Education for human development is the study of human growth and development, including the processes that contribute to a person’s individuality and their adaptation to various life stages. Students taking human development classes learn about child, adolescent, and adult development, as well as theories of cognitive, social, and physical development. This course also discusses how human development affects ecological systems. There are many different theories of human development, and the subject is very broad.
Empowerment
A key component of empowerment is the sense of efficacy. Education should emphasize self-determination, opportunities for control, and knowledge of one’s social environment. Empowerment must be based on an awareness of the sociopolitical environment and the ability to navigate systems of power. In addition, empowerment should be grounded in the development of critical thinking, collaboration, and empathy. The process should encourage students to develop self-awareness, and foster a sense of ownership and respect for the self and others.
There are multiple ways to measure empowerment, but a common approach is to use qualitative and quantitative measures of success. Raising billions out of poverty or placing millions of children in school is a quantitative measure of achievement, but does not address the underlying principles of sustainability. Similarly, empowerment measures should focus on ensuring that the targeted group feels their rights, and that they are included in decision-making processes. However, current policies, technology development, and pathways to sustainability do not promote this inclusiveness. Thus, these groups are often viewed as afterthoughts or a nuisance.
Self-determination
Research shows that self-determination influences many areas of a person’s life, including education. A strong sense of self, or self-determination, is related to a person’s capacity to learn and to take responsibility for their actions. The relationship between self-determination and intelligence is positive; high IQ scores are associated with higher self-determination scores. In addition, the social context of an individual affects the quality of his or her inner experiences.
In addition to individual differences, the ability to exercise choice and control are essential to the development of self-determination. Self-determination skills can be enhanced through intentional interventions aimed at developing students’ self-regulation and autonomy. In schools, self-determination curriculum can be integrated across subject areas and supported at all levels. By promoting self-determination in education, students can learn to become more autonomous and capable of making choices, take reasonable risks, and make informed decisions.
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Design-based thinking and learning principles
In school education, the process of design-based thinking is often emphasized, which can be a useful approach to fostering identity development across different professional disciplines. In addition, design is increasingly seen as an object for students to learn about, and is being studied as an integral part of the design process in engineering and K-12 education. In the human development field, design thinking has been used for educational purposes for the last decade, especially in the context of STEM education.
Despite its importance in STEM education, there are still many gaps in our understanding of design. Many previous studies have focused on the cognition of professional designers, not students. However, there is an abundant area for further research and scholarly discussion, and systemic studies of design-based thinking in education for human development would provide a foundation for sound educational programs. However, in the absence of systematic research on students’ design thinking, it is not clear how this learning principle can be implemented in education.
Collaboration
There is no doubt that collaboration in education for human development is an important concept. The term itself embodies an innovative process involving people with different expertise and perspectives coming together to create innovative solutions. However, this concept also refers to the shared vision and co-equal partnership that characterizes collaborative approaches. The benefits of collaboration are numerous and serve as an incentive for the implementation of collaborative practices in education. In addition, collaborative practices help educators build skills in problem solving, collaboration, and instructional delivery.
The college is committed to lifting up education in the global context. Because it is uniquely positioned to contribute to this agenda, the College has been developing programs and conducting research that involve collaboration across academic disciplines. Peabody has a history of working with educators, scholars, and policymakers in local contexts and has provided training and professional development to educators, teachers, and other educational leaders in more than 60 countries. This international reach allows Peabody to continue developing its mission of advancing education and human development worldwide.
