The theoretical approach of human development demands an interdisciplinary perspective that contemplates the interface of different knowledge fields. Following a path previously defined by the systemic approach of learning and by the bio-ecological approach, the "Science of Development" has emerged in the last decades of the 20th century, imprinting an important mark in the comprehension of the main issues of human development. In this work, we present and discuss some of the core issues of this science: the emphasis on the development as a process versus a product of the interactions; the meaning of the changes and continuities over time; and the role of the person as well as that of the culture and the ecological contexts among the constituent factors of the relational systems where development takes place along life-time.
human development; bio-ecological model; systemic theory; multidisciplinary approach