CHILD AND ADOLESCENT LEARNERS AND LEARNING PRINCIPLES

Module 1. Unit 1 – Basic Concepts and Principles of Human Growth and Development
(Weeks 1-2: August 31 -Sept. 11, 2020)

I. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Demonstrated understanding of the basic concepts and terms about human development.
2. Determined the differences between growth, development and maturation.
3. Given examples of learning principles.
4. Familiarized with the programs of UNESCO, UNICEF, and WHO.

II. LEARNING CONTENTS/SUBJECT MATTER

A. Definition of Terms about Human Development

1.1. Child refers to children ages 0-12 years old. The period of rapid physical development, and crucial
stages of growth and developments in all aspects of life.
1.2. Adolescence refers to young people ages 13-18 years old. Latin word “adolescere” meaning
“to grow” or “to grow to maturity”.
1.3. Development is the pattern of movements and progressive series of changes in an orderly and
coherent manner towards the goal of maturity of an individual.
●The pattern of movements or changes begins at conception and continues through life span.
●Progressive means the changes are directional, leading toward something positive.
●Orderly and coherent suggest that development is not of accidental, but there is a definite
relationship among the stages in the developmental sequence.
Examples: 1) Changes in weight and height should correspond to age.
2) Before a baby can walk, he/she must go through series of pattern of
movements like crawling, creeping, grasping, sitting, standing then walking.
1.4. Growth is the biological or physical changes that occur from conception to maturity.
Examples: 1) Changes and increase in size, weight, height of a fetus until birth.
2) Physical changes of an infant until adolescent period.
3) Aging is also part of growth.
1.5. Maturation is the gradual unfolding of the inborn characteristics of an individual that
marks the end of growth and development in every stage of development.
Examples: 1) Pre-natal stage of development is from conception to 9 months.
Nine (9) months is the maturation period.
2) At age two (2), all babies can walk and eat solid food already. If Not,
then there is a problem on growth and development.
1.6. Learning is a comparatively change in the behaviour of an individual as a result of
his/her interaction with the environment.
● Environment refers to all the external physical and social conditions and events that can affect an
individual from conception to adulthood. Examples:
1) External physical conditions like food/nutrition, geographical location of a person,
weather, natural resources, etc.
2) Social conditions refers people, political, economic, and religious status of a society.
3) Events are situations, and actions in the society where a person lives like family and community
experiences.
●Comparatively change means there is an evidence of learning of an individual according to his/her
abilities and capabilities.
●Behaviour refers to the knowledge, skills and attitude of an individual.
●Result of Interaction means the effect or impact of experiences of a person in his her
environment. This means that a person learns through his/her actual experiences in
the environment.
●The evidence of learning is change in knowledge, skills and attitude of a person.
1.7. Learning Principles are time tested universally accepted beliefs and practices in education.
● Learning principles are based on theories and principles of growth and development of human beings,
and scientifically proven studies and theories in education.

B. Acronym of World Social Organizations for Children and Youth Welfare

2.1. UNESCO. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
2.2. UNICEF. United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
2.3. WHO. World Health Organization

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BASIC CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

A. Domains and Process of Development

The pattern of child development is complex because it is the product of four major processes,
namely: biological, cognitive, social and emotional. These are the so called domains of development.
1. Biological processes involve changes in the body from conception to old age like development of
the brain, skeletal and muscle forms of the body, increase in height, weight, and pattern of
movements of motor skills.
●Heredity or genetic (nature) factor plays a large part of the biological features of an individual.
2. Cognitive processes involve the child’s thinking, intelligence, and language.
●There are complex hierarchy of cognitive processes, namely: 1) perception, 2) attention,
3) memory, 4) language, 5) reasoning, 6) decision making, and 7) problem solving.
3. Socioemotional processes. These refers to the social and emotional aspects of development. It
involve changes in child’s relationship and interaction with people in his/her environment,
changes in emotion, and changes in personality
●Nurture ( care, attention, and training) given to the child while growing up plays a great role and
effect on the child’s personality and behaviour in later years.
Example: The childhood of Michael Jackson: He grew up with a very strict father with whom
he experienced physical abuse as a form of discipline. He did not experience
happiness and play during childhood years because of his singing career at age 5.
Those unpleasant experiences during his childhood years affected his character,
and had missed the most enjoyable stage in life, play during childhood years.

B. Two Major Factors of Development

1. Heredity (Nature) – the transmission of genetic characteristics from the parents to the offspring.
● Refers to the range of traits, capacities, and limitations that each person inherits genetically from
his or her parents at the moment of conception.
2. Environment (Nurture) – includes all the conditions inside and outside an individual that in any
way influence her/his behavior, growth, and development.
●Refers to all the environmental influences that come into play after conception, beginning with
the mother’s health during pregnancy and running through all one’s experiences with learning in
the world, in the family, school, community, and the culture at large.

C. Principles of Human Growth and Development

1. Development involves change.
There are four major types of change in development, namely:
1.1. Changes in size like height, weight, and brain size.
1.2. Changes in proportion. Physical development is proportionate from brain, body trunk,
and legs.
1.3. Disappearance of old features. As we grow older, some of our physical appearance
disappear like baby teeth, facial features, skin, and the like.
1.4. Acquisition of new features and behaviour. These are acquired features and
characteristics through nature and nurture in all domains of development like biological features,
knowledge, skills, attitude and values.
2. Early development is more critical than later development.
Psychologists, sociologists, neurologists, and educators had established and proven that early
childhood ages 0 to 6 years old is the most crucial and important periods of development.
● It is regarded as the formative years and foundation of human life.
3. Development is orderly and follows a sequential pattern.
The stages/periods of growth and development of human beings follow predictable pattern of
changes, and in proper order or sequence.
4. Different areas developed at different rates. Different physical and mental traits develop
continuously but never uniform for the entire human being.
●The rate of development of any human being may either be rapid or slow.
Rapid development is observed during the prenatal period and continues throughout babyhood
up to first six years. In adolescence, the rate of development is once more enhanced.
Slow development starts from six years to adolescence.
5. The rate of development is not the same for all individuals. Some persons develop and learn faster
than others. Sometimes the gap is wide. This uneven rate of growth and development is caused by
heredity (nature) and environment (nurture).
6. Development is the product of the interaction of maturation and learning.
7. Development proceeds by stages/periods. There are definite stages of development and
each stage has its tasks that must be attained and performed by an individual.

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 D. Characteristics of Life-Span Approach to Human Development
1. Development is a lifelong process. Development takes place from conception until death.
2. Development is multidimensional. Development consists of the totality of a person as to physical,
mental, social and emotional dimensions.
3. Development is characterized by plasticity. This refers to the capacity of an individual to change in
response to the positive and negative experiences in life.
4. Development is contextual. Every individual is developed based on his/her situations and conditions
in the environment, and changing society. Race, gender, religion, family background, and
geographical location greatly influenced the development of an individual.

III. SOURCES/REFERENCES
1. Rungduin, T. and Rungduin D. (2019). Child and adolescent learners and learning principles.
Cubao, Quezon City: Adriana Publising Co., Inc.
2. Corpuz, B. and et al. (2015). Child and adolescent development. Cubao, Quezon City: Lorimar
Publising Co., Inc.
3. https://www.bing.com/search?q=role+of+research+in+education&form)
IV. LEARNING STRATEGIES
Groupings
1. Select your group partners in your class by 3s or 2s only. Your group mates will be your co-learners
throughout the semester.
2. Indicate your names to all the graded written activities to be submitted to me.

Learning Activity 1. Read and Give Examples

1. Read and analyze the definition of terms as explained.
2. Differentiate growth and development in your own words. Make at least two statements.
3. Give three (3) specific examples of the following:
a. Human development
b. Human growth
c. Maturation period
d. Learnings when you were a child.
4. Search the internet and copy three (3) learning principles.
5. Submission: September 2, 2020

Learning Activity 2. Program and Support of World Organizations

1. Indicate the programs and support of UNESCO, UNICEF, and WHO to the Philippines,
specially on children and youth welfare. Follow the matrix below. Don’t write in paragraphs,
just give the gist or main concepts/ideas.
2. Submission: September 2, 2020

World Social Organizations Program Interventions Support to the Philippines

UNESCO
UNICEF
WHO

Learning Activity 3. Domains of Development

1. Describe your own growth and development from early childhood to adolescence. Give at least five
specific examples.
2. Submission: September 4, 2020

Stages Physical Domain Cognitive Domain Socio-emotional

Domains
Early childhood

Middle and Late

Childhood

Adolescence

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 Learning Activity 4. What are Your Nature and Nurture?
1. Differentiate between nature and nurture.
2. Submission: September 9, 2020

Describe your genetic traits from your parents such Cite specific character, values, and skills you have
as physical features, mental ability, and talents. learned from home, school, church, and in the
(Nature) community where you live. (Nurture)

Learning Activity 5. Application of Principles of Development and Educational Implication

1. Give two specific educational implications of each of the principle indicated below.
Educational implications are favorable situations, activities, and practices in school and/or home
for the learners.
2. Submission: September 11, 2020

Principles & Characteristics of Life- Educational Implications

Span Approach to Human Development
1. Early development is more critical than later
development.
2. The rate of development is not the same for all
individuals.
3. Development is a lifelong process.
4. Development is multidimensional.
5. Development is characterized by plasticity.
6. Development is contextual.

Prepared:

LAINE T. TUMAMANG, PH.D.

Professor, Professional Education Courses