Final answer:
The student is working out 'who they really are' and how they are seen by others while creating their adult identity. Adolescents explore various identities to confront and resolve role confusion, as posited by Erik Erikson in his psychosocial development theory. Successfully overcoming this gives a strong sense of self, while failure may lead to role confusion and a weak sense of identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The child is working out who they are and how they see themselves about others whilst creating their adult identity. This period, known as adolescence, involves the task of identity versus role confusion, which is a concept developed by psychologist Erik Erikson in his theory of psychosocial development. During this stage, teenagers struggle with questions like "Who am I?" and "What do I want to do with my life?" and explore various identities. Successfully navigating this stage leads to a strong sense of self. Conversely, those who do not actively seek out their identity or feel pressured to conform may experience role confusion, resulting in a weak sense of self.
In the context of Erikson's developmental stages, older people must overcome the challenge of overcoming despair to achieve integrity. This is a vastly different challenge than the one faced by adolescents, who focus on overcoming role confusion to build their identity. From the perspective of life's progression within a particular culture, the life course is the lesson they must learn. These lessons shape individuals' pathways to adulthood, influencing their sense of identity and personal growth as they tackle various turning points in life. Institutions like schools, through both their curriculum and the 'hidden curriculum', play a role in socializing individuals, which also contributes to the formation of the adult identity.