Development
All human beings, since they are born, are
immersed in a process called development. This process leads them to the
experience of several qualitative changes, not only physical by psychological
too. Development is a key factor when acquiring and fixing new psychological
functions as so is the interaction with the different features of the context
that surrounds the individual. Every psychological process implies three
dimensions together: cognitive, psychomotor and socio-affective.
It is
needed to be acknowledged that, as it has been said before, the development of
the human being starts at the very first second of
There are two main
types of developmental changes: ontogenetic
and microgenetic.
The first are defined as the changes that the
subject experiences throughout his life (lifelong changes), while the latter
are considered specific and qualitative changes that happen in a specific
moment and are different in every subject.
From simple to complex
Every individual has his starting point fixed
in what is simple and ends up in more complex forms of what he already was
previously. Development is just the bridge that links both poles, providing the
human being what is needed to achieve complexity. The final result of this
process is an autonomous individual able to self-regulate his emotions and
feelings.
The following table defines clearly this
concept:
Regarding this table and the
previous definition of development as a bridge between two poles (simplicity
and complexity), it is important for us, as future teachers, to know in deep
the characteristics of each student as so to be aware of the stage that each
child goes through in order to provide the proper tools, knowledge and other
resources that he needs to progress. These resources offered have to be chosen
wisely and be coherent with the development of the individual in order to make
this transition easier and fluent.
The relation between Development and Learning
Didactical vs. Deterministic Approaches
There are two main factors that lead to
development: endogenous (biological)
and exogenous (contextual) factors.
The endogenous factors are those inherent in
the human being, the genetic inheritance that the subject receives from his
parents once he is conceived. These factors are not variable; they are fixed in
the individual and remain without any change.
The exogenous factors are those related with
the interaction that the subject establishes with his immediate context. These
factors are variable as so the different contexts and interactions possible
where the individual can take part on several processes that lead to
development.
Different theories and approaches have been
raised depending on their focus in the two different types of factors. Those approaches
focused on the development determined mainly by endogenous factors are called deterministic approaches. On the other
hand, those who define development as a process determined by exogenous factors
are called didactical approaches. Next,
some examples of these two different approaches will be given:
Deterministic
approach: Psychodynamic theory, Cognitivist theory
Didactical approach: Behaviorism theory,
Socio-historic-cultural theory
The following videos define the Cognitivist and Behaviorism theory and their application to education.
Cognitivist Approach
Behaviorism Approach
When defining one’s own perspective in relation
to the different theories of development, the first thing that has to be taken
into consideration is that not only one type of factors leads to the
development of the individual but is the mixture of both endogenous and
exogenous factors what does. When a child is born (Palacios, J.; Coll, C.;
Marchesi, A., 1990), the first stages of life are clearly determined by the
biological factors (canalization),
whereas the following stages are defined by the influence of the context where
the kid is immersed and its social and cultural features. When working with
kids, it will be essential to determine the stage that the student is going
through in order to anticipate, detect and define the needs that he may have to
face and deal with.
Contextual perspective
Socio-historic-cultural theory
The contextual perspective is the approach that
has its focus on the interaction with the context and its social and cultural
features in order to develop the psychological functions. This perspective
remarks the influence and role that exogenous factors have on the individual’s
development. Some theorists developed their own theory under this point of view
such as Vigotsky.
Vigotsky was the proposer of the Socio-historic-cultural theory which
estates that the developmental changes the subject experiences are determined
by his participation in sociocultural interactivity systems of the community
where he is immersed. These changes are mainly produced because by the action
of the individual and the final result of this process is the acquisition of
symbolic tools specific to the context where he lives. The symbolic tools
(Turuk, M. 2008) that Vigotsky raises are all the different resources, whether
signs or tools, that are created by humans under specific cultural and historical
conditions (meaning by this that are specific to each different context) which
carry the main characteristics of the culture. Moreover, these tools are used
as aids in solving problems that cannot be solved in their absence.
The acquisition of symbolic tools will lead to
the main goals of development: autonomy and self-regulation.
How are symbolic tools acquired?
There are three main factors that determine the
acquisition of symbolic tools in the school context:
1. Interaction: the process of communication, not only with teachers but among peers specially, that takes place in the classroom helps the subject discover new tools (inter-psychological plane) and the latter acquisition and internalization of them (intra-psychological plane).
2. Guidance: the teacher will not interfere in the learning process of the student but it will oversee and give guidance and advice regarding the needs of the student in a determined moment.
3. Zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD): considered
the gap between the current development of a subject and the development that
is wanted to achieve. The lane towards development is only built by the
individual, the different processes of interaction that he carries out with
peers and the scaffolds provided by
the teacher. The result of going through the Zone of Proximal Development is
the achievement of the intra-psychological plane.
1. Interaction: the process of communication, not only with teachers but among peers specially, that takes place in the classroom helps the subject discover new tools (inter-psychological plane) and the latter acquisition and internalization of them (intra-psychological plane).
2. Guidance: the teacher will not interfere in the learning process of the student but it will oversee and give guidance and advice regarding the needs of the student in a determined moment.
3. Zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD): considered
the gap between the current development of a subject and the development that
is wanted to achieve. The lane towards development is only built by the
individual, the different processes of interaction that he carries out with
peers and the scaffolds provided by
the teacher. The result of going through the Zone of Proximal Development is
the achievement of the intra-psychological plane.
To conclude, when thinking about education and the teachers’ action in the learning process of the students, it is needed to
be highlighted not only the awareness and consciousness of the stage and needs
that each individual may have in order to offer the students the proper
scaffolds to achieve development but to acknowledge the importance of moving
through the inter to the intra-psychological plane, as it will mean that the
subject is able to apply what has learnt from his context in different and new
situations. Besides guidance, the teacher will have to provide coherent and
appropriate situations and environment in order to make possible and easier
interaction amongst students.
Schooling and
development hand in hand
Education is one of the key factors regarding
the development of the individual at early ages. The different processes and
activities that are carried out throughout the schooling aid the student
improve his cultural and social skills as so the personal development and the
acquisition of positive values and attitudes.
School activities are defined by four main
dimensions that are clearly explained in the following conceptual map:
School activities are different to any other
educational activities such as the ones that are carried out in family because,
even though they help in the developmental process of the subject, they are
neither designed nor planned with and educational purpose.
As it can be seen in the conceptual map, each
school activity has a clear objective set and defined for a specific moment in
the learning process. All relations among the members of the educational
community and the hierarchies established have to be considered when developing
the different activities inside the educational institution in order to success
in reaching the goals set no matter the situation.
Moreover, the role of the teacher when planning
and designing the activities is not only to work for the development of the
students and the attention to the different needs they may have but to become
changing agents that lead to the reform of the institutions where they work.
Activities related with this topic
REFERENCES
- Coll , C. , Alvaro, Marchesi, A, Palacios, J. (comp) (1990). Desarrollo psicológico y educación /, Vol. 1. Alianza, Madrid.
- Cap. 25. Desarrollo psicológico y procesos educativos. Pp. 367-383.
- Guadalupe, J. 2008. La teoría de aprendizaje de Vigotsky. Retrieved from:
- Turuk, M. 2008. ARECLS, 2008, Vol.5, 244-262
- The relevance and implications of Vigotsky’s Sociocultural theory in the second language classroom. Retrieved from:
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