Jean Piagets Theory Essay Example for Free

Jean Piagets Theory Es studyPiagets theory is based on stages, whereby each stage represents a qualitatively different compositors case of thinking. Children in stage one dismissnot think the same as children in stage 2, 3 or 4 etc. Transitions from one stage to another ar generally very fast, and the stages always follow an invariant sequence. Another important characteristic of his stage theory is that they argon universal the stages bequeath work for everyone in the world regardless of their differences (except their age, of course, which is what the stages are based on) Piaget acknowledged that there is an interaction between a child and the environment, and this is a focal point for his theory. He believed a child cannot learn unless they are constantly interacting with their environment, making mistakes and then culture from them. He defined children as lone scientists he did not give away any need for teachers or adults in cognitive development. Children affirm all the cognitive mechanisms to learn on their receive, and the interaction with their environment allows them to do so. To put this in perspective, another theory by Lev Vygotsky suggested that the interaction is not important at all the child will learn when encouraged to with an adults assistance. I will be explaining then contrasting Vygotskys theory to Piagets in my next post so be sure to check stern for that With the background of his theory explained, lets look at The Key Concepts of Piagets theoryBefore explaining the main part of Piagets theory (the quatern stages), its very important to look at or so of the underlying principles behind it. Rather than write a stupidly long paragraph explaining it all, I will write the key terms in bold, then explain them in bullet points just to keep things simple Schema (pl. Schemata, although some say Schemas for the plural) Possibly one of the most important concepts put forward by Piaget, Schemata help individuals understand the wor ld they inhabit. They are cognitive structures that represent a authentic persuasion of the world, and can be seen as categories which have certain pre-conceived ideas in them. For example, my schema for Christmas includes Christmas trees, presents, giving, money, green, red, gold, winter, Santa Claus etc. Someone else may have an entirely different schema, much(prenominal) as Jesus, birth, Church, holiday, Christianity etc.Of course, there are schemata for all kinds of things yourself (self schemata), other people (people schemata), events/situations (event schemata) and roles/occupations (role schemata). With regards to Piagets theory, a child cleverness have a pre-conceived schema for a hot dog. If the ho white plaguehold has a small West Highland White Terrier as a dog, the schema might be small, furry, four legs, white. When the child interacts with a raw(a) dog perhaps a Labrador, it will change to incorporate the new in beation, much(prenominal) as big, golden, smoot h etc. This is known as concentrationSimply the process of incorporating new schooling into a pre-existing schema. So with the dog example, the child assimilated the Labradors breeding into the old dog schema. Assimilation is basically fitting new information into schemata we already have in place. Unfortunately, this can lead to stereotyping. For example, if an old lady sees a teenager mug another person, she might assimilate violence or crime into her teenage schema. Next time she sees a teenager, her schema will be applied to them and although they may be a kind person, she will probably show prejudice. Assimilation is normally a simple process, as new information already fits the pre-exisiting categories.AccommodationWhen coming crossways a new object for the first time, a child will attempt to apply an old schema to the object. For consistency, lets use the dog example again. The child may have four legs, furry in their dog schema. When coming across another similar animal , such as a cat, they might say Look, a dog thats assimilation. However, when told that its actually a cat not a dog they will accommodate the new information into another schema. They will now form a cat schema not all four legged furry animals are dogs some are cats too. They have accommodated the new information. The process just mentioned of assimilation then accommodation is known as AdaptationAssimilation and accommodation are the two parts of adaptation which is simply what it says adapting our schemata to make an accurate (enough) model of the world we live in. It is a form of learning, but an entirely different form to the kind youd see in behaviourist psychology for example (such as operant/classical conditioning).EquilibriumPiaget suggested that humans naturally strive to make a cognitive balance there must be a balance between applying prior knowledge (assimilation) and changing schemata to account for new information (accommodation). Piaget suggested that when a child has a schema which doesnt fit reality, there is tension in the mind. By balancing the use of assimilation and accommodation, this tension is trim and we can proceed to higher levels of thought and learning (equilibration).QUICK SUMMARY Children have schemata (cognitive structures that contain pre-existing ideas of the world), which are constantly changing. Schemata constantly undergo adaptation, by the processes of assimilation and accommodation. When seeing new objects there is a state of tension, and a child will attempt to assimilate the information to see if it fits into prior schemata. If this fails, the information must be accommodated by either adding new schemata or modifying the existing ones to accommodate the information. By balancing the use of assimilation and accommodation, an equilibrium is created, reducing cognitive tension (equilibration).Vygotskys theories stress the funda psychical role of social interaction in the development of cognition Vygotsky, 1978 ), as he believed strongly that community plays a fundamental role in the process of making meaning. Unlike Piagets notion that childrens development must necessarily precede their learning, Vygotsky argued, learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function (1978, p. 90). In other words, social learning tends to precede (i.e. come before) development. Vygotsky has developed a socio-cultural approach to cognitive development. He developed his theories at around the same time as Jean Piaget was starting to develop his theories (1920s and 30s), but he died at the age of 38 and so his theories are incomplete although some of his writings are still being translated from Russian. No single principle (such as Piagets equilibration) can account for development.Individual development cannot be understood without reference to the social and cultural context within which it is embedded. Higher mental proc esses in the individual have their origin in social processes. Vygotskys theory differs from that of Piaget in a number of important ways 1 Vygotsky places to a greater extent emphasis on culture touch/shaping cognitive development this contradicts Piagets view of universal stages and content of development. (Vygotsky does not refer to stages in the way that Piaget does). 2 Vygotsky places considerably more emphasis on social factors contributing to cognitive development (Piaget is criticised for underestimating this). 3 Vygotsky places more (and different) emphasis on the role of language in cognitive development (again Piaget is criticised for lack of emphasis on this).Effects of Culture Tools of intellectual adaptationLike Piaget, Vygotsky claimed that infants are born with the basic materials/abilities for intellectual development Piaget focuses on motor reflexes and sensory abilities. Vygotsky refers to round-eyed Mental Functions o Attentiono Sensationo Perceptiono Memor yEventually, through interaction within the socio-cultural environment, these are developed into more sophisticated and effective mental processes/strategies which he refers to as Higher Mental Functions. For example, memory in young children this is limited by biological factors. However, culture determines the type of memory strategy we develop. E.g., in our culture we learn note-taking to aid memory, but in pre-literate societies other strategies must be developed, such as tying knots in string to remember, or carrying pebbles, or repetition of the names of ancestors until large numbers can be repeated.Vygotsky refers to tools of intellectual adaptation these allow children to use the basic mental functions more effectively/adaptively, and these are culturally determined (e.g. memory mnemonics, mind maps). Vygotsky therefore sees cognitive functions, even those carried out alone, as affected by the beliefs, determine and tools of intellectual adaptation of the culture in which a person develops and therefore socio-culturally determined. The tools of intellectual adaptation therefore vary from culture to culture as in the memory exampleSocial Influences on Cognitive DevelopmentLike Piaget, Vygotsky believes that young children are curious and actively involved in their own learning and the discovery and development of new understands/schema. However, Vygotsky placed more emphasis on social contributions to the process of development, whereas Piaget emphasised self-initiated discovery. According to Vygotsky (1978), much important learning by the child occurs through social interaction with a skillful tutor. The tutor may model behaviours and/or provide verbal instructions for the child. Vygotsky refers to this as co-operative or collaborative dialogue. The child seeks to understand the actions or instructions provided by the tutor (often the parent or teacher) then internalizes the information, using it to guide or regulate their own performance. Shaffer (1996) gives the example of a young girl who is given her first jigsaw.Alone, she performs poorly in attempting to solve the puzzle. The start out then sits with her and describes or demonstrates some basic strategies, such as finding all the comer/edge pieces and provides a couple of pieces for the child to put together herself and offers hike when she does so. As the child becomes more competent, the father allows the child to work more independently. According to Vygotsky, this type of social interaction involving co-operative or collaborative dialogue promotes cognitive development. In order to gain an understanding of Vygotskys theories on cognitive development, one must understand two of the main principles of Vygotskys work the much Knowledgeable Other (MKO) and the Zone of proximal Development (ZPD).More Knowledgeable OtherThe more knowledgeable other (MKO) is somewhat self-explanatory it refers to someone who has a better understanding or a higher capability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept. Although the implication is that the MKO is a teacher or an older adult, this is not necessarily the case. Many times, a childs peers or an adults children may be the individuals with more knowledge or experience. For example, who is more likely to know more about the newest teen-age music groups, how to win at the most recent PlayStation game, or how to correctly perform the newest dance craze a child or their parents? In fact, the MKO need not be a person at all.Some companies, to support employees in their learning process, are now using electronic performance support systems. Electronic tutors have also been used in educational settings to facilitate and guide students through the learning process. The key to MKOs is that they must have (or be programmed with) more knowledge about the topic being lettered than the learner does.Zone of Proximal DevelopmentThe concept of the More Knowledgeable Other is integra lly related to the second important principle of Vygotskys work, the Zone of Proximal Development. This is an important concept that relates to the difference between what a child can achieve independently and what a child can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner. For example, the child could not solve the jigsaw puzzle (in the example above) by itself and would have taken a long time to do so (if at all), but was able to solve it following interaction with the father, and has developed competence at this skill that will be applied to succeeding(a) jigsaws.Vygotsky (1978) sees the Zone of Proximal Development as the area where the most sensitive instruction or guidance should be given allowing the child to develop skills they will then use on their own developing higher mental functions. Vygotsky also views interaction with peers as an effective way of developing skills and strategies. He suggests that teachers use cooperative learning exercises where le ss competent children develop with help from more skillful peers within the zone of proximal development.