Jean Piaget Theory of Cognitive Development

Swiss psychologist

Children’s education

 Schemas
 Assimilation
 Accommodation
 Active Learner

Overview

 Theory describes the cognitive development in children

Four Stages

Sensorimotor Stage

- Birth to about two years old

- Reflexes
- Object Permanence
- Thumb Sucking
- Mobility
- Children experience the world through senses and movement

Preoperational Stage

- Two to seven years old

- Pretend
- Object Representation
- Egocentric
- Curious

Children can think about things symbolically

Concrete Operation

- Seven to eleven years.

- Classify
- Conservation
- Inductive Logic

Children begin to think logically about concrete events

Formal Operations

- 12 and beyond
- Abstract
- Scientific Thinker
- Identity
- Moral/Social Issues

Children understand the abstract and deductive reasoning

Criticisms

- Cultural Differences
- Stages Inaccurate
- Capabilities Underestimated
- Lacks control
Jerome Bruner and Discovery Learning

Construct new ideas or concepts based upon current or past knowledge.

- Exploring and manipulating objects

- Wresting with questions and controversies
- Performing experiments
- Students are more likely to remember concepts and knowledge that they discover on their own.

Theory of Instruction

1. Predisposition towards learning

2. Course Structure
3. Effective Sequence
- Enactive
- Iconic
- Symbolic
4. Rewards and Punishments
- Extrinsic Reward
- Intrinsic Reward