Chronosystem (not pictured) refers to the time that transpires as the child relates in his various environments.
Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model (1979) explains that the behavior and development of an individual is an interplay of the individual’s biological and personality factors, his environment and the society and culture he was born into. Brofenbrenner also claims that effects of interactions between the individual and his environment are two-directional or characterized by reciprocity. This means that while a child’s development is influenced and molded by his family, school and peers, he likewise influences and molds the behavior of others. The growing child moves through five systems that inter-relate and affect his development.
The most basic environment of Sydney is the microsystem, where direct contacts between her and her immediate surroundings result in behaviors such as dependence or independence and cooperation or competition. This includes her relationship with her parents (she is an only child) and extended family members such as her grandparents who care for her during the day when her parents go to work, and her friends and teachers in school. The pure culture of the society her family lives in greatly influences how they live and how Sydney imbibes the culture as she expresses it in her developing personality. In this level, all relationships of Sydney are bidirectional, meaning adults affect her behavior but she, in turn, likewise affects adult behaviors… her physical attributes, personality and capacities (Berk, 2006). Sydney is a very pretty little girl with a matching bubbly personality that adults just seem to gravitate towards her.
The mesosystem comprises the linkages and processes that take place between two or more settings with the child in common (Steuer, 1994). A perfect example is how learning in school is supported by follow up lessons in the home. A strong home-school link helps Sydney’s learning and development become consistent and stable so the teacher must make an effort to keep communicating with her parents to give tips on what they are learning in school. Sydney’s father helps her out with her schoolwork by tutoring her with her lessons at home while her mother often goes to her school for special events that call for parent participation.
The third level comprising linkages and processes taking place between two or more settings is the exosystem. This includes at least one setting that does not directly involve the child, but still influences the processes within the immediate setting of the child. An example is the parent’s occupation. The workplace of this parent does not contain Sydney, but processes at work may affect her development such as the hours spent there by the parent may affect the parent-child bond. It also affects the development of Sydney’s disposition. According to Campbell (1999), Sydney’s disposition is enabled by social forces to perpetuate relationships of power that limit and constrain her choices, decisions and actions.
The fourth system is the macrosystem which includes the customs, values and laws considered important in Sydney’s culture and upbringing. She was born in the US but was brought home to the Philippines, her parents’ home country when she was just a few months old, so she imbibes the culture of the Filipinos. Hedegaard (2004) claims that development is the relationship between the child and society. It does not exist within the child but happens when the child interacts with his or her cultural community. She further argues that when development does not proceed, it is not the fault of the child but of the relationship between him and society, so it is society that must flourish (Hedegaard as mentioned in Fleer, 2005)
Lastly, the chronosystem, refers to the time that transpires as the Sydney relates in her various environments. An example is the change that happens to her while she grows up moving from one system to another.
Essences and meanings of two observations
Language focus
Meaning 1 – Design a table using Tough’s classifications. Include a paragraph with interpretation of table and include at least one reference to literature.
Since Sydney is a Toddler with limited speech development, her answers to her teacher’s questions are usually with just a word or a short phrase. In the observation posted in the Appendix, it is clear that the Teacher mostly prompts her to answer the questions by giving her options. With regard to Tough’s (1976) classification, the following were observed from the short conversation:
Meaning 2 – Using the same observation analyse in a paragraph Fleer and Richardson’s lens using the three perspectives – personal, interpersonal, cultural-institutional. Include an overall sociocultural assessment. Use at least one literature source.
Fleer and Richardson (2004) believes that to assess a child’s development to more reflect reality, he or she needs to be seen in a socio-cultural context instead of just an individual. Personally, Sydney as a toddler may be assessed according to the developmental expectations for her age. It was very obvious from the example how she behaved her age. In an interpersonal perspective, Sydney’s interaction with the teacher is very positive and comfortable. This disposition may have been learned from her family and close relatives who treat her very favorably being the “baby of the family”. She has established an easy way to relate with others. On a cultural-institutional perspective, Sydney’s personality is heavily influenced by the Filipino culture her parents grew up on. Service (as represented by her cooking breakfast for her mother) is one value characteristic of Filipinos, and hospitality defines them as a people. In sum, basing from the example, Sydney’s socio-cultural assessment not only evaluates her individual domains of development (ex. Motor, cognitive, social, emotional and creative) per se, but how other factors in her socio-cultural exposure affects her development – how she is with family and friends, and what culture she comes from. Sydney may have been born in the US and have been brought to her homeland months after she was born so she now breathes in the culture. She is very much Filipina in her demeanor but still gets easily influenced by western culture, as seen on cable shows.
‘Other Learning’: In a paragraph, analyse using the Leuven Child Involvement Scale from the Laevers’ reading. Use at least one literature source.
Sydney together with her cousin, Koji was heavily involved in the painting activity. They kept their eyes on their work and dutifully reloaded paint on the brush whenever necessary. She was known to play the big-sister or ‘mommy’ role to Koji, as he was recently diagnosed as autistic and showed peculiar behavior when excited, which only calmed down when his parents held him close. Staying side by side with Koji in the Art table, Sydney showed little involvement with Koji aside from glancing at him and his work once in a while. If this involvement is rated on the Leuven Involvement Scale, it would score a 2. However, when another classmate seemed to have provoked Koji when his paint cup spilled his paint, Sydney rushed to him to comfort him before he breaks down. This is what she usually sees his parents do. This behavior would score a 5 in the LIS due to very high involvement on Sydney’s part (Laevers, 2005).
References
Berk, L. 2006, Child Development, 7th edn, Pearson, Allyn & Bacon, Boston, Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Campbell, S. 1999, ‘Making the political pedagogical in early childhood’, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 24, no. 4.
Fleer, M. 2005, ‘Developmental fossils – unearthing the artefacts of early childhood education: The reification of “child development”‘, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 30.
Fleer, M. & Richardson, C., 2004 Observing & Planning In Early Childhood Settings: Using A Sociocultural Approach. Early Childhood Australia, Inc.
Hedegaard, M. 2004. A cultural-historical approach to learning in classrooms. Paper presented at the International Society for Cultural and Activity Research, Regional Conference, University of Wollongong.
Laevers, F. 2005, ‘Deep-level-learning and the experiential approach in early childhood and primary education’, , Research Centre for Experiential Education, Leuven University, Web.
Steuer, F. 1994, ‘Ecological theory’, in The Psychological Development of Children, Brooks/Cole, Monterey,CA.
Tough, J. 1976, ‘Children’s use of language’, in Listening to Children Talking, Ward Lock Educational, London.