PERSPECTIVES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT
After completion of the course, the student-teacher will be able to
1. compare relative merits and applications of different Approaches of Human Development
2. recognize that childhood is a period of socialization and how socialization practices affect their development
3. critically analyze developmental variations among children placed and exposed to different socio-cultural contexts
4. appreciate the process of development with special focus on childhood and adolescence
5. recognize that adolescence as a period of transition and threshold of adulthood
6. examine characteristics of adolescents and reflect on how their needs act as genesis of certain unique problems
7. illustrate different factors influencing on child development and their applications to education
8. examine different theories of development and their relevance to understand the nature of child 5 Course Content
Unit-1: Approaches of Human Development
1.1 Concept of Growth, Development and Maturation
1.2 Principles of Development
1.3 Stages of Growth and Development (Infancy Childhood, Adolescence)
1.4 Dimensions of Growth and Development (Physical, Cognitive, Emotional, Social, Moral, language)
1.5 Longitudinal and cross sectional approaches of understanding development
Unit-2: Theories of Development
2.1 Cognitive theory of Development (Piaget‟s)
2.2 Psycho-social theory of development (Erikson).
2. 3 Theory of Moral Development (Kohlberg‟s).
2. 4 Theory of psycho- sexual development (Freud).
2. 5 Theory of Emotional Development (Goleman).
Unit-3: Childhood as a period of Socialization
3.1 Characteristics of childhood – developmental tasks.
3.2 Child development – Physical, cognitive, social, emotional, moral and language development during childhood.
3.3 Child in different socio-cultural contexts.
3.4 Process of socialization – conflicts resolution and social development.
3.5 Stages of Social development – Isolated play, parallel play and social play. Characteristics of socially matured person.
Unit-4: Adolescence as a period of transition
4.1 Characteristics and needs in Adolescence
4.2 Genesis of problems during adolescence-Physical, cognitive, emotional, social, moral and language development 6
4.3 Adolescent Groups – Gangs
4.4 Mechanisms of adjustment with special reference to defense mechanisms and holistic development
4.5 Leadership: Types of Leadership, Development of Leadership qualities in adolescents and its educational implications.
Unit-5: Individual Differences
1.1 Dimensions of Individual differences-cognitive abilities, interests, aptitude, creativity, personality and values
1.2 Theory of multiple intelligence ( Gardner) – Implications for understanding differences in children
1.3 Difference in children based on learning styles and socio cultural context (home language and Instructional language)
1.4 Individual differences based on cognitive abilities – learning difficulties, slow learners and intellectually challenged, intellectual giftedness - implications for catering to individual variations in view of “differences” rather than “deficits” perspective.
1.5 Fostering creativity among children. Activities
1. Visit a balwadi centre/ NGO centers for orphans/ street children homes and prepare a detailed report on the care taken by these centers
2. Description of cases – 1. A Child with any type of disability and 2. A child from disadvantaged section of the society
3. Describe the salient features of Child Rights Act 2005
4. Interact with five adolescents and collect information about their attitudes, interests, aspirations in respect of their educational and occupational choices