MVP 3 – Response to Research on Adolescence
Junqi Huang (Kay)
In the article, “Insights on Adolescence From a Life Course Perspectives”, Monica and Robert shows us two different transitions from adolescence to young adult by examining 3 specific substantive areas—educational success, puberty and problem behavior. One principle they refer to is “continuity and discontinuity” in life pathways. Obviously, “continuity or discontinuity” theme refers to how the past experience has influence on the future experience. Once the past experience negatively relates to the future experience, the adverse impact presents. I read an article, “How Elementary School Teachers’ Bias Can Discourage Girls From Math and Science”, Claire Cain Miller shows that parents and teachers unconscious bias discourage girls from studying math and science in young age, which leads them fail to believe in themselves can do well in those fields as they grow up. I would say this kind of experience that “fail to believe in self” in elementary school is short-term cognitive disruptions. Then such short-term cognitive disruptions with continuity might translate to long-term life course disadvantages. In this case, we can see that this cognitive disruptions blocks future blocks future development, which leads to obstruct students’ growth and motivation toward further learning. In other words, that cognitive blocks with continuity theme hinder the educational success.
Hi Kay, I think you mentioned a very important issue that we should not label students by indicating one aspect of student as a major feature and then to treat them accordingly. This label could be true, but it’s not complete. Your analysis makes me consider how we could help students for preventing short-term self-perspective (usually the negative ones) from becoming the fixed recognition. Everyone brings labels to the future life, but not all of them will abandon themselves in previous and negative experiences. I think to provide an alternative prospect to students is one of responsibilities for teachers to assume. Like what we read last week for this course that some African American students have limited channel to get to know some peers from the same ethnic group actually behave extraordinarily, which could be a different model, telling these adolescents that there is indeed another way to develop yourself.