Module I Prof Ed

MODULE i: Human Development: Meaning, Concepts and Approaches
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and entrances, And one man in
His time plays many parts…
---William Shakespeare
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
 Define human development in your own words.

 Draw some principles of human development.
 Distinguish two approaches to human development.
ACTIVITY
Pictures of a boy and a girl named Naschielle and Kenn are shown. Each one is a bundle of possibilities.
Describe what they were before birth (their point of origin) and who they will possibly be after birth
unto childhood. What will they possibly become? Expound on your answers.
ANALYSIS
After listening to the predictions given by each member of the group’ answer the following questions:
1. Will there be anything common in the pattern of development of Naschielle and Kenn? If yes,
what?
2. Will there be differences in their development, e.g. pace or rate of development? What and Why?
3. Will the process of development take place very fast or gradually? Expound on your answer.
4. Do u believe that Naschielle and Kenn will continue to develop even in adulthood? Or will they
stop developing in adulthood?
ABSTACTION
Meaning of human development
Human development is the pattern of movement or change that begins at conception and continues
through the life span. Development includes growth and decline. This means that development can be
positive or negative (Santrock, 2002).
Some major principles of human development:
1. Development is relatively orderly. (http://www.cdipage.com/development.htm)

Naschielle and Kenn will learn to sit, crawl then walk before they can run. The muscular control
of the trunk and the arms comes earlier as compared to the hands and fingers. This is the
proximodistal pattern. During infancy, the greatest growth always occurs at the top – the head –
with physical growth in size, weight and future differentiation gradually working its way down
from top to bottom (for example, neck, shoulders, middle trunk and so on). This is the cephalo-
caudal pattern.
2. While the pattern of development is likely to be similar, the outcomes of development
processes and the rate of development are likey to vary among individuals.
If they come from a good home with loving and caring parents they may develop into warm and
responsible children, adolescents, and adults. If they come from a deprived environment, they
may dvelop into carefree and irresponsible adolescents and adults.
3. Development takes place gradually. Naschielle and Kenn wont develop into pimply teenagers
overnight. It takes years before they become one. In fact that’s the way of nature. The
bud doesn’t bloom suddenly. The seed does not germinate overnight. While some changes
occur in a flash of insight, more often it takes weeks, months or years for a person to undergo
changes that result in the display of developmental characteristics.
4. Development as a process is complex because it is the product of biological, cognitive , and
socioemotional processes (Santrock, 2002)
Biological process involve changes in the individual’s physical nature. The brains of Naschielle
and Kenn develop. They will gain height and weight. They will experience hormonal changes
when they reach the period of puberty, and cardiovascular decline as they approach late
adulthood. All these show the biological processes in development.
Cognitive processes involve changes in the individual’s thought, intelligence and language .
Naschielle and Kenn develop from mere sounds to a word becoming two words, the two words
becoming a sentence. They would move on to memorizing their first prayer, singing Lupang
Hinirang in every flag ceremony to imagining what it would be like to be a teacher or a pilot,
playing chess and solving a complex math problem. All these reflect the role of a cognitive
processes in development.
Socioemotional processes include changes in the individual’s relationship responded with a
sweet smileps with other people, changes in emotions, and changes in personality. As babies
they responded with a sweet smile when affectionately touched and frowned and displeased
and even showed temper tantrum when they could not get or do what they wanted. From
aggressive children they may develop into a fine lady and a gentleman or otherwise, depending
on a myriad of factors. They may fall in love and get inspired for life or may end up betrayed,
deserted and desperate afterwards. All these reflect the role of socioemotional processes in
development.
Two approaches to human development

If you believe that Nikki and Kenn will show extensive change from birth to adolescence,
little or no change in adulthood and decline in late old age , your approach to development is
traditional. In contrast, if you believe that even in adulthood developmental change takes place
as it does during childhood, your approach is termed life-span approach.
What are the characteristics of the life-span perspective? Paul Baltes (Santrock, 2002), an
expert in life-span development, gives the following characteristics:
1. Development is lifelong. It does not end in adulthood. No developmental stage dominates
development.
2. Development is multidimensional. Development consists of biological, cognitive and socio-
emotional dimensions.
3. Development is plastic. Development is possible throughout the life- span.
4. Development is contextual. Individuals are changing beings in a changing world.
5. Development involves growth, maintenance, and regulation. Growth, maintenance, and
regulation are three goals of human devt. The goals of every individual vary among devt’l
stages. For instance, as individuals reach middle and late adulthood, concern with growth
gets into the back stage while maintenance and regulation take the center stage.
Principles of child development and learning that informs practice( for T’s lecture).
APPLICATION
1. “Growth is an evidence of life”. What does this mean?

2. Define development in your own words. Translate the meaning of development in Filipino and
In your local dialect.
3. State the five major principles of human development from a life-span perspective. Give at
least one application of each principle in the teaching-learning process. What have these
principles to do with you as you teach learners.
4. Research further on the cephalocaudal and proximodistal patterns of devt.
a. Illustrate both patterns by a drawing or diagram.
b. How do you apply your knowledge of cephalocaudal and proximodistal patterns of devt. In
your teaching? Hint: the pencils of Pre-K, Kindergartens and Grade 1 pupils are bigger than
those of pupils in the higher Grade levels. Does this practice have something to do with
proximodistal patterns of devt?
5. Interpret the following quotations in relation to human devt.:
a. Every man is in certain respects like all other men, like some other men, no other man”.
b. Man is an unfinished project. He is always in the process of becoming”.
6. In the light of researches on human development, which of the two approaches is closer to the
truth traditional or life-span? Why?
7. If your approach to human development is traditional, are the characteristics of human devt.
From a life-span perspective acceptable? Explain your answer.

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MODULE i: Human Development: Meaning, Concepts and Approaches

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and entrances, And one man in

His time plays many parts…

 Define human development in your own words.

Meaning of human development

Some major principles of human development:

1. Development is relatively orderly. (http://www.cdipage.com/development.htm)

Two approaches to human development

1. “Growth is an evidence of life”. What does this mean?

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