PED-101

GROUP 2
Malleability, Plasticity,
and Individuality:
How Children Learn
and Develop in
Context
 PROBLEM
◦ Recent decades have witnessed an explosion of knowledge about how children develop
into whole individuals, how they become learners, and how contextual factors nourish
or hinder their development. This knowledge comes from diverse fields, including
neuroscience, developmental science, epigenetics, early childhood, psychology,
adversity science, resilience science, the learning sciences, and the social sciences. To
date, such knowledge has existed largely in separate fields of research, and has not
been integrated such that its profound relevance to developmental processes becomes
both visible and directly applicable to the settings in which children grow and learn. As
a result, important knowledge remains underutilized, contributing to persistent
disparities, challenges, and inadequacies in our education systems, other child-serving
systems, and the supports that we provide to families, practitioners, and communities.
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

◦In this study, documentary

analysis technique was used in
conjunction with the descriptive
survey methods.
 FINDINGS
I. Human Development
• Human development depends on
genetics, biology, relationships,
and cultural/contextual influences.
• Epigenetic adaptation shapes
genetic expression.
• Brain development starts
prenatally and continues into
young adulthood.
• Developmental systems theory
integrates diverse scientific
knowledge.
II. Dynamic Progression
◦ The human brain is self-
organizing and adaptable.
◦ Development is nonlinear and
unique to each individual.
◦ Emotional, cognitive, social, and
emotional processes are
interconnected.
◦ Complex skills require integration
of prerequisite skills and
contextual factors.
 III. Human Relationships V. Active Learning
◦ Human relationships influence • Students are active agents in their
development. learning.
◦ Attachment patterns form through • Factors affecting learning include
shared experiences. internal attributes and the learning
◦ Positive relationships are essential environment.
for healthy development. • Motivation and metacognition are
◦ Relationships can be intentionally
important for effective learning.
integrated into education.
• Instructional design and cultural
responsiveness are key to effective
education.
 CONCLUSION
◦ This identifies a convergence of multiple sciences around core principles of
human development, situating and integrating such principles within a dynamic,
holistic developmental systems framework that enables a deeper understanding of the
whole child in context. Such principles include the fundamental role of neural
malleability and plasticity; the interconnectedness of individuals with their social,
cultural, and physical contexts through complex, dynamic coactions over time; the role
of genes as followers, rather than drivers, in progressive developmental processes;
the integration of cognitive, social, emotional, and affective processes in
constructive skill development and learning; the pervasive reality of human variability,
and profound importance of its study; the stability in patterns of complex skills that
emerge across development; and the dynamics of adversity and resilience. Collectively,
these principles give rise to an important opportunity to facilitate the design and
personalization of child-serving settings such that they are developmentally
constructive, interpersonally rich, and attuned to children’s individual capacities,
needs, and potential.
The research findings offer teachers valuable
insights into the complex nature of human
development and learning. By integrating
these insights into their teaching strategies and
classroom practices, educators can create more
effective and inclusive learning environments
that better support the diverse needs and
potentials of their students.