EDST 133: Adolescent Development

Adolescence marks change on multiple levels (e.g., biologically, cognitively, and socially) and in multiple contexts (e.g., family, school, community, and peers). In fact, it marks the largest growth period in human development outside of infancy. Driven by enhanced thinking and reasoning capabilities, adolescents struggle with balancing their desires for autonomy and

independence with their desires for guidance and connection. These dynamics result in renegotiating family and social relationships and engagement in school, impact the effectiveness of educational practices, and enhance adolescents' ability to think and plan for their future. This course is designed to provide a practical understanding of the developmental issues, assets, and trajectories of adolescent thinking and reasoning. Based in classic and current theory and research and using real problems of practice, students will learn, integrate, and apply knowledge of biological and cognitive development and of identity processes. This course will prepare educational practitioners to integrate developmental approaches to their pedagogy and provide a foundation for those interested in applied research on adolescence.

No prerequisites; prior course work in developmental psychology is helpful, but the course is designed for students without a psychology background. Recommended for students who are planning to work directly with adolescents or are planning to engage in applied research with adolescents.