Chapter 1
Chapter 1
At the end of this module, the student will be able to:
One. Differentiate the various categories of learners according to growth and development.
Two. Discuss factors which can influence intellectual development.
Three. Describe the different stages of development.
Four. Identify individual differences in learning with respect to intelligence, socioeconomic status, culture, gender differences, and at-risk status.
Growth focused quantity
Category of Learning According to Growth and Development
Category of Learning According to Growth and Development
When planning, designing and implementing an educational program, the nurse as educator must carefully consider the characteristics of learners with respect to their developmental stages in life. The more heterogenous the target audience, the more complex the development of an educational program to meet the diverse needs of the population. Conversely, the more homogenous the population of learners, the more straightforward the approach to teaching.
Development represents the qualitative changes in an individual as evidenced by their intellectual, emotional and physiological capabilities. This encompasses the ability of the body to function consistent with growth patterns. Hence, growth and development are intertwined or interrelated in order to proceed with normal maturation process.
As noted, actual chronological age is only a relative indicator of someone's physical, cognitive and psychosocial stage of development. Unique as each individual is, however, some typical developmental trends have been identified as milestones of normal progression through the life cycle. When dealing with the teaching-learning process, it is imperative to examine the developmental phases as individuals progress from infancy to senescence so as to fully appreciate the behavioral changes that occur in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains.