The Field of Child and Adolescent Development

To successfully work within the field of child and adolescent development, educators must understand the ways in which humans develop cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically across the lifespan. This chapter provides a lens for current and prospective educators to better understand the field of child and adolescent development, from its history and theoretical frameworks to the exciting careers associated with this field of study. The field of child and adolescent development has evolved over time due to shifting societal views of children. Educators should draw their information about children and adolescents from complimentary disciplines such as psychology, which explores human behavior including mental health, sociology. Psychology explores the effects of societal issues on diverse populations social work, which provides insight on how to effectively address unhealthy family dynamics; and teacher education, which provides information on impactful pedagogical practices. The chapter also presents an overview of the key cocnepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book.