Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget (1896 - 1980)Piaget (1896 - 1980)

• Swiss Psychologist, worked forseveral decades on understandingchildren’s cognitive development

• Most widely known theory of cognitive development.

• Was intrigued by kids’ thoughts & behavior, & worked to understand their cognitive development

BackgroundBackground

• Young Piaget was incredibly precocious – Published first paper at 10– Wrote on mollusks, based on these writings was

asked to be curator of mollusks at a museum in Geneva (he declined in order to finish secondary school)

– Earned his doctorate in natural sciences at 21– Began to study psychology, applying intelligence tests

to school children

Constructivism

• Assumption that learning is an active process of construction rather than a passive assimilation of information or rote memorization.

• Credited for founding constructivism• Has had a large influence on American

schools

Piaget and Constructivism

• Best known for idea that individuals construct their understanding, that learning is a constructive process– Active learning as opposed to simply absorbing

info from a teacher, book, etc.– The child is seen as a ‘little scientist’ constructing

understandings of the world largely alone

Piaget & Piaget & ConstructivismConstructivism

• believed all learning is constructed, whether it is something we are taught or something we learn on our own.

• Whether or not we are taught in a “constructivist” manner, Piaget believed we are constructing knowledge in all our learning.

Piaget & Learning

• Two main states – equilibriumequilibrium & disequilibriumdisequilibrium • Believed that we are driven or motivated to learn

when we are in disequilibrium We want to understand thingsThe level of disequilibrium must be just right or optimal –

too little and we are not interested in changing, too much and we may be anxious to change.

Piaget & LearningPiaget & Learning

• Equilibration: the act of searching for balance• assimilation & accommodation

• We adjust our ideas to make sense of reality• Assimilation:

• process of matching external reality to an existing cognitive structure.

• Ex. The first time many children see a skunk, they call it a “kitty”. They try to match the new experience with an existing scheme for identifying animals.

Piaget & LearningPiaget & Learning• AccommodationAccommodation: :

• When there’s an inconsistency between the learner’s cognitive structure & the thing being learned the child will reorganize his/her thoughts

• Example: Children demonstrate accommodation when they add the scheme for recognizing skunks to their other systems for identifying animals.

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive DevelopmentDevelopment

• A child’s capacity to understand certain concepts is based on the child’s developmental stage

Piaget’s Four StagesPiaget’s Four Stages• Believed that all children develop according to four

stages based on how they see the world.– He thought the age may vary some, but that we all go

through the stages in the same order.

1. Sensori-motor (birth –2 years)2. Preoperational (2-7)3. Concrete operational (7-11)4. Formal operations (11-adult)

I. Sensorimotor Stage I. Sensorimotor Stage • Birth to about 2 years, rapid change is seen

throughout

• The child will:– Explore the world through senses & motor activity– Early on, baby can’t tell difference between themselves & the

environment– Can later follow something with their eyes; begins to recognize that

objects do not cease to exist when they are hidden– Moves from reflex actions to goal-directed activity

II. Preoperational StageII. Preoperational Stage

• About 2 to about 7– Better speech communication– Develop basic numerical abilities– Still pretty egocentric (not selfish) but as difficulties

seeing another person’s point of view.– Learning to be able to delay gratification– Can’t understand conservation of matter

II. Preoperational (2-7)II. Preoperational (2-7)• Conservation of matter – understanding

that something doesn’t change even though it looks different, shape is not related to quantity

• Ex: Are ten coins set in a long line more than ten coins in a pile?

• Ex: Is there less water if it is poured into a bigger container?

Piaget’s Piaget’s PrePre--

Operational Operational StageStage

Inability to understand conservation of matter.

Guidelines: Teaching the Preoperational Child

Use concrete props and visual aids whenever possibleExamples:1. When you discuss concepts such as “part,” “whole,” or

“one-half,” use shapes on a felt board or cardboard “pizzas” to demonstrate.

2. Let children add and subtract with sticks, rocks, or colored chips. This technique also is helpful for early concrete-operational students.

Guidelines: Teaching the Preoperational Child

Make instructions relatively short-not too many steps at once. Use actions as well as words.

1. When giving instructions about how to enter the room after recess and prepare for social studies, ask a student to demonstrate the procedure for the rest of the class by walking in quietly, going straight to his or her seat, and placing the book, paper, and pencil on his or her desk.

2. Explain the game by acting out one of the parts.

Exercise

• Help students develop their ability to see the world from someone else’s point of view.

• Relate social studies lessons about different people or places back to the children’s experiences, pointing out similarities and differences.

III. Concrete Operational III. Concrete Operational StageStage

• From about 7 to about 11

– Able to solve concrete (hands-on) problems in logical fashion.

– Understands laws of conservation and is able to classify.

GUIDELINES: Teaching the Concrete-Operational Child

Continue to use concrete props and visual aids, especially when dealing with sophisticated material.

Examples:1. Use time lines in history and 3-dimensional models in

Science.2. Use diagrams to illustrate hierarchical relationships

such as branches of government and the agencies under each branch.

Exercise:

• Use familiar examples to explain more complex ideas.

• Compare students’ lives with those of characters in a story.

IV. Formal OperationsIV. Formal Operations

• From 11- adult– Able to solve abstract problems in logical

fashion.– Becomes more scientific in thinking.– Develops concerns about social issues, identity.

GUIDELINES: Helping Students to Use Formal Operations

Continue to use concrete-operational teaching strategies and materials.

Examples:1. Use visual aids such as charts and illustrations as well

as somewhat more sophisticated graphs and diagrams, especially when the material is new.

2. Compare the experiences of characters in stories to student’s experiences.

Exercise:

• Give students the opportunity to explore many hypothetical questions.

• Have students write position papers, then exchange these papers with the opposing side and debate topical social issues-the environment, the economy, etc.

Piaget’s DevelopmentPiaget’s Development• Development happens from one stage to another through interaction with

the environment.

• Kids will differ in how long they are in each stage.

• Development leads to learning– Drive for development is internal– The child can only learn certain things when she is at the right

developmental stage– Environmental factors can influence but not direct development– Development will happen naturally through regular interaction with

social environment

Piaget & EducationPiaget & Education

• Piaget did not think it was possible to hurry along or skip stages through education

Limitations of Piaget’s TheoryLimitations of Piaget’s Theory

• Children often grasp ideas earlier than what Piaget found

• Cognitive development across domains is inconsistent (e.g. better at reading than math)

• Studies have shown that development can to some degree be accelerated

• Overlooking cultural factors

Reflect:

• A group of vocal parents wants you to introduce workbooks to teach basic arithmetic in your class for 4- and 5-year-olds. They seem to think that “play” with blocks, water, sand, clay, and so on is “wasted time.” How would you respond?