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--- learning_theories:stage_theory_of_cognitive_development [2011/04/11 09:37]
jpetrovic [What is stage theory of cognitive development?]
+++ learning_theories:stage_theory_of_cognitive_development [2011/04/11 14:15]
jpetrovic [Criticism]
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 Stage theory of cognitive development (also known as //developmental stage theory// or //genetic epistemology//) was introduced by Swiss child psychologist [[http://www.piaget.org/aboutPiaget.html|Jean Piaget]] in the 1950s. This theory describes **development of cognitive processes** which are key to understanding, but also constrains of learning. According to Piaget,
-  * "//Learning is no more than a sector of cognitive development that is facilitated by experience.//"(())
+  * "//Learning is no more than a sector of cognitive development that is facilitated by experience.//"((Piaget, J. Piaget's theory. In P. H. Mussen (Ed.), Carmichael's manual of child psychology (Vol. 1). New York: Wiley, 1970.))
 ===== What is stage theory of cognitive development? =====
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
   * **Concrete-operational period** (7 to 11 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** and develop reasoning skills, according to Piaget they still **cannot analyze abstract problems** and all of their logical consequences.
   * **Formal-operational period** (11 to adolescence) : Piaget claims that the **final form of cognition** is reached in this stage. Abstract thinking capabilities in this stage are very similar to ones of adults. Individual at this stage is also capable of **hypothetical and deductive** but also **reflective and analytical reasoning skills**. This is supposed to be the final stage of cognitive development and although the knowledge base of an individual is still to be expanded, his thinking capabilities are now as strong as they would get.
 ((Piaget also uses concepts of schema and schemata, later expanded by Anderson. See: [[learning_theories:Schema theory]]))
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 ===== What is the practical meaning of stage theory of cognitive development? =====
+The importance of the Piaget's stage model are the constrains that stage of cognitive development sets on learning. These constrains mean that what can be learned depends on the current developmental stage. One should be taught to apply developed cognitive structures to new material, but to learn new strategies first the related cognitive structure has to evolve.
 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:
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 ===== Criticism =====
-Various criticisms of Piaget's work include:
+One of the criticisms of Piaget's theory lies on the fact that nor him or coworkers didn't leave an instrument for diagnosing child's current stage of cognitive development.
-  * **Oversimplification of stages**/**underestimating abilities of children** - it has been shown that in some cases children can learn some concepts even before reaching a particular stage. Piaget's stages are therefore **not as distinct** as he assumed.
-  * **Unscientific method** - 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.
+Still, as a border between preoperational period and operational period Piaget suggested conservation experiments. For example, two equal glasses filled with liquid are presented to a child, after which liquid out of one glass is poured into a third, more narrow glass. The child is then asked which glass holds more liquid. Only a child in the concrete- or formal-operational  period should realize both glasses hold equal amount of liquid. According to Piaget's theory, these stage differences cannot be overcome using any kind of training.
+But a number of experiments((For details see: [[http://www.scribd.com/doc/41760294/Educational-Psychology-a-Century-of-Contributions|Zimmerman, Barry J., and Dale H. Schunk. Educational psychology: a century of contributions. Routledge, 2003.]])) have proved the opposite. The children's ability to learn is not so strictly defined by their current stage in accordance with Piaget's theory.
+As the result criticisms of Piaget usually emphasized that,
+  * his development stages were often considered to be **oversimplified** or **underestimating abilities of children**
+  * his **experiments** are considered **not to be designed carefully enough** to exclude other explanations,
+  * he offered to **little evidence** for his theory, and that
+  * he didn't address important questions like **social and motivational influences** on cognitive development.
 ===== Keywords and most important names =====
@@ Line 54: / Line 59: @@
   * [[http://www.piaget.org/aboutPiaget.html|Jean Piaget]]
 ===== Bibliography =====
+[[http://www.scribd.com/doc/41760294/Educational-Psychology-a-Century-of-Contributions|Zimmerman, Barry J., and Dale H. Schunk. Educational psychology: a century of contributions. Routledge, 2003.]]
 [[http://penta.ufrgs.br/edu/telelab/3/piaget%27s.htm|Redes de Computadores e suas aplicações na Educação - Piaget's Stage Theory of Development.]] Retrieved March 21, 2011.

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