Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan
The idea of the developmental changes in the
brain during adolescence piqued my interest is on cognition. This idea
emphasizes the changes in the brain that take place during this crucial stage
of development, such as the myelination of crucial connections and the
formation of the prefrontal cortex (Giedd et al., 1999). This point of view
stresses how adolescents' cognitive capacities and thought processes alter and
evolve during this crucial developmental stage. This point of view contends
that adolescents go through a substantial period of change in how they process
and interpret information. Adolescents may, for instance, learn to think abstractly,
take into account other viewpoints, and complete more difficult activities
requiring reasoning and problem-solving, including the development of abstract
thinking and metacognition (Steinberg, 2014). They might also develop a greater
capacity for reflection, questioning, and criticism of social mores.
A critical evaluation of the
cognitive-developmental view of adolescence suggests that to properly support
and direct adolescents' cognitive and social-emotional development, parents and
educators must understand the changes that take place in the adolescent brain.
Although these changes may affect adolescents' experiences and abilities, it is
crucial to understand that they are not always fixed or predetermined. Stress,
nutrition, and social experiences, for example, can all have a big impact on
how the brain develops during adolescence (Blakemore & Choudhury, 2006).
For instance, while some teenagers may struggle or have delays in the
development of specific cognitive skills, others may show exceptional talent in
the same areas. The essential role that environmental factors, including
social, cultural, and economic conditions, have in shaping cognitive
development at this time may also be overlooked by the cognitive-developmental
view of adolescence (Fischer, 1980). Adolescents who grow up in poverty, for
instance, could encounter special difficulties that affect their development on
the cognitive and social-emotional levels. Given these intricacies, parents and
educators must promote adolescent growth comprehensively. This may entail
taking into account the impact of environmental influences on development as
well as recognizing and treating individual disparities in cognitive capacities
(Arnett, 2000; Blakemore & Choudhury, 2006).
My thought questions are: How can educators and
parents successfully assist and promote healthy brain development during
adolescence? What evidence-based strategies may be used to assist
adolescents in navigating the cognitive and social-emotional changes that take
place during this time? What approaches may be taken to address these
individual variances? How might differences in adolescents' brain development
affect learning outcomes and educational experiences? What implications does
the cognitive-developmental theory of adolescence have for the design of
treatments and educational programs that assist teenage development?
References
Arnett,
J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens
through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469
Blakemore
S.J., & Choudhury, S. (2006). Development of the adolescent brain:
Implications for executive function and social cognition. Journal of Child Psychology
& Psychiatry, 47.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01611.x
Fischer, K. W.
(1980, November). A theory of
cognitive development: The control and construction of hierarchies of
skills. Psychological Review 87(6),
1-55.
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/~ddl/articlesCopy/FischerTheoryCognDev1980_old.pdf
Giedd, J. N., Blumenthal, J., Jeffries, N. O.,
Castellanos, F. X., Liu, H., Zijdenbos, A., ... & Rapoport, J. L. (1999).
Brain development during childhood and adolescence: a longitudinal MRI study. Nature
neuroscience, 2(10), 861-863. https://www.nature.com/articles/13158
Steinberg, L. (2014). Age of Opportunity: Lessons
from the New Science of Adolescence. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/Age-of-Opportunity/9780544570209
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