what is piaget’s cognitive development theory
the way that children progress through stages as they age and through their interactions with the world
including how they add new knowledge, build upon exisiting knowledge, adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information
schema
mental framework we use to organise and interpret information
assimilation
incorporating new information into our existing schema
accommodation
modifying our schemas to fit new information
what are piaget’s 4 stages`
- sensorimoter 0-2 years
- preoperational, 2-7 years
- concrete, 7-11 years
- formal, 12+ years
sensorimoter (0-2 years)
children acquire knowledge about the world through their senses and movement
key developmental milestone: objective permanence: children develop the understanding that something still exists, even if they can no longer see it
preoperational (2-7 years)
children develop language skills and interpret the world based on how things appear to them
have not yet developed logical reasoning, thinking is largely egocentric
concrete (7-11 years)
children no longer need to rely on physical objects to work things out
can do mental operations in their head
thinking has become more logical and less egocentric
formal (12+ years)
children are now adolescents with the ability to think abstractly and reason hypothetical problems
can use theoretical reasoning to consider moral, political and ethical issues
can use deductive logic to reason an answer
criticisms of cognitive development theory
fixed stages - development tends to occur more as a gradual and variable process than distinct and universal stages. development can occur earlier, later, or not at all
cultural variability - the age at which stages are reached varies between cultures and individuals, suggesting cultural factors and individual differences influence cognitive development
social and emotional factors - including motivation, self esteem, relationships, play significant roles in learning and development, aspects that are not thoroughly addressed in Piaget’s theory
strengths of cognitive development theory
fixed stages provide a valuable framework - can help teachers, nurses, parents, etc to know around about how their child is doing
practical applications - developing educational strategies
the emphasis on the active role children play in constructing their learning and knowledge of the world
some parts were scientific and showed high validity
