1. Polytechnic University of the Philippines
College of Education
8th day of November
Sta. Mesa, Manila
Written Report in Psychological and Sociological Foundation of Education
II. The Learner
Basic Factors to the Learner’s Growth and Development
Basic Principles of Growth and Development
Submitted to:
Prof. Michelle Sotto
Submitted by:
Karen Ann J. Paez
BBTE III-3D

2. II. The Learner
Understanding Growth and Development
The terms growth and development have been continually used in most readings in psychology.
Many times, these terms are used interchangeably: although in certain respects both terms,
though parallel, imply different definitions.
Growth- essentially refers to quantitative changes in an individual as he progresses in
chronological age. It may refer to increase in size, height or weight.
Development- It is the progressive series of changes of an orderly and coherent type leading to
the individual’s maturation. This definition implies that for development to be progressive,
there is a direction in the manner in which changes occurs. Development is also coherent,
essentially because the sequence of changes that occurs are related to each other and do not
occur haphazardly or abruptly.
From these definitions, one can see that although both growth and development imply
contrasting types of changes in the individual, both are, nonetheless, related and
complementary processes.
Development is a process that produces a progressive series of changes that are orderly and
coherent and which lead to, and end with, maturity (Hurlock, 1978:22). As viewed by Hurlock,
development includes only changes that lead forward and excludes those that go backward.
Growth is used interchangeably with development by some authors, but Hurlock (1978:23)
considers growth as referring to quantitative changes and development, to qualitative changes.
An example of quantitative change is change in size, like increased chest circumference,
lengthening of the bones, or increase in height. Qualitative changes come in the form of
changes in the nature of the functioning of an organ with resulting improved efficiency and
accuracy of performance. An example is the development of locomotion which starts in the one-
year old as toddling and later progresses to straight walking, then to running and other
complicated foot and leg skills.
Basic Factor to the Learner’s Growth and Development

3. Two general factors influence human development; namely, 1) maturation or natural growth
resulting from heredity; and 2) environmental influences in and thorough which growing takes
place. These two factors are so thoroughly interrelated that is impossible to isolate their
specific influences.
Every individual is born with definite potentialities of development passed on to him by his
parents through heredity. These heredity potentialities for many kinds of behavior patterns
continue to develop for months or even years. This process by which heredity exerts its
influence long after birth is called maturation. Studies have shown that a number of
physiological structures are essentially mature and ready to function at birth or even earlier.
Others, however, such as certain nervous, muscular and glandular structures are not ready to
function after months or even years later. Certain types of behavior which are made possible
by these structures are sufficiently mature. No amount of instruction and practice, for
example, can make a six-month old child walk or talk because the neural and muscular
structures involved are not yet ready for such activities
Although an individual inherits trait potentialities from parents, the direction that these
characteristics follow during the process of growth and development depends upon the
individual’s environment. Behavior traits develop only after interaction with environmental
influences.
Modes of behavior at a given time in the life of an individual are not determined by heredity or
environment working alone. Instead, they are the product of the interaction between his
inherited tendencies and potentialities and those environmental influences by which he is
stimulated. For example while the ability to vocalize and the capacity for learning to make
intelligible sounds are inherited, the language a child speaks is the result of the language he is
exposed to do during the growth process. A child is not born with skills, emotional controls, or
attitudes. It is only when his inherited adaptable nervous and muscular systems are given the
proper stimulation at a time when they are maturational ready that such traits are learned and
developed. It is at this point where education plays an important role in the development of an
individual.
Heredity is the transmission of traits from parents to offspring through the genes. It brings
about development through the process of maturation which is the unfolding of the hereditary
potentials.
Environment, on the other hand, includes all the forces that affect or influence man. The other
process of development that occurs through the medium of the environment is called learning.
At any given time and age, the level of development is the product of the interaction between
these two forces. Isolating the changes due to maturation alone or to learning alone would be

4. difficult because these two factors are interrelated and interdependent. Hereditary potentials
cannot develop in a vacuum; learning cannot occur if the neuromuscular system is not ready. A
favorable environment encourages the full development of the potentials, while a deprived and
unstimulating environment restrains their development.
Basic Principles of Growth and Development
From numerous studies conducted on growth and development, developmental psychologists
have established some basic principles of developmental changes that occur over the life cycle.
These basic principles are outlined below and explained in succeeding paragraphs.
1. Development follows an orderly sequence which is predictable.
The developmental process, guided by the interaction of maturation and
learning, follows a predictable pattern. The stages that we go through from birth
to death are always in the same order. They have never occurred in reverse.
Infancy precedes childhood and is followed by adolescence; and adulthood
follows adolescence. Middle age and, lastly, old age or senescence completes
the life cycle.
The first basic principle relates to the orderly sequence of developmental
change. The developmental process, guided by the interaction of maturation and
learning, follows a predictable pattern. It is a continues process that proceeds
according to a definite direction and uniform pattern throughout the life cycle.
Although physical growth attains it maturational level and stops as a
process, developmental change continues as long as life continues. An individual
continuously adapts to changing physical and mental abilities as age increases.
Such developmental changes which occur throughout the life cycle follow a
sequential pattern which is predictable. The stages which an individual goes
through from birth to death are always of the same order from infancy to old
age. They have never occurred in reverse.
This predictable sequence is also observable in the phylogentic skills-
those skills which are universally true of the human race. Thus, regardless of the
culture all babies proceed from supported sitting to unsupported sitting to
creeping, crawling and, finally walking. Similarly, babies produce unrecognizable
sounds to babbling before producing understandable speech.
The two predictable directions during the pre-natal and infancy periods
illustrate the uniform pattern of physical development. These directions are

5. cephalocaudal and proximodistal. In the cephalocaudal trend, development
proceeds in a head-to-foot direction in the body. Changes in motor performance
and function, for instance, take place first in the head region and last in the foot
region. In the proximodistal trend, parts of the body nearest to the center are
the earliest to develop. Infants, for instance, able to use their arms before they
acquire hand skills while their fingers skills follow the development of hand skills.
2. The rate of development is unique to each individual.
The second basis principle relates to the rate of developmental changes as
unique to each individual. Although developmental changes follow a predictable
pattern, the rate at which changes may occur may be different from one
individual to another. Such differences in rate of change are determined by the
interaction of heredity and environmental factors.
As an example:
Some children will change faster than others in almost all areas of
development while some will be much slower than others. Or some children will
have faster rates of development in the physical and social aspects while at the
same time are slower in the mental aspect of development.
This second principle stresses the fact that it is futile to try to accelerate
an individual’s development if he is not ready to develop or experience a change.
This means; for instance, that any new ability will emerge only if the essential
physical or mental foundations are already existing. Training can produce result
only if the individual has reached the level of maturation necessary for an
activity. Such readiness for an activity is determined by his rate of development.
3. Development involves change.
This principle implies that the human being is always evolving based on theories by
developmental psychologists. As stated earlier, children undergo physical, emotional,
and mental changes.
4. Early development is more critical than later development.
The studies of Freud, Erikson, and Piaget on early patterns of behavior led to the
conclusion that early development is very important. It is at this stage of development
where individuals develop the foundations for social relatedness, emotional well-being,

6. and personal adjustments. It has been widely accepted that the first 2 years of life,
often called the “formative years”, greatly dictate the course of an individual’s growth
and development. This principle is also the rationale behind early childhood education.
5. Development is the product of maturation and learning.
As discussed previously, development is an outcome of both maturation and
environmental influences. Although people are genetically endowed with certain
characteristics, learning allows individuals to develop the innate potentialities. Through
exercise and effort, people can act on their environments and develop their
competencies. In most cases, individuals learn through imitation and observation of
other role models.
6. There are individual differences in development.
Although children follow a predictable pattern of development, a step-by-step
progression, all children do not reach these developmental stages all at the same time
or all at the same age. These differences in development are often ascribed to both
genetic and environmental influences, where each individual is either born or exposed
to varying factors.
For instance,
Physical development depends largely on inherited characteristics, such that
children will grow in height differently from each other. Similarly, intellectual growth is
contingent upon one’s educational exposure or family environment.
7. There are social expectations for every developmental period which are often referred
to as developmental tasks.
This principle clearly states that at any point in the individual’s development, each one is
expected to fulfill certain social expectations. As will be seen in a later discussion, these
social expectations vary from one stage to the next.
Bibliography
1. Beltran, Jane Q., 1996. General Psychology Revised Edition. Rex Book Store, Inc.
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Ken Inc. Quezon City, Phil.
3. Bustos, Alicia S. and Socorro, Espiritu C., 1996. Psychological, Anthropological, and
Sociological Foundations of Education (Foundations of Education1). Katha Publishing
Co., Inc. Quezon City, Phil.

7. 4. Bustos, A.S., N.I. Malolos, A.E. Ramirez and E.C. Ramos. 1985. Introduction to
Psychology. Katha Publishing Co. Inc. Quezon City. Phil.
5 Gaerlan, Alvin B.A 1983. General Psychology: Understanding Behavior. National Book
Store. Manila. Phil.