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Jean Piaget Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget's theory of cognitive development explains how children construct understanding of the world through biological maturation and interaction with their environment. He disagreed with the idea of fixed intelligence. The theory proposes that children progress through four stages of development - sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational - defined by their ability to think and reason about physical and logical concepts. At each stage, children build mental representations called schemas through the processes of assimilation and accommodation to achieve cognitive equilibrium between what they know and what they experience.

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282 views3 pages

Jean Piaget Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget's theory of cognitive development explains how children construct understanding of the world through biological maturation and interaction with their environment. He disagreed with the idea of fixed intelligence. The theory proposes that children progress through four stages of development - sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational - defined by their ability to think and reason about physical and logical concepts. At each stage, children build mental representations called schemas through the processes of assimilation and accommodation to achieve cognitive equilibrium between what they know and what they experience.

Uploaded by

Anisha Das
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget's (1936) theory of cognitive development explains how a child constructs a mental model
of the world. He disagreed with the idea that intelligence was a fixed trait, and regarded
cognitive development as a process which occurs due to biological maturation and interaction
with the environment.

Schemas

A schema is a description of both the mental and physical actions required in understanding and
knowing. It’s a category of knowledge used in interpreting and understanding the world – the
building blocks of knowledge.Piaget suggested that the schemas eventually become organized in
a hierarchical order, from a general schema to a specific schema. An infant has a schema, such as
the sucking reflex. On the other hand, as you grow older these schemas become less genetic and
more about our surroundings.

Assimilation

When we take in new information regarding our existing schema, we are assimilating.

Accommodation

. In accommodation, we try to modify your existing schemas and ideas, with the process giving
you a new experience or knowledge and often resulting in the birth of new schemas.

Equilibrium

Finally, we have the idea of equilibrium, which Piaget believed to be the child’s attempt to strike
a balance between the two mechanisms: assimilation and accommodation. Piaget believed it to
be the mechanism children use in order to move from one stage of thought to the other.

The stages of development

The final core concept of Piaget’s theory is perhaps the most important: the stages of
development.
Sensorimotor stage(0-2 Year) – The core idea for the sensorimotor stage is object permanence.
This requires the formation of a schema of the object and the knowledge the object continues to
exist even after it is out of view. According to Piaget, the stage allows people to learn objects are
distinct entities, with an existence out of the individual’s perception. The ball will still be a ball
even when it rolls under the sofa.

 Pre-operational stage(2-7 Years) – Thinking begins moving towards symbolical stages


during the pre-operational period. We learn that words and objects can be something
other than themselves. Children start to develop imagination and things can start having
more meaning.
 Concrete operational stage(7-11 Years) – Things start heating up during the concrete
operational stage. According to Piaget’s theory, this is when the child starts showcasing
logical or operational thought. Instead of having to physically try things (such as pouring
the water back him- or herself), the child begins to think things through internally. While
the developmental stage sees more logic in thinking, the thought patterns continue to be
rigid. Another important aspect is the diminishing of egocentric thinking. Children begin
to understand their thoughts, feelings and ideas are unique and other’s might think and
feel differently.
 Formal operational stage(11- Above) – The final stage for Piaget was about the ability to
increase logical thinking, using deductive reasoning and understanding abstract ideas.
You don’t just think there’s one solution to problems, but you start using abstract ideas
and different hypotheses to go about your life. The operational stage doesn’t really end,
as we continue to gain new knowledge and experience long into adulthood.

Contribution to education
1. This theory gives us valuable information in planning and framing school curriculum. It
advices which subject is to be introduced at a particular level and which is to be
excluded.
2. It makes the teacher aware of the nature of thought processes of the child at particular
stage of development.
3. The theory introduces the concept of assimilation, accommodation and equilibration in
the process of learning and development.
It highlights the importance of physical and social environment for the intellectual development
of children.

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