...Introduction Over the years there have been a countless number of theorists developing their own models on Cognitive Development, with the two most recognised being the theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Semenovich Vygotsky. Although it is difficult to present the title of ‘superior theory’ to either one of these theorists, the merging of certain aspects of each scheme provides teachers with an ability to devise effective learning strategies that cater for individual students. As a direct result of these Piagetian and Vygotskian concepts, students possess the ability to develop and learn at a rate more specified to their learning ability. Review of Literature Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, the assimilation-accommodation model, is composed of four stages, sensorimotor (0 - 2 years), preoperational (2 – 7 years), concrete operational (7 – 11 years) and formal operational (11 – adult). Candida Peterson (2004) claims that within Piaget’s theory, each stage must be sufficiently achieved by the individual in order to advance to the next stage, although there is debate about whether we all do reach the final stage. Piaget believes that the most significant aspect of a child's cognitive development is the interaction between peers, rather than elders, the outside environment, as illustrated by Youniss (1982). Piaget recognised that the rate of cognitive development is determined by four factors, biological maturation, activity, social interaction and equilibration, as illustrated...
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...Piaget’s Theory of Child Psychological Development There currently exists a great deal of literature based on child developmental psychology from a variety of great psychologists, notably Freud, Erikson, Bowlby, Bandura, Vygotsky, and many others. However, this paper will focus on the theories of Jean Piaget. Jean Piaget, a Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher, was born in Neuchatel, Switzerland on August 9, 1896. After working with Alfred Binet in his children’s intelligence tests, Piaget developed an interest in the development of children He is widely known for his epistemological studies regarding children and formulating the Cognitive Theory of Development. Piaget self-identifies as a genetic epistemologist; “What the genetic epistemology proposes is discovering the roots of the different varieties of knowledge, since its elementary forms, following to the next levels, including also the scientific knowledge”. Jean Piaget was the first to believe that children were no less smarter than adults, they just think differently. Piaget refers to children as “little scientists” because they actively try to explore and make sense of the world around them The model Piaget designed was a model that sought to explain how humans made sense of the world around them through collecting and organizing information from experiences with people, applied to children specifically. The model itself has four main stages in children: the sensorimotor stage (birth to two years)...
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...An IQ test is a test designed to measure intellectual aptitude ,or ability to learn in school.Originally,intelligence was defined as mental age divided by chronological age,times 100-hence the term intelligent quotient or IQ. After taking the IQ test on the website ,I was not happy with my score and I don’t think it is an accurate assessment of my intellectual ability because i know I can do better than the score they gave me.English is not my first language,I am from Nigeria and an immigrant.I have to read the question very well and take my time to answer it but it stated in the test that each question should be answered in less than twenty seconds. I don’t think IQ test will predict academic achievement because the scores change,they are not consistent and i believe that no test can measure the complexities of the human brain.Many Studies suggest that people inherit a set of abilities,some high and some low,rather than a general intellectual ability(e.g Zhu et al,2010).Two leading developmentalists(Sternberg and Gardener) ...
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...Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in relation to children’s developing mathematical knowledge. Introduction Jean Piaget, a psychologist, made the study of cognitive development. He contributed a lot to the theory of cognitive child development. His study, especially his quantitative concepts, has created much attention in the field of child education. He explored children’s cognitive development to quince his interest in genetic epistemology. His exploration of children’s quantitative development has established mathematical knowledge with vital insights on how children learn ideas and mathematical concepts (Huitt & Hummel, 2003). This essay demonstrates the study of cognitive development of the mathematical knowledge in context of the Australian Curriculum. For that, I have chosen the age level 2. The approach of this essay will provide a discussion of Piaget’s theory in relation to Australian Curriculum, a brief difference of Piaget’s theory with Vygotsky theory, and summary of the study. Justification of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development Piaget believed that, child development occurs through an unswerving transformation of the thinking process. When certain development takes place, the cognitive development stage requires a period of months or years. He also described that the development of children learning is steady and gradual varying the stage. It depends on culture, experience, maturity level, ability, etc. All children have to pass through each...
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...Lenora A. Mayne American Intercontinental University May 2013 EDU 622: Applying Learning Theories Identifying The Components of Cognitivist Theories used in, "Kermit and The Keyboard." Abstract Cognitivism emphasizes on the explanation of cognitive structures and process, and the intervention of these structures and processes between instruction and learning (Glaserfeld, 1989). The study of cognitivism has allowed for educators, theorist and psychologist to understand the concepts of knowing, thinking and formulating feedback. In reviewing the sample texture, "Kermit and the Keyboard," has allowed for philosophers and psychologist to review the interactional theories of learning process. Within this paper, will identify, compare and contrast the views of congnitivist theories, Cognitive Information Processing (CIP), Piaget's Theory and Perspective of Interactional Theories of Cognitive Development as it relates to the sample text. The essence of utilizing cognitivist learning theories allows for educators such as myself to capture the meaning of cognitive and knowledge development within the classroom setting. Identifying The Components of Cognitivist Theories used in, "Kermit and The Keyboard." The developmental concept of learning theories allows for people to inquire the fundamentals of human engagement. The core concepts of learning has allowed for philosophers and psychologist to examine the nature of learning in applying those concepts in expanding...
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...Cognitive Theorist – Jean Piaget Terry Cross University of Phoenix 10/17/2014 Contribution of the theorist in the field of learning Jean Piaget was one of the pioneer psychologists who concentrated on the systematic analysis of cognitive development. Jean Piaget contributed in the field of learning by developing a theory of cognitive development in children. His detailed and close observational studies of children’s cognition in addition to administering ingenious tests to children revealed varying cognitive abilities. Piaget’s drive to study the cognitive development in children was informed by the psychological assumption that children have reduced or less thinking competency that adults. As such, Piaget made observations that children have a different mode of thinking compared to adult members of the society. Piaget established that children have innate and basic genetically inherited and evolved mental structures upon which later knowledge and learning stems from (Piaget, 1936). The cognitive theory developed by Piaget contributes to the understanding of cognitive development in children. Cognitive development theory by Piaget concentrates more on the cognitive development and does not argue about learning and acquiring information on given behaviors. Cognitive theory details elaborate stages of cognitive development that differ from one another. As such, the cognitive theory contributes to the field of cognition by explaining processes and systems by...
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...Piaget and Vygostsky’s cognitive developmental theories in a practical classroom environment Piaget and Vygotsky have antonymous beliefs when dealing with the concepts of cognitive development. Vygotsky believes in development through social behaviour whilst Piaget believes in individuals acquiring knowledge on their own. Both however, believe that the interaction between development and learning hold significant implications for a child’s growth. This essay discusses some of the philosophical beliefs of each theorist in regards to a scenario based in the classroom of a year five teacher named Ann. Ann reinforces classroom lessons through the outdoor environment, exemplifying Piaget’s theories of constructivist based learning as well as teaching methods that cater to the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. Ann also displays Vygotsky’s cognitive theory involving the zone of proximal development and peer to peer or teacher-peer scaffolding within a group environment. The essay will examine Ann’s teaching methods and how they relate to these cognitive developmental theories. Ann’s socially-constructive pedagogical approach as described by Howell (2012) will help children build their knowledge base through collaborative learning as well as independent work, known as scaffolding. Ann would apply the technique of scaffolding by providing assistance and offering feedback relating to new information (Woolfolk, 2004). Vygotsky (1978) put forward a theory in which one only...
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...Stages of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget is a Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. Piaget believed that children play an active role in the growth of intelligence. He regarded children as philosophers who perceive the world as he or she experiences it (ICELS). Therefore in Piaget’s most prominent work, his theory on the four stages of cognitive development, much of his inspiration came from observations of children. The theory of cognitive development focuses on mental processes such as perceiving, remembering, believing, and reasoning. Through his work, Piaget showed that children think in considerably different ways than adults do and as such he saw cognitive development as a progressive reorganization of mental processes resulting from maturation and experience (1973). To explain this theory, Piaget used the concept of stages to describe his development as a sequence of the four following stages: sensory – motor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations. There are three elements however to understanding his theory of cognitive development. They are schema, the fours process that enable transition from on stage to another, and finally the four stages themselves. He began his studies by making naturalistic observations. Piaget made careful, detailed observations of children, typically his own children or their friends, from these he wrote diary descriptions charting their development. He also...
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...Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development The cognitive development theory is a comprehensive theory about the nature and development of human intelligence. It is primarily known as a developmental stage theory, it deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how humans come gradually to acquire, construct, and use it. Piaget felt, cognitive development was a progressive reorganization of mental processes as a result of biological maturation and environmental experience. “For that reason, children construct an understanding of the world around them, and then experience discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in their environment.”(McLeod 2014) Additionally, Piaget claimed the idea that cognitive development is at the center of the human organism, and language is contingent on cognitive development. Stages of Cognitive Development • Sensori-motor: (Birth-2 yrs) Differentiates self from objects. Recognizes self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally: e.g. pulls a string to set mobile in motion or shakes a rattle to make a noise. Achieves object permanence: realizes that things continue to exist even when no longer present to the sense. • Pre-operational :( 2-7 years) Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and words. Thinking is still egocentric: has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others .Classifies objects by a single feature: e.g. groups together all the red blocks regardless of shape or all the square blocks regardless...
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...Piaget Versus Vygotsky Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) proposed the classical constructivist theories of cognitive development. Although often compared, the concepts differ significantly. Indeed, the purpose of this essay is to argue that Piagetian theory marginalizes the social contribution to intellectual development and that, consequently, the Vygotskian approach offers a more accurate and comprehensive analysis. This paper will begin with an explanation of the theories of cognitive development propounded by Piaget and Vygotsky followed by a definition of constructivist and social constructivist theory. The superiority of Vygotsky’s theory will be established via a critical examination of Piaget’s stages of intellectual development, his perspective on language acquisition, and the methodology of his classic tests. Piaget maintained that cognitive development is a continuous progression of assimilation and accommodation and that these complementary processes lead to adaptation. Knowledge is constructed progressively via a sequence of behaviours or mental operations, what Piaget termed schemas. Piaget proposed that children develop mental representations of the world based on physical or mental actions, which they execute on the environment. These initially reflex behaviours are repeated while intrinsic motivation encourages the child to apply schemas to different situations. Assimilation occurs when the new experience is incorporated into an existing...
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...* Lifespan development is the field tha examine pattern of growth, change, and stability in behavior. (womb to tomb) * Major topical Areas (Physical Dev., Cognitive Dev., Personality Dev., Social Dev.) * Physical- Body and the brain. * Cognitive- Growth and behavior * Personality- Stability and change * Social- interaction and relationships grow * Cultural factors and developmental diversity * Broad factors * Orientation toward individualism or collectivism * Finer differences * Ethnicity * Race * Socioeconomic Race * Gender * Korosol increase stress * Cohort- group of people born at around the same time in the same place * Age graded influences- similar at particular age group * Sociocultural graded influences- social and cultural factors present at a particular time. * Modafin * Critical period- environmental stimuli are necessary for dev. * Sensitive Period- Certain kind of stimuli in environment. * Development is constructed thru biological, sociocultural, and individual factors working together. * Development is lifelong * Early adulthood is not the endpoint of development * No age perios dominates * Development is Multidimensional * Consist of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions * Multiple components within each dimension * Health and Well-Being * Parenting and Education ...
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...Cognitive development can be described as the process in which a person constructs their thoughts for example, remembering things, problem solving and attention. In this essay I am going to evaluate the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. I will look into the weaknesses and strengths of the theories with supporting evidence and also the similarities and the differences of the two theories. Piaget believed that children develop through the interaction of innate capacities with environmental events (Gross 2005). He saw children as scientists and he also argued that cognitive development consists of four evident phases the first phase being the sensorimotor stage, the pre-operational, the concrete operational and the formal operation. Piaget argued that cognition development in children developed through these four stages and that the thinking patterns always happened in a sequence with four key features. It also happened in the same order and no stage was skipped, each stage was an important change than the stage before it. In the sensor motor stage from birth to two years, Piaget observed that childrens cognitive development was limited to natural involuntary response. Children build on these responses and develop complicated processes through physical interaction and experience (Gross 2005). At around seven months, the child learned that even if an object is out of sight the object still existed. This is what Piaget called object permanency In this stage the children will learn...
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...Foundations of Cognitive Theory Elizabeth Caldwell Excelsior College Abstract Cognitive-learning theories explore the complexity of the mind from the perspective of how the mind processes information. The paper will discuss the history of cognitive-learning theories and how they shaped the way one perceives, organizes, stores, and retrieves information. The main focus will be on Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, however, it will include theorists such as Wilhelm Wundt, William James, Edward Tolman and Frederic Bartlett. It will start off with the definition of cognitive theory and move on to the history of psychological theorists, ending with the conclusion. Keywords: Defining Cognitive Theory Cognitive theory is an approach to psychology that attempts to explain human behavior by understanding the thought processes (Fritscher, 2014). The main facet of cognitive theory involves the communications between mental components and the information that is processed through this intricate system. As individuals learn, they vigorously generate cognitive arraignments which determine their perceptions of environment and self. Concepts of Cognitive Theorists Cognitive theorists think that learning consists of the incorporation of events into an operating storage system contained within the organizational structures called schemata. This concept of schemata was introduced by Frederic C. Bartlett in the early 1930’s. We will discuss more about Frederic C. Bartlett...
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...Jessica Odessa Shepherd Human Development and Learning - FHT4 Western Governors University Student ID 259630 FHT4 - Task 1 Cognitive Development refers to the construction of the thought process that includes problem solving, remembering and the ability to make decisions, from childhood up to the adulthood stage. Cognitive/Intellectual Development is the ability to learn, reason, and analyze the fact that a process begins from infancy and progresses as the individual (Educational Psychology). Cognitive Development contains events that are logical, like thinking and remembering. Some factors remain the same throughout many of the theories on cognitive development. All theorists agree that people go through specific steps and/or stages of learning and understanding. Along with the fact that there are certain principles must be meet before learning can occur. There are many ideas and opinions that cognitive theorist have about the development of a person’s cognition. Two theorists that are commonly known in the field of cognitive development are Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. These two theorists agree on the several concepts of cognitive development but differ on others, the most commonly agreed difference among all theorists involved in cognitive development is the simple yet complex question of how cognitive development occurs. Jean Piaget, born 1896 and died 1980, was a Swiss psychologist; his focused was on the way an individual child acts upon an object in their environment...
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...“Cognitive Development is the construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving and decision making from childhood through adolescense to adulthood.” (Answer.com) According to Jean Piaget, cognitive development progresses gradually through a series of stages. “Jean Piaget was born in 1896 in Menchates, Switzerland. Piaget begain the study on child behaviour through his own kids.” (Newkrik, E) He studied his kids intellectual development from infancy. While conducting his studies on his kids, Piaget developed a theory which was sub divided into four stages of intellectual development. Piaget’s intellectual development theory was divided into four stages and was also known as stage theory. The first stage is Senserimotor stage which starts from the birth of the child till age two. This stage is also named as infancy. According to Piaget, infant “presume that the world profoundly lacks permanence.” (Mitchell P, Ziegler F 2007) Piaget subdivided the stage of infancy into six further stages. In a brief this stage says that the child depends on seeing, feeling, sucking and they learn how to feel though their environment. In this stage it was proven that the infact has the ability to coordinate separate activites. For instance, the coordination between looking and reaching. Object permanence was one of the important concepts developed during this stage. “Object permanence is the awareness that an object continues to exist even when it is not in view.” (In a Nutshell)...
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