Human development deals with the ways in which human beings change and are likely to behave differently as they progress from childhood through adulthood. Since people learn differently and react to educational interventions in distinct ways during the various stages of their lifetimes, it should be obvious that a knowledge of the principles of human development can contribute useful insights to educational psychology. However, developmental psychology is a very broad field, and this book cannot possibly cover all the principles of human development that would be of interest to educators. This chapter will summarize some of the major principles of human development that have very significant, practical implications for instruction. Additional aspects of human development will be discussed in other chapters. More detailed information can be acquired from the books listed in the Annotated Bibliography at the end of the chapter.

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

• Define and give examples of human development and the major factors that contribute to it (growth, maturation, and learning).
  
  
• Describe Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems model and the role of the family in human development.
  
  
• Describe how knowledge is acquired and organized according to the developmental theory of Jean Piaget.
  
  
• List and describe Piaget's four major stages of cognitive development.
  
  
• Describe the five factors that account for development according to Piaget and identify examples of each.
  
  
• Describe the implications of Piaget's cognitive theory for education.
  
  
• Describe the major concepts of Vygotsky's theory of human development as it relates to education.
  
  
• Describe the major factors in the development of cultural identity.
  
  
• Describe the major factors in the development of social skills.
  
  
• Describe the major factors in the development of help seeking strategies and peer relationships among children and adolescents.
   

  Putting This Chapter in Perspective: The previous chapters have focused on how to use time effectively for instruction. Instructional strategies will vary greatly, depending on the developmental level of the learner. This chapter will examine how human development interacts with learning and instruction.1

   The following supplementary materials are available for this chapter:

 Workbook Chapter Online

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 Annotated Questions Online

Click on a topic from the following list, or use your web browser to go where you want to go:

• Introduction <<You are here>>
• Human Development
• Major Principles of Human Development
• Genetic Factors
• Environmental Factors
• Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory
• The Cognitive Developmental Theory of Jean Piaget
• Vygotsky
• Piaget's Developmental Stages
• What Piaget's Stages Mean for Teachers and Instructional Designers
• What Happens When We Ignore the Developmental Levels of Learners?
• The Development of Cultural Identity
• The Development of Social Skills
• Seeking, Giving, and Receiving Help
• Transitions
• Summary
• Annotated Bibliography