THE EMERGING ADULT

Candace Moore
MSc Clinical Psychology
ROYTEC
School of Business & Applied Studies

RATIONALE
Learning is

the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught

a process that depends on experience and leads to long-term changes in
behaviour potential.

It is a process that takes place:

with and without awareness,

with and without deliberate effort

Development is informed in all moments by many factors

RATIONALE
There are several theories that advocate the relative influence of
nurture and nature in how adolescents grow and what influences their
growth
Within the teaching profession we have the opportunity to create
conditions of the nurture perspective that are optimal for learning
and development.

DEFINITIONS
Nurture- the sum of environmental / non-biological or heritable factors
that influence behaviour and traits of organism
Adolescence is defined as the period of development between the ages of
12 and 19 years.
Social - Understanding adolescent development within a social context
means

understanding how the influences of others affect how and what we learn; how
we grow

nature and frequency of interaction in various contexts

what is given and received within interaction

TEACH SOMEONE
ACTIVITY

 The learning environment affects adolescent development in the

following ways

How Does the

Social Perspective of
Adolescent
Development
Affect My Classroom?

It affects the physical aspect. Personal orientation may affect

approaches to structural arrangement that may or may not be optimal
for developmental needs
It affects the psychological aspect. Teachers must ensure emotional
safety in learning. Teachers actions set expectations about engagement
in the learning process e.g. How they react to failed attempts, the
childs curiosity and feeling of uncertainty in learning new material.
Maintaining flexibility to adapt ; create learning opportunities out of
moments that seem disruptive
It affects the instructional aspect. Teachers must account for
intrinsic aspects of learning in task assignment e.g. Frustration
tolerance level, how challenging a task is. Support and Structuring of
the navigation of these aspects of executing tasks also play a part in
meeting developmental milestones

WALKING
ACTIVITY

ERIKSONS
PSYCHOSOCIAL
THEORY

PREMISE
We are confronted with tasks or challenges at various stages in our
development.
Our social and cultural environment shape what lessons are learnt, the
values we adopt from each stage and carry into the next.
The impact of such an environment can lead us to develop positive or
negative qualities.
One negative quality obtained in one stage does not necessarily secure
another negative quality in a subsequent stage.

ERIKSONS 8 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

Stage 7
Stage 6
Stage 5
Stage 4
Stage 3

Initiative
Stage 2
Stage 1

Trust

Autonomy

Parents

13-19 yrs

4-5 yrs

Parents
school

19- 40 yrs

Parents
school

Peers and
role models

41- 64
yrs

Parent hood
work role

5-12 yrs

18 m- 3 yrs

0-18
MTHS

Caregiver

Industry

Identity

Intimacy

Genera
-tvity

Romantic
relationships

Stage 8

Ego
Despair
64 + yrs

Mankind

ERIKSONS 8 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

STAGE 1: TRUST VS. MISTRUST

Childs Position: Is the world safe/ secure?
Main person: caregiver / mother
Age : Birth to 18 months
Environmental provisions:
Reliable, Consistent Secure

HOPE
FEAR

STAGE 2: AUTONOMY VS. SHAME

Childs Position:
What can I do on my own? What do I have control over?
Main person: parents
Age: 18 months to 3 years
Environmental Provisions:
Support in exploration
WILL
SHAME

STAGE 3: INITIATIVE VS GUILT

Childs position: Is it ok to do, move etc?
Main person: parents , school
Age: preschool, 4- 5 years
Environmental Provisions: decision making,

PURPOSE

STAGE 4: INDUSTRY VS. INFERIORITY

Childs position: What can I do in the world?
Main person: parents , school
Age: 5- 12 years
Environmental Provisions: encouragement in
learning of new skills; belief in self.

COMPETENCE

STAGE 5: IDENTITY VS. ROLE CONFUSION

Childs position: Who am I ? Who can I become?
Main person: Peers and Role Models
Age: 13-19 years
Environmental Provisions: encouragement, guidance,
acceptance in experimenting with various
activities, behaviours.
: assistance in addressing mixed feelings or ways of thinking
FIDELITY

STAGE 6: INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION

Persons position: I am loved and wanted? Can I love?

Main person: romantic relationships

Age: 19-40 years

Environmental Provisions: relationships that provide comfort, safety that allow
persons to develop a sense of commitment.

LOVE

STAGE 7: GENERATIVITY VS. STAGNATION

Persons position: Can I make my life count?
Main person: parenthood, work role
Age: 40-64 years
Environmental Provisions: family relationships and
work experiences that allow us to
feel a part of a bigger purpose.

CARE

STAGE 8: EGO INTEGRITY VS. DESPAIR

Persons position: Is it okay to have been me?
Am I okay with the life I have lived and person that I was?
Main person: mankind
Age: 64 + years
Environmental Provisions: allows us to accept /
reconcile past failures,
WISDOM

provides a sense of accomplishment

For the Child

Provide appropriate support for children

during their negotiation of these crises
What Does This Mean
For Your Student?

Be able to identify situations where the

child is demonstrating developmental
behaviours
Identify your personal response to similar
crises you have observed.

For the Educator

Observe, alter current norms established

in your learning environment
What Does This Mean
For The Teacher?

Observe the reliving of your own

instances and responding accordingly
Understand your experiences and their
impact on your development.

TIMELINE ACTIVITY

ID BEHAVIOURS ACTIVITY
BRAINSTORMING LINE ACTIVITY


What overlap do you see between those

REFLECTION !
Things to think about

experiences and the stages Erikson says you will

have.

What values do you think your experiences have
left you with?

Assessing
The Current Learning
Environment
A. To what extent have these
developmental needs or tasks been
met?
B.

What needs have you met

successfully?

C.

What opportunities are there for

future success in meeting
developmental needs?

Aspects of the Learning Environment

Instructional
Industry vs
Inferiority
COMPETENCE
Identity vs
Role Confusion
FIDELITY
Intimacy vs
Isolation
LOVE

Psychological

Physical

CASE SCENARIO 1 AND 2

BREAK !

BANDURAS THEORY
OF
SOCIAL COGNITIVE LEARNING

ACTIVITY

Banduras Social Cognitive Learning Theory

The Role of the Environment

The Role of Cognitions

Behaviour change occurs due to observation

learning or modelling

Our response is not automatic but is mediated by

information processing. We think about the
consequences of behaviour

Modelling- the observation of significant

others in immediate environment that provide
examples of behaviour that can be observed
and imitated

Based on our response from the environment

consequences we learn to manipulate the
environment, set goals approach tasks etc.

The consequences of others behaviours are

also observed

There are elements that make behaviour more likely to

happen that are part of the mediating processes

BEHAVIOUR ENABLING FEATURES

1.Attention
2. Reproduction
3. Retention
4. Reinforcement
Model
Similar to Self/
have qualities
would like to
posses

EXTERNAL

5. Motivation
( Rewards/
Punishments)
Self-efficacy
INTERNAL:
MEDIATING
PROCESSES

Reinforcement is more likely to be

effective if it meets the childs
needs.

Response of Model:
+ve or ve
Reinforced or Punished

EXTERNAL

SELF EFFICACY
Self- efficacy- the extent to which one believes he or she is capable of
successfully completing a task
This gives the child a sense of his or her skills set (what he or she can and
cannot achieve) with others
A sense of self efficacy early on becomes the foundation for attitudes
towards future learning experiences ( immediate or distant)
Building self efficacy comes with having

mastery experiences,

increased physical or emotional states,

verbal encouragement

What Does This Mean

For
Your Student?

There are various dyads for opportunities

for observational learning within the
learning space that will be observed

Student Other vs Student Other

Student vs Teacher
Student Other vs Student
Teacher to Teacher
Teacher to Other Student

What is reinforced or punished knowingly or

unknowingly will affect how they navigate a
learning environment

 Ensure that children do not have educators on their

own reward system

What Does
This Mean
For
Teachers?

Become aware of behaviours that you may be

reinforcing unknowingly values , prejudices
Ensure that your reinforcement systems/ sources of
motivation are appropriate and meaningful
Know how to change your schedule
Cultivate self efficacy; set the tone for later learning
Understand the personal factors/needs that
adolescence bring to the learning environment that
alters the learning for others e.g. importance of values

REFLECTION!

What behaviours do you find difficult to

minimize and increase

in yourself professionally

In others i.e. adults and children?

Assessing
The Current Learning
Environment
A. To what extent have both external and
internal channels for learning been
considered ?
B.

C.

What aspects have you met

successfully to bring about desired
behaviour change?

Source of Learning

Aspects of the Learning Environment

Instructional

EXTERNAL:
Profile of Models
EXTERNAL:
Consequences of
Model Behaviour
INTERNAL
Attention
Retention
Reproduction

INTERNAL
What opportunities are there for future Motivation:
success in addressing both external and Consequences of
Own Behaviour
internal factors of learning?
Self efficacy

Psychological

Physical

CASE SCENARIOS 1 AND 2

CREATING THE IDEAL

CAPITALISE ON THE SOCIAL
In light of developmental contributions of Erikson and Bandura take a
few moments to discuss, envision and set goals that make your learning
environment more tailored to supporting students with developmental
tasks.
Share at least two short term goals that you plan to pursue with your
students.