The Importance of Urie Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory for Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development grew out of his own life experiences as he worked to improve the lives of young children and families. Describing the theory, we note that Bronfenbrenner was most interested in typically occurring everyday activities and interactions (termed “proximal processes”), which he felt were the driving forces in development. He showed how those activities and interactions were influenced by the personal characteristics of the children themselves (and of those with whom they interacted), by the context, and by time. Finally, we explain how Bronfenbrenner’s theory can be put into practice in the early childhood classroom. Key Words: Bronfenbrenner; bioecological theory; proximal processes; PPCT model; demand characteristics; resource characteristics; force characteristics; microsystem; mesosystem; exosystem; macrosystem