An exploration of the Malawian perspective on children's everyday skills: implications for assessment

S Kambalametore1, S Hartley, R Lansdown

  • 1Centre for International Child Health, Institute of Child Health, University College, London, UK.

Abstract

Related Concept Videos

Social-Contextual Approach01:24

Social-Contextual Approach

The social-contextual approach, grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, emphasizes the influence of cultural and environmental contexts on cognitive development. From birth, caregivers act as mediators of culture, transmitting values, skills, and practices that shape how children grow and learn.Cultural Influences on Caregiving PracticesChild-rearing practices reflect broader cultural ideals about independence and interdependence. In individualistic societies, parents often sleep...
Motor Skills Development During Early Childhood01:30

Motor Skills Development During Early Childhood

Early childhood is a period of rapid motor development in which children refine gross and fine motor skills. These abilities increase independence and support social interaction, play, and learning.Gross Motor SkillsGross motor skills involve coordinated movements of large muscle groups, including running, jumping, and climbing. By about 2.5 years, most children can jump with both feet. Hopping, which requires greater balance and strength, usually emerges around age 4.Stair climbing also...
Psychometric Approach of Cognitive Development01:28

Psychometric Approach of Cognitive Development

The psychometric approach examines cognitive development by measuring individual differences in abilities that contribute to intelligence. Intelligence includes the capacity to learn, remember, apply knowledge, understand relationships among concepts, and solve everyday problems. Intelligent behavior is generally goal-directed and adaptive because it helps individuals achieve objectives and adjust to changing situations.Intelligence Testing in ChildrenIn school-age children, intelligence is...
Language Development I: Behaviorist Perspective01:15

Language Development I: Behaviorist Perspective

Skinner’s behaviorist perspective explains language development through experience and learned associations. Children learn language through operant conditioning, in which behaviors followed by positive consequences become more likely to happen again. Caregiver responses gradually shape infants’ vocalizations.Reinforcement and Speech DevelopmentInfants first produce random babbling without intending specific meanings. When a sound resembles a word or adult speech, caregivers may respond with...
Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Three Developmental Domains01:29

Three Developmental Domains

Human development is typically examined across three main domains: physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional. These domains represent the significant areas of change and continuity throughout the lifespan, from infancy to late adulthood.
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...