Piaget's theory of cognitive development proposes that children progress through 4 stages of cognitive growth: sensory motor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Progression through the stages is based on maturation rather than age. At each stage, children acquire new cognitive abilities like object permanence and reversibility. Piaget emphasized that learning involves active participation and construction of knowledge by the learner. Children must reach certain prerequisites before learning new concepts associated with higher stages of development. Teachers should consider a child's stage to provide appropriate interactions and materials to support cognitive growth.
2. Piaget’s Cognitive
Development Theory
Piaget's theory is about cognitive
development (how we learn).
Piaget believes that we go through 4
stages of cognitive growth.
You cannot go by age when judging
where a child is within his theory, you must
do this through observation.
4. Stages of the Cognitive
Development Theory
Sensory Motor (0-2)- Concrete operational (7-11)
learning through senses classifying
*has to acquire objective sorting
permanence. prediction
Pre operational (2-7) hands on
Has object permanence *reversibility
they communicate
words Formal Operational
questions hypothetical deductive
egocentric reasoning
*Must acquire irreversibility *abstract reasoning
5. Key Components
A central component of Piaget's
developmental theory of learning and
thinking is that both involve the
participation of the learner. Knowledge is
not merely transmitted verbally but must
be constructed and reconstructed by the
learner.
The learner must be active.
6. Key Components cont’d
Children cannot learn something until
maturation gives them certain
prerequisites.
The ability to learn any cognitive content
is always related to their stage of
intellectual development. Children who
are at a certain stage cannot be taught
the concepts of a higher stage.
8. Piaget and Teaching
In the preoperational stage, it is important to
confront children with opinions and being
dynamically involved with objects and
processes will help a child to build the
cognitive structures necessary for logical
thought.
When children get into the concrete
operational stage, it is important for them to
have many interactions with concrete
material.
It is also important for teachers to realize what
stage their students are in, so they can teach
accordingly.
http://calteach.ucsc.edu/aboutus/documents/Webb-Piaget.pdf
