PROF. ED.

1 REVIEWER
THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT LEARNER AND LEARNING
PRINCIPLES

BASIC CONCEPTS AND ISSUES ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Two approaches to human development
 Traditional – children will show extensive change from birth to adolescence,
little or no change in adulthood and decline in late old age.
 Life-span approach – believes that even in adulthood development change
takes place as it does during childhood.

PAUL BALTES (Santrock, 2002), an expert in life-span development, gives the

following characteristics.
PAUL BALTES (LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT)
1. Development is lifelong. It does not end in adulthood. It will continue developing
even in adulthood.

2. Development is plastic. Plasticity refers to the potential for change. Development is

possible throughout the life-span. No one is too old to learn. There is no such thing
as “I am too old for that…”

3. Development is multidimensional. Development consists of biological, cognitive, and

socio-emotional dimensions. Development as a process is complex because it is the
product of biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional processes.
 Biological process – involves changes in the individual’s physical
nature, e.g. brain development, gaining height and weight.
 Cognitive process – involve changes in the individual’s thought,
intelligence and language.
 Socio-emotional process – include changes in the individual’s
relationships with other people, changes in emotion, and changes in
personality.
4. Development is relatively orderly. Human babies will eventually learn how to sit,
crawl then walk before they can run.
THE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS
(SANTROCK, 2002)

JOHN W. SANTROCK
 Professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas
 Author of several bestselling human development programs, including Life-Span
development, Essentials of Life-Span development, Children and Adolescence.
 His research interests focus on the nature of family processes and the social
development of children and adolescents.

1. PRENATAL PERIOD (from conception to birth)

Involves tremendous growth – from a single cell to an organism complete with brain
and behavioral capabilities.

2. INFANCY (from birth to 18-24 months)

A time of extreme dependence on adults. Many psychological activities are just
beginning – language, symbolic thought, sensorimotor coordination and social
learning.

3. EARLY CHILDHOOD (end of infancy to 5-6 years [grade 1])

These are the preschool years. Young children learn to become more self-sufficient
and to care for themselves, develop school readiness skills and spend many hours
in play with peers.

4. MIDDLE AND LATE CHILDHOOD (6-11 years of age, the elementary school years)
The fundamental skills of reading, writing and arithmetic are mastered. The child is
formally exposed to the larger world and its culture. Achievement becomes a more
central theme of the child’s world and self-control increases.

5. ADOLESCENCE (10-12 years of age up to 18-22 years of age)

Begins with rapid physical changes-dramatic gains in height and weight, changes in
body contour, and development of sexual characteristics such as enlargement of the
breasts, development of pubic hair and facial hair, and deepening of the voice.
Pursuit of independence and identity are prominent. Thought is more logical,
abstract and idealistic. More times is spent outside of the family.
6. EARLY ADULTHOOD (from late teens or early 20s lasting through the 30s)
It is time of establishing personal and economic independence, career development,
selecting a mate, learning to live with someone in an intimate way, starting a family
and rearing children.

7. MIDDLE ADULTHOOD (40-60 years of age)

It is time of expanding personal and social involvement and responsibility; of
assisting the next generation in becoming competent and mature individuals; and of
reaching and maintaining satisfaction in a career.

8. LATE ADULTHOOD(60 and above)

It is a time for adjustment to decreasing strength and health, life review, retirement,
and adjustment to new social roles.

STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS

(HAVIGHURST, 1972)

ROBERT JAMES HAVIGHURST

 Was a chemist and physicist, educator, and expert on human development and
aging.
 Best known for his conceptualization of human development as mastery of a series
of age-related cultural tasks.
 Elaborated this development theory in the most systematic and extensive manner.

1. INFANCY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD (0-5)

 Learning to walk
 Learning to take solid foods
 Learning to talk
 Learning to control the elimination of body wastes
 Learning sex differences and sexual modesty
 Acquiring concepts and language to describe social and physical reality
 Readiness for reading
 Learning to distinguish right from wrong and developing a conscience

2. MIDDLE CHILDHOOD (6-12)

