ADOLESCENTS

ADOLESCENTS

1. Changes

   • Socialization
     • Pronounced need for peer approval
     • Vulnerability to negative judgments
     • Less sociable than children, but deeply involved in the lives of their peers
     • Socialize with peers rather than family
       • Trying to define who they are through peer interaction
     • New role models (celebrities, sportspeople, other peers)
     • Peer group helps to develop moral judgments and values
       • Provide a reference point for a developing identity
     • Conscious of the others' judgment of their behaviour and appearence
       • Pay attention to the clothes they wear to fit in
   • Emotions
     • Passionate commitment and enthusiasm towards their own interests
     • Discovery of their impact on the world and new possibilities
     • May present aggressive behaviour and discipline problems
     • Have a raising curiosity and willingness to experiment
     • Less liable to the teacher's encouragement (lack of motivation)
     • Not easy to gain their trust/respect. Demanding on the teacher
     • Experience intense emotions, irritation and moodiness
   • Cognition
     • Beginning of the formal operational stage
     • Ways of thinking and reasoning changes
     • Begin to comprehend abstract concepts
       • Sense of social consciousness and justice
     • Can think about situations logically, considering causes/effects and using symbols through imagination
     • Can do metacognition (spot differences between L1/L2)
     • Understand the need for learning and can be responsible of it
     • Can concentrate for longer periods of time (5-15 minutes)
   • Physical aspect
     • Growth spurts relate to the rapid skeletal enlargement
     • Muscle and brain development
       • Synaptic pruning
         • Rational decision-making
         • Thinking ahead
         • Comparing risks
         • Rewards
       • Limbic system prominence
         • Emotions and control of impulses
     • Sexual and hormonal maturity
     • Have huge reserves of energy

2. Needs

   • Play
     • Silent feature
       • Related to childhood
   • Social interaction
     • Enjoy being with peers
     • Collaboration, group work, authentic communication
   • Rest
     • Need 9 hours of sleep at night
     • Struggle to stay awake due to sleep-deprivation
     • Offer mental stimulation and physical activity
   • Physical activity
     • Prefer kinesthetic way of learning since concentration increases
     • Stand up, change seats, come to the front, move around, yes/no line
   • Stress-reduced environment
     • Exposed to high levels of stress (adulthood and workplace)
     • Lower the stress by providing choices (hw/deadlines) and instructional choices

3. A young person between the ages of 12-19.

   • Young adolescents (12-14)
   • Middle adolescents (14-17)
   • Late adolescentes (17-19)