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As teens transition from mid to late adolescence, their cognitive
abilities also mature. Cognitive abilities in teens shift from only
thinking on a concrete level to a more abstract understanding
of what could be possible.
High school aged adolescents develop strong critical thinking
skills and are able to problem solve better than younger peers.
The increased problem solving of the adolescent brain, new and
continued questioning of personal identity, along with social
pressure all lead to teens changing interests and hobbies such
as fashion, music, jobs, religion, political issues, and social
causes.
These changes and increased exposure allow them to think
more critically in the classroom, and also plan for the future,
balance many activities, appreciate other’s opinions, and better
understand the effects of their decisions.
While late adolescents are better able to make decisions and
control their actions than children, they are not fully equipped
with the cognitive tools to do so until early adulthood. There are
two main components of the brain responsible for judgment and
impulse control—the limbic system and prefrontal lobe.
The limbic system develops first, and deals mostly with emotions;.
The prefrontal cortex develops later, and aids in judgment and
decision-making. The delayed development of the prefrontal
cortex contributes to the likelihood that adolescences will still
react impulsively by partaking in reward- seeking, novelty, risk-
taking, and sensation-seeking behaviors without sound
judgment.
Cognitive
DevelopmentStudents’ cognitive skills are expanding to
include deductive and systematic
reasoning that allow for the processing of
multiple variables and scientific inquiry.
Metacognitive skills and knowledge
improve during adolescences as students
become more focused and in control of
their own thoughts.
Vocabulary
Terms to know when
working with High
School Students
Adolescent Egocentrism:
Assumption that all share one’s
thoughts, feelings, concerns;
teens become focused on own
their ideas.
Executive Functioning: The
neuropsychological skills that we
need to plan, focus and
remember.
Egocentricity: The assumption
that others experience the world
the way you do.
Person-Environment Fit Theory:
Theory that development and
learning are greatest when the
needs and characteristics of the
learner fit the characteristics of
the learning environment.
Stereotype Threat: Extra
emotional and cognitive burden
that your performance is a given
situation might confirm a
stereotype others may have
about you.
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Puberty
By high school adolescence, the majority of males and females
has already entered into puberty, and has begun to see
changes in their physical appearance.
By the end of puberty, both girls and boys have an adult
shape. Characteristics marking maturation for girls are
developed breasts and hips. For boys, an adult shape is
marked by a developed penis and broadened shoulders. Both
males and females will have lower, more adult voices as well as
nearly full adult height and shoe size. While both boys and girls
gradually grow taller until age 25, most females reach their
adult height by 15 or 16 years old; boys will not reach their adult
height until approximately 19 years old. The rate of maturation
may lead to physical, social, and emotional effects on teens.
A national trend shows that puberty is happening earlier in the
lives of young males and females – a secular trend. The causes
of this secular trend are not conclusive, but research suggests a
number of factors including healthcare, nutrition, or increased
toxins in the environment.
Nutrition and Sleep
During high school adolescence, teens begin to develop
patterns in diet, physical activity, lifestyle and exercise. Many of
the patterns adopted during adolescences can impact the
habits well into adulthood as well.
The increased physical growth during middle and late
adolescence requires additional energy, protein, vitamins and
minerals. However, many teens make poor nutritional choices,
contrary to their body’s needs during puberty. These poor
choices can be contributed to the heightened focus on body
image and physical appearances. Teens are unable to weigh
the cause, effects and risks of such choices, and thus eating
disorders can be a problem fro both boys and girls during
puberty – but often are undetected in males.
Teens require at least 9 hours of sleep per night, but many of
their biological clocks are not set as adults or young children.
This causes many adolescents to be sleep deprived as they
struggle to fall asleep during conventional nighttime hours.
Many teens struggle to fall asleep before midnight.
From 70 – 90% of teens in the
United States reported engaging
in sexual intercourse by the age of
18.
Early sexual activity can impact
behavior, aggression and
depression during adolescence. It
can also be linked to students
having fewer positive connections
with peers, and a negative outlook
on school.
There are two widely accepted
approaches to sex education in the
United Stated: Abstinence Only
(AO) and Comprehensive Sex
Education (CSE).
Abstinence Only curriculums
teach that sex should always be
delayed until marriage.
Most research shows that AO is
not effective in preventing sexual
activity, but it can contribute to
delayed first experiences.
Comprehensive Sex Education
programs include information
about birth control, condoms and
STI prevention.
Sexual
Development
Physical Development
In High School Adolescence
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Physical Activity
Boys do tend to be more active than girls at
most every developmental age; however,
there is little biological difference between
males and females in terms of physical
activity in late adolescence. The U.S.
Department of Health does recommend
that teens engage in at least 60 minutes of
daily physical activity. Unfortunately,
approximately only 64% of females and
73% of males in the 9th grade are getting enough daily exercise. These
percentages continue to drop throughout high school.
Threats to Health & Well-‐‑Being
Teenagers can be impulsive and lack self-‐‑control, especially when
interacting with peers and within their social groups. Adolescents also
feel overly optimistic and invulnerable. These characteristics can often
lead to teens taking part in tobacco use, drug and alcohol abuse, and
reckless driving.
Over the last 20 years, such risky behaviors have led to an increase
mortality rates for teens. Specifically for motor vehicle and alcohol-‐‑
related crashes. Motor vehicle crashes of all types (involving and not
involving alcohol) are most often the leading cause of death amount
American teenagers each year. It can be assumed that the increased use
of technology, such as cell phones and text messages, have contributed
to this statistic.
Approximately 27% of 10th graders report having used an illicit drug in
the last year. This number increases throughout high school. Alcohol
is the most widely used drug by teenagers, followed my marijuana.
Students who have a negative connection with school and poor
relationships with their teachers are more likely to partake in such
risky behaviors.
As mentioned previously, early sexual activity can influence additional
risky behaviors such as tobacco, drug and alcohol use. Sexual activity
can also lead to HIV/AIDS. Across the globe, half of the new HIV
infections are among adolescents.
Vocabulary
Body Image: An
individual’s dynamic
perception of his or her body
– how it looks, feels and
moves.
Secular Trends: The trend
for menarche and other
events in puberty to be
experienced earlier with
each new generation.
Primary Sex Characteristics:
Physical characteristics
directly involved with
reproduction
Secondary Sex
Characteristics: Physical
characteristics that are not
needed for reproduction but
are markers for mature
Continued: Physical Development in H.S. Adolescence
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There are three cognitive aspects that support forming and
communicating a life story:
• The ability to use language and memory to establish
a coherent description of the teens identify.
• The metacognitive ability to reflect on situations and
then ask such questions as, “Why did I do that?” or
“Why did that happen?”
• An understanding that, in addition to self, others
have thoughts, feelings, and personal histories as
well.
During high school, older adolescents have the opportunity
to develop personal narratives through creating
autobiographies, participating in job/college interviews,
keeping diaries or journals, and introducing themselves to
new friends or possible dates.
Teens connect with each other through a language of
their own. This teen specific language may include special
vocabulary and varied pronunciations that may change
depending on time, place or situation. This
communication also varies based on cultural influence,
generational trends, and technology.
Language &
Literacy
A main aspect of adolescent language
and literacy is the development of the
personal life story. Adolescents begin to
see themselves as a consistent figure
across different situations and multiple
time spans. This development
contributes to personal identify.
Technology
and the
Language of Leadership
Based on a 2006 digital
community study (Cassell,
Huffaker, Tversky, & Ferriman),
young leaders did not use
traditional language of adult
leaders when describing
global issues online.
Traditional adult leaders use
powerful vocabulary and
contribute many of their own
thoughts and ideas. In
contrast, young leaders focus
on the group’s goals and refer
to group more often then
themselves.
The study suggest that the
language of young leaders
may reflect community
engagement when discussed
within the online and digital
forum.
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Much like their younger counterparts, older
adolescents belong to peer groups that identify with a
specific set of values or common set of behaviors.
These groups are often guided by a set of rules that
are understood by all members of the group. Rules
might include the following: how to dress, talk, style
hair, or interact with others.
Romantic relationships provide older adolescents with
an increased feeling of self-‐‑esteem and sense of self-‐‑
worth. Teens who engage in romantic relationships
experience more conflict and more severe mood
swings than their non-‐‑dating peers. This conflict may
be a result of how males and females view the need
for dating. Male teens most often date for sexual
reasons. Female teens are most often looking for a
close and personal relationship. Girls are also often
uncertain of sexual activity.
Peer Culture: The social
values and norms for behavior
that different groups of
adolescents share.
Peer Pressure: The influence
peers have on each other’s
attitudes and behaviors.
Peer Groups: Social groups
formed on the basis of shared
interest and values; they are
typically composed of children
of the same age, sex,
race/ethnicity, as well as other
commonalties.
Selection: The process by
which adolescents choose
friends and peer groups.
Deviancy Training: Learning
that occurs in peer groups
when members talk favorably
about breaking rules and
engaging in delinquent
behaviors.
Vocabulary
Peer Relationships
Moral Development
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Teens can often describe themselves in conflicting ways as
a result of their setting, situation or circumstance. These
contradictions can lead to teens asking themselves, “Who
is the real me?” Adolescents are very concerned with how
others perceive them, and rely on the opinions of others to
try and determine the “real me”. Teens will listen to the
opinions from peer groups and cliques to determine which
are the best attributes to adopt. However, as groups and
cliques shift, their opinions of popular or favorable
attributes also change.
Older adolescents can begin to recognize the difference
between their “real” self and the identity they develop in
response to group/clique opinions. As teens begin to
recognize this difference they begin to ask themselves,
“How do I like myself?” If teens feel there is a large
discrepancy between their true identity and their social
identify, they can develop a negative self-esteem and
personal image.
Throughout high school, as adolescents become older,
many teens become less concerned about the opinions of
groups and cliques. During this time, teens become less
concerned with peer pressure and more concerned with
the reality of their future.
Self Identity
Development
Adolescents will try out many different roles
and most will begin to emerge with a strong
sense of self throughout their tenure in high
school. This journey may be more difficult for
some, but identity is viewed as a gradual,
life-long process.
Vocabulary
Terms to know when
working with High
School Students
Identity Achievement: The result
of healthy exploration and
decision-making regarding
identities involved in occupations,
political and religious afflictions
and relationships.
Identity Foreclosure: Occurs
when adolescents make
commitments without exploring
options.
Identity Diffusion: A state in which
adolescents re not exploring
identity alternatives or making
commitments.
Gender Intensification:
Adolescents’ decline in flexibility,
which reflects their enhanced
self-consciousness and increased
awareness of social norms and
expectations concerning
masculinity and femininity.
