Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

1. Swiss
2. worked: 1920 - 1980
3. philosopher: genetic epistemology, constructivism
4. psychologist: contemporary topics

1. observation of children in nurseries
2. Q & A: analysing answers & the reasoning for them
   1. dialogue
3. tasks & puzzles: children solving puzzles, analysing their reasons for solutions they give

Annotations:

• e.g.  equilibrium: familiar with birds - thinks all flying objects are birdsassimiliation: sees an airplane and calls it a birddisequilibrium: notices that places don't have feathers or flat their wingsaccommodation: concludes that places are not birds, but placesorganisation

1. 1. SCHEMA
   1. = knowledge organised into chunks of similar or related answers
   2. = concepts, theories, beliefs
   3. it is a flexible grouping
      1. change & develop with new experiences
   4. = cognitive task
2. 2. ASSIMILATION
   1. = inputting new info into existing schemas without changing the organisation of them
   2. happens constantly
   3. every time: recognise or learn sth
   4. difficult: if can't place an object in a pre-given concept
3. 3. ACCOMMODATION
   1. = changning schemas to adapt to new information
   2. experiences that challenge one's belief
4. 4. EQUILIBRIUM
   1. = sense of order, balance, coherence, stability in the mind
   2. = balanced and well-ordered schemas
   3. driving force = search for equilibrium
      1. disequilibrium = due to new info, leads to search for new state of equilibrium

Annotations:

• child relies on different type of thinking than an adult does => they go through stages of intellectual growth

1. 1. SENSORIMOTOR STAGE (o-2 yrs)
   1. child's own sensations

      Annotations:

      • looks at a rattle: does not perceive iit as permanent, independent object => looks away, rattle does not exist anymore
   2. simple reflex action patterns

      Annotations:

      • reaching, grasping, sucking
   3. developing: sense of OBJECT PERMANENCE

      Annotations:

      • The conviction that an object exists even when it is out of sight. Piaget believed infants didn't develop this level of understanding until the age of at least eight months.
2. 2. PREOPERATIONAL STAGE (2-7 yrs)
   1. representational skills

      Annotations:

      • 1st attempt = a person, usually with a circle for head and two vertical lines for legs
   2. signs & symbols
   3. counting & basic maths
   4. symbolic play & symbolic representations

      Annotations:

      • through drawing & making models
   5. failure to conserve quantity & number
   6. egocentrism

      Annotations:

      • unable to take the viewpoint of others
3. 3. CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE (7-11 yrs)

   Annotations:

   • know how to interrelate their mental representations concrete operation = ability to abstract a quality from concrete objects (e.g. quantity, weight, number, colour, volume, type)
   1. problems dealing with objects are solvable
   2. literal meaning
   3. conservation tasks
   4. reversibility

      Annotations:

      • e.g. mathematica sums & equations can work backwards reversibility difficulties:  e.g. mummy and daddy got married twice - mummy got married to daddy and daddy got married to mummy
   5. transitivity

      Annotations:

      • A < B, and B < C, therefore A < C
      1. seriation task

         Annotations:

         • ability to sort objects or situations according to any characteristic, such as size, color, shape, or type
4. 4. FORMAL OPERATIONAL STAGE (12+)

   Annotations:

   • physics, maths, literature, history
   1. hypothesis testing

      Annotations:

      • can guess the outcome of an event before it starts
   2. anticipation + planning + reflection => integrated in life
   3. prepositional logic

      Annotations:

      • if - then statements
   4. ideals

      Annotations:

      • motivating visions of the future

1. constructivist approach

   Annotations:

   • teaching isn't direct
2. National Curriculum

1. underestimation
2. too much: analytical cognition
3. beyond formal operation?
4. social and group influence?