Unit rationale, description and aim
Youth workers and other professions working with young people need understanding and skills in adolescent development: a distinct period of the lifespan influenced by a range of physiological, psychological and social influences that impact on a young person's health and well-being. This unit introduces the concept of adolescent development and examines the diversity of adolescent experience. This subject will address the major areas of physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development in particular issues pertaining to puberty, sexuality and identity. Contemporary socio-cultural factors that influence adolescent development as well as the role of parents, families and peers are considered. The aim of this unit is to equip the youth worker and other professions working with young people with an understanding of the critical health issues that face young people, such as mental health and well-being, relationships, drug and alcohol use, identity and sexuality.
This unit aims to support students to develop a nuanced understanding of adolescent development, preparing them to deliver responsive, informed, and culturally sensitive support in diverse youth work settings through a combination of theoretical learning and practical application.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Describe the key biological, cognitive, and contex...
Learning Outcome 01
Discuss the relationship between developmental pro...
Learning Outcome 02
Evaluate the predominant theories related to ident...
Learning Outcome 03
Demonstrate an understanding of how puberty and br...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Theories of adolescent development and identity development (the adolescent brain, mental health, lifespan development and puberty, moral developmental stages).
- Adolescent Development in Social and Cultural Contexts How adolescent brain development affects logic and reasoning, risk taking and emotions.
- Insights into key biological, cognitive and contextual elements and how they impact on mental health, self-esteem, body image, drug and alcohol use and relationships.
- Adolescent development in family and social contexts including Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts.
- Child-safe practice/ethics
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, students are required to meet all learning outcomes and achieve a final grade of 50% or better as an aggregate of all points from assessment tasks completed in this unit.
A variety of assessment tasks have been designed to meet the learning outcomes of this unit and to ensure the development of graduate attributes.
To assist this, the following assessments tasks have been devised:
The assessment strategy for this unit on adolescent development integrates reflection, theoretical application, and knowledge testing to support a well-rounded learning experience. The first task, a letter to the student’s adolescent self, encourages personal reflection and connects lived experience to key concepts, fostering self-awareness and deeper engagement with the material. The second task, a critical essay, develops students’ ability to apply theoretical frameworks to real-life contexts, enhancing critical thinking and analytical skills. Students will be provided with clear privacy guidelines ensuring they do not need to disclose sensitive information relating to mental health, trauma, identity in assessments one and two, but students may undertake an optional assessment focusing on published sources, if requested.The final assessment, a knowledge test, evaluates students’ understanding of core theories, concepts, and factors influencing adolescent development, ensuring they can accurately recall and apply key content. Together, these assessments promote both academic development and practical insight, preparing students to work effectively with young people in professional settings such as youth work, education, and counselling.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1: Written Task - Letter to Self Thi...
Assessment 1: Written Task - Letter to Self
This assignment requires students to write a letter reflecting on their personal adolescent experiences while applying developmental theories from class.
30%
Assessment 2: Essay This task is an essay that ...
Assessment 2: Essay
This task is an essay that requires students to analyse their own development through adolescence, using relevant theories to examine how biological, cognitive, and social factors influenced their growth.
40%
Assessment 3: Tests Students will be tested on ...
Assessment 3: Tests
Students will be tested on knowledge obtained throughout the semester. The test will assess students’ knowledge of the key theories, concepts, and factors influencing adolescent development. The test will include multiple-choice and short answer questions and will be undertaken in class.
30%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The teaching and learning strategy for this 10-credit point face-to-face unit is designed to foster active, engaged, and reflective learning. The unit combines lectures with interactive tutorials to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical skill development. Lectures deliver core content and introduce analytical frameworks essential for understanding adolescent development and the complex issues young people face. Tutorials offer a collaborative and student-centred environment where students engage in a range of participatory activities such as debates, close reading of texts and other media, group discussions, problem-solving tasks, and academic writing.
These activities are designed to build critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills, while encouraging students to reflect on their own assumptions and professional practice. The overall strategy supports deep learning by integrating content knowledge with active exploration and application, ensuring students are well-equipped to support and engage with young people in diverse contexts.