ED 111.docx

The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles ( ED 111) - According to UNESCO, UNICEF and WHO, a child is a person 18 years or younger unless national law defines a person to be an adult at earlier age. However, in their guideline when a person falls into the 10 to 19 age...

The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles ( ED 111) - According to UNESCO, UNICEF and WHO, a child is a person 18 years or younger unless national law defines a person to be an adult at earlier age. However, in their guideline when a person falls into the 10 to 19 age category they are referred to as an adolescent. - Child is generally defined as a person in the early stages of life, typically considered to be between birth and puberty (around 18 years old). During this period, children undergo significant physical, emotional, and cognitive development. - The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) defines a child as anyone under the age of 18. You can find more information on this in the official UN documents. - Adolescence is a distinct stage that marks the transition between childhood and adulthood. - The Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget described adolescence as the period during which individuals' cognitive abilities fully mature. - According to Piaget, the transition from late childhood to adolescence is marked by the attainment of formal operational thought, the hallmark of which is abstract reasoning. - According to UNICEF, during adolescence (ages 10 -- 19), girls and boys begin to interact with the world in ne ways -- taking chances, Learning skills and experiencing unfamiliar emotions. - According to WHO, adolescence is a period of life with specific health and developmental needs and rights. It is also a time to develop knowledge and skills, learn to manage emotions and relationships, and acquire attributes and abilities that will be important for enjoying the adolescent years and assuming adult roles. Definitions From: - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - This organization emphasizes the importance of education as a fundamental right for children and adolescents. - United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)- Focuses on children's rights, highlighting their needs for protection, education, health, and participation. - World Health Organization (WHO) -- Emphasizes the importance of mental health during adolescence, highlighting that this stage comes with unique challenges and transitions. **PERIODS OF DEVELOPMENT** The human life cycle**:** 1. Baby 2. Toddler 3. Pre-teen 4. Teen 5. Adult 6. Elderly **DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE** 1. *Pre-natal (conception-birth)* -- This stage is when hereditary endowments and sex are fixed and all body features, both external and internal are developed. 2. *Infancy ( birth-2 years)* -- Foundation age is when basic behaviors are organized and many ontogenetic maturation skills are developed. 3. *Early Childhood ( 2-6 years)* -- Pre-gang age, when basic exploratory, and questioning. Language and Elementary reasoning are acquired and initial socialization is experienced. 4. *Late Childhood (6-12 years)* -- Gang and creativity age when self-help skills, school skills, and play are developed. 5. *Adolescence (puberty- 18 years)* -- Transitioned age from childhood to adulthood when sex maturation and rapid physical development occur resulting in changes in ways of feeling, thinking, and acting. 6. *Early Adulthood (18-40 years)* -- Age of adjustment to new patterns of life and roles such as spouse, parent, and breadwinner. 7. *Middle Age (40- retirement years)* -- Transition age is when adjustments to initial physical and mental decline are experienced. 8. *Old age (retirement-death)* -- Retirement age is when increasingly rapid physical and mental decline is experienced. **Biological Development** 1. Conception and Prenatal Development [Fertilization] -- The sperm cell from the male fertilizes an egg cell from the female, forming a zygote. [Embryonic Stage --] The zygote undergoes rapid cell division and becomes an embryo. Key developments include the formation of major organs and structures. [Fetal Stage] -- The embryo develops into a fetus, with continued growth and maturation of organs. This stage lasts until birth. [Genetic Inheritance] -- The blueprint for an individual's biological development is determined by their genetic inheritance. [Environmental Influences] -- While genetics play a crucial role, the prenatal environment also significantly impacts development. 2. Infancy (Birth to 1 Year) [ Rapid Physical Growth] -- Infancy is characterized by rapid physical growth, with significant increases in height and weight. 3. Early Childhood (2 to 7 Years) [Continued Physical Growth] -- Children continue to grow and develop physically during early childhood, with improvements in motor skills. Coordination, and balance. 4. Middle Childhood (7 to 11 Years) [ Slower Physical Growth -- Physical] growth slows down during middle childhood, but children continue to develop muscle mass and coordination. 5. Adolescence (11 to 17 Years) [Puberty] -- Adolescence is marked by the onset of puberty, a period of rapid physical and hormonal changes that lead to sexual maturation. 6. Early Adulthood (18 to 25 Years) [Physical Peak] -- Early adulthood is often considered the peak of physical performance, with optimal muscle mass, strength, and cardiovascular function. 7. Middle Adulthood (26 to 65 Years) [Gradual Physical Decline] -- Physical abilities begin to decline gradually during middle adulthood, with changes in muscle mass, bone density, and cardiovascular function. 8. Late Adulthood (65 Years and Beyond) [Continued Physical Decline] -- Physical decline continues during late adulthood, with increased susceptibility to illness and disability. **Cognitive Development** 1. INFACY (BIRTH TO 2 YEARS): **THE SENSORIMOTOR STAGE** The first two years of life are characterized by the sensorimotor stage, where infants learn primarily through their senses and motor actions. a. Reflexive Behaviors (Birth to 1 Month): Newborns exhibit innate reflexes like rooting, sucking, and grasping, which are essential for survival and early interaction with the environment. b. Habits and Reactions (1 to 4 Months) : Infants begin to repeat actions that Initially occurred by chance. c. Object Orientation (4 to 8 Months) : Infants show increasing interest in objects and begin to understand that objects exist. d. Coordination of Vision and Touch (8 to 12 Months): Infants develop the ability to manipulate objects. e. Intrigue with Objects and Actions (12 to 18 Months): Infants explore the world through experimentation, discovering the effects of their actions on objects. f. Primitive Symbols and Mental Representations (18 to 24 Months) : Infants begin to use symbols. 2. EARLY CHILDHOOD (2 TO 7 YEARS): **THE PREOPERATIONAL STAGE** During this stage, children develop symbolic thinking and language skill. a. Symbolic Function Substage (2 to 4 Years): Children begin to use words, images, and drawings to represent objects and ideas. b. Intuitive Thought Substage (4 to 7 Years): Children start to use primitive reasoning and ask "why" questions. 3. MIDDLE AND LATE CHILDHOOD (7 TO 11 YEARS): **THE CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE** This stage marks a significant shift towards more logical and systematic thinking. a. Concrete Operations (7 to 11 Years):Children can sort, classify, and order objects by different traits. They are less focused on themselves and understand conservation better. 4. ADOLESCENCE (11 TO 17 YEARS): **THE FORMAL OPERATIONAL STAGE** Adolescence is a time of significant cognitive growth, characterized by the ability to think abstractly, hypothetically, and systematically. a. Formal Operations (11 to 17 Years): Adolescents can think about abstract Ideas and solve problems logically. They also understand social situations better and explore their own identity and place in the world. 5. EARLY ADULTHOOD (18 ΤΟ 25 YEARS): **REFLECTIVE AND CONTEXTUAL THINKING** Early adulthood is a period of continued cognitive development, where individuals refine their reasoning abilities and apply them to real-world situations. a. Reflective, Relativistic, and Contextual Thinking: Adults in this stage consider different viewpoints, understand the complexities of situations, and recognize that there may not be one "right" answer. 6. MIDDLE ADULTHOOD (26 ΤΟ 65 YEARS): **PEAK SEMANTIC KNOWLEDGE** During middle adulthood, individuals typically reach their peak in terms of semantic knowledge, vocabulary, and language skills. This is often reflected in superior performance on tasks requiring knowledge of geography, history, or word puzzles. 7. LATE ADULTHOOD (65+ YEARS): **COGNITIVE DECLINE AND COMPENSATORY STRATEGIES** In late adulthood, many people experience a gradual decline in some thinking skills. a. Slowing Processing Speed: Older adults may process information more slowly, which can affect their performance on tasks that require quick thinking or fast reactions. b. Changes in Attention: Older adults may have difficulty focusing their attention for extended periods or switching between tasks. c. Decline in Explicit Memory: Explicit memory, which involves remembering facts and events, may decline with age. In contrast, implicit memory, related to unconscious learning and skills, is usually less affected. **Socio-Emotional** - refers to the complex interplay between a person's social and emotional worlds a. Interact with others: This includes our social skills, communication, relationships, and ability to navigate social situations. b. Manage our emotions: This involves understanding, expressing, and regulating our feelings, as well as our capacity for empathy and compassion. c. Social: This aspect relates to our interactions with others, our understanding of social norms, and our ability to build and maintain d. Emotional: This aspect focuses on our inner world of feelings, including our ability to recognize, understand, and control our emotions. **NATURE VS. NURTURE** *Nature* refers to the genetic and biological factors that contribute to a child's development, while *nurture* refers to the environmental factors that shape a child's experiences and behaviors. Nature vs. nurture shapes child development. **CONTINUOUS VS. DISCONTINUOUS** **Continuous** -- the continuity view sees that change is gradual, children become more skillfull in thinking, talking or acting much the same way as they get taller. **Discontinuous** -- the discontinuity view sees development as more abrupt a succession of changes that produce different behaviors in different age specific lige periods called stages. **QUANTITATIVE VS. QUALITATIVE** Human development involves both quantitative and qualitative changes as individuals grow and mature. **Quantitative development** refers to changes that can be measured numerically, such as: \- Physical growth in height, weight, and body proportions. \- Acquisition of knowledge and skills. \- Increased speed and efficiency in cognitive processing. **Qualitative development** involves changes in the "nature and organization" of an individual's thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors. These changes are more abrupt and represent a "fundamental shift" in how a person interacts with and understands the world. *Examples include:* \- Developing the ability to see things from others' perspectives. \- Acquiring new problem-solving strategies and heuristics. \- Transitioning between qualitatively distinct stages of cognitive development (e.g., Piaget's stages). **UNIVERSAL VS. INDIVIDUAL** **Universal Development**- refers to patterns of growth or changes that are common to all humans, regardless of culture, race, or personal circumstances. It includes the developmental milestones and processes that most people experience as they age. **Individual Development**- refers to the unique developmental path each person takes based on their personal experiences, genetics, environment, and cultural background. It highlights the differences in development between individuals. **STABILITY VS. PLASTICITY** **Stability** ( *permanent*) -- individuals maintain their personality traits ,characteristics from childhood to adulthood. **Plasticity** ( *change*) -- personalities that are modified by interaction with family, experience and acculturation. **ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE** **Active**- holds the belief that children are active agents who shape, control, and direct their own development. **Passive** -- holds the idea that a child is a passive organism that is simply shaped by the genetic composition or by the environmental influences. **CHILD AND DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH METHOD** - Systematic approaches to studying children's growth and changes over time. - Techniques used to gather data on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. - Methods designed to investigate how children learn, think, and interact with their environment. - Approaches that consider ethical concerns and age-appropriate research techniques. - Include both quantitative and qualitative methods. - Often longitudinal in nature, tracking changes across different stages of childhood. - May involve cross-sectional studies comparing different age groups. - Typically consider multiple contexts: family, school, peers, and broader societal influences. - Aim to inform theories of child development and improve practices in education, healthcare, and parenting. **DATA GATHERING TECHNIQUES IN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH** Data gathering techniques refer to the methods used to collect information from participants or sources in a systematic manner. These techniques are vital in understanding the various developmental stages of children and adolescents. - **Surveys or questionnaires**: Written questions are given to children, adolescents, or their caregivers to gather information on behaviors, emotions, or experiences. - **Interviews**: Face-to-face or online conversations with children, parents, or teachers to gather detailed insights. - **Observations**: Teachers observe children or adolescents in natural settings like homes, schools, or playgrounds, without interference. **Ethics in lifespan** **research** involves following moral principles and guidelines to ensure that participants are treated with respect, fairness, and care throughout the research process. In child and adolescent development research, it is critical to protect vulnerable populations. 1. **Informed Consent** : Children and their families have the right to full information about the research in which they may participate, including possible risks and benefits. Their decision to participate must be based on what is called "informed consent." There must be informed consent procedures with research participants. 2. **Confidentiality**: There should be respect for privacy. Information obtained through research with children should remain confidential. Researchers must ensure that the personal data of the participants is kept private and not shared without consent. 3. **Non-maleficence**: Researchers should ensure that their study does not harm the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of the child or adolescent participants. 4. **Autonomy**: Participants should have the freedom to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. 5. **Justice**: Research should be conducted fairly, ensuring that the benefits and burdens are equitably distributed among different group.