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2: Theorists and Theories of Development

  • Page ID
    233974
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    Learning Objectives

    After completing Chapter Two students will be able to:

    • Explain the value of understanding child development theories
    • Describe several developmental theories and the theorists who pioneered them including:
      • Psychodynamic Theory
      • Behaviorist Theory
      • Social Cognitive Theory
      • Cognitive Theory
      • Sociocultural Theory
      • Humanist Theory
      • Ecological Theory
      • Multiple Intelligence Theory
      • Growth Mindset Theory
      • Bloom’s Taxonomy
    • Understand the educational implications of each theory

    • 2.1: Theories of Development
      The study of child growth and development examines how children change from conception through childhood, with various theories providing a framework to understand this process. These theories, including psychosocial, behaviorist, social cognitive, cognitive, sociocultural, humanistic, ecological, growth mindset, and multiple intelligence, offer insights into children's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth.
    • 2.2: Psychosocial Theory
      Erik H. Erikson was a significant figure in behavioral sciences known for his theory of psychosocial development, which outlines eight stages across a human's entire lifespan. Erikson emphasized psychosocial conflicts over Freud's psychosexual crises. Each stage is characterized by a different crisis impacting development, and unresolved challenges can affect later growth. His work highlights the importance of understanding development as society ages.
    • 2.3: Behaviorist Theory
      Behaviorism focuses on observable and measurable behaviors, emphasizing stimulus-response associations and the learning of habits. Prominent figures like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner contributed to theories such as classical and operant conditioning, which understand behavior through environmental stimuli and rewards or punishments.
    • 2.4: Social Cognitive Theory
      Albert Bandura is renowned for his Bobo Doll experiments in the 1960s, which challenged the then-prevailing belief that learning resulted from reinforcement. Bandura's social learning theory emphasized that individuals learn by observing others, integrating behaviorist and cognitive theories by focusing on attention, memory, and motivation. It developed into the Social Cognitive Theory, highlighting the interplay of personal, behavioral, and environmental factors.
    • 2.5: Cognitive Theory
      The text provides an overview of Jean Piaget's pioneering work on children's cognitive development, outlining his identification of four key developmental stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Each stage highlights the evolving cognitive abilities of children as they adapt to their environments.
    • 2.6: Sociocultural Theory
      The text discusses the contributions of Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky to sociocultural theory, emphasizing his insights on the importance of social interaction, culture, and language in cognitive development. His concept of the zone of proximal development and scaffolding highlights the role of guided learning. Despite criticisms regarding the universality of his theories and the underdeveloped language theory, Vygotsky's ideas remain influential in education.
    • 2.7: Humanistic Theory
      Abraham Maslow's humanistic theory, notably the Hierarchy of Needs, has significantly impacted education and classroom management. The theory emphasizes fulfilling basic physiological and safety needs before higher-level needs such as love, esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow's approach considers the whole person but has faced criticism for its subjective methodology and biased sample.
    • 2.8: Ecological Theory
      Ecological Theory, formulated by Urie Bronfenbrenner, explains that human development is influenced by different environmental systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. These systems range from direct interactions with family and peers to broader cultural and societal influences, including time-based changes.
    • 2.9: Other Contemporary Theories to Consider
      The page provides an overview of key educational theories. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences challenges traditional views of intelligence by proposing nine types, including Verbal/Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, and others. The text also discusses Bloom's Taxonomy, a framework for educational objectives, and Dweck's Mindset Theory, which differentiates between fixed and growth mindsets in education, emphasizing the impact of mindset on learning and development.


    This page titled 2: Theorists and Theories of Development is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Deirdre Budzyna and Doris Buckley (Remixing Open Textbooks with an Equity Lens (ROTEL)) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.