PIAGET’S THEORY
May 4. 2012
Eun Mi Lee(Anna Moore)
Outline
Jean Piaget The Goal of Theory Piaget’s Theory Stages of Cognitive Develop-ment
Evaluation of Piaget’s Theory Conclusion
. Was born in Neuchatel, Switzerland, on August 9(1896~1980).
. Published his first “paper” when he was ten.
. First psychologist to make a systematic study of
cognitive
development.
. After observation of many children, he posited that children
progress through 4 stages and that they all do so in the same
order.
. According to Piaget, children are born with a very
basic mental structure on which all subsequent
learning and knowledge is based.
*Piaget’s Theory Differs From Others In Several Way
. It is concerned with children rather than all learners
. It focuses on development, rather than per se, so it does not
address learning of information or specific behaviors.
. It proposes discrete stages of develop-ment.
Jean Pi-aget
The Goal of Theory
To explain the mechanisms and processes by which the infant, and then the child, develops into an individual who can reason and think us-ing hypotheses.
To Piaget, cognitive development was a pro-gressive reorganization of mental processes as a result of maturation and experience.
Children construct an understanding of the world around them, then experience discrep-ancies between what they already know and what they discover in their environment.
Piaget’s Theory1.Schemas (building blocks of knowledge)
2.Adaptation(processes that enable the transi-tion from one stage to another)
Assimilation Accommodation Equilibrium
3. Cognitive Stages of Development: Sensorimotor Pre operational Concrete operational Formal operational
1. Schemas
Definition: -A way of organizing knowledge. -Useful to think of schemas as “units” of
knowledge, each relating to one aspect of the word,
including objects, actions and abstract (i.e. theoret-
ical)concepts.
1. Schemas
1. Schemas
2. Adaptation(Adjustment)
Definition:Processes that enable the transition from
one stageto another.And this happens through; Assimilation Accommodation Equilibrium
2. Adaptation(Adjustment) Assimilation – which is using an exist-
ing schema to a new situation. Accommodation – happens when the
existing schema(knowledge) needs to be changed to take in new information.
Equilibration – is the force, which moves development along. Equilibration is the force which drives the learning process as we do not like to be frus-trated and will seek to restore balance by mastering the new challenge (ac-commodation).
2. Adaptation
2. Adaptation
2. Adaptation
2. Adaptation
2. Adaptation
2. Adaptation
2. Adaptation
2. Adaptation
2. Adaptation
3. Piaget’s Stages of Cogni-tive Development
3. Stages of Cognitive Development
Genetic Epstemology
Evaluation of Piaget’s TheoryStrengths The influence of Piaget’s ideas in developmental psychology has been enormous. He changed how people viewed the child’s world
and their methods of studying children. He was an inspiration to many who came after
and took up his ideas. Piaget’s ideas have generated a huge amount of
research which has increased our understanding of cognitive development.
4. Evaluation of Piaget’s Theory Weaknesses Are the stages real? – Not guaranteed. He failed to consider the effect that the
social setting and culture may have on cognitive development (re:Vygotsky).
Methods are more open to biased interpre-tation than other methods, i.e. subjective(Piaget observed alone).
Carried out his studies with a handful of participants
-Generally used his own children in the early studies
(small/biased sample).
Conclusion
An important implication of Piaget’s the-ory is adaptation to the learner’s devel-opmental level.
The content of instruction needs to be consistent with the developmental level of the learner.
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