NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

AJUY CAMPUS

Instructional Module in PEd101

The Child and Adolescent Learners andLearning Principles
First Semester AY 2020-2021

Dr. Ruth B. Divinagracia

Professor

Module 3
Human Development: Issues and Approaches

Time Allotment: 3 hours

I. Introduction

In the previous lesson, you were introduced the description of the key
terms. Like child, adolescent, and human development coming from the
different perspectives. In this lesson, you are going to be acquainted with
the various means by which human development takes place and its many
and diverse concerns.

II. Learning Outcomes

In this module, you are expected to have:

1. distinguished traditional and life-span approaches of development,

2. taken a research-based stand on the three issues on human
development.

III. Learning Content

A. Approaches to Human Development

Do you believe that changes occurring in the early stages of a

human are the same changes that occur in the latter stages of his life?

Many believe the changes that take place from birth to

adolescence is very extensive and during adulthood and in old age
little or no change occurs. This point of view in human development is
known as traditional approach. On the contrary, if your belief is that
the developmental changes that take place in adulthood and old age
are same as childhood, that point of view is called life-span approach.

PEd 101-MODULE 3 Dr. Ruth B. Divinagracia

 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS

Experts in life-span approach, Paul Baltes, (Corpuz, et.al,2018)

presented to us the different characteristics of human development
from a life-span perspective.

1. Development is lifelong.

Development continues and does not end in adulthood. As you

grow biologically or psychologically your development also continues.
Meaning as long as you live there is development.

2. Development is plastic.

Plasticity is the ability of one to change. So, if development is

plastic meaning it is possible that it will occur throughout the life span
and no one is too old to learn. Though, some intellectual abilities
decline, this is associated with aging. This decline maybe prevented or
reduced if the reasoning abilities of adults are improved through
retraining based on the research done by Willies and Schane and as
cited by Santrocks, S., 2005 (Corpuz, et. al. 2018).

This is why there are some who suggest that if you want to avoid
forgetfulness you to activate your cognitive faculties for them be
healthy as you grow old.

3. Development is multidimensional.

Development is a complex process which consists of biological,

cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions (Corpuz, et.al. 2018).

A. Biological process involves change in the physical nature of an

individual. This include changes in height, weight, hormonal change
and cardiovascular changes as he approach puberty and adulthood
consecutively. Biologically, development is relatively orderly.

There are two patterns of development. First, proximodistal

pattern. The individual tends to develop muscular control of his trunk
and arms before he can control the movements of his hands and
fingers. And the second one is the cephalo-caudal pattern. These are
observable developmental changes that occur during infancy. This is
the growth occurring from the top or the head going down to the
bottom. The pattern of development for example starts from the neck,
shoulders, middle trunk and so on.

Development takes place gradually. Development does not occur

overnight. It takes time for some changes to take place, more often it
takes weeks, months or years for a person to undergo changes.

B. Cognitive process is another dimension of development. It

involves changes in the individuals thought, intelligence and language.
For example: ability to form words through sounds, memorizing,
singing, imaging, playing and solving problems.

PEd 101-MODULE 3 Dr. Ruth B. Divinagracia

 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS

C. Socioemotional process. This process includes changes on how

the individual relate with each other. This is manifested in the changes
in emotions and changes in personality. For example: aggressive
teenagers developing into a fine lady and a gentlemen or otherwise
depending on some factors affecting their development.

The effects of these processes, biological, cognitive, and

socioemotional, on the individual is not isolated from the other.
Meaning, the effects of the biological process affects the cognitive
process which in turn affect the socioemotional process.

4. Development is contextual.

Individuals are changing beings in this changing world (Corpuz,

et.al. 2018). each one responds to and act in context. Context may
refer to interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs or
the environment. This includes the individuals’ biological make up,
physical environment, cognitive processes, historical, social and
cultural. The biological make up, social and cultural contexts may
vary, thus individuals develop differently from each other.

5. Development involves growth, maintenance, and regulation.

Growth is the quantitative aspect of development. Together with

maintenance and regulation they form the goals of human
development and these vary among individuals’ developmental stages.

B. Issues on Human Development

There are questions as to who is doing well in Mathematics, boys

or girls? Or who is more observant, males or females? The answers to
these questions are quite debatable. According to life-span
developmentalists, development is not all nature or all nurture, not all
continuity and discontinuity, and stability and change.

What are these issues we are talking about that concern human
development? These issues are:

1. Nature vs. Nurture

Nature refers to an individual’s biological inheritance while

nurture is the individuals’ environmental experiences. Your

PEd 101-MODULE 3 Dr. Ruth B. Divinagracia

 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS

biological inheritances may include the genes that you have

inherited from your parents or your heredity. Heredity may refer
to the transmission of characters from parents to offspring through
genes in the chromosomes. Your environmental experiences, these
will be those which you personally encountered, undergone or
lived through.These are the product of the things you observed
around you.

The question is which of these has a more significant influence

in your development as human being? Is it nature? Is it nurture?

2. Continuity vs. Discontinuity

Continuity involves gradual and cumulative change in

development while discontinuity refers to the distinct change in
experience during the process of development.

Cumulative change is a process that combines elements of

continuity with elements of change- many parts of the system are
preserved for extended periods while new parts are added and
other parts are either replaced or transformed. Evolutionary
change tends to be cumulative in nature.

If you are asked, do you think development is like growing a

tree from a seedling or is it like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly?

3. Stability vs. Change

Stability implies personality traits present during infancy,

endured throughout the life span while change are personalities
modified by interactions with family, experiences at school and
acculturation. Acculturation refers to the assimilation to a different
culture typically the dominant one. This process is believed to
have impact on both social and psychological well-being. You may
wonder if we abort our first experiences have made of us or do we
develop into someone different from who we were at an earlier
point of your development?

Both genes and environment are necessary for the individual

to exist. Without genes, there is no person; without environment,
there is no person according to ScarraudWeinbry, 1980 as quoted
by Santroch, 2002 (Corpuz, et.al. 2018)

Heredity and environment cooperate together and interact to

produce a person’s intelligence, temperament, height, weight,
ability, etc.

PEd 101-MODULE 3 Dr. Ruth B. Divinagracia

 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS

IV. Learning Assessment

Pick out one of the Human Development Issues and on which you
believe is most influential in your development as a person. Use a
research study to support your claims. Write this in not less than 15
sentences. Send your works on the email address
finalreq2020@gmail.com.

Rubrics for Essay

Your essay shall be evaluated using these criteria:
Content..............……...12 points
Organization......……….. 8 points
Language Facility…………5 points
Total perfect points…….25 points

Your answer starts here:

PEd 101-MODULE 3 Dr. Ruth B. Divinagracia

 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS

V. Enrichment Activity

Read the article “How the First Nine Months Shape: The Rest of your
Life”. this was taken from Time Magazine, October 4, 2010.
Then, try to ponder on these statements:
1. Heredity exerts a greater influence on human development than
environment;
2. What has been experienced in the earlier stages of development
can no longer be changed.
3. You’re the perspective of life-span developmentalist. Later
experiences are the key determinants of a person’s development.
Send your works on the email address finalreq2020@gmail.com.

VI. References

1. Martinez, Cr., (2005) Nature vs. Nurture. Retrieved August 2, 2020

from book.google.com
2. Nelson, C., (1999) Neural Plasticity. Retrieved August 3, 2020 from
journal.sagepub.com
3. Ausebel, DP.,(1980) Theory and Problems of Child Development.
Retrieved August 4, 2020 from scholar.google.com
4. Morris, P., (2007) The Biological Model of Human Development.
Retrieved August 3, 2020 from scholar.google.com
5. Mussen, PH, Harper, JJC. (1956) Child Development and Personality.
Retrieved August 2, 2019 from psyche.org
6. Parke, Ross., (1999) Child Psychology: A Contemporary View Point.
Retrieved August 3, 2020 from scholar.google.com
7. McDevitt,T., (2010) Child Development and Education. Retrieved
August 4, 2020 from personhighered.com
8. Corpuz,B.B.etal. (2018).The Child and Adolescent Learner and Learning
Principles.Lorimar Publishing Inc.Quezon City.

VII. Syllabus on PEd101 : The Child and Adolescent Learner and Learning
Principles

PEd 101-MODULE 3 Dr. Ruth B. Divinagracia