Piaget's and Vygotsky's Theories

Question:
How do Piaget's and Vygotsky's Theories explain child development?
Answer:
Piaget’s theory:
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is made up of different stages that people must develop
for their cognitive and thinking abilities to develop. He proposes that all individuals learn how to
think the same way by going through different stages.
Cognitive Structure:
A cognitive structure consists of schemas and results from both biological maturation and
cumulative experience. Therefore, a cognitive structure develops and grows over an individual’s
life span.
Schema:
A schema is an element of the cognitive structure, engages in a class of actions. So, grasping,
sucking, reaching, etc., are all schemas because a variety of actions can be made by them.
Actions:
A schema can lead to an overt action or a covert action. So when an individual grasps a book that
is an overt action. However, when one thinks of grasping an object that is covert action.

Assimilation & Accommodation:

1. The process of responding to the environment by one’s cognitive structure is called

assimilation. In assimilation, existing cognitive structures are matched with the

physical environment.

2. Accommodation is a process that modifies cognitive structure or more simply a process 
of learning.

Age Stage Description

Birth to 2 years Sensorimotor Stage Reflex base, circular
behavior, Object permanence.
2 to 7 years Preoperational Stage Understanding of symbols,
egocentric
7 to 11 years Concrete Operational Stage More than one point of view,
no abstract problems.
11 years and above Formal Operational Stage Abstract thinking, reason
logically.
Lev Vygotsky’s theory:

A Russian psychologist who suggested cognitive development as an apprenticeship in which

children advanced by interaction with others more mature. Vygotsky died young (37) and did
not fully develop his theory beyond childhood.

Vygotsky defined zone of proximal development (ZPD) as the distance between child’s

actual developmental levels to solve a problem to potential development  to solve the problem
with peer assistance. And suggested teachers should attempt to keep students in this zone in
order to achieve maximum achievement.

Contributions:

 Qualitative and developmental aspects of learning

 Description of developmental stages of attaining knowledge and learning

Criticism:

 Theory is based on clinical insights. Some experimental evidence fails these insights.
 Developmental stages may not generalize to non-western cultures.
 Vygotsky says that intellectual development may be speeded-up with assistance before
the stage reaches its maturation.