Chapter Title: BASIC CONCEPTS AND ISSUES TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Topic/Lesson:
1. Meaning, concepts and approaches to human development.
2. Issues on human development
3. The stages of development and developmental tasks

Module 1: Meaning, concepts, and approaches to Human Development

Introduction:

The study of human development is often required for many college students taking up
Education Courses. Are you thinking about taking a class in development? Why are such classes so
important? If you are enrolled in Education courses, some background knowledge of how people grow
and change throughout life is essential. However, understanding how humans develop throughout the
lifespan can be helpful for anyone.

The growth and development of a person plays an important role in the behavior of every
individual. It is indeed necessary that as a future educator, you need to have a wider understanding of
those varied changes that may occur in a child as they grow.
This chapter may help you understand that growth and development of a child has its
sequence and may vary as the child learn, mature and develop his/her capabilities.

Hence, in this module, you will realize the importance of studying human development.

Objectives:

At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

1. elaborately explain the meaning of human development

2. evaluate, summarize and share their insights on the different principles of human development.

3. distinguish and compare the two approaches to human development

Learning Content:

To have a better understanding of this chapter, let us define and discuss the following terms.

 Human Development
- Is the scientific study of the quantitative and qualitative ways by which people change
overtime? The study of human development is enormously frustrating, fascinating, and

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 almost bewildering phenomena that produces physical and psychosocial throughout the
lifespan.

 Growth
-It refers to a quantitative change that happened and experience by an individual. These
changes happened in number or in physical nature, like height, weight, increase number of
teeth, improvement or growth on hair.

 Development
-it is the qualitative changes, increase of skills and complexity of function and
specialization. This also involves a progressive series of changes that is orderly, coherent
and constantly changing as a result of maturation and experiences encountered. These
changes are: behavior, attitudes, skills or specialization of someone.

When we say:
“Progressive
-These are changes that are directional, leading forward rather than backward.
“Orderly” and “coherent”
-Means development is not of a haphazard casual type but rather that there is a
definite relationship between each stage and the next stage in the developmental
sequence.
“Maturation”
- it refers to the general process of growing up in relation to heredity. It is also the
biological process that it is in relation to age, changes in growth and development and
requires favorable support from the environment.
“Learning”
- is an aspect of human development that comes from past experiences, modifications
of behavior, a result from practice or daily living.

Here are five reasons you should consider studying human development:

1. TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OURSELF

 We were all kids once, so learning more about how children develop and grow can provide
additional insight into how you have become the person you are.

 Studying human development can also help you learn more about your future. By
understanding the aging process, you'll be better prepared when you face issues
associated with growing older.

2. IT’S ONE WAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHILDREN OR YOUR LEARNERS

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  Whether you are a parent now or are planning to become one in the future, or you are
choosing the teaching profession soon, studying human development can teach you a
great deal about your children and learners. In addition to learning things that can help
make you a better parent and effective teacher, you can gain greater insight into how
your children/learners behave, think, learn, and feel.
 Development is a complex process, so learning more about how kids grow physically,
socially, emotionally, and cognitively can lead to a deeper understanding of kids of all
ages.

3. IT HELP YOU TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO INTERACT

 If you plan on having children or working with them at some point, studying human
development can greatly improve your ability to interact with kids.
 Once you better understand the stages of development and what makes kids tick, you
will feel more comfortable talking, playing, and working with them.
 And for adult learners, this help you better understand individual differences and
uniqueness of every human being.

4. GAINING A GREATER APPRECIATION OF DEVELOPMENT THROUGHT OUT LIFE

 When we think of human development, it's easy to think of it as a process that is
largely complete once we hit early adulthood. It is important to realize, however, that
development is an ongoing process that continues all throughout life.1
 As an individual enter adulthood, navigate middle age, and face the onset of old age,
having a greater understanding of how people continue to grow and change as they
get older can help us appreciate and manage all the stages of your life.

5. TO HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT’S NORMAL AND WHAT’S NOT

 Another important reason to study development is that you can gain a greater
understanding of what's normal. While every person is a little bit different, human
development tends to follow a remarkably predictable pattern. Once you have studied
development, you'll know what's typical at certain ages and stages.
 Perhaps most importantly, studying human development makes it easier to spot
possible signs of trouble. From problems with cognitive, social, or emotional
development in early childhood to struggles later in life, being able to identify potential
problems is important.

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THE PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT
1. Development follows a Pattern
Development in every species follows a pattern in rate and it has its limit. The same
pattern is followed from pre-natal up to the post-natal period and up to adolescent stage. A
baby cannot stand first without going through creeping and crawling. He must stand first before
he walks.

a. Cephalo-caudal sequence development

- Development proceeds from the Head downward.

This principle describes the direction of growth and development :

Facts:
 The head region starts growth at first, following by which other organs starts
developing.
 The child gains control of the head first, then the arms and then the legs.
 Infants develop control of the head and face movements at first two months.
 They gain control over leg and able to crawl, stand, walk, run, jump, climb, day
by day

b. Proximo-distal sequence development

- Development proceeds from the center of the body outward.
- The directional sequence of development during both prenatal and postnatal
stages may either be (i) from head to foot, or (ii) from the central axis to the
extremities of the body
Facts:
 The spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body
 The child’s arms develop before the hands, the hands and feet develop before the
fingers and toes.
 Fingers and toe muscles are the last to develop in physical development.
2. Development proceeds from general to specific responses
In all phases of development, whether motor and mental, the child development and responses
starts from general then later on learn to do the specific tasks.
Facts:
 A baby moves his whole body at one time then later on learn to move one part of his body
as he grow older.
 A baby can see first the large objects before he sees the small ones.
 A baby produces first babbling sounds before he produces specific words that could be
understand by adults.

3. Development is continuous.

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 Facts:
 Growth and development continues from the moment of conception until he/she reaches
maturity. The learning abilities is continuous until he reaches her/his senescence period
or until death.
 In the early years of life, development consists of changes that lead the child to maturity
not only of body size and functioning, but also of behavior. Even after maturity has been
attained, development does not end.
 Changes continue which lead to the period of life known as senescence or old age

4. Development proceeds from the simple to more complex.

Facts:
 Children use their cognitive and language skills to reason and solve problems.
 Children at first are able hold the big things by using both arms, In the next part able to
hold things in a single hand, then only able to pick small objects like peas, cereals etc.
 Children when able to hold pencil, first starts draw circles then squares then only letter after
that the words.

a. Growth is a personal matter - Each child grows in his own personal manner. He/she should be
permitted to grow at his/her own rate. If we expect too much, he/she may do even less than
he/she is able to do

b. Growth comes from within: One or surrounding environment can encourage or can hinder the
energy of a child, but the drive force that pushes a child to grow

c. Growth has certain characteristics that are common at particular stages and it is in gradual and
orderly but uneven.

5. Development has the characteristics of continuity, differentially, sequentially, and generality

to specificity.

a. Sequentially: All children follow a development pattern with one stage leading to the next.

Facts:
 Infants stand before they walk; draw circles before they make squares
 The directional sequence of development stages may either be:
(A) from head to foot, or
(B) from the central axis to the extremities of the body.

6. Development depends on maturation and learning.

Facts:
 Maturation refers to the sequential characteristic of biological growth and development.
 The biological changes occur in sequential order and give children new abilities.

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  Changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for maturation. And help
children to improve in thinking and motor skills.
 Children must mature to a, certain point before they can progress to new skills.

Maturation and learning play important roles in development of a human being. Maturation is
the unfolding of the individual's inherent traits. Learning is development that comes from exercise and
effort on the individual's part.

7. Development is a product of the interaction

Facts:
 Development is a process resultant from a constant flux or interchange of energy within
an organism and his environment.
 Hereditary forces inherent in the genetic constitution of the individual and
environmental forces influence the development of the organism.
8. Different aspects of development are interrelated
Facts:
 Different aspects of development are interrelated and interdependent.
 Child's early social behavior is interrelated with his physical development. If the child is
physically handicapped his social behaviors will be related.
 The child whose intellectual development is above average is generally above average
in size, sociability and special aptitudes.
9. Development is individualized process
Facts:
 All individuals develop in their own way.
 Each child has own rate of physical, mental, emotional and social development. If we
observe six-year old children, we find great differences in their height, weight, social,
emotional, and learning readiness.
10. Development is cumulative
Facts:
 Development is a cumulative process. Certain changes impress the observer with their
dramatic suddenness but actually these changes do not emerge all of a sudden.
 The child's first word, first step is the result of cumulative progress for the child has
continuously been preparing for these functions.
 Each change is the culmination of his prior growth and experience.

11. Rate of development differs in male and female child

Facts:
 There is a difference in the growth rate of boys and girls.
 Girls mature earlier in comparison to boys.
 Girls are taller and heavier than boys during pre-adolescence but by the end of
adolescence boys surpass them.

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12. Each phase of development has hazards
Facts:
Each phase of development has its hazards. There is ample evidence that each period in the
life span has associated with it certain developmental hazards, whether physical,
psychological, or environmental in origin and these inevitably involve adjustment problems.

WHY IS THERE A NEED TO KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRINCIPLES OF

DEVELOPMENT?
1. It helps us to know and understand what to expect and when to expect the development.
2. It gives the adult a wider information and understanding as to when to stimulate and when not
to stimulate growth in the child.
3. Knowing the normal development of a child, it helps us to prepare the child ahead of time the
changes that may occur in his body, interests, behavior or attitudes.
4. Having a wider understanding of a normal growth and development of a child, it helps parents
or teacher to deal properly on the changes of moods, likes, preferences of children.
5. It gives the future teachers great ideas on how to deal on the individual differences of children,
their tantrums and anger.

Factors Which Influence Human Growth and Development

It is important for you to know these factors, for you to have a wider understanding on the uniqueness
of each child. Always remember, no one is alike, every human being is different from each other.
The following are a list of factors which influence human growth and development:

1. Heredity
-Heredity and genes certainly play an important role in the transmission of physical and social
characteristics from parents to off-springs. Different characteristics of growth and development
like intelligence, aptitudes, body structure, height, weight, color of hair and eyes are highly
influenced by heredity.

2. Sex
- Sex is a very important factor which influences human growth and development. There is lot of
difference in growth and development between girls and boys. Physical growth of girls in teens is faster
than boys during the early years of life. Overall the body structure and growth of girls are different from
boys.

3. Socioeconomic
- Socioeconomic factors definitely have some affect. It has been seen that the children from
different socioeconomic levels vary in average body size at all ages. The upper level families being
always more advanced. The most important reasons behind this are better nutrition, better facilities,
regular meals, sleep, and exercise. Family size also influences growth rate as in big families with limited
income sometimes have children that do not get the proper nutrition and hence the growth is affected.

4. Nutritional

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 - Growth is directly related with nutrition. The human body requires an adequate supply of calories
for its normal growth and this need of requirements vary with the phase of development. As per studies,
malnutrition is referred as a large-scale problem in many developing countries. They are more likely to
be underweight, much shorter than average, and of low height for age, known as stunting.
If the children are malnourished, this slows their growth process. There are nine different amino acids
which are necessary for growth and absence of any one will give rise to stunted growth. Other factors
like zinc, Iodine, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins are also essential for proper growth and deficiency
of anyone can affect the normal growth and development of the body.

5. Hormones
-There are a large number of endocrine glands present inside our body. These glands secrete one
or more hormones directly into the bloodstream. These hormones are capable of raising or lowering the
activity level of the body or some organs of the body. Hormones are considered to be a growth
supporting substance. These hormones play an important role in regulating the process of growth and
development.

6. Pollution
- According to studies, air pollution not only affects the respiratory organs but also have harmful
effects on human growth.
-Indoor pollution or the pollution from housing conditions can result in ill health which can
negatively impact human growth and development. For example, lead exposure from deteriorated lead-
based paint in older housing can be very harmful. Lead is very harmful for children as it simply gets
immersed into the growing bodies of children and obstructs with the normal development of brain and
other organs and systems.

7. Race
-Racial factors also influence height, weight, color, features, and body constitution of a human
being. The body growth and development differences show a relationship with varied cultural groups.
For example a child of black race will be black, their height, their hair and eye color, facial structure are
all governed by the same race.

Activity 1
Read this link:(http:// www. [Link]/[Link])
Using this graphic organizer, give the major principles of human development (Santrock,2002) from a
life-span perspective. Give at least one example or application of each principle in the teaching-
learning process. And what have these principles do with you as you teach your learners or the
implication of these knowledge to you as a teacher.

Principles of Human Explanation Implication of these

Development knowledge to you

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 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Activity 2
State your own understanding on the factors which influence human growth and development:
1. Heredity
2. Sex
3. Socioeconomic
4. Nutritional
5. Hormones
6. Pollution

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7. Race

References
[1] Corpuz, Brenda B., Lucas, Ma. Rita,etal., Child and Adolescent Development: Looking at
Leraners at Different Stages, 2005.
[2] Santrock, john W., Life Span Development ,8th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill Companies
[3] Trawick-Smith,Jeffrey. Early Chjildhhod Development A Multicultural Perspective USA:
Prentice Hall, 4th edition,2006.
[4] (http:// www. [Link]/[Link])

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