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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Demonstrate knowledge of lifespan development theories for application in child and youth care work 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
117186  Demonstrate knowledge of lifespan development theories for application in child and youth care work 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Child and Youth Care Work 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services Promotive Health and Developmental Services 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  5 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2007-09-18  2008-02-06  SAQA 0160/05 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2009-02-06   2012-02-06  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard is replaced by: 
US ID Unit Standard Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Credits Replacement Status
254180  Demonstrate knowledge of lifespan development theories for application in child and youth care work  Level 4  NQF Level 04  5   

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard will be useful for people learning about the field and working towards a professional qualification as a child and youth care worker.

People credited with this unit standard are able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the key features of mainstream lifespan theories.
  • Describe and explain the significance of lifespan development theories for child and youth care work.
  • Discuss the application of developmental theories within a Southern African context. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    The credit calculation is based on the assumption that learners are already competent in terms of the following outcomes or areas of learning when starting to learn towards this unit standard:
  • Communications at NQF 4 or equivalent competence 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    Specific range statements are provided in the body of the unit standard where they apply to particular specific outcomes or assessment criteria.

    The following scope and context applies to the whole unit standard:
  • Lifespan theories include the work of the following: Bloom, Erikson, Maslow, Piaget, Kohlberg, Bowlby. 
    		•

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the key features of mainstream lifespan theories. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Lifespan theories includes the work of: Bloom, Erikson, Maslow, Piaget, Kohlberg, Bowlby 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Development theories are listed and described in terms of their origin and key features. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Key features include: stages and characteristics, challenges and tasks; needs of each lifespan stage; their underlying departure points and assumptions
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Stages of lifespan theories are described and explained in terms of their characteristics, challenges and tasks. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Stages include: infant, child, adolescent, adult, elderly
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Stages of other family members are identified and described in terms of the impact of their challenges and tasks on the life of the young person. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Family members include: adults in the life of the young person; siblings
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Describe and explain the significance of lifespan development theories for child and youth care work. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The significance of various theories in working with young people is explained with reference to the explanation of behaviour and identification of the unusual or absent. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Specific examples provided indicate the usefulness of theories in identifying needs, and the selection of age appropriate tasks and behaviour in addressing developmental delays. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Consequences of unmet developmental needs are identified and described in relation to problems which eventuate in the life of the child. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Characteristics are located within specified theories.
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Discuss the application of developmental theories within a Southern African context. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Theories are discussed in terms of their cultural appropriateness in a Southern African context, and with reference to indigenous information, theory and practices. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Indigenous information includes: rights of passage and when a young person becomes an adult in different contexts; different attitudes to the different stages in different cultures;
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Areas on which mainstream theories are silent are identified and the issues articulated in terms of their implications for child and youth care work. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Examples of areas include: HIV/Aids pandemic - how that impacts on theories about nuclear/parent headed households; poverty/starvation and its impact on Maslow's theories of needs; how the understanding of "childhood" may be different in different contexts; indigenous child-rearing practices
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Suggestions are made for creating new ways of understanding, and accessing and incorporating culturally relevant understanding in Southern African. The suggestions are realistic and show an understanding of the current usefulness and shortfalls of mainstream theories in explaining behaviour in a Southern African context. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
    Providers of learning towards this unit standard will need to meet the accreditation requirements of the relevant ETQA.

    Moderation Option: The moderation requirements of the relevant ETQA must be met in order to award credit to learners for this unit standard. 

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    The following essential embedded knowledge will be assessed through assessment of the specific outcomes in terms of the stipulated assessment criteria. Candidates are unlikely to achieve all the specific outcomes, to the standards described in the assessment criteria, without knowledge of the listed embedded knowledge. This means that for the most part, the possession or lack of the knowledge can be directly inferred from the quality of the candidate's performance. Where direct assessment of knowledge is required, assessment criteria have been included in the body of the unit standard.

    Lifespan theories includes the work of:
  • Bloom
  • Erikson
  • Maslow
  • Piaget
  • Kohlberg
  • Bowlby 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking.
  • Note: identifying differences in development, and finding reasons for those differences, is an important part of learning towards this standard. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation or community.
  • Note: child and youth care work takes place invariably in teams and much of the practical learning towards this standard will be from others in the field 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively.
  • Note: self-awareness and self-development are critical skills for child and youth care workers 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information.
  • Note: a critical part of learning based on the different theories 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively, using visual, mathematical and / or language skills in the modes of oral and / or written presentations.
  • Note: essential for the theoretical components of study 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
  • Note: essential to an understanding of development theories and what they have to say about young people at risk 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    Assessors should keep the following general principles in mind when designing and conducting assessments against this unit standard:
  • Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember we want to declare the person competent in terms of the title. Where assessment at title level is unmanageable, then focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.
  • Make sure that evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the candidate is able to perform in the real situation.
  • Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.
  • The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgements should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.
  • The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence, of the prescribed type and quality, as specified in this unit standard, that the candidate can achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.
  • All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well documented principles of assessment: appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    This unit standard has been replaced by unit standard 254180, which is "Demonstrate knowledge of lifespan development theories for application in child and youth care work", Level 4, 5 credits.

    Definition of Terms:
  • Terms have been clarified as far as possible through the use of range statements. 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Elective  49093   Further Education and Training Certificate: Child and Youth Care Work  Level 4  NQF Level 04  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2008-02-06  Was HW SETA until Last Date for Achievement 
    Elective  50041   Further Education and Training Certificate: Probation Work  Level 4  NQF Level 04  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  HW SETA 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.