Republic of the Philippines

COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE ZAMBOANGA

Vitali Campus

For:
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

LESSON 1:
INTRODUCTION TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
 LESSON 1

A. Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students are able to:
1. understand and explain in his or her own words what personal development is;
2. understand and explain the psychological basis of personal development; and
3. relate the concept of personal development in his or her own experiences as an
adolescent.

B. Lesson Outline:
1. Introduction to Personal Development
1.1 Human Development and Personal Development
1.2 Origins of Personal Development
1.3 Psychology and Personal Development
1.4 Personal Development in Adolescents

C. Lesson Content:
Human Development and Personal Development
Beyond the richness of the economies in which the people are living, human
development is a concept about thriving of the human life. It refers to the biological and
psychological development of the human being throughout the lifespan. It consists of the
development from infancy, childhood, and adolescence to adulthood. Developmental
scientists identified the three aspects or domain of human development as (Papalia and
Fieldman, 2012).
1. physical development, which covers the growth of the body and the brain, motor and
sensory skills, and even physical health;
2. cognitive development, which covers our capacity to learn, to speak, to understand, to
reason, and to create; and
3. psychosocial development, which includes our social interactions with other people, our
emotions, attitudes, self- identity, beliefs, and values.
While human development covers the whole lifespan of human existence in relation to
the three domains, personal development is one’s own development and growth within
the context of the three aspects of human development. Human development is also
influenced by:

 heredity
 environment
 maturation

What is Personal Development?

Human beings have the sole capacity to reflect upon itself, and in the process
develop self-awareness, become motivated, and then desire to grow and change for the
better; and are prompted to mature and improve until it reaches its desired level of
development. It is therefore, natural for human beings to develop toward maturity and
fullness (Carl Rogers 1961).
Personal development may be defined as a process in which persons reflect upon
themselves, understand who they are, accept what they discover about themselves, and
learn (or unlearn) new sets of values, attitudes, behavior, and thinking skills to reach their
fullest potential as human beings. Additionally, it is “the process of striving to be the best
that you can be in order to reach and realize your full potential. It is a journey of self-
discovery, self- improvement, and self- realization.” (Hereford: 9 Essential Life Skills- A
Guide for Personal Development)

Origins of Personal Development

In Republic, which some consider to be the greatest work on the philosophy of
education, Plato argued that building character, as much as intelligence, is what education
is all about. Even during the early times of human development and civilization, there was
already an attempt to link individual development with social responsibility. This could be
the seeds of personal development in Wester thinking that eventually evolved into the
Human Potential Movement in the 1960’s influenced by the popular philosophies at that
time: existentialism and humanistic psychology (“Explaining Personal and Social
Development” by the Young Adult Learners Partnership, Queen’s Printer 2003).
Eastern thought may have understood personal development through another
concept. The great Chinese being will always desire to become the “superior man,” not
just to his peers and followers, but to himself most especially. He envisioned what
Confucius must have understood as a consequence of personal development (The Ethics
of Confucius, Chapter 1: What Constitutes a Superior Man?).

Psychology and Personal Development

Psychology, being the study of human thinking and behavior, serves as a foundation
for personal development. The school of thought that gave birth to the contemporary
understanding of personal development started during the flourishing of Humanistic and
Positive Psychology in the 1950s, which dealt, with dealt with personal growth and
meaning as a way of reaching one’s fullest potentials. The two proponents
of Humanistic Psychology were Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. While
Maslow theorized the five stages of human development based on a
self-
hierarchy of needs, peaking in what he termed as “self- actuali

actualization”, Carl Rogers, in his psychotherapy practice, zation

theorized that “ the individual has within himself the capacity and
the tendency, latent if not evident, to move forward toward Esteem
maturity.” (On Becoming a Person,p. 35)
Positive psychology also created a balance Love and Belongingness
between what humanistic psychology emphasized that
human nature is basically good, while adding that
human nature includes both the positive and
negative aspects. In short, positive psychology Safety
stresses that human nature has its good and
positive strengths, as well as its inadequacies
Physiological Needs
and weaknesses. The Positive Psychology
Center of the University of Pennsylvania defines Positive Psychology as the scientific study
of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is
founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate
what is best within them, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play
(Peterson 2006).

Personal Development in Adolescence

Adolescence is the transition period between childhood and early adulthood.
Although scientists and psychologists may slightly differ in pegging the exact age of
adolescence, it is widely believed to be between ages 11 or 12, and lasting to about 18 years
of age (Feist and Rosenberg 2012).
In the Philippine context, authors Corpuz, Lucas, Borabo, and Lucido (2010) defined
the three stages of adolescence as:

 Early adolescence- between 10 and 13 years of age

 Middle adolescence- between 14 and 16 years of age
 Late adolescence- between 17 and 20 years of age
Adolescence starts with the biological changes called puberty. The physical body
undergoes growth spurts at this time, for both male and female, leading toward physical
maturity.

D. Discussion Questions:
1. What are the three aspects of human development?
2. How does heredity, environment and maturation influenced human development?
3. Give examples of physiological needs.
4. How would you compare between personality development and personal
development?
5. Cite an example of how personal development happens in real life.
6. What is Abraham Maslow’s theory called?
7. What are the five stages of its theory?
8.How would you show your understanding of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?
9. Differentiate between Humanistic and Positive Psychology.
10.What serves as a foundation of personal development?
11. How would you explain Carl Rogers’ theory?
12. How is personal development linked to psychology?
13. Give some popular slogans or phrases that are attributable to Positive psychology
such as “ THINK POSITIVE.”. Briefly explain.
14. What conclusions can you draw on the explanation that the age and stage of
development of a person influence his or her personal development?
15. Relate your spiritual or religious beliefs to personal development. How does this
manifest in terms of your day-to-day behavior at home? In school?
16. What are your personal experiences as an adolescent in terms of the way you think,
reason, feel, and the way you express yourself?
17. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, where do you find yourself? What needs are being
met and not yet met?
18. What would you recommend to yourself to fulfill your needs so that you can move
closer toward self-actualization?
19. How would you improve yourself as an adolescent?
20. what do you think is your definition of happiness and how is this related to your
personal development?
E. Lesson Activity/ Task:
Activity No.1
Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________
Grade and Section: ________________________________

Directions: Write an “Agreement with Myself” document where you will write your
commitment for your personal development for the semester. List down the things you
want to learn and change about yourself. In addition, ask three persons on what they
understand about personal development and compare this with your own understanding
and experiences in class.
“Agreement with Myself”

Signed:

References:
Rogers, Carl R. 1961, 1989. On Becoming a Person, New York,USA: Houghton Mifflin
Company.
Santos, R. 2016. Personal Development 2016, REX Bookstore.
Sevilla, Consuelo G,1996. General Psychology with Values Development, REX Bookstore.