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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
College of Education
I. Descriptive Information
Department:
Course Title:
Course Number:
Course Credit:
Intended Audience:
Semester:
Instructor:
Internet Address:
UCF Mailbox & Secretary:
Office:
Office Hours:
Educational Studies
Child and Adolescent Development for Educators
EDF 2130
3 hours
Teacher education majors at the sophomore level
Catalog Description: The goal of this course is for students to gain knowledge and understanding
about the developmental stages and characteristics of individuals from infancy through adolescence,
with application to learners in educational settings.
II. Statement of Course Goals and Objectives
KEY: FEAP = Florida Educator Accomplished Practices
PEC = Florida Professional Education Competencies
Through lectures, overhead, video and/or computer presentations, class discussions, student
presentations, written assignments, exams, field experiences, and group interactions the student
will, upon completion of the course, be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial developmental patterns and of
individual differences in order to meet the needs of all students in the classroom. (FEAP/PEC 1,
5, 7)
2. Identify and demonstrate understanding of theories and themes of human growth and
development as represented by the following theories: biological theories, psychoanalytic
theories, psychosocial theories, behavioral theories, cognitive-developmental stage theories,
moral developmental theories, cognitive information processing theories, sociocultural theories,
and contextual theories. (FEAP/PEC 13, 7)
3. Describe the effects of culture, beliefs, traditions, values, and gender on development.
(FEAP/PEC 2; FEAP/PEC 5, 13)
4. Identify typical and atypical patterns of development, including language development and the
needs of students with limited English proficiency. (ESOL 25; FEAP/PEC 2, 5; PEC 14)
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5. Recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect, alcohol and drug abuse, severe emotional
distress in students (FEAP/PEC 6, 11)
6. Describe the variety of teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches to instruction that are
aligned with developmentally-appropriate instructional practices. (FEAP/PEC 2, 11; PEC 13)
III. Approved Texts and Readings
McDevitt, T. M. & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Child Development and Education.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. ISBN 0138158408
OR
Bergin, D., & Bergin. C. (2011). Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom. Cengage. `
ISBN 1111186340
OR
Meece, J. L., & Daniels, D. H. (2007). Child and Adolescent Development for Educators. New
York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0073525766
(Berk’s Child Development or Human Development throughout the Lifespan is NOT recommended
for this course.)
.
Additional readings as assigned by the instructor.
IV. Academic Course Requirements
NOTE: Please use 12 point Times New Roman font for all class assignments, without a cover
page.
1. Field Experience
The 8 hour mandatory field experience in Child and Adolescent Development for Educators
allows you to see developmental principles in action as you observe children from infancy
through adolescence. You will conduct four (4) two hour observations of children during four
developmental stages: Infancy/Toddler; Preschool; Middle Childhood; and Adolescence. Notes
must be taken during each observation, and these notes will become a part of your
Developmental Research Project (see #2 below). Further details can be found in the Appendix.
2. Developmental Research Project
Students are required to complete a research project on developmental issues relevant to a
particular age group of their choice, based on their observations from their field experiences.
Additional readings outside of class will be required.
3. Exams/Quizzes
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There will be weekly quizzes based on the assigned readings for each week, a midterm exam,
and a non-cumulative final exam.
4. Participation Activities
Each week, there will be in class and out of class assignments that will allow you the
opportunity to practice using the theories and concepts learned in class to better understand
children and adolescents.
V. Administrative Course Requirements
Attendance and Grades
It is expected that students enrolled in a course designed to enable them to obtain licensure to teach
in the state of Florida will make every reasonable effort to attend each class meeting. When an
illness or an emergency occurs, contact the instructor before the class meeting whenever possible.
If this is not possible please call, email, or visit in person during scheduled office hours to explain
the absence.
VI. Course Schedule and other Specific Assignments and Evaluative Criteria
(List class meeting dates, reading assignments, due dates, etc.)
VII. Major Topics of the Course
 Key developmental theories related to child and adolescent development, biological theories,
psychoanalytic theories, psychosocial theories, behavioral theories, cognitive-developmental
stage theories, moral developmental theories, cognitive information processing theories,
sociocultural theories, and contextual theories.
 Physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development: Early childhood through adolescence
 The following major theorists: Lorenz, Ainsworth, Piaget, Montessori, Vygotsky, Skinner,
Bandura, Erickson, Kohlberg, Baumrind
 Key aspects of infant development relevant to educators.
 Language and literacy development
 Development of mathematical competence
 Students with limited English proficiency
 Children with exceptional needs
 Peer relations and moral development
 Family and school contexts in development
VII. Bibliography
Bandura, A. (1965). Influence of model's reinforcement contingencies on the acquisition of
imitative responses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1, 589-595.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewoood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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Bandura, A., Ross, D. & Ross, S.A. (1961). Transmission of aggressions through imitation of
aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal Social Psychology, 63, 575-582.
Baumrind, D. (1967). Child care practices anteceding three patterns of preschool behavior. Genetic
Psychology Monographs, 75, 43-88.
Blatt, M. M., & Kohlberg, L. (1975). The effects of classroom moral discussion upon children’s
level of moral judgments. Journal of Moral Education, 4, 129-161.
Erikson, Erik (1950). Childhood and Society. New York: W W Norton & Company.
Gesell, A. (1925). The Mental Growth of the Pre-school Child. New York: Macmillan.
Kohlberg, L. (1969). Continuities and discontinuities in childhood and adult moral development.
Human Development, 12, 93-120.
Lillard, A. S. (2005). Montessori: The Science behind the Genius. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Luria, A. (1976). Cognitive Development: Its Cultural and Social Foundations. (M. Lopez-Morillas
& L. Solotaroff, Trans.). Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Maccoby, E. (1974). The Psychology of Sex Differences. Stanford, CA: Stanford University
Press.
McShane, J. (1991). Cognitive Development: An Information-Processing Approach. Cambridge,
MA: Basil Blackwell.
Piaget, J. (1929). The Child's Conception of the World. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Piaget, J. (1977). The Development of Thought: Equilibration of Cognitive Structures. New York
Viking.
Meece, J. L. (2007). Child & Adolescent Development for Educators (3rd ed.). Boston: McGraw
Hill.
McDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (2006). Child Development and Education. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice Hall.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in Society. (Trans. M. Cole). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Vygotsky, L. (1986). Thought and Language. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Watson, J.B. & Watson, R. [Rayner] (1928). The Psychological Care of Infant and Child. New
York: Norton.