A Learning Profile

                I interviewed a 14 year old male learner and found him to be working his way through the formal operations stage according to Piaget. He was able to discuss several topics about hypothetical concepts. However, while he is aware of the need to plan for all possibilities when testing some hypothesis, he has difficulty seeing what all the possibilities are.

                Morally, he seems to be in Kohlberg’s conventional morality level. There are two stages of this level, Good Interpersonal Relationships and Maintaining the Social Order (Crain, 2011). He is teetering between the two stages as he recognizes that laws are in place for the good of society and to maintain order, but sometimes fails to view certain laws from society’s perspective. He is sometimes annoyed when laws prohibit him from doing whatever he wants regardless of the possible consequences for others due to his actions.

                According to Erikson, the interviewee is in the puberty stage. His body has been changing rapidly and he is interested in sex. He also takes pains to dress in a certain way that his parents do not necessarily agree with. He does not do it to defy his parents, but to ensure he is accepted by his peers. There are strict, unwritten social rules that he must navigate and follow in order to maintain his social status.

Crain, W. (2011). Theories of development: Concepts and applications (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.