COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Region V

CALABANGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Calabanga, Camarines Sur

PROF ED. 1- CHILD and ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

LEARNING MODULE 1

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: MEANING, CONCEPTS AND APPROACHES

Module HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: MEANING, CONCEPTS AND

No. 1 APPROACHES
Schedule Sunday ( 9:00AM -12:00PM)
Introduction WELCOME, to “The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning
Principles!
Let us take up each module with clarity and competence. This course
entails utmost dedication from the learners, for each module bridges our ideas
toward the succeeding modules.
As you read the module and do the activity , you are undergoing the
process of development. How does development take place? What do
experts say about development? These are the concerns of this module?
Remain consistent in your passion to learn and grow. Always take a
sunny disposition and positive attitudes in your studies . Let’s start off with
our learning journey now!

Learning After successfully completing this module, you should be able to:
Outcome 1. define human development
2. distinguish between life-span and the traditional approach of
development.
Pre- Pretest
assessment
Students with poor Internet connectivity / No internet connectivity
You will answer the attached Pretest questionnaire
Accomplish the Pre-Test . Okey, let’s get started….

Direction: Read the statements/ questions below. Choose from the box your
correct answer.

Development is lifelong Development is multidimensional

Development is plastic Development is contextual
 Development involves growth, maintenance and regulation

What characteristic of human development is being described in the following

situations?
1. Persons biological make-up, social and cultural context may vary and
therefore make them develop differently from each other.
2. Development is possible throughout the life span.
3. Development does not end in adulthood. Persons will continue developing
even in adulthood.
4. Individuals are changing beings in a changing world.
5. The goals of individuals vary among developmental stages

6.The extensive change of an individual from birth to adolescence, little and

no change in adulthood and decline in late old age is called________
a. conception c. traditional development
b. life-span development d. adolescence

7. It is a belief that even in adulthood, developmental change takes place as it

does during childhood, this approach is called_____
a. developmental stages c. traditional development
c. life-span development d. proximodistal pattern

8. Processes that involve changes in the individual’s physical nature is

called___
a. psychological process c. physiological process
b. Biological process d. emotional process

9. The muscular control of the trunk and the arm which comes earlier as
compared to the hands and fingers is called______.
a. proximodistal pattern c. Horizontal pattern
b. Cephalo-caudal pattern d. vertical pattern

10.It is a process that involved changes in the individual’s thoughts,

intelligence and language.
a. Cognitive b. affective c. developmental d. psychomotor

Activities/ Look at the picture of six-year-old Natsumi and three- year-old Akila and
Tasks answer the following questions.
A. Engage
 Natsumi Akila

1. Describe what they were before birth and who they will possibly be after
birth unto adulthood. What will they possibly become?
B. Explore Based from the picture , answer the following:
1. Will the three- year-old Akila be able to do all that six-year-old Natsumi
can do? Why and why not?
2. Will there be anything common in their pattern of development? If yes,
what?
3. Will there be differences in their development , e. g. pace or rate of
development? What and why?
Explain Two Approaches to Human Development
Key The two approaches of human development are : traditional and life-span
Concepts/ development.
Focus Points
The extensive change of an individual from birth to adolescence,
little and no change in adulthood and decline in late old age is called
traditional development.
It is a belief that even in adulthood, developmental change takes place
as it does during childhood, this approach is called life-span development .

What are the characteristics of human development from a life span

perspective? Paul Baltis, an expert in life-span development , gives the
following characteristics:
1. Development is lifelong-it does not end in adulthood, individual will
continue developing even in adulthood.
2. Development is plastic-plasticity refers to the potential for change.
Development is possible throughout the life span. No one is too old to learn.
Aging is associated with decline in certain intellectual abilities. These
declines can be prevented or reduced. In one research study, the reasoning of
other adults were improved through retraining. (Willies and Schose, 1994)
3. Development is multi-dimensional-development is consist of biological,
cognitive and socio-emotional dimensions. Development as a process is
complex because it is the product biological, cognitive and socio-emotional
processes.
 Biological Process involves changes in the individual’s physical
nature
 Development is relatively orderly- the muscular control of the trunk
and the arms comes earlier as compared to the hands and fingers. This
is the proximodistal patterns. During infancy, the greatest growth
always occurs from the top to the head, with physical growth in size,
weight and future differentiation of gradually working its way down
from top to bottom( example: neck, shoulders, middle trunk and so
on…). This is the Cephalo-caudal pattern.
  Development takes place gradually-a person does not develop into
pimply teenager overnight. Often it takes weeks, months, or years for a
person to undergo changes that result in the display of developmental
characteristics.
 Cognitive process involves changes in the individual’s thought ,
intelligence and language.
 Socio-emotional processes, include changes in the individual’s
relationship with other people, change in emotions and changes in
personality
4. Development is contextual-individuals are changing beings in a changing
world. Individuals respond to and act on contexts. These contexts include the
individuals biological make up, physical environment, cognitive processes,
historical, social and culture context.
5. Development involves growth, maintenance and regulation.
Growth maintenance and regulations are three (3) goals of human
development. The growth of individuals vary among growth stages.
ACTIVITY A:
Find out which one is a re-statement of the principles of human development
by stating the characteristic of human development from life-span perspective
in the second column.
Principles of Human Development Characteristic of Human
(NAEYC, 2009) Development from Life-span
Perspective
A. All the domains of development Development is multidimensional
and learning-physical, social,
emotional and cognitive are
important and they are closely
interrelated. Children’s development
and learning in one domain
influence and are influenced by what
takes place in other domains.
B. Many aspects of children’s
learning and development follows
well documented sequences with
later abilities, skills and knowledge
building on those already acquired.
C. Development and learning
proceed at varying rates from child
to child, as well as uneven rates
across different areas of a child’s
C. Elaborate individual functioning.
E. Development and learning result
Academic from a dynamic and continuous
Exercise interaction of biological maturation
and experiences.
 F. Early experiences have profound
effects, both cumulative and
delayed, on a child’s development
and learning and optimal periods
exist for a certain types of
development and learning to occur.
G. Development proceeds toward
greater complexity, self regulation
and symbolic or representational
capacities
H. Children develop best when they
have secure, consistent relationship
with responsive adults and
opportunities for positive
relationship with peers.
I. Development and learning occur
in and are influenced by multiple
social and cultural contexts.
J. Always mentally active in seeking
to understand the world around
them, children learn in a variety of
ways; a wide range of teaching
strategies and interactions are
effective in supporting all these
kinds of learning.
K. Play is important vehicle for
developing self regulation as well as
Evaluate for promoting language, cognition
and social competence
L. Development and learning
advance when children are
challenged to achieve at a level just
beyond their current mastery and
also when they have many
opportunities to practice newly
acquired skills.
M. Children experiences shape their
motivation and approaches to
learning, such as: persistence,
initiative and flexibility, in turn,
these dispositions and behaviors
affect their learning and
development.
 ACTIVITY B:
Answer the chart showing the characteristics of human development from
life-span perspective and give the educational implication of each.
Characteristics of Human Educational Implication to child
Development from life-span Care, Education and Parenting
perspective
Development is life-long

ACTIVITY C:
A. Differentiate between the traditional and life-span approaches using Venn
Diagram

B. Supply the correct answer in the sentence.

1. During infancy, the greatest growth occurs at the top, from the head
gradually working its way down from top to bottom. This is called
_________.
2. The characteristic of development which is possible throughout the life-
span is called ________.
3. Development is consist of biological, cognitive and socio-emotional
dimensions. This refers to __________.
4. The characteristics of development wherein it does not end in adulthood is
called_________.
5. Individuals are changing beings in a changing world. Individuals respond to
and act on contexts. This refers to _________
Enrichment Cut-out/ Copy-Paste pictures from different sources. Make a collage about
human development. Explain what it is all about. Show your ingenuity and
creativity.
References The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles , Corpuz et. Al,
2018
Prepared by:
ANA N. CALISURA
Program Head- BECEd