GEORGE COLLEGE

(DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION)
Under WBUTTEPA, Approved by NCTE

Course code and name: 1.1.1, Childhood And Growing Up

Course half and name: 1st half, Development And Its Characteristics

Internal Assignment topic: Piaget’s Theory And Its Educational Implications.

Guided by: ASST Prof. Poulomi Mukherjee

Name of the student: Sayan Chkraborty

B.ED 1st Semester, Session 2020-2022

REGISTRATION NO:
ROLL: NO:
College serial number: 41
 Introduction
 Jean Piaget was one of the 20th century’s most
influential researchers in the area of development
psychology. He was originally trained in the areas of
biology and philosophy and considered himself a
“Genetic Epistemologist”. 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 answer
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. 1896-1980
Piaget’s Theory of infant development were based
on his observations of his own three children.

What is 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 process changed with
age.
 Four Stages Of Cognitive Development

 The Sensorimotor Stage(Birth to 2 years

 The Preoperational Stage(2-7 years)

 The Concrete Operational Stage(7-12

years)

The Formal Operational Stage(12 years

and above)
 THE SENSORIMOTOR STAGE( Birth to 2 yrs) INFANCY

 It is the first of the four stages of cognitive

development .In this stage , infants construct
an understanding of the world by coordinating
sensory experiences with physical motoric
action.
 Infants construct an understanding of the world
by coordinating sensory experiences(seeing,
hearing) with motor actions (reaching, touching).
 Develop objects 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 (2-7yrs) TODDLER AND EARLY CHILDHOOD
 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 (words and images). He is still
unable to use ‘operations ‘ , that is logical mental rules ,
such as rules of arithmetic.

 This stage is further divided into 2sub stages:

• Preconceptual stage (2-4 yrs): Increased use of verbal
representation but speech us 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 (4-7yrs): Speech becomes more social,

less egocentric. Here the child base their knowledge on
what they feel or sense to be true, yet they can not
explain the underlying principles behind what they feel or
sense.

 The key features of this stage are

• Egocentric
• Animism
• Concentration
 CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE(7-12 yrs) CHILDHOOD AND EARLY
ADOLESCENCE
The Concrete Operational Stage is the third of four stages of
cognitive development in Piaget’s theory. This stage is characterized
by the appropriate use of logic. Important process during this stage
are :

• Seriation: The ability to sort object in an order according to size,

shape or any other characteristic. Eg; if given different-sized objects
, they may place them accordingly.
• Transitivity: The ability to recognize logical relationships among
elements in a serial order. Eg.: if A is taller than B and B is taller than
c, then A must be taller than C.
• Classification: The ability to name and identify sets of objects
according to appearance, size or other characteristic, including the
idea that one set of objects can include another.
• Decentering: The ability to take multiple aspects of a situations
into account
• Reversibility: The child understands that numbers or objects can be
changed, then returned to their original state.
• 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
perspective.
FORMAL OPERATIONAL STAGE( 12yrs & above)ADOLESCENCE & ADULTHOOD

 The thought becomes increasingly flexible and

abstract in this stage and even carries out systematic
experiments.

The ability to systematically solve a problem in a

logical and methodological way. Understand that
nothing is absolute; everything is relative.

 Develops skills such as logical thought, deductive

reasoning as well as inductive reasoning and
systematic 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 development 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-

curriculum 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.
 CONCLUSION

Jean Piaget wanted to show how children grew intellectual from infancy
to adult. It is important that children develop in all four stages that he
talked about in his research. Jean Piaget was very interested man whom
was fascinated in how a child develops mentally. He did not believe that
baby’s were less intelligent than an adult; he believed they just thought
differently. He went on to creating his theory of four stages of Child
Development where he was able to identify the changes and changes as
each stage passed by. Mental processes change little by little by little it
gets to the Formal Operation Stage where people are then able to grasp
logical operations, as well as rationalize.
THANK YOU