Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory
ED 304: Ed Psych and Human Development
Author: Tegan Ross and Genevieve Cook
Disclosure: ChatGPT3 was used in the creation of this resource.
Summary
Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory is a psychological model that explains how a child's development is influenced by their environment. It is based on the idea that a child's development is influenced by several nested systems, each with its influence on the child. These systems include the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.
- The microsystem refers to the immediate environment where the individual directly interacts and includes family, peers, school, and community.
- The mesosystem consists of interactions between the groups in the microsystem. For example, the child may take information or behaviors they learned from one group (such as saying please at home) and apply them to another group (saying please at school).
- The exosystem is the layer that includes the larger systems that influence the child, but in which the child does not directly participate. This could include things like the child’s parent’s workplace or the policies of the child’s school.
- The macrosystem is the outermost layer and includes the culture, values, and beliefs of the society in which the child lives.
- The chronosystem is the layer that encompasses the changes that occur in the other systems over time and how these changes affect the child. For example, a change in the family structure (such as divorce) or a change in the economic status of the family (such as a promotion at work) can have a significant impact on the child’s development. The chronosystem highlights the dynamic nature of the other systems and their interactions with each other over time.
In summary, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory is a model that explains how a child’s development is influenced by the interconnected systems within their environment, including the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem.
Classroom Applications
Promoting Cultural Awareness: A teacher is going to have students from lots of different backgrounds and cultures in their classroom. This diversity can be incorporated into the classroom by showing the perspectives of cultures and their histories in their curriculum. This can help foster respect and value between students and help them learn from one another.
Utilizing Community Resources: Teachers can connect classroom learning to resources in the community, such as museums, libraries, guest speakers, or service-learning opportunities. By tapping into these external resources, students can gain a broader understanding of the world and make meaningful connections between their learning and real-life experiences.
Creating a Supportive Classroom Environment: Having/creating a supportive classroom environment is crucial to students learning and development. Teachers can do this by encouraging respectful collaboration and providing positive feedback and reinforcement at the proper times.
Quiz Questions
- Match Bronfenbrenners systems to their definitions.
Mesosystem
Microsystem
Exosystem
Chronosystem
Macrosystem
- The broader cultural, social, and historical context that influences a child's development.
2. The connections and interactions between different microsystems in a child's life.
3. The environmental events that happen throughout a child's life and how they impact their experiences.
4. The immediate environment in a child's life, such as family, friends, and teachers.
5. The indirect influences in a child's life, such as the government or the parent's coworkers.
Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory emphasizes the importance of studying individuals about their...
Genetic makeup
Individual characteristics
Environmental contexts
Cognitive abilities
This content is provided to you freely by BYU-I Books.
Access it online or download it at https://books.byui.edu/development_motivati/csXjDwea.