All human beings develop and experience the same cycle of aging from a young age to the time

they are old through developmental stages. The teaching and learning process is one that requires
one to be fully equipped with tools that can make it effective to both the teachers and learners.
Psychology with its theories of human development contribute greatly to the success of teaching
and learning. Comprehending the five schools of thought completes the teaching and learning
process and this write-up will explore how the contributions from each theory positively
influence the teaching and learning exercise. Key terms to be defined are human development
and teaching and learning.

Human development pertains to growth in human beings and it is defined as a progression of

changes, either quantitative or qualitative, that lead from an undifferentiated or immature state to
a highly organized, specialized, and mature state, Bogin (2010). Cherry (2020) adds that it is a
transformation of a person from one stage to another in the various stages of their lives and there
are scholars who propose the different views in which a person develops like the psychoanalytic
stage proposed by Sigmund Freud and later developed by Eric Erickson, behavioral proposed by
Pavlov, Skinner and Watson, humanistic developed by Maslow and Skinner as well as cognitive
developed by Piaget and later developed by Bruner, there is also the eclectic approach which
includes the all four of the previously mentioned.

“Teaching is to learning as selling is to buying.” A line offered by John Dewey with regards to
howteaching and learning are interdependent on each other. This exercise happens in the
classroom and Rajagopalan (2019) defines teaching and learning as an interactive process,
primarily involving the classroom talk which takes place between the teacher and pupil at a
given time doing definable activities. Munna and Kalam (2021) view teaching and learning as a
transformation process of knowledge from teachers to students and further express how an
educator has the responsibility to facilitate the whole process to get desired outcomes which in
this case are well developed and learned individuals. An educator can effectively act ot their
duties when they follow prescriptions from the psychological schools of thought and this write
up is exploring how this is possibly.
Understanding the psychoanalytic theory of development allows the educator to tap into the
leaners experiences and develop new information and skills on the information that they have.
The psychoanalytic school of thought propounded by Sigmund Freud’s main idea is that
information is kept in the subconscious and proposes that it should be brought into the conscious
and developed from there, Bogousslavsky, Dieguez (2014). Sigmund Freud proposed the iceberg
idea that what we see in a person is only the tip of the iceberg and that who and what they really
are is subsumed in the subconscious therefore it is important that educators or classroom
practitioners should tap into subconscious of the child by teaching from the known to the
unknown when developing a concept. When children build on that which they know they are
able to personally develop skills and information because it is part of what they experienced
when they were younger.

Behaviorists’ submissions call for a conducive learning environment or creating a specific

environment for a specific skill to develop or to generate learner responses. This is helpful in
allowing learners to learn behaviors through responding to stimuli. In the classroom, the
behavioral learning theory is key in understanding how to motivate and help students. Kaplan
(2019) adds that behaviorism can be used to help students learn, such as by influencing lesson
design and some teachers often use encouragement to help students learn (operant conditioning)
while others focus more so on creating a stimulating environment to increase engagement
(classical conditioning). Learners who learn from the environment move on to be individuals
who can remove themselves from uninspiring settings that they cannot learn from This
submission makes it evident that human development comprehension is important in the teaching
and learning exercise as teachers are seen actively portraying behaviors they want the learners to
learn and the learners emulate the behaviors and maintain them with the right motivation and in
the right environment.

Humanism benefits mostly learners as it emphasizes self-actualization in a person. When

learners are self-actualized they can effectively take part in the learning as they know where they
stand and where they want to be. McLeod (2020) states that humanistic psychology is a
perspective that emphasizes looking at the whole person, and the uniqueness of each individual
he adds that humanistic psychology begins with the existential assumptions that people have free
will and are motivated to achieve their potential and self-actualize. It is on this premise that a
teacher can then create activities that encourage learners to practice freewill by planning
activities that would require learners to make the right choice and be guided towards that choice
by being shown the benefits of choosing rightly. This can be done in form of career guidance
whereby learners are exposed to the different kinds of professions and the details that accompany
that that profession and match it with their capabilities. This then shows that understanding
human development is essential in helping learners gain a sense of self.

Cognitivists based their findings on the mental processes which a person goes through from
inception to adulthood and it is applicable in the teaching and learning in that it allows for proper
arrangement of information for easy retention among learners. Piaget proposed that cognitive
development is not only about development but also how to develop and construct a mental
model of the world. McLeod (2018) highlights how cognitive develop calls for learner centered
learning that is accomplished through active discovery learning. It is then the mundane duty of
the teacher to ensure that the learning area is learner centered in that it caters for learners’
differences in cognitive development aiding them in developing schemas that they will further
utilize as they continue learning through their childhood into their adulthood. It is on this idea
that one can applaud the contributions made by human development in the teaching and learning
exercise.

Furthermore the eclectic approach of development is one that contributes to the teaching and
learning process seeing how it is holistic in its approach. Seeing how teaching and learning seek
to address human development in the holistic sense, it bears the same quality as eclectic
psychology. According to , Ahmadi , Mustaffa, Haghdoost , Mansor (2017), eclectic psychology
is a flexible and multifaceted approach to therapy that allows the practitioner to use the most
effective methods from the various school of thought available to address each individual client's
needs. This means that an educator can assess a learner using various theories in order to best
remedy the phenomena they are facing. Various theories can be utilized in dealing with a learner
and developing them to their fullest potential
In contrast, it is evident that the stages of human development often occur in stages and these
stages appear to be too rigid as they follow a pattern that may not be favourable to othe
individuals. For example, Piagets proposed that cognitive developmemt occurs in stages and
adds that one cannot move on the the next stage without achieving the other and ignoring these
stages could affect the way a person develops in cognition, Masters (2013). He further adds that
this then means that children cannot progress further than their age regardless of being in
stimulant environments. This idea is however remedied by the eclectic approach whose main
quality is using various methods for various phenomena. With consideration to Skinners
behavioral theory, one can address learners abilities by the environment they live in and act on
the stimuli that they would display to any learning exercise.

Also in contrast one may add that human development theories are too deterministic therefore
limiting a person into the stages proposed than fulfilling the differences they are mant to possess.
An example is Bandura’s theory which suggests that we are who we are because of the role
models that we have which is problematic seeing how a person cannot independently pick own
character traits and act in fulfilling who they are. This can be remedied by the humanistic
approach which emphasises self actualisation and morally acceptable behaviours. McLeod 2018
emphasises how a person is able to act in the way that they want to see themselves outside of
influences of other people.

In conclusion one is inclined to support the inclusion of human development theories as they
have much to contribute in the teachers role to the learner and the learners role to themselves
making the teaching and learning process efficient.
References

Ahmadi A, Mustaffa MS, Haghdoost AA, Mansor SMS. Eclectic approach to anxiety disorders
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Bogin, Barry. (2015). Human Growth and Development. Basics in Human Evolution. 285-293.
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Bogousslavsky J, Dieguez S. Sigmund Freud and hysteria: The etiology of psychoanalysis. In:
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McLeod, S. A. (2018, June 06). Jean piaget's theory of cognitive development.

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Rajagopalan, I., (2019) “Concept of Teaching” Shanlax International Journal of Education, vol7,
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