Kurukshetra

ITTRUniversity,
Kurukshetra

Submitted to – Submitted by-

Dr. MAMTA CHAWLA AADITYA NARAYAN PATHAK
20046
ITTR, KUK B.Ed. 1st year
Section A
 Greetings!
In this presentation, we’ll learn about Cognitive Development Theories
by Kohlberg( gender oriented) and Jean Piaget.

We will focus on Jean Piaget’s Cognitive development Theory and it’s

educational implications.
Cognitive Development
• Cognitive Development is the emergence of the ability to think and
understand.
• The acquisition of the ability to think, reason and problem solve.
• It is the process by which people's thinking changes across the life
span.
• Piaget studied Cognitive Development by observing children in
particular, to examine how their thought processes changed with age.
• It is the growing apprehension and adaptation to the physical and social
environment.
• Cognitive Development is gradual and orderly changes by
which mental process becomes more complex and
sophisticated.
• The essential development of cognition is the
establishment of new schemes.
• Assimilation and Accommodation are both the processes of the
ways of Cognitive Development.
• The equilibration is the symbol of a new stage of the Cognitive
Development.
 Theories of Cognitive Development
• Kohlberg’s Theory -
• Kohlberg’ theory states that the acquisition of gender roles takes place in
the child’s head. The role of thinking process in the formation of gender
identity and role development is crucial.
Cognitive development theory (Kohlberg 1966) says that the child is an
active interpreter of the world. His learning occurs when he cognitively
organizes what he sees, not by way of reinforcement and conditioning.
Kohlberg gave 3 Stages -
• 1.) Gender Identity , which is usually, starts at the age of 2 years. At this stage, the
child is able to correctly label its own sex as ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ and apply it to other also.
This labeling is based on superficial characteristics of people rather than biological.
• 2.) The second stage of gender role development is Gender Stability, which arrives
at the age of 4 years. In this stage, the child realizes that the gender remains the same
across time. However, its understanding of gender is heavily influenced by and
depends on external features like hair and clothing. Children understanding at this
stage can change with regard to gender role if external appearances are not matching
with the identity of person.
• 3.) The third stage which is Gender Constancy, where child understand that gender
is independent of external features. The stage is usually arrived at the age of 7.
Despite the change in its external features, they will not change their own identity
and of others about gender.
 Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
• Jean Piaget was born in 1896 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and
died in 1980 in Geneva, Switzerland.
• At age 11, he wrote a paper on an albino sparrow, which was
published and was the start of his famous career.
• Piaget wanted to know how children learned through their
development in the study of knowledge.
• He administered Binet's IQ test in Paris and observed that
children's answers were qualitatively different.
• Piaget's theory is based on the idea that the developing
child builds cognitive structures.
• He believes that the child's cognitive structure increases
with the development.
• Piaget's Theory of infant development were based on his
observations of his own three children.
Jean Piaget’s Theory
• It was given by Jean Piaget. While studying
his children, Piaget developed this theories
concerning how children learn.
• It have four stages of development, which
are explained in detail in next slides.
Sensorimotor Stage
Birth to age 2
• Infants construct an understanding of the world by
coordinating sensory experiences (seeing, hearing) with
motor actions (reaching, touching).
• Develop Object Permanence (memory) - Realize that objects
exist even if they are out of sight.
• Infants progress from reflexive, instinctual actions at birth to
the beginning of problem solving (intellectual) and symbolic
abilities (language) toward the end of this stage.
 Preoperational Stage
(2-7 yrs)
• This stage begins when the child starts to use symbols and
language. This is a period of developing language and
concepts. So, the child is capable of more complex mental
representations (i.e, words and images). He is still unable to
use 'operations', i.e, logical mental rules, such as rules of
arithmetic.
• This stage is further divided into 2 sub-stages :
• Preconceptual stage (2-4 yrs) : Increased use of verbal
representation but speech is egocentric. The child uses
symbols to stand for actions; a toy doll stands for a real baby
or the child role plays mummy or daddy.
• Intuitive stage (4-7 yrs) : Speech becomes more social, less
egocentric. Here the child base their knowledge on what they
feel or sense to be true, yet they cannot explain the
underlying principles behind what they feel or sense.
Concrete Operational Stage
(7-12 yrs)
The concrete operational stage is characterized by the appropriate use of
logic. During this stage, the child begins to develop the ability to sort
objects, ability to classify objects, understanding of conservation (physical
quantities do not change based on the arrangement and/or appearance of
the object)
Seriation: The ability to sort objects in an order according to size, shape
or any other characterstic. Eg.: if given different-sized objects, they may
place them accordingly
• Classification: The ability to group objects together on the basis of common
features. The child also begins to get the idea that one set can include another.
Eg.: there is a class of objects called dogs. There is also a class called
animals. But all dogs are also animals.
• Decentring: The ability to take multiple aspects of a situation into account.
Eg.: the child will no longer perceive an exceptionally wide but short cup to
contain less than a normally-wide, taller cup.
• Reversibility: The child understands that numbers or objects can be changed,
then returned to their original state. Eg.: the child will rapidly determine that if
4+4=8 then 8-4=4, the original quantity.
• Conservation: Understanding that the quantity, length or number of items is
unrelated to the arrangement or appearance of the object or item.
• Elimination of Egocentrism: The ability to view things from another's
perspective.
• The child performs operations: combining, separating, multiplying,
repeating, dividing etc
Formal Operational Stage
(12 yrs & above)
• The thought becomes increasingly flexible and abstract, i.e, can carry out systematic
experiments.
• The ability to systematically solve a problem in a logical and methodological way.
• Understands that nothing is absolute; everything is relative.
• Develops skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning as well as inductive
reasoning and sytematic planning etc.
• Understands that the rules of any game or social system are developed by a man by
mutual agreement and hence could be changed or modified.
• The child's way of thinking is at its most advanced, although the knowledge it has to
work with, will change.
Educational Implications
• Emphasis on discovery approach in learning.
• Curriculum should provide specific educational experience based on
children's developmental level.
• Arrange classroom activities so that they assist and encourage self
learning.
• Social interactions have a great educational value for Piaget. Positive
social actions, therefore should be encouraged.
• Instruction should be geared to the level of the child. As the level of the child
changes at each stage, the level of instruction or exploratory activities should
also change.
• Simple to Complex and Project method of teaching.
• Co-curricular activities have equal importance as that of curricular experiences
in the cognitive development of children.
• Major Goals of education according to Piaget are critical and creative thinking.
Thank You!