CITY OF MALABON UNIVERSITY

Pampano corner Maya-maya St., Longos, Malabon City

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
City of Malabon University Open University

THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT LEARNERS AND LEARNING PRINCIPLES

This course focuses on child and adolescent development with emphasis on current research and theories
on biological, linguistic, cognitive, social, and emotional dimensions of development. Further, this includes factors
that affect the progress of development of the learners and appropriate pedagogical principles applicable for each
developmental level of the learners. The course also addresses laws, policies, guidelines, and procedures that
provide safe and secure learning environments, and the use of positive and non-violent discipline in the
management of learner behavior.

COURSE OUTCOMES

[1] demonstrate content knowledge and its application within and /or across curriculum teaching areas.
[2] demonstrate an understanding of the different research-based theories related to the broad dimensions of
child and adolescent development and their application to each developmental level of the learners.
[3] demonstrate understanding of pedagogical principles suited to diverse learners’ needs and experiences at
different developmental levels.
[4] demonstrate knowledge of laws, policies, guidelines, and procedures that provide safe and secure learning
environments; and
[5] demonstrate knowledge of positive and non-violent discipline in the management of learner behavior.

MODULE 10 WEEK 4
UNIT 4: SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Overview

The area of emotions and social relations among learners is an interesting area to explore and study. How
children make friends, resolve conflicts, and how theses are evident in their relationships as adult. This section
highlights stages and phases within the stages of emotion development covering the importance of socialization
in the development of gender preferences and orientation as well as the development of moral judgment.

Learning Objectives

In this module, you are expected to:

1. Discuss the concepts and theories related to the socio-emotional development of children and
adolescents.
2. Make connections, using knowledge on current research literature, between socio-emotional
development theories and developmentally appropriate teaching approaches suited to learners’
gender, needs, strengths, interests, and experiences.
3. Compare and contrast various approaches to learning and describe how they are manifested in the
classroom.
4. Apply behavior analysis in teaching child and adolescent learners across curriculum areas
5. Discuss the laws, policies, guidelines and procedures that protect children’s rights and assure their
safety and security

Key Words and Concepts

Psychoanalytic, psychosocial, social learning, hierarchy of needs,

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Content

A. SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT THEORIES

The Psychodynamic Theories: Freud, Erikson, and Object Relations Theory

Advocates of the psychodynamic perspective believe that behavior is motivated by inner forces,
memories, and conflicts that are generally beyond people’s awareness and control. These inner
forces, which may stem from one’s childhood, continually influence behavior throughout the lifespan.

Instincts and Motives

Central to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory is the notion that human beings have basic biological
urges or drives that must be satisfied. Freud viewed the newborn with two kinds of instincts, or inborn
biological forces that motivate behavior. The life instincts (eros) aim for survival and direct life-
sustaining activities such as breathing, eating, and reproducing. The death instincts (Thanatos) are
destructive forces that motivate us to harm others and even ourselves. According to Freud, these
biological instincts are the source of the psychic (or mental) energy that fuels human behavior and is
channeled in new directions over the course of human development.

Freud strongly believed in unconscious motivation, in the power of instincts and other inner
forces to influence behavior even though they are not known to us. Freud’s theory is highly biological
in nature: Biological instincts – forces that often provide an unconscious motivation for our actions –
are said to guide human development.

Id, Ego, and Superego

Freud believed that everyone has a fixed amount of psychic energy that can be used to satisfy
basic urges or instincts and to grow psychologically. As the child develops, this psychic energy is
divided among three components of the personality: the id, ego, and superego.

At birth, all the psychic energy resides in the id. The id is the impulsive, irrational part of the
personality whose entire mission is to satisfy the instincts. It based the pleasure principle, seeking
immediate gratification, even when biological needs cannot be realistically, or appropriately map. If
you think about it, young infants do seem to be all id in many ways. when they're hungry or wet, they
simply fuss and cry until their needs are met; They are not known for their patience.

The second component of the personality is the ego, the rational side of the individual that
operates according to the reality principle and tries to find realistic ways of gratifying instincts.
According to Freud, the eagle begins to emerge during infancy when psychic energy is diverted from
the id to energize important cognitive such as perception, learning, and problem solving. The hungry
toddler may be able to do more than merely cry when she is hungry; She may be able to draw on the
resources and be able to verbalize that she wants something. However, a toddler’s ego is still
relatively immature; They want now. As the ego matures further, children become more and more
able to postpone their pleasures until a more appropriate time and to device logical and realistic plans
for meeting their needs.

The third part of the Freudian personality is this super ego, the individuals internalized and moral
standards. The superego develops from the ego and strives for perfection rather than for pleasure or
realism. It begins to develop as three- to six-year-old children internalize take on as their own the
moral standards and values of their parents. Typically, it grows stronger as children continued to
absorb the values of adults. Once the Super ego emerges, children have parental voice in their heads
that tells them that it would be wrong to satisfy their ids by grabbing or stealing other children's
snacks, and that voice makes them feel guilty or ashamed when they do violate society's rules and
standards. The Super ego insists that we find socially acceptable or ethical outlets for the ids
undesirable impulses

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 The Psychosexual Stages of Development Theory

Freud viewed the sex instinct as the most important of life instincts because the psychological
disturbances of his parents often revolved around childhood sexual conflicts. He maintained that, as
the child matures biologically, the sex instinct psychic energy, which he called libido, shifts from one
part of the body to another over the years, seeking to gratify different biological means. In the
process, the child moves through five psychosexual stages: alright, another, phallic, latency, and
genital.

The Psychosexual Stages

Approximate age stage of psychosexual Description major characteristics

stages
birth to 12 to 18 Oral libido is focused on Interest in oral
months the mouth as a source gratification from
of pleasure. Obtaining sucking, eating,
oral gratification from mouthing, and biting
a mother figure is
critical to later
develop.
12 to 18 months to Anal liberty is focused on gratification from
three years the anus, and toilet expelling and
training creates withholding feces;
conflicts between the coming to terms with
child's biological urges society's controls
and societies relating to toilet
demands training
three to five years Phallic libido centers on the interest in the
genitals. Resolution of genitals; Coming to
the Oedipus or Electra terms with Oedipal
complex results in conflict, leading to
identification with the identification with
same sex parents and same sex Parent
development of the
superego
five to six years to Latency libido is quiet; Psychic Sexual concerns
adolescence energy is invested in largely unimportant
schoolwork and play
with same-sex friends.
Adolescence to Genital puberty reawakens reemergence of sexual
adulthood the sexual instincts as interest and
youth seek to establishment of
establish mature mature sexual
sexual relationships relationships
and pursue the
biological goal of
reproduction

Freud emphasized nature more than nurture. He believed that inborn biological instincts Dr
behavior and that biological maturation guides all children through the five psychosexual stages. Yet
he also viewed nurture - especially early experiences within the family - as an important contributor
to individual differences in adult personality

at each psychosexual stage, the id’s impulses and social demands come into conflict. Harsh child
rearing methods can heighten this conflict and the child's anxiety period to defend itself against
anxiety, the ego, without being aware of it, adopts defense mechanisms. We all use these coping
devices, but some people become overdependent on them because of unfavorable experiences
early in life. A type of defense mechanism connected to the psychosexual stages is fixation, a kind of
Arrested Development in which part of the libido remains tide to an early stage. To illustrate:

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 1. Oral stage: a boy who was rarely allowed to linger at the breast, was screamed at for chewing
papers and other fascinating objects around the house or was otherwise deprived of oral
gratification might become fixated at the oral stage to satisfy unmet oral needs and to avoid the
potentially even greater conflicts of the anal stage. He might display his oral fixation by being a
chronic thumb sucking, and, later in life, by chain-smoking, talking incessantly, or being
overdependent on other people.
2. Anal stage: a girl who is harshly punished for toilet training mistakes or forced to sit for hours on
the potty seat may become fixated at the anal stage and become an inhibited or stingy adult. Or
she may deal with her anxiety through another important defense mechanism, progression,
which involves retreating to an earlier, less traumatic stage of development. in this way, Freud
argued, early experiences may have long term effects on for personality development.
3. Phallic stage: this stage is particularly treacherous for children according to Freud. From age 3
to 6, children are said to develop strong attraction for the parent of the other sex. According to
Freud, a three- to five-year-old develops an intense longing for his mother and begins to view
his father as a rival for his mother's affection. Freud called this the Oedipus complex after
Oedipus, the legendary king of Thebes (for better understanding, please read the story of
Oedipus’ Rex). Fearing that his father might castrate him as punishment, the preschool boy
resolves his conflict by identifying with his father, taking on as his own father's attitude,
attributes, and behaviors, to reduce the chances that his father will be angry with him. As a
result, he learns his masculine sex role and develops a super ego by internalizing his father's
moral standards if parents punish a young boy for being curious about male and female
anatomy, Freud believe, the product may be a sexually inhibited man who is not quite sure how
to relate with women.

Although Freud admitted that he was unsure about the development of preschool girls,
he claimed that they experience an Electra complex (Electra was the mythological Greek who
avenged his father's murder by killing her mother). Once a four-year-old girl discovers that she
lacks a penis, she blames her mother for his castrated condition, experiences penis envy, and
hopes that the father she now idolizes will share the valued organ she lacks. As a girl recognizes
the impossibility of possessing her father, she identifies with her mother, who just possessed
her father. If development proceeds normally, then, girls resolve their conflicts by identifying
with their mothers, thereby taking on a feminine role and developing a superego.

In short, Freud insisted that the past lips on. Early adulthood experiences may haunt a
person in later life and influence adults’ personalities, interests, and behaviors. Parents
significantly affect a child's success in passing through the biologically program psychosexual
stages. They can err by overindulging the child's urges, but more commonly they create lasting
and severe inner conflicts and anxieties by denying an infant oral gratification, using harsh toilet
training practices with a toddler, or punishing a preschooler who is fascinated by naked bodies.
Heavy reliance on fixation, regression, and other defense mechanisms may then be necessary
just to keep the ego intact and functioning.

Erik Erikson studied with Freud's daughter Anna and immigrated from Germany to the
United States when Hitler rose to power. Like Freud, Erickson concerned himself with the inner
dynamics of personality and proposed that the personality evolves through systematic stages.
Erikson's point of view differed from Freud's in the following ways (Douvan, 1997):

1. Erikson placed less emphasis on sexual urges as the drivers of development and more
emphasis on social influences such as peers, teachers, schools, an broader culture.
2. Erikson placed less emphasis on the irrational, selfish id and more on the rational ego
and it's adaptive powers.
3. Erikson held a more positive view of human nature, seeing us as active in our
development, largely rational, and able to overcome the effects of harmful early
experience. Erikson maintained that human development continues during childhood.

The Psychosexual Stages of Development Theory

Erikson believed that human beings everywhere face eight major psychosocial crises, or
conflicts, during their lives. Whatever the conflict of a particular stage is successfully resolved or
not, the individual is pushed by both biological maturation and social demands into the next

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 stage. However, the unsuccessful resolution of a conflict will influence how subsequent stages
played out.

Stages of Psychosocial Development

Stage Psychosocial crisis Radius or significant persons Psychosocial modalities

to get
1 Trust vs. Mistrust Maternal person
to give in return
Autonomy vs. Shame to hold on
2 Parental persons
and Doubt to let go
to make (going after)
3 Initiative vs. Guilt Basic family
to make like (playing)
to make things (completing)
4 Industry vs. Inferiority Neighborhood and School
to make things together
Identity vs. Role Peer groups and outgroups, to be oneself or not to be
5
Confusion models of leadership to share being oneself
Partners in friendship, sex, To lose and find oneself in
6 Intimacy vs. Isolation
competition, and cooperation another
Generativity vs. Self- Divided labor and shared to make be
7
absorption household to take care of
Humankind to be, through having been
8 Integrity vs. Despair
Mankind to face not being

The Virtues in Each Psychosocial Stage

Erikson’s Virtues or
Stage Psychosocial crisis Approximate Ages in Years
Qualities of Strength
1 Trust vs. Mistrust Hope 0-1
2 Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Will 2-3
3 Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose 3-6
4 Industry vs. Inferiority Competence 7-12 or so
5 Identity vs. Role Confusion Fidelity 12-18 or so
6 Intimacy vs. Isolation Love The 20s
7 Generativity vs. Self-absorption Care Late 20s and 50s
8 Integrity vs. Despair Wisdom 50s and beyond

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

Albert banduras social learning theory claims that humans are cognitive beings whose active
processing of information from the environment plays a major role in learning and human development.
Bandura argues that human learning is very different from rap learning because humans have far more
sophisticated cognitive capabilities. Pandora agrees with Skinner that operant conditioning is an
important type of learning, but he notes that humans think about the connections between their
behavior and its consequences, anticipate what consequences likely to follow from their future
behavior, and often are more affected by what they believe will happen then by the consequences they
encounter. For example, a woman may continue to pursue a medical degree despite many punishing
hardships and few immediate rewards because she anticipates a greater reward when she completes
her studies. We are not just passively shaped by the external consequences of our behavior; We actively
think about past and present experiences an anticipate the future. We also reinforce or punish
ourselves with mental pats on the back and self-criticism.

Nowhere is banduras cognitive emphasis clearer than his highlighting of observational learning
as the most important mechanism through which human behavior changes. Observational learning is
simply learning that results from observing the behavior of other people called models. It is the kind of
learning involved when children learn patterns of aggression from watching TV. A teenager may pick up
the latest dance, and the middle-aged executive may learn how to use a new computer program by
observing other people. Such observational learning depends on cognitive processes. We must come up
for example, pay attention to the model, actively digest what we observe, and store this information in
memory if we are to imitate later what we have observed. Over the years we are exposed to hundreds
of social models and can learn thousands of behaviors patterns some good or some bad simply by
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 observing others perform them. We need not be reinforced to learn this way. We do, however, take
note of whether the model’s behavior has positive or negative consequences and use this information
to decide whether to imitate what we have observed Watson and Skinner may have believed that
humans are passively shaped by the environment to become whatever those around them groomed
them to be, but Bandura does not. Because his views humans as active, cognitive being. He holds that
human development occurs through a continuous reciprocal interaction among the person, the
person's behavior, and the environment a perspective he called reciprocal determinism. Our personal
characteristics and behaviors affect the people in our social environment, just as these individuals
influence our personal characteristic Ann feature behaviors.

Like Watson Skinner, though, Bandura is skeptical of the idea of universal stage of human
development. He maintains that development is context specific and can proceed along many different
paths. It is also continuous, occurring gradually through a lifetime of learning. Bandura does not
remember more about what they have seen and can imitate a greater variety of novel behaviors. Yet he
also believes that children of the same age will not be much alike at all if they are learning experience
has differed. Obviously, there are fundamental disagreement between stage theorists like Freud and
Erikson and learning theories like bandurria. Learning theorists do not give us a general description of
the normal cost of human development, because they insist that there is no such description to give.
Instead, they offer rich account of the mechanism through which behavior can change overtime period
they ask us to apply basic principles of learning to understand how each individual change with age

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Assessments and Evaluations

Essay. Answer the following questions.

1. How do you think your own socio-emotional development can be described using Erikson’s theory?

2. What research and or practice questions can you generate based on your understanding of the theories?
What additional knowledge do you require for the theories to be practiced in your profession?

3. Discuss the impact on your personal beliefs about teaching.

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Summary and Reflection:

A child’s social-emotional development is as important as their cognitive and physical development. It is

important to know that children are not born with social-emotional skills. It is the role of the parents, caregivers,
and teachers of children to teach and foster these abilities. A child’s social-emotional development provides them
with a sense of who they are in the world, how they learn, and helps them establish quality relationships with
others. It is what drives an individual to communicate, connect with others, and more importantly, helps resolve
conflicts, gain confidence, and reach goals. Building a strong social-emotional foundation as a child will help the
child thrive and obtain happiness in life. They will be better equipped to handle stress and persevere through
difficult times in their lives as an adult. How do we, as parents, support the social-emotional development in our
child? In the past, educators have stressed academic skills to determine success in a child. Those archaic days are
long gone and now we know the importance of social-emotional development. The approach to teaching social-
emotional development is vaguer than physical or cognitive development, but there is an increasing amount of
research available to support it. We as parents and educators must learn to read our child’s emotional cues so
that we can help them identify their emotions; model the behavior for our children; consistently interact with our
child affectionately; show consideration for their feelings, desires and needs; express interest in their daily
activities; respect their viewpoints; express genuine pride in their accomplishments with meaningful comments;
and provide encouragement and support during times of stress.

SOURCE: Moore, 1992

Mid-State Central Early Childhood Direction Center Bulletin Summer 2009

Children who have been given specific training in social-emotional skills are taught how to solve their own
problems independently, to see other perspectives, to negotiate, and to make compromises. These skills must be
taught in a proactive, focused way, not in the heat of the moment after a problem occurred. Children need to
practice using these skills when they are calm. Then when a problem does occur, the adult can support children
in putting their skills into action. (Schwartz 2007)

Excerpt from Positive Child Guidance, 7th edition. Darla Ferris Miller. 2013

References:

Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles

Brenda B. Corpuz PHD
Ma. Rita D. Lucas PHD
Heidi Grace L. Borabo PHD
Paz I. Lucido PHD

The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles

Teresita T. Rungduin PHD
Darwin C. Runguin M.A.

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