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Term Paper on Adolescence
Term Paper Contents:
- Essay on the Meaning and Definition of Adolescence
- Essay on the Need for Understanding Adolescence
- Essay on the Characteristics of Adolescence
- Essay on Misunderstanding about Adolescence
- Essay on the Theoretical Basis of Adolescence
- Essay on the Physical Development of Adolescent
- Essay on Mental Development during Adolescence
Adolescence is the developmental period during which growing persons make a transition from childhood to adulthood. Naturally, it is of great concern to high school teachers. However, teachers of all grade levels can benefit from a knowledge of this period of human development. When they are interpreted broadly, principles of development manifested by any age group will apply to all age levels.
Furthermore, all elementary teachers help children to develop understandings and appreciations which they carry with them into adolescence, and teaches in the upper elementary grades deal with some students actually entering adolescence is such a familiar concept among those dealing with development of children and youth that it may be described by a common set of physiological and sociological characteristics.
Term Paper # 1. Meaning and Definition of Adolescence:
The word adolescence comes from a Greek word ‘adolescence’ which means ‘to grow to maturity’. A number of definitions have been given by psychologists from time to time. Some psychologists define it as the transitional period of life. The child experiences a number of changes in this transitional period. The period runs between childhood and adulthood and is sometimes called the stage of teenage.
“Adolescence is that span of years during which boys and girls move from childhood to adulthood, mentally, emotionally socially and physically.” —A. T. Jersild
According to some psychologists, it is the period when an individual is capable of begetting offspring. It means that when power of reproducing its own kind is attained by the individual then we can say that he has become an adolescent.
“A process rather than period, a process of achieving the attitudes and beliefs needed for effective participation in the society.” —Dorthy Rogers
“The age of great ideals and the beginning of theories as well as the time of simple adaptation to reality.” —Jean Piaget
Period of adolescence comes roughly in between the years from 12 to the early 20s. The onset of adolescence varies from culture to culture depending on the socio-economic conditions of the country. In this period, great changes occur in all developmental dimensions of an individual.
Adolescence Refers to the following Aspects:
1. The span of years during childhood to adult.
2. It comes in between the years from 12 to the early 20s. It is a transitional period of life.
3. It is the period for achieving the attitude and beliefs, need in the society.
4. It is a process rather than period of life.
Term Paper # 2. Need for Understanding Adolescence:
Adolescence period is a transition from childhood to adulthood. A major part of population ranges between the ages 13 to 21 years. In a democratic country like India, it is of the great need to have secondary and higher secondary school teachers. The national development in different fields of life depends on the proper education and guidance of adolescents.
This period of adolescence is significant from the following point of views:
1. Problems and developmental characteristics.
2. Maintenance of mental health.
3. Adjustment and sharing responsibility.
4. Curiosity about oneself, and
5. Leadership.
1. Problems and Developmental Characteristics:
Every teacher and parent must know about the nature and changes emerging in transition period from childhood to adulthood. They must also know the various problems faced with developmental characteristic to deal effectively with the problems of adolescents. It is also necessary for them to be familiar with causal factors of the problems of adolescents, so that proper individual, educational and vocational guidance may be provided for adequate adjustment in the society.
2. Maintenance of Mental Health:
The progress of a country depends on the maximum exploitation of its human resources. The sound mental health is one of the first requisite conditions of development. Adolescence is marked with a number of problems which affect the mental health. The study of adolescence is very important in order to preserve, cure and prevent incidences of maladjustment.
3. Adjustment and Sharing Responsibilities:
The study is significant to provide the knowledge of needs and developmental tasks for adolescents. Parents and teachers can help adolescents to adjust to their responsibilities. By understanding the needs adolescents, the teacher and administrator can frame appropriate curriculum, school policies and methodology of teaching them.
4. Curiosity about Oneself:
To study the psychology of adolescent may be a desire to know something about oneself. Such a desire is quite justifiable and understandable if the student is of adolescence period. But, it is also a sound motive for an older person. The older person who studies the adolescence has within himself a potential source of insight into issues facing the person of adolescent period-issues that once he had to face. It may also be due to the scholarly interest of an individual.
5. Leadership:
During adolescence period leadership trait emerges among the students. The school should offer a variety of opportunities of leadership. Training for leadership is an important responsibility of education. Leaders among students are usually superior in ability to the average of the group especially in the sphere in which they are recognized as leaders.
Term Paper # 3. Characteristics of Adolescence:
“The one word which best characterizes adolescence is change. The change is physiological, sociological and psychological.” —Bigge and Hunt
1. This is a period of simple recapitulation of infancy which no longer exhibits the stability that marked later childhood.
2. This is a period of great stress and storm because a few new instincts and emotions emerge and disturb the personality of the adolescent.
3. An attitude of dependence is again seen. The dependence, however, is not on parents, but on friends. The criticism of friends specially resented. His mingling with his peers increases his feeling of belongingness and to win approval.
4. As regards imaginative activity and Hero-Worship, fairy tales get replaced by novels of adventure, travel, history and other literature. A flash cinema star becomes the hero that the adult worships. Teachers are liable to be exalted into the position of Hero. Adolescent-Hero-Worship may result in sentiments of love for the moral qualities of his hero.
5. Gregarious impulse becomes sublimated into definite forms of social behaviour. These altruistic impulses and heart burning desire of the adolescent should be directed by the teacher into fruitful channels.
6. The adolescent is unstable and unadjusted with the surrounding world.
7. In this stage self-assertion is stronger. He wants to free himself from bondage of all adult restraints.
8. The adolescent leads highly life and so is changing in the states of mind. He is intensely excited or deeply depressed.
9. There is exuberance of imagination. He is intensely self-centred and introvert, withdrawing himself from the real world.
10. Sex instinct is the most prominent feature of the period, “like the overflow of a great river” says Slaughter. It irrigates and fertilizes great tracks of life-territory. So, moral character is chaotic and sublimation is required for this instinct.
11. Intellectual development is reaching its maximum.
12. It is in this stage that scientific, philosophical, humanistic interests begin to take shape. Poetry, science and critical thought monopolise the adolescent mind and there are vague doubts and questions in his or her mind about the constitution of the universe and the society.
13. There is crystallization of special mental abilities during adolescence.
14. Problems of vocational choice and vocational placement begin to worry the adolescents.
15. Habitual obedience to parents and elders is a keen desire for self-expression and self-improvement.
To prevent the perversion of sex activities and characteristics the adolescent should be kept busy in physical activities and he should be made to avoid situations which excite the instinct wrongly.
Term Paper # 4. Misunderstanding about Adolescence:
There are some misconceptions and fallacies regarding the period of adolescence in the society among psychologists as well as educationists.
Several studies have been conducted to reject them even some of their still exist as follows:
1. It is the period of storm and stress.
2. The adolescents are rebellious in nature.
3. There is rapid growth during adolescence period.
4. Adolescents are awake ward in physical appearance.
5. Adolescents have interest in opposite-sex.
6. Adolescents have no place in the society.
(1) The First Misunderstanding:
It is common and most popular phrase used that it is the period of “Storm and Stress.” Adolescents tend to find themselves in social environments full of continuing restrictions and frustrations for which they are inadequately prepared and commonly have no satisfactory solution. But parents and teachers or other grown-ups have definite ideas about how the transition from childhood to adulthood should proceed.
(2) The Second Misunderstanding:
The second misunderstanding is that adolescents are awkward in physical appearance. It is a very difficult to determine the origin of this popular misconception about adolescents. Perhaps it arises from the fact that some adolescents are as large as adults. Society expects them as graceful as the adults because of their size. Undoubtedly, adolescents are not as well-coordinated and graceful as adults but they are better co-ordinated than children. They play better, run better, and jump better so there is little reason to think this period as awkward.
(3) The Third Misunderstanding:
The third misunderstanding is that adolescents are rebellious. People held this for a long time, but it is not based on psychological principles. Modern studies have proved that the view is false. If the energy of adolescents is properly channelized, then there is no reason of their being rebellious.
(4) The Fourth Misunderstanding:
The fourth misunderstanding is that adolescents grow rapidly. It has been provided by developmental studies that human growth is a continuous process and it is correct to say that few changes take place during adolescence than during an equal number of years beginning with birth.
(5) The Fifth Misunderstanding:
The fifth misunderstanding that adolescents are bothered by sex maturation and its problems. It is a wrong view. No doubt interest in sex is quite a new area, but it depends on the cultural and socio-economic conditions of the country, whether the adolescents will be bothered by sex problems.
(6) The Sixth Misunderstanding:
It is true that adolescence is a transitionary period between childhood and adulthood. Adolescents do not find place in child groups nor among adults groups, this amount frustration in them. No parents and teachers have realized this problems of adolescents. Adolescents must find their place in a society which is composed not only of their peers but also adults to whom they, as citizens, job holders, members of society, parents and they have vote of right must be adjusted.
Term Paper # 5. Theoretical Basis of Adolescence:
The period of adolescence is very significant stage of human development. It is very essential for a teacher and parents to understand its nature, its problems and remedies. The nature of adolescence has been explained and studied by distinct experts of different disciplines.
The nature of adolescence has been explained by:
1. Child psychologists,
2. Social psychologists,
3. Physiologists, and
4. Anthropologists.
The different systems and theories of psychology related to personality, intelligence, motivation, learning are helpful to understand the nature of adolescence. The physiologists and anthropologists explain the nature of physical development of an individual.
For a teacher to understand the nature of adolescence is not sufficient, he must understand the problem of adolescence. Moreover, he should have some insight and competence for solving their problems effectively.
The psychologists, sociologists and educationists have identified the problems of adolescents:
(1) Psychological theories of personality
(2) Sociologists thoughts, and
(3) Educational theories.
The problems of adolescents are usually treated the responsibility of a teacher. Educational practices are helpful for solving their problems. Educational vocational guidance and counselling are main devices for the problems of adolescence. There are separate theoretical basis for physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of adolescence. This aspect has been provided separately.
Term Paper # 6. Physical Development of Adolescent:
(1) Between the period of 14 and 16 years of age there is rapid increase in the weight and height of the child.
(2) The voice of the child starts becoming harsh. On the other hand, the voice of the girls starts getting sweets.
(3) In the male child growth the hair on the face, which is termed as ‘moustaches’ starts. On the other hand, the puberty period of the girls starts. There is evident development of the breast and the waist line.
(4) Girls start maturing earlier then the boys.
(5) Physiologists are of the opinion that the bases of these very developments in the boys as well as girls are the glands. Thyroid, Para-Thyroid. Adrenal glands, Pituitary glands and Gonads are the main glands that are responsible for the development during this stage of development. From certain glands and Internal Secretion starts, while from other the External Secretion starts. In the male child testicles start functioning and in the female child ovaries start functioning. All this done due to Internal Secretion from the glands.
(6) The energy that is generated in the child at this stage of development is exhibited by him through various activities. He starts moving his hands and legs, starts picking his nails and teeth. Nibbing at various things is the result of this energy. In the girls Menstruation starts. In the boys no such change takes place.
(7) The heart also grows in size. But this growth is not in consonance with the growth of bones and muscles. In regard to lungs, the functioning shows a new change.
(8) Due to these changes, it is quite possible that the health of the boys and the girls may be affected. There is always a possibility of this. In the girls, lack of blood or anaemia is possible while in the boys it is possible that their lung and the heart may grow weak. Pimple also starts growing on the face of the boys.
(9) By the end of the adolescence, the child becomes an adult and perfectly mature. From every point of view, he becomes strong and capable of handling the problems of the life.
(10) The sensory as well as motor organs assume their complete development during this period.
(11) Development of the muscles and the bones assumes perfection. By this time these things have developed to the fullest or the greatest possible extent. Because there is a good deal of motor activity during this period, it is natural that the bones and the muscles should grow properly.
(12) By the age of 16 the development of the brain stops. At the time of the birth, the weight of the brain is about 350 grams, but in adolescence it reaches 1260 grams. It is even more than that. In fact, brain assumes its completion in regard to its development at the age of 16. It ceases to develop after puberty.
(13) During this period the sex instinct develops in a rapid manner. Adolescents are very much under the influence of the sex. Sometimes, if not properly guided, the sex can lead them to deterioration. Obscene pictures are of interest to the adolescents.
(14) In the words of Stanley Hall, “Not only does motor activity increase but there is also a great development in the motor power.”
(15) “The muscles of the bodily development have biological significance. Life begins to have new orientation. There is a tendency to abandon the old life of dependence and lead a new one.”
Term Paper # 7. Mental Development during Adolescence:
Like the rapid development of the body, the rapid development of the mind also starts.
Following mental and psychological characteristics are evident in the adolescent:
(i) Emotionally Dominated Life:
The life of the adolescent is emotion dominated. During the period of development, instincts, emotions and tendencies play a vital part. The adolescent is lost in emotions. This influence changes from moment to moment. Due to this change, he lives in contrasting mental moves. In a certain situation he feels elated while a moment after he becomes badly dejected. Since, he is very much guided by the emotions and instincts, he does not determine his actions on the basis of reasons. By reading novels, stories, poetry, etc. he tries to satisfy his emotions.
(ii) Freedom from the Authority:
The child tries to live independently and free from the authority. At this stage of the development the child tries to live free from the control of the authority. He now assumes an independent and active role. He wants that society should give him his due. At home he resents the control of parents and in the outside world he revolts against the authority of other persons. The instinct of curiosity is very much marked during this period. In fact, it assumes the same momentum as it has during infancy. It tries to manifest itself in various forms.
Imaginative Activity and Hero Worship:
During this period of the development, the child indulges in imaginative activities and likes hero worship. In fact, he tries to live in the world of his imagination. In the infancy it is not possible for the child to differentiate between the world of reality and the world of imagination, but at the adolescence the child very well knows the difference, yet he is more attracted by the world of imagination than the world of reality. Because of his attitude, he falls in the world of reality and tries to compensate it in the world of imagination. It is during this period that the seeds of future writers, novelists, poets, dramatists, painters, etc. are sown.
(iii) Choice of the Ideal:
During this period the choice of the ideal is also made. If proper guidance is not given, this tendency of the child may have bad effects. The child gets attracted by his superiors, elders, characters of the dramas and the figures of history and starts worshipping them. In the modern time, cinema starts also influence the adolescents. This situation has been very well described in the following words- “The important characters of these grips the adolescent mind, boy or the girls make ready choices for his her ideals. The idealism is often distorted. A film cinema star sometimes becomes the hero of the adolescent worship. Regulation of suitable literature is an important at this stage as it can ever be.”
(iv) Selection of Occupation by himself:
The adolescent wants to select his own vocation or occupation. At one end the adolescent is not prepared to tolerate any authority and at the other he wants to be self-dependent and self-reliant. He wants to select his own occupation to secure his due place in the society. It is this desire that inspires him to be self-dependent and self-reliant.
The quotation below very well represents this characteristic of the adolescent personality:
“The adolescent desire to find his place in the world. This desire is genuine need and refers to the need for self-support.”
(v) The Development of the Intellect:
During this period the intelligence of the boy or girl assumes its maximum development. According to Johns and Conard, the intelligence achieves its maximum growth at the age of 16; according to Herman at 84 it achieves its maximum growth and according to Spearman it is the age of 14 or 16 that the perfect development of the intelligence takes place. The following quotation very well depicts this characteristic of the adolescent. “So far as the growth of intelligence is concerned, it reaches the maximum during the period adolescence. There is, however, no abrupt succession. So far as the expression of this intelligence is concerned, it assumes various directions, characteristic of this stage.”
(vi) Interest and Pursuits:
This is a stage of certain pursuits and interests for the child. In regard to intellectual pursuits some of them become favourite. These favourite include history, literature, art etc. They express themselves before the adolescent mind in various forms.
The adolescent mind also develops certain interests and tastes. These tastes are in the beginning, materialistic. They are concerned more with the objective world around him. With the growth, these tastes also get coloured by idealism.
The adolescent is anxious to determine his philosophy of life. By this stage the child has become perfectly socialized. Various ideas—religious, social, political etc. influence him. He also at various contrasting situations and ideals. He also suffers mental struggles and, after a good deal of this process, he is able to launch upon his philosophy of life. In accordance with this philosophy of life, his moral development takes place.
(vii) Altruistic Tendency during Childhood:
During this period a new fountain of energy expresses itself within the adolescent personality. This expresses itself in form of altruistic and moral activities. The adolescent is prepared to sacrifice everything, even his life, for country, religion, race, etc. Really speaking, the great reforms and heroes of the world were formed at this stage of development.
The quotation from James Ross very well depicts this characteristic of the adolescent:
“The self of earlier adolescence is left to be incomplete, ideals of social service are formed and the generous heart of the youth abounds in the love of mankind and burns with the desire to help for the creation of an ideal society.”