What is Maturation Theory?
This theory of physical and cognitive development links to the thinking of the Motor-Development school of thought. To fully understand Gesell’s theory, an understanding of the term maturation is needed. Maturation, therefore, is the process of growth and development that an individual experiences and that maturation is not a singular event but is instead a lifelong journey.
Arnolds Gesell’s Maturational-Developmental, sometimes referred to as maturation theory, focuses on the order of natural events that must take place and be in sequences for an individual to develop and mature in a normative manner. However, whereas the Motor-Development school of thought typically focuses on the impact of physical development, Gesell also states that a child’s social and cultural environments also play a role in their development, which brings him more closely in line with that of theorists such as Piaget.
Gesell also emphasises that the learning and development of knowledge skills and behaviours are more effective when they align with the individual’s inner maturational timetable. Gesell states that it is nearly impossible to rush an individual’s developmental schedule.
Gesell’s theory covers a range of key concepts when it comes to the physical and mental development of an individual.; Physical and mental development is determined by genetics, and at birth, maturational development occurs in a predictable and orderly manner; the sequence of development is universal, and Growth is uneven.
Genetic determinism
When Gesell talks about an individual’s predetermined developmental expectation, he refers to the idea that every person will develop and grow to the perimeters of what they are genetically meant to be. He thought that you are not able to progress further than an individual is genetically capable of. This idea also links to mental or intellectual development, where he believed that an individual if given the correct environmental influences, would be able to meet their predetermined cognitive ability but would not be able to exceed them. This thinking means that there is a limit to the height someone will grow, the colour of their hair, the natural body type, and the level of intellect that someone can develop and that there is not much that can be done to change, adapt or develop beyond their natural and genetic limit.
Predictable development
This is a simple idea that development is predictable no matter the individual and will follow a similar pattern and sequence. However, this depends on the individual genetics and environmental influence, but if both genetics and the environment are normative, the individual’s development can be predictable. This pattern of development is linked to an individual’s feeling of equilibrium or disequilibrium, the terminology used by the likes of Cognitive Constructive Piaget within his theory of assimilation, adaption, and equilibrium. An example of the practicalities of this aspect of Gesell’s throes is that when an individual is experiencing equilibrium, knowledge, skills, and behaviours are consolidated, and a calm learning plateau is achieved. Consequently, limited development occurs at this point. Alternatively, when an individual is experiencing disequilibrium, this is when there is a heightened rate of development around new knowledge, skills, and behaviours.
Universal sequence
The same as above can be stated for this section of Gesell’s theory. He believed that the sequence of development that an individual experiences is the same across the world. For example, before a child can speak full words, they will first experiment with sounds and then begin to associate the different sounds with different letters and the different letters with different words.
The sequence of learning and development of knowledge, skills, and behaviours is broken down into age groups, which links to the idea of development being based on a predetermined schedule. These age groups are placed on a cylindrical spiral. Gesell’s thinking around maturation was that development would begin rapidly but continuously slow down as the individual ages.
Uneven Growth
Whereas this might seem in contrast to the other points, this section focuses on the expected uneven developmental patterns and sequences that individuals will experience during their lives. In some years, there might be a burst of developmental milestones; in others, there might be limited development. For example, the first few years of an individual’s life are developmentally essential and busy, whereas when an adult is around 30 years old, limited development occurs.
Also, within this section, Gesell theorised that although individuals will experience or cycle through the same stages or sequences of development when gaining new knowledge, skills, and behaviours, they do not enter the stages at the same time. The reason for this can be linked to several factors. Gesell himself looked at this regarding internal and external factors.
Gesell believed internal factors could influence and impact an individual’s rate of development within the cycle of their physical and mental development as determined by genetics. As well as their personality, temperament, and disposition, which are aspects Gesell believes are determined by genetics.
As well as the internal factors, the external influences on an individual’s rate of development are factors such as the environment an individual finds themselves in, social groupings and cultural norms and expectations, and other external factors can be found within the first three states of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs.
Criticisms of Gesell’s Maturation Theory
One area of criticism of Gesell’s Maturation theory is around the idea that the development of knowledge, skills and behaviours are mainly influenced and impacted by the individual’s biology and genetics, with little emphasis placed on the role and importance of the environment that the individual is in. This contrasts with many other educational theorists and thinkers, such as Piaget, who himself would argue that the individual is influenced more by the environment and the biological and genetic traits of the individual. This theory is further criticised by other predominant theorists and thinkers such as Vygotsky through his Zone of Proximal Development theory and Bandura through his Social Learning theory. Each of these ideas holds the environment and social interaction with others as the primary driver in an individual’s learning and development of knowledge, skills, and behaviours. However, as discussed, Gesell places the primary diver at the foot of genetics rather than that of the environment.
However, despite criticisms about what the primary driver in an individual’s development is, there is broad agreement from a wide range of theorists, and schools of thought that genetics and biology do inform and influence the development of knowledge, skills, and behaviours. It is understood that an individual’s genetics will inform, as posited by Gesell, but contention occurs around how much and what exactly is influenced, predetermined, and personally developed. For example, height is agreed as predetermined and little can be done to impact this, whereas muscle development can require environmental influence to develop. The same can be linked to intelligence. Gesell posits that everyone has a natural limit to their intelligence, and once they have developed up to that limit, there is little that can be done to surpass it. This contrasts with ideas such as Vygotsky, who posits that learning is an endless cycle if there is a ‘More Knowledgeable Other’ who can support and guide them.
Another main criticism often placed on Gesell’s work and that of other key educational theorists and thinkers is his sample size when conducting research and carrying out experiments and observations. Within his work, Gesell only used white, middle-class parents and their children in his sample. This reduces the universal application of this theory due to the vast social-cultural difference that arises between countries and between countries, regions, races and social classes.
Specifically relating to his theory and thinking of learning and development, when an individual is living within reasonable means and can have their physiological needs met, as Maslow would also suggest, their safety and belonging needs. Then, they are already in a reasonably positive position to develop at a normative rate with little need for intervention, which could be if environmental factors are not considered linked to their genetically predetermined journey. This thinking can be applied to Gesell’s theory because his participant cohort falls within a category where this could be true.
Nottingham Education Network 
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