The children's development views that have had a certain influence on education in history mainly include genetic determinism, environmental determinism and convergence theory.

1, genetic determinism

Human nature is generally regarded as a characteristic that distinguishes human beings from other creatures, and is expressed by human individuals. In addition to the common characteristics of human beings, everyone shows the particularity of individuals while showing these characteristics. The representative viewpoints of this period include "original sin theory" and Plato's "369" theory.

2. Environmental determinism

With the passage of time, the explanation of genetic determinism on children has been questioned by more people, and people have turned their attention to the environment outside natural biological factors. Environmental determinism affirms the plasticity of children's development, and at the same time firmly fixes children's position in the process of development in a passive plastic position that loses autonomy. Representative figures of this view: British educator Locke and American psychologist Watson.

3. Convergence theory

Convergence theory, also known as two-factor theory, affirms that both congenital inheritance and acquired environment play an important role in children's development, and emphasizes that they have different functions and cannot replace each other. The representative of this argument, the German psychologist Stellen, clearly pointed out in his book "Child Psychology" that the development of children's psychology is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors, which is the so-called merger principle.

Wu Weishi, an American psychologist, believes that although children's development is the result of the joint influence of heredity and acquired environment, the influence of these two factors is different. As far as the significance of children's development is concerned, heredity is more restrictive than environmental forces.