Meaning of Human Growth and Development, Nature, Characteristics and Difference

           GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Introduction :

The education of a child starts since his birth, though in an informal manner. A person to some extent shapes the pattern of his life by the choices and decisions he makes at successive stages. A teacher's main concern in the classroom is the development of the child but he cannot fully understand such basic processes as perception, motivation and emotion, etc.. without knowing something about their development. If a teacher is interested to educate the child in a balanced and integrated manner then he is to understand the child fully and understand the characteristics of a child at various age levels. Therefore, it is essential for the teacher to study the growth and development of different periods of life.

Meaning and Definition of Human Growth 

Growth refers to quantitative changes in physical development, i.e., increase in size, height and weight. We speak of the growth of heart, nerves, muscles and body in general. Thus growth is observable and can be measured. 

Crow and Crow suggest that, "Growth refers to structural and physiological changes." 

Frank said, "Growth as the multiplication of cells, i.e., growth in height and weight or it may be changes in the particular aspects of the body or it means increase and enlargement of the body or some part of the body."

Characteristics of Growth 

Arnold Gessell has enumerated the following features of Growth in his definition :

1. It is a function of the organism.

2. The environment helps in its manifestation.

3. It is intrinsic physiological development.

4. It has limited and regulatory mechanism.

 5. It is an intricate and sensitive process.

6. It maintains the balance of the total pattern and direction.

Meaning and Definition of Human Development 

⇒ The term Development refers to change in structure, form shape and improvement in functioning. When qualitative changes occur in behavioural characteristics of the child is called development.

According to Peary, "Development means the whole sequence of life from conception to death." 

Frank said, "That development may imply the change in organism as a whole."

Hurlock said, "It is progressive series of changes in an orderly coherent pattern. The changes are directional leading forward rather than backward and results in new characteristics and new abilities on the part of the individual." 

Thus development is progressive, orderly and coherent means that there is a definite relationship between each stage in an sequential manner and is a continuous process. Development is more comprehensive which includes physical, social, intellectual, emotional and moral aspects of an individual.

Main Characteristics of Development :

Development has the following main characteristics :

 1. It is an interaction between person and his environment.

2. It is confined to qualitative changes in form and functions of the organism.

3. It involves a progressive series of changes leading forward not backward.

4. It refers to acquisitions of new features at physical, social, emotional and intellectual and daily living.

5. It is the emerging and expanding capacities of the individual.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 

⇒ Growth

1. Growth may be limited to the changes in the quantitative aspects. i.e., increase in size, length, height, weight and expansion of vocabulary, etc.

2. Growth is used in a narrower sense such as increase in size, weight, etc.

3. Growth is physical and external in nature.

4. Growth stops after sometime. Maturity is the end point of growth.

5. Growth is measureable because the quantitative changes are very specific and it can be directly measured.

6. Growth is always systematic and follows a definite pattern It is very rapid in infancy and later on it becomes slow and becomes rapid during the period of early adolescence.

⇒  Development

1. Development implies the overall changes occurring in both quantitative and qualitative aspects. It is the changes in structure. form or shape and improvement in functioning and behaviour as a whole.

2. Development is a wider and comprehensive term, related to all types of changes both physical and psychological. 

3. Development is internal and can be physical, social, emotional and intellectual, etc.

4. Development is continuous. Starting right from conception it does not end with the attainment of maturity but continues throughout the entire life span of an individual.

5. Development is observable because the results of development are quite complex and difficult as far as their actual assessment and measurement is concerned.

6. Development is always from general to specific.

      Stages of Human Development

Human Development is a continuous process. All Development takes place in different forms during different stages of age. Different scholars have classified different stages of human development in different forms. Human development is divided into these seven stages in India. These seven stages are -

1. Pregnancy                                            一                           conception to birth

2. Infancy                                                  一                           birth to 5 years

3. Childhood                                             一                            5 to 12 years

4. Adolescence                                         一                            12 to 18 years

5. Youth                                                      一                            18 to 25 years

6. Adulthood                                              一                           25 years to 55 years

7. Old age                                                    一                          55 years to till death

The western psychologist, Kolesnik has divided the stages of human development into eight classes :

1. Prenatal Period                                   一                             Conception to birth

2. Neonatal Period                                 一                              birth to 3-4 weeks

3. Early Infancy                                      一                              1 month to 15 months

4. Late Infancy                                        一                              15 to 30 months

5. Early Childhood                                  一                              2.5 to 5 years

6. Middle Childhood                               一                              5 to 9 years

7. Late Childhood                                    一                              9 to 12 years

8. Adolescence                                         一                              12 to 21 years

 Ross has divided the process of human development into only four stages :

1. Infancy                                                     一                            1 year to 3 years

2. Early Childhood                                     一                            3 to 6 years

3. Late Childhood                                       一                            6 to 12 years

4. Adolescence                                            一                           12 to 18 years

 Selley favours to study human development only under three stages:

1. Infancy                                                      一                            1 year to 5 years

2. Childhood                                                 一                            5 to 12 years

3. Adolescence                                             一                            12 to 18 years

Ernest Jones has divided the stages of human development into the following four stages. Presently most of the scholars study human development under these four stages :

1. Infancy                                                        一                            birth to 6 years

2. Childhood                                                   一                           6 to 12 years

3. Adolescence                                               一                           12 to 18 years 

4. Adulthood                                                   一                           18 years to till death

General Characteristics of Development :

The variation or individual difference is universal in nature and is known as the principle of variability of inheritance. There are two principles, one is of resemblance and another is of variability. The development process is governed by both the principles. It has the following main characteristics:

1. It is a product of the interaction between person and the environment.

2. It is a continuous and life-long process. 

3. It is individual process but takes place in a group.

4. Different aspects of development are inter-related.

5. It proceeds from general to the specific.

6. It is cumulative and positive process.

7. It is bilateral to unilateral trend.

8. It follows an orderly sequence.

9. It has a uniform pattern.

10. It is an integrated process, and

11. It has the variation of differentiation.