quantity than the first. For a teacher to try to teach a child that
there is a constancy in quantity is an impossibility until the child reaches
that stage. This theory has great utility, particularly for the elementary to
middle-school teacher.

Vygotsky had a concept he called the zone of proximal development (ZPG).

This concept is equally useful to the teacher in planning and expectations.
The idea is that children’s development always rests on what went before,
such that if there are inadequate underpinnings of knowledge or experience,
a new idea or experience cannot “stick.” It has nothing to stick to! When we
plan our teaching, we therefore do something called “scaffolding,” to be sure
that what we are presenting builds on knowledge and experience that is
already there. Picture trying to build a third floor on a house if you have not
built the first and second already. Vygotsky’s idea is that learning is like
that, too, and that as students develop, we want to build on to what is
present and push ahead just a little bit at a time developmentally.

These are two of the developmental theory greats in education, but there
are others as well, and no teacher should enter the classroom without some
grounding in these important theories of development.
Discuss the significance of the knowledge of the principles of development for a teacher

The primary aim of education is to fulfill the natural needs and develop the personality of the
individuals. The knowledge of the basic principles of development helps in preparing the instructional
program for the students. The knowledge of the principles of development also enables the teacher to
comprehend the interests, tendencies, capacities and aptitudes of the students belonging to various
levels of education. With the help of this practical knowledge a teacher becomes able to take practical
steps for the fulfillment of social and emotional needs of the students. The significance of the
knowledge of the principles of development can be described in the following headings :

Objectives of education and the principles of development :

The objectives of education are first formulated in the process of education. The different objectives are
determined for various levels of education. These objectives are classified and categorized in line with
the stages and aspects of development. There are different physical, cognitive, social and emotional
needs at different phases of life. During the formulation of objectives of education, these versatile needs
of the students should be taken into account by the developmental psychologists and the curriculists.

Learning and the principles of development :

The process of learning and instruction cannot be successful and effective unless it is in conformity with
the

Mental level, tendencies, interests and psychological needs of the learners. The knowledge of the
principles of development enables the teachers to understand the broad-based developmental needs
and aspirations of the students. The knowledge of fire principles of development is also concerned with
the extent of physical and mental ability which is required for a particular level of education.

Individual differences and the principles of development :

It is obligatory for a teacher to take into consideration the individual differences of the students during
the course of instruction. Every child is born with unique and distinct faculties. This is an educational
misconception to consider all the children possessing the similar abilities and tendencies. The study of
principles of development assists the teacher in understanding the individual differences of the
students. To me, no effective instruction is possible Without the consideration of individual differences.

Co-curricular activities, and the principles of development :

The school organizes various co-curricular activities keeping in view the stages of development. The
experts maintain that the co-curricular activities must be in harmony with the stages of cognitive and
physical development. This is a significant educational need which must be taken into account during
the selection of co-curricular activities for the program of the school. The study of the basic principles
and characteristics of

Development enables the teacher to select particular co-curricular activities for the students of
particular age and educational level.

Methods of teaching and the principles of development :

Successful and effective instruction is not possible without a suitable method of teaching. The
knowledge of the principles of development enables the teachers to draw their instructional strategies
according to the psychological needs and mental abilities of the students of different ages. If the
developmental principles and characteristics are not considered during the educative process, the
students would feel boredom and take no interest in the learning and instructional activities.

Educational administration and the principles of development :

The study of principles of development helps the educational administrators to administer the affairs of
the school in accordance with the objectives of education. The children of different age group can be
brought under desirable discipline by means of various disciplines approaches. The duration of
instruction should correspond to the span of attention of the child. As the span of attention increases,
the duration of instruction

Could be increased. The school administration can draw a code of conduct and behavior if they are well
aware of the principles of development.

Exceptional children and the principles of development :

The exceptional children refer to those children Who cannot be educated in the class constructed for
the children With average abilities. Such children find difficulties in the normal educational settings. The
knowledge of principles of development allows the teachers to discriminate the exceptional children
from the normal ones. The exceptional children require special attention. They need special teachers,
special curriculum and special methods of teaching. If a teacher has full Command over the principles of
development, he/she would be able to take necessary measures for the education of exceptional
children.

Guidance and the principles cf development :

The study of the principles of development enables the teachers to guide the students through the
affairs of school and social life. They assist the students in the selection of subjects and professions,
solution of socio-psycho problems and maintaining domestic concerns. A teacher can better understand
the emotional problems of the students if he/she is well aware of the principles of development. The
process of education is, in fact, a process of guidance. The students face various problems at various
stages of development. In

This regard, it seems necessary for the teachers to be equipped with the knowledge of development.

Evaluation and the principles of development :

The study of the principles of development plays a significant role in the evaluationof educational
achievement of the students. Educational evaluation is directly concerned with the abilities of the
learners. The process of evaluation is carried out to evaluate the all-round abilities and skills of the
students. The stages of cognitive development are taken into consideration during the evaluation of the
cognitive abilities of the students. A

Teacher should know the abilities and capacities of the students belonging to various age groups. This is
possible only if the teacher is well-equipped with the knowledge of the principles of development.

Mental health and the principles of development :

The mental health of the learner contributes enough to the fulfillment of the objectives of education.
The study

Of the principles of development points out the mental problems and concerns of the students. A
teacher should take necessary steps- for maintaining the mental health of the students so that the
comprehensive objectives of the instructional process may be realized. The knowledge of principles of
development makes the teachers aware of the characteristics of mental health at various stages of
development. A good student

Contains sound mental health. And the principles of development render their services for the
maintaining the sound mental health of the students.

Social activities and the principles of development :

This is the responsibility of education to make the individuals useful citizens of the society. For the
acquisition of the social aims of education, the individuals should be socially adjusted by means of the
educative process, The study of the principles of development makes the teachers aware of the patterns
of Social development in certain phases of life of a student.