Early childhood education and child development have long had a close relationship. Early childhood education and care require a strong understanding of child development since it helps determine the children’s instructional needs by identifying their developmental stage. One theory or collection of theories does not predominate in child development, which needs to be unified with a single integrated set of theories (Picciano, 2021). Instead, there are numerous conflicting theories in the area. When research findings contradict a hypothesis, it is adjusted to fit the data better. Only a few developmental theories explain how children’s growth develops over time.
Five main theories explain children’s growth:
- Ecological
- Constructivist
- Behaviorist
- Psychoanalytic
- Maturationist
Maturationist Theory
According to the maturity theory, a person’s genetic makeup has the most significant influence on the way their children develop. Their genetic aptitude advances as they grow. Rude environmental conditions cannot produce or enhance their aptitude; they can only delay it. According to this approach, learning opportunities for kids need to be developmentally appropriate. Children will not learn and progress optimally when faced with challenging situations. The philosophy of the maturationists offers fundamental knowledge that primarily influences early childhood education theory and practice (Saracho, 2023). It impacts how educational scholars, policymakers, and practitioners understand how young children develop and what it means for their study and education. The maturationist theory started to be discredited by researchers. It received criticism for implying that some kids had genetic defects or could not succeed in school. Researchers, educators, and developmentalism began looking for a different way of thinking to support children’s intellectual growth and be acceptable in environmental interventions or educational programs.
Constructivist Theory
Cognitive psychology, particularly the constructivist ideas of Jean Piaget, Lev Semenovich, Vygotsky, and Jerome Bruner, is another developmental theory that has impacted early childhood education. Constructivists believe that people actively create knowledge regarding their experiences (Clark, 2018). Children generally have some understanding of the world from infancy. That information makes it easier for them to interpret how they see the outside world. Similar to how new information helps people to alter their understanding. In contrast to behaviorism, which is a different theory, constructivism places the burden for learning on the students rather than the teacher. It is an important element of constructivism.
Behaviorist Theory
Early in the twentieth century, the behaviorist approach to development and learning gained traction. Ivan Pavlov first developed it in Russia, and John Watson, Edward Thorndike, and B. F. Skinner’s investigations impacted it there. To quote Reimann (2018): Early childhood special education has been impacted by behaviorism, mainly when working with kids who have significant mental problems. Special educators have used the behaviorism idea to develop training programs for children with impairments. An increasing number of early childhood special educators are using constructivist teaching strategies in early childhood special education programs.
Psychoanalytic Theory
An understanding of how the unconscious influences a person’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are provided by psychoanalytic theory. It is applied to describe how people behave. For instance, the person’s anxiety might have been brought on by traumatic events from their childhood that they were unable to recall, but caused problems as an adult. Childhood experiences impact an individual’s adult life and help shape their personality (Stein & Sandler, 2018). According to psychoanalytic theory, early experiences have a lasting impact on an adult’s personality and psychological development, taking into account both typical and atypical human qualities.
Ecological Theory
The ecological theory focuses on how crucial the environment is to kids’ education and development. According to this hypothesis, the environment impacts children’s growth in every way. Every time, their environments are different. Children may find it challenging to comprehend the implications because they are entwined with how they usually develop. The understanding of the habitats of the children is used by ecological theory to explain, organize, and clarify their impacts (Davey, 2018). This plan takes into account recent developments in ecological psychology.
References
Clark, K. R. (2018). Learning theories: constructivism. Radiologic Technology, 90(2), 180–182. http://www.radiologictechnology.org/content/90/2/180.short
Davey, G. (2018). Ecological learning theory. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315149233/ecological-learning-theory-graham-davey
Picciano, A. G. (2021). Theories and frameworks for online education: Seeking an integrated model. In A guide to administering distance learning (pp. 79-103). Brill. https://brill.com/view/book/9789004471382/BP000005.xml
Reimann, A. (2018). Behaviorist learning theory. The TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching, pp. 1–6. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0155
Saracho, O. N. (2023). Theories of Child Development and Their Impact on Early Childhood Education and Care. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(1), 15-30. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-021-01271-5
Stein, R., & Sandler, J. (2018). Psychoanalytic theories of effect. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780429479106/psychoanalytic-theories-affect-ruth-stein-joseph-sandler
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