Chapter 19: Teaching an Identity-Focused Course in Adolescent Development

Teaching an advanced survey course in adolescent development and behavior to pre-service and in-service teachers, educational psychology students, and other education and social sciences professionals is a rich mixture of challenge and fun. Learning about adolescents’ development and behavior is often enjoyable for students because they relate many of the topics and issues that are addressed in the course to their personal experiences during their teenage years. Many adults hold fond memories of their adolescence because of the lifelong friendships formed with schoolmates, the lessons learned from influential teachers and other adult mentors, and the influences of popular culture—movies, music, literature, and fashion—on their attitudes, choices, and sense of personal identity. Further, adolescence is a time when young people begin to develop more equal “adult” relationships with their parents, siblings, and extended family members (De Goede, Branje, & Meeus, 2009).