2. Perspectives on child development
On the previous page, we examined the ‘what’ of child development. In this section, we explore the ‘why’ – the various ways theorists from different perspectives and eras have attempted to explain development. We also look into child development research methods.
Child development is complex and multifaceted. We will begin by looking at the age-old question – what makes us who we are? Is it the genes we inherited from our parents (nature) or is it our life experiences (nurture)?
Nature vs Nurture
For over a century there’s been a debate about the extent to which genetics or experiences such as nutrition and comfort and where you live influence a child’s growth and development. This is the so-called nature versus nurture debate.
As an example, the nature argument might suggest that the ability to understand language is innate regardless of the environment a child finds themself growing up in, whereas the nurture argument would suggest that language ability is fully determined by the environment and all children could develop the same language abilities given the same circumstances.
We now know that nature (the genes we inherit from both parents) and nurture (the physical, social and emotional environments in which we grow up), are inseparable. Donald Hebb, the late Canadian neuropsychologist, when asked whether nature or nurture contribute more to human personality, answered, “Which contributes more to the area of a rectangle, its length or its width?” This analogy illustrates how just as both length and width are essential for knowing the area of a rectangle, to fully understand human growth and behavior you need to understand that genes and environment work together to make us who we are (Hannay, 2014).
Each child has a unique genetic makeup which is, in turn, influenced by the environment in which they grow up. To go back to the example of language, researchers have found that babies’ brains seem to be wired to learn language but how they learn is influenced by their physical and social surroundings. All babies make the sounds of all languages in the world in the first few months but by about nine months they only make the sounds of the language(s) they are hearing around them. In summary, nature works through nurture to create the whole person (Werker & Gervain, 2013).
Theories of child development
A theory is an integrated set of ideas that tries to explain, describe, predict and make sense of human development and behaviour. In early childhood education, theories offer valuable frameworks to understand the complex processes of child development, yet each theory has its limitations and strengths. In science, a theory is like a lens to look through that researchers use when they investigate questions. Theories also influence our beliefs and behaviours around children. Traditionally, in Early Childhood Education, Western theories of child development have dominated but there are many different points of view, especially considering cultural variations in development, upbringing, and social norms. It is probably true to say no one theory can explain all of development.
Western theories
For centuries, people have been thinking about and making theories about how children develop. John Locke, an English philosopher in the 17th century, was one of the earliest people to write about childhood. He put forth the idea that each child is born as a “blank slate” (in Latin, tabula rasa), meaning that how they develop depends entirely on their experiences – they are “written on” by their surroundings and interactions. He recommended that children be allowed to play, and he opposed the harsh discipline that was the common practice at the time.
Philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, suggested a different idea. He believed children are born with a sense of right and wrong and a “built-in plan for orderly, healthy growth” (Bertrand, 2025, p. 28). Rousseau suggested adults use a child-centred philosophy to consider children’s needs in infancy, early childhood, late childhood, and adolescence (Bertrand, 2025).
From these theoretical beginnings, other thinkers have written about and influenced how we view child development. The next reading provides a summary of major Western theoretical perspectives in the twentieth century.
Reconceptualist thinking
Reconceptualist thinking in child development represents a shift away from traditional Western developmental theories described above towards more critical, culturally sensitive, and socially contextualized perspectives. This approach challenges classical theory assumptions that development is linear and universal and emphasizes diversity, context, and the socio-political influences.
Listen to Dr. Shelly Mehta, Professor and Coordinator at George Brown College, as she explains developmentalism (traditional thinking about child development) in early childhood contexts.
Some of the key elements of reconceptualist thinking are:
- What is considered “normal” or healthy development varies across societies, as children grow up in different cultural environments based on where and when they live.
- Traditional developmental stages and milestones are too restrictive, as diverse cultural practices and beliefs lead to varied pathways of development.
- Factors like colonialism, globalization, and socio-economic inequalities significantly influence child development.
- Traditional child development theories, based on middle-class Western research and values, may not be applicable to children in many other parts of the world.
Next, you will read about Intersectionality.
Now watch as Dr. Shawnee Hardware, Professor and Coordinator in the School of Early Childhood at George Brown College, describes Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality.
From theories to research
With child development theories we can make hypotheses about how children develop and how they behave. For example, a theory about young children’s friendships would explain our observations of children’s interactions with each other and predict why children become friends with each other. If we follow the theory that children learn through observation, we might predict that children become friends because of the kinds of interactions and relationships they experience and observe in their families. This prediction or hypothesis would direct our observations towards looking at interchanges within families.
Theories and hypotheses are the beginning of child development research. Like other fields of study, child development research uses the scientific method, which follows these processes: identification and analysis of a problem, the collection of data, analysis of the data and the public dissemination of the findings. The following reading provides more detail on these steps.
As noted in the reading above, the research strategy includes the method of data collection and the study design. The next reading reviews some common ways that child development research is done.
Try the following review exercise to check your understanding of this section.
Now complete the following quick review of the content on this page.
The early years are a period of enormous, rapid change as children grow from tiny babies to active, talkative preschoolers. On the next page we focus on how this happens as development unfolds.
