Write your reflection on this statement:

R.H. havighurst (1953) has stated: “a development task is a task which arise at or about
a certain period in the life of the individual, successful achievement of
which leads to his happiness and to success with later tasks, while failure
leads to unhappiness and difficulty with later task.

"A developmental task is a task that arises at or near a certain period of the
individual's life, successful achievement of which leads to the individual's happiness and
success with later tasks, while failure leads to unhappiness in the individual, disapproval
by society, and difficulty with later tasks." For me, understanding these tasks can help you
define educational goals and time your educational efforts. The developmental tasks of
infancy and early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle
age, and later maturity are discussed in terms of their nature, biological, psychological,
and cultural foundations, and consequences.
I believe developmental tasks are a central part of human development.
Although the timeframe that Havighurst initially proposed has changed due to a variety
of reasons (e.g., later life expectancy, greater diversity in learning opportunities, and
dvances in technology), the interrelatedness of developmental tasks and stages for
adults has not been studied extensively. This article provides an overview of adult
development theory, emphasizing the relationship among developmental tasks, stages
and age constructs.
According to Havighurst, during the adolescent period, an individual must
successfully complete the following eight developmental tasks: accepting one's body,
adopting a masculine or feminine social role, achieving emotional independence from
parents, developing close relationships with peers of the same and opposite gender,
preparing for an occupation, preparing for marriage and family life, establishing a
personal value or ethical system, and achieving socially responsible behavior.
Consequently, it is important for u (teachers) to consider all children’s
developmental needs, whether or not they are represented through specific instructional
goals. As it was noted above, even curriculum topics must be considered in the context
of children’s abilities and curricular readiness. Teachers and schools should strive to help
children achieve success in their developmental tasks while they progress toward
completing the developmental tasks at later stages.
In my two cents, it would seem that humans are wired with a need to achieve
emotional and cognitive competencies at any developmental stage they encounter
throughout their lifetime. For the adolescent, this stage is a time when cognitively
speaking secondary school and tertiary education give expanded opportunities for the
development of these competencies. Psychologically speaking, some form of guidance
from an adult is crucial for successful maturation in the adolescent years. The primary role
of such an adult in the adolescent’s life is the parent.

HAZEL T. DIALINO
MAED, Guidance and Counseling