Debbie G.

Senarlo
Child and Adolescent Development
Dr. Conniebel C. Nistal

1. Give 3 theories anchord on contructivism and discuss them briefly. Be sure to relate
your discussions to classroom setting.
> In the view of constructivist, learning is a constructive process in which the
learner is building an internal illustration of knowledge, a personal interpretation of
experience.
Thus it is anchored on some theories, one of which is contributed by Jean
Piaget who is more on personal constructivism. In the 1920s, he began to develop a
cognitive theory of development. Cognitive development to him was a progressive
reorganization of mental processes as a result of biological maturation and
environmental experience. In particular teachers can also use Piaget's theory, for
instance, when discussing whether the syllabus subjects are suitable for the level of
students or not.
Another related theorist are Vygotsky and Bruner whose work is more on social
constructivism. Where Piaget emphasized learning as an internal process, Lev
Vygotsky stressed environmental, social, and cultural influence. His social
development theory is based on the ideas that human learning is dependent on the
learners interaction with his or her social and cultural environment and that learners are
active participants in their own learning. He theorized that a persons level of learning is
more accurately reflected by what they can do with help and that, in fact, learning leads
development. He introduced the concept of the zone of proximal development the
level at which learners can almost but not quite complete a task on their own.
Vygotsky claimed that learning occurs through interactions between a learner and an

expert within this zone. An associated concept is that of the more knowledgeable other.
This is a person who has more knowledge about the topic being learned than the
learner does. Often this person will be a teacher or another older adult but it may also
be a peer or a younger person. Example of which is evident in a classroom setting the
children as the learner and the teacher as the knowledgeable other who is expert in
his/her field.
Jerome Bruner applied the metaphor of scaffolds to Vygotskys concept of the
zone of proximal development to develop the concept of scaffolding the temporary
support that a more knowledgeable other gives a learner to construct and extend his or
her skills. As the learner gains competence, the support is gradually removed. For
instance in a classroom setting instructional strategies used to scaffold includes hints,
prompts, and cues given and later removed by the teacher.

2. Discuss how understanding the child and adolescent development affects the
methodologies and learning activities in the classroom.

>Teachers hold varying points of view about children development. These beliefs
are guiding the teaching practice. Just like ages ago when the teacher is perceive to be
the only source of knowledge, the children appears to be just passive learners.
That is why it is vital to understand the child and adolescent development
because it brings changes to the methodologies and learning activities facilitated by the
teacher. Nowadays children are more involved in the teaching-learning process.
Teachers are letting them interact with each other, share their thoughts by grouping
together. Basically, children are now taking an active role in their learning.

3. Differentiate child growth from child development.

> Growth and development is one of the important studies for the teachers and
parents. Growth is different from development but both are correlated and one is
dependent on other. We can say that growth is a part of development, which is limited in
physical changes whereas development is overall development of the organism.
Growth is the change in shape, form, structure, size of the body development is
structural change and functional progress. For example a childs growth is noticeable by
the increase in height and weight from infant, toddler to adulthood. As for their
development an infant learns to stand first before they learn how to walk, learns to
babble words before they learn to speak.
In general growth is quantitative and development is qualitative in nature. Growth
stops at maturation but development continues till death of the organism.