Zachary Hirschman

Midterm Exam
Educational Psychology

1. Jean Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development and Lev Vygotskys Zone of Proximal
Development are fundamental tenets of todays educational practitioners. Discuss how
the two theories support one another and why they are considered basic to the
teaching/learning process.
Both theories are fundamental in modern education theory
because they reinforce the concept of constructed sequential
learning. This concept is so well ingrained in current education
practices that it is difficult to isolate, but Piagets and
Vygotskys theories provide some assistance. Piagets process of
adaptation, by which the student reconciles new information with
old, is central to his theory of cognitive development.
Essentially, according to Piaget, learning is what happens when
a student successfully adapts his or her cognitive schema to
accommodate new information that contradicted the predictions
made by previous schema. There is a necessary sequence to this
kind of development; too much contradictory information, or
disequilibrium, leaves the student bewildered. Further, the need
to adapt disappears when the student no longer encounters
challenging information. The challenge of the teacher is to
provide the correct amount of disequilibrium in a sequence such
that the student is constantly adapting. This corresponds to
Vygotskys theory of proximal development. Vygotsky postulated
that for all students, there exists a zone of proximal
development in which reside the operations or problems the
students would be able to solve only with guidance. It is in
this zone that learning takes place, and the role of the teacher
is to provide the guidance needed by the student until the
activity moves out of the zone of proximal development, and into
the realm of tasks the student can do unaided. Each successful
lesson invites others, as the zone of proximal development
expands outward. Both Piaget and Vygotsky emphasize the
uniqueness of each students sequence, as not every student will
successfully learn the same information in the same pattern.
Vygotsky tends to define his zone of proximal development
relative to what each individual student already knows; Piagets
cognitive development is dependent on each student refining his
or her individual schema. Thus, it is the responsibility of the
teacher to present the material in a sequence that makes sense
to his or her students based on their prior knowledge.
2. Erik Erikson offered a basis for understanding the needs of young people (p. 83).
Discuss two major issues with which students in the identity versus role confusion
(adolescent stage) struggle. What is the teachers role in fostering a positive self-
concept and self-esteem in adolescents?
The adolescent stage of psychosocial development is unique in
the challenges it presents to its occupants. The physical
changes of puberty coupled with increased self-awareness form a
combination of change unlike any a student is likely to see for
the rest of his or her life. Physically, each adolescent student
will change differently. Some will develop quickly and stand out
from their peers, while others may develop late and feel
isolated in that manner. The only constants are the obstacles
that come with the changes. New, unfamiliar hormones provide
distractions, and changing bodies are effective distractions by
which students will compare themselves. Cognitively, students
are emerging from their concrete operational stage, attaining
familiarity with abstract concepts and moving away from the
egocentrism of youth. This creates a new paradigm in which
students are capable of thinking about how others perceive them.
When this process is applied internally, a student is exposed to
the idea of the self-concept. The students affective reaction
to this new paradigm is their self-esteem. Many students escape
the challenges of adolescence without developing poor self-
esteem, but more often fall into one of adolescences many
traps. A teacher can help his or her students as they move
through adolescence by setting an appropriate classroom
atmosphere, and reinforcing successes both academic and
extracurricular. The changes of puberty are biological issues no
teacher can stop; however, the issues felt by the students can
be mitigated by a steady, involved teacher. By providing a
clear, firm structure at school, teachers can provide students
with some sense of stability in what is otherwise a quickly
changing life. This includes a sense of perspective; students
who are ahead or behind their peers in pubescent development can
understand at least that their status is temporary, and they can
begin to form a self-concept independent of their growth level
if they so choose. Even after controlling for the effects of
puberty, adolescence provides a number of social pitfalls in
which students can find themselves. A willingness to fit in
might lead to drug use, a self-image based on physical traits
might lead to an eating disorder, and poor self-esteem might
lead to depression and suicide. The responsibility of the
teacher is to notice when his or her students are approaching
these pitfalls and others, and to respond proactively to help
the student avoid them. This can be achieved through consistent
care and attention; for example, a teacher might positively
reinforce a students academic work more strongly in an effort
to shape the students self-concept away from physical traits.
In the same way that a students cognitive schemes will be
unique, his or her emotional and social development will be
unique. The best role a teacher can take is to be flexible and
attentive in dealing with students who are struggling with
adolescence.
3. Proponents of operant conditioning propose that desired behaviors can be produced
through a system of appropriate stimulus-response practices. Behaviorism is based on
this model and, in its purest form, practitioners believe that the teacher is responsible
for developing well-organized, sequential, and clearly communicated lessons. If he does
so and the students do not successfully learn the material, the fault lies with the
students, not the teacher. Describe two topics for which the behaviorist model of
instruction would be appropriate. Describe two topics for which the behaviorist model
would probably not be the best instructional model.
The best use of the behaviorist model is in lessons in which
direct instruction is indicated. Similarly, the behaviorist
model is less effective when a constructivist approach is more
effective. In mathematics, examples of both cases are prevalent.
Teaching the quadratic equation in secondary school calls for
direct instruction; the students lack the proper scaffolding to
understand why the quadratic formula works, though they should
be well-prepared to use it effectively. In this case, I would
teach the formula directly, positively reinforcing the students
for being able to repeat it and then use it effectively.