Purpose

This study focuses on Jerome Bruner’s 1972 essay titled, “The Nature and Uses of Immaturity” to examine the central tenets of the theory of human immaturity and its educational implications.

Design/methodology/approach

The present research applies the textual analysis method to perform a comprehensive literature review. It follows the hermeneutic cycle principle, analyzes the essay’s central arguments, and discusses its implications for education.

Findings/results

A prolonged state of immaturity renders a human being human. During this state, humans improve their adaptive capacity through assimilation and conformity. They employ cultural “amplifiers” to develop their senses and muscles, which promotes their survivability. The reciprocal exchanges within, and flexible organization of, human societies extend the play period, enabling adults’ greater involvement in the development of young children, thus facilitating observational learning. The educability of young human children is considerably higher than that of other primates. In the immature state of “use,” young children learn to employ tools primarily through observation and play. Play is characterized by a loose connection between ends and means, often occurs in safe, familiar environments, and facilitates self-motivation and exploration of new behaviors. Owing to the evolutionary importance of tool use, young children acquire this skill through repetition and imitation. Adults—the role models—design activities to guide children’s learning, use rituals, symbols, and language to convey knowledge. Language was originally a tool for communication in action. Over time, it has evolved, especially in the writing system, as an independent medium of knowledge transfer, and forms the basis of the modern school system. This study cites contemporary research to expand Bruner’s viewpoint. D. F. Bjorklund et al.’s “Developmental Adaptation Theory” and “Value of Delayed Adaptation” suggest that the apparent cognitive deficit of young children can facilitate mental plasticity, mitigate the feeling of helplessness, and promote cognitive integration and socialization, which is an adaptive advantage. M. Tomasello’s theory of “Cultural Learning and Transforming Adulthood,” derived from the perspective of cultural evolution, indicates that human development relies on maturity, social and cultural experiences, and self-regulation, and highlights the characteristics of cooperative and symbolic learning.

Originality/value

Research regarding the prolonged immaturity of human beings, their plasticity, and educability, has been mostly philosophical in nature. Based on the findings of Harvard University’s “baby lab” and the literature on primates, Bruner conducted a nuanced empirical exploration of this topic, augmenting the knowledge regarding the educability of human beings. This informed subsequent research in the areas of skill learning and teaching, children’s play and thinking and language development, early childhood education, cultural psychology, and even evolutionary developmental psychology, leading to practical applications. These factors highlight the value of this study.

Implications for policy/practice

This research summarizes three educational lessons: the importance of self-regulation as a general educational principle; the desirability of pre-school education to promote developmentally appropriate natural learning rather than direct academic instruction; and the desirability of school education to emphasize relevance and to stimulate student participation. A few investigation-worthy topics, which are directly related to Bruner’s work, are indicated. For example, Bruner’s perspective of the relationship between play and thinking and language, play as a conduit for infants’ cognitive development, theories of language acquisition, as well as theories and practices related to symbols and written language or texts, how children develop their ability to think narratively, and theories and practices of infant and toddler education.