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Applying Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development To PDF
Applying Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development To PDF
This paper is based on a presentation given at National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
in 2005 in Anaheim, California. It explicates the developmental stages of the child as posited by Piaget.
The author then ties each of the stages to developmentally appropriate mathematics instruction. The
implications in terms of not imposing unfamiliar ideas on the child and importance of peer interaction
are highlighted.
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allowing them to get their hands on mathematical ideas data. For example, the formal operational learner can
and concepts as useful tools for solving problems. solve x + 2x = 9 without having to refer to a concrete
Because concrete experiences are needed, teachers situation presented by the teacher, such as, “Tony ate a
might use manipulatives with their students to explore certain number of candies. His sister ate twice as many.
concepts such as place value and arithmetical Together they ate nine. How many did Tony eat?”
operations. Existing manipulative materials include: Reasoning skills within this stage refer to the mental
pattern blocks, Cuisenaire rods, algebra tiles, algebra process involved in the generalizing and evaluating of
cubes, geoboards, tangrams, counters, dice, and logical arguments (Anderson, 1990) and include
spinners. However, teachers are not limited to clarification, inference, evaluation, and application.
commercial materials, they can also use convenient Clarification. Clarification requires students to
materials in activities such as paper folding and identify and analyze elements of a problem, allowing
cutting. As students use the materials, they acquire them to decipher the information needed in solving a
experiences that help lay the foundation for more problem. By encouraging students to extract relevant
advanced mathematical thinking. Furthermore, information from a problem statement, teachers can
students’ use of materials helps to build their help students enhance their mathematical
mathematical confidence by giving them a way to test understanding.
and confirm their reasoning. Inference. Students at this stage are
One of the important challenges in mathematics developmentally ready to make inductive and
teaching is to help students make connections between deductive inferences in mathematics. Deductive
the mathematics concepts and the activity. Children inferences involve reasoning from general concepts to
may not automatically make connections between the specific instances. On the other hand, inductive
work they do with manipulative materials and the inferences are based on extracting similarities and
corresponding abstract mathematics: “children tend to differences among specific objects and events and
think that the manipulations they do with models are arriving at generalizations.
one method for finding a solution and pencil-and-paper Evaluation. Evaluation involves using criteria to
math is entirely separate” (Burns & Silbey, 2000, p. judge the adequacy of a problem solution. For
60). For example, it may be difficult for children to example, the student can follow a predetermined rubric
conceptualize how a four by six inch rectangle built to judge the correctness of his solution to a problem.
with wooden tiles relates to four multiplied by six, or Evaluation leads to formulating hypotheses about
four groups of six. Teachers could help students make future events, assuming one’s problem solving is
connections by showing how the rectangles can be correct thus far.
separated into four rows of six tiles each and by Application. Application involves students
demonstrating how the rectangle is another connecting mathematical concepts to real-life
representation of four groups of six. situations. For example, the student could apply his
Providing various mathematical representations knowledge of rational equations to the following
acknowledges the uniqueness of students and provides situation: “You can clean your house in 4 hours. Your
multiple paths for making ideas meaningful. sister can clean it in 6 hours. How long will it take you
Engendering opportunities for students to present to clean the house, working together?”
mathematical solutions in multiple ways (e.g.,
Implications of Piaget’s Theory
symbols, graphs, tables, and words) is one tool for
cognitive development in this stage. Eggen & Kauchak Critics of Piaget’s work argue that his proposed
(2000) noted that while a specific way of representing theory does not offer a complete description of
an idea is meaningful to some students, a different cognitive development (Eggen & Kauchak, 2000). For
representation might be more meaningful to others. example, Piaget is criticized for underestimating the
abilities of young children. Abstract directions and
Formal Operations Stage requirements may cause young children to fail at tasks
The child at this stage is capable of forming they can do under simpler conditions (Gelman, Meck,
hypotheses and deducing possible consequences, & Merkin, 1986). Piaget has also been criticized for
allowing the child to construct his own mathematics. overestimating the abilities of older learners, having
Furthermore, the child typically begins to develop implications for both learners and teachers. For
abstract thought patterns where reasoning is executed example, middle school teachers interpreting Piaget’s
using pure symbols without the necessity of perceptive work may assume that their students can always think
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Appendix A: Children’s Literature Incorporating Mathematical Concepts and Ideas