Hierarchical Developmental Models

Clifford Mayes

Hierarchical developmental models figure prominently in many current theories of education. However, the idea of hierarchical development models is far from new, as seen in Plato's three-tiered view of personal development and social organization in The Republic . In fact, Plato's model has all the major elements of many conventional hierarchical developmental models. First, it deals with maturation; second, it assumes that not all people will ultimately mature to the same level; third, it is invariant , which is to say that one cannot “skip” stages; fourth, it is unitary —which is to say that a person moves as a whole from one stage (after having satisfied the requirements of that stage) to another, and does not partially remain in the earlier stage and partially go on to the other; and fifth, it has educational implications and applications. Not all hierarchical developmental models have all of these elements, but all ...

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