learning_theories:stage_theory_of_cognitive_development
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learning_theories:stage_theory_of_cognitive_development [2011/02/04 11:12] jpetrovic [What is the practical meaning of stage theory of cognitive development?] |
learning_theories:stage_theory_of_cognitive_development [2011/03/21 09:55] jpetrovic [Criticism] |
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| ===== General ===== | ===== General ===== | ||
| - | Stage theory_of_cognitive development was introduced by child psychologist [[http://www.piaget.org/aboutPiaget.html|Jean Piaget]] in 19s. This theory describes **cognitive development in context of age**. | + | Stage theory of cognitive development (also known as //developmental stage theory//) was introduced by Swiss child psychologist [[http://www.piaget.org/aboutPiaget.html|Jean Piaget]] in 1950s. This theory describes **cognitive development in context of age**. This is not a learning theory, yet it describes development of thought processes which are key to understanding of learning. It should also be used to adapt teaching methods to the current learner's development phase. |
| ===== What is stage theory of cognitive development? ===== | ===== What is stage theory of cognitive development? ===== | ||
| - | Piaget has divided human cognitive development in **four stages**: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete, and formal, as they are described below. | + | Piaget has divided human cognitive development into **four stages**: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete, and formal, as they are described below. Ages describing when which stage occurs are the average values. |
| - | * **Sensorimotor stage** (birth to 2 years): In this stage cognitive system of an infant is limited to **motor reflexes**, but also some more complex procedures built on those reflexes. Infant interacts with the environment and **learns to understand the world**. Learning takes place through **absorbing into the existing schema** and accommodating when schemata change is required. | + | * **Sensorimotor stage** (birth to 2 years): In this stage cognitive system of an infant is limited to **motor reflexes**, but also some more complex procedures built on those reflexes. Infant interacts with the environment and **learns to understand the world**. Learning takes place through **absorbing into the existing schema** and accommodating when schema change is required.((Piaget also uses concepts of schema and schemata, later expanded by Anderson. See: [[learning_theories:Schema theory]])) |
| * **Preoperational stage** (2 to 6/7 years): Children now **develop language** and **mental imagery skills**, but still cannot conceptualize abstractly and don't have sense of time. A child can now think about events and things that aren't present in the moment of speaking. He can **see the world** only from **his perspective** and assumes other do so as well. Teaching a child in this stage must take into account his not fully understand concepts of time phenomenon. | * **Preoperational stage** (2 to 6/7 years): Children now **develop language** and **mental imagery skills**, but still cannot conceptualize abstractly and don't have sense of time. A child can now think about events and things that aren't present in the moment of speaking. He can **see the world** only from **his perspective** and assumes other do so as well. Teaching a child in this stage must take into account his not fully understand concepts of time phenomenon. | ||
| * **Concrete operations** (6/7 to 11/12 years): Children in this stage of development are able to analyze more perspectives simultaneously. Much of learning if performed through assimilation. Although they can **understand concrete problems**, according to Piaget they still **cannot analyze abstract problems** and all of their logical consequences. | * **Concrete operations** (6/7 to 11/12 years): Children in this stage of development are able to analyze more perspectives simultaneously. Much of learning if performed through assimilation. Although they can **understand concrete problems**, according to Piaget they still **cannot analyze abstract problems** and all of their logical consequences. | ||
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| ===== What is the practical meaning of stage theory of cognitive development? ===== | ===== What is the practical meaning of stage theory of cognitive development? ===== | ||
| - | Implications of Piaget's theory on the learning process address respecting the stage of the cognitive development of a child and adjusting teaching expectations to it. Suggestions for this are the following: | + | Piaget's theory suggests that in order to make learning effective, learner's stage of the cognitive development needs to be taken into account. General suggestions for adopting teaching methods to the four stages of development are following: |
| - | * **Sensorimotor stage** - Teaching an infant in this stage should be orientated on its **sensorimotor system**. | + | * **Sensorimotor stage** - teaching an infant in this stage should be orientated on its **sensorimotor system**. |
| - | * **Preoperational stage** - Children can now **actively** engage in **learning and exploring**. | + | * **Preoperational stage** - children can now **actively** engage in **learning and exploring**. |
| - | * **Preoperational stage** - Learning in this stage is facilitated through an opportunity to ask **questions** and get **explanations** which allow learner to mentally mentally manipulate information. | + | * **Preoperational stage** - learning in this stage is facilitated through an opportunity to ask **questions** and get **explanations** which allow learner to mentally manipulate information. |
| - | * **Formal operations** - Teaching the adolescent expands in its dimensions as he is able to consider many possibilities from **several perspectives**. | + | * **Formal operations** - teaching the adolescent expands in its dimensions as he is able to consider many possibilities from **several perspectives**. |
| - | Piaget's theory also suggests that teachers should **value child's cognitive processes** which lead him to a conclusion as well as the conclusion, **encourage** him to learn for himself, but always **respect his current stage** in cognitive development and not make forced steps forward. What should also be taken into consideration is that although all children go through the same steps during their development, that do it at different rates. Educational process should therefore be more **focused on individuals and small groups** within a class than to the class as a whole unit. | + | Piaget's theory also suggests that teachers should |
| + | |||
| + | * value child's cognitive processes which led him to a conclusion as well as the conclusion, | ||
| + | * encourage him to learn with his peers | ||
| + | * encourage him to learn for himself, but always | ||
| + | * respect his current stage in cognitive development and not make forced steps forward. | ||
| + | |||
| + | What should also be taken into consideration is that although all children go through the same steps during their development, that do it at different rates. Educational process should therefore be more **focused on individuals and small groups** within a class than to the class as a whole unit. | ||
| ===== Criticism ===== | ===== Criticism ===== | ||
| Various criticisms of Piaget's work include: | Various criticisms of Piaget's work include: | ||
| - | * Oversimplification of stages - it has been shown that with help of training program children can learn some concepts even before reaching a particular stage. Piaget's stages are therefore not as distinct as he assumed. | + | * **Oversimplification of stages**/**underestimating abilities of children** - it has been shown that with help of training program children can learn some concepts even before reaching a particular stage. Piaget's stages are therefore **not as distinct** as he assumed. |
| - | * Overlooking the effects of the students' cultural and social groups - depending on social and cultural environment different aspects of childs development may be more or less valued than by Piaget. | + | * **Unscientific method** - Piaget based his conclusions on observations of a rather small number of children who do **not** necessarily form **a statistically representative sample**. |
| - | * Unscientific methods - Piaget based his conclusions on observations of a rather small number of children who do not necessarily form a statistically representative sample. | + | |
| + | It is often considered that Piaget's **experiments weren't designed carefully enough** to exclude other explanations, that he offered to **little evidence** for his theory and that he didn't address important questions like **social and motivational influences** on cognitive development. | ||
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| ===== Keywords and most important names ===== | ===== Keywords and most important names ===== | ||
| + | * **Sensorimotor stage**, **preoperational stage**, **preoperational stage**, **formal operations**, **cognitive development** | ||
| + | * [[http://www.piaget.org/aboutPiaget.html|Jean Piaget]] | ||
| ===== Bibliography ===== | ===== Bibliography ===== | ||
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| [[http://www.learning-theories.com/piagets-stage-theory-of-cognitive-development.html|Stage Theory of Cognitive Development (Piaget) at Learning Theories.]] | [[http://www.learning-theories.com/piagets-stage-theory-of-cognitive-development.html|Stage Theory of Cognitive Development (Piaget) at Learning Theories.]] | ||
| - | [[http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2000/Piaget/begin.htm|Mental Development and Education.]] | + | [[http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2000/Piaget/begin.htm|Edwards, L., Hopgood, J., Rosenberg, K. and Kymberley Rush. Development, Learning and inclusive Teaching: Mental Development and Education.]] |
| + | [[http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Piaget%27s_Stages|Wood, Kay C., Smith, H. and Daurice Grossniklaus. Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development.]] | ||
| ===== Read more ===== | ===== Read more ===== | ||
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| + | Piaget, J. Studies in reflecting abstraction. London: Psychology Press. 2001. | ||
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| + | Piaget, J., Gruber, H.E. and Voneche, J.J. The essential Piaget. New York: Basic Books. 1977. | ||
| Lourenço, O. and Machado, A. In defense of Piaget's theory: A reply to ten common criticisms. 1996. | Lourenço, O. and Machado, A. In defense of Piaget's theory: A reply to ten common criticisms. 1996. | ||
learning_theories/stage_theory_of_cognitive_development.txt · Last modified: 2023/06/19 18:03 (external edit)
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