Piagetean

J

BACKGROUNDJEAN PIAGET

Jean Piaget• Father of PSYCHOLOGY• Began at age 11 - paper on albino

sparrow• Wrote 60 books and over 100

articles• His last 60 years - research on

mental development.• Brought forth the theory of how

intelligence works

• Thought of as a child psychologist and educator

• Prefers to be called genetic epistemologist

• Contributed in field of computer science and AI; were used to develop LOGO

• Most important contribution: Theory of Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget

"The principle goal of education in the

schools should be creating men and women who are

capable of doing new things, not simply

repeating what other generations have

done.” – Jean Piaget

THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

JEAN PIAGET

Theory of Cognitive Development

• humans cannot be "given" information; must “construct” own knowledge

• Build knowledge through EXPERIENCE

• Schema - mental models - made sophisticated through assimilation and accommodation

FOUR STAGESJEAN PIAGET

The Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years old)

• behavior is primarily sensory and motor

• recognizes self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally

• achieves object permanence

Stage

Approximate Age

Level of Schemes Object Knowledge

Motor Developme

nt

I 0 – 1 Reflexes None None

II 1 – 4 Primary circular reactionsSpontaneous movements Repeated for the sake of bodily satisfactione.g., thumb – sucking

Objects are images linked to the infant’s activities

Holding head up, smiling

III 4 – 8 Secondary circular reactionsMaking interesting sights lastBeginnings of intentional activity

Search for partially hidden objects

Sitting up

6 Periods

Stage

Approximate Age

Level of Schemes Object Knowledge

Motor Developm

ent

IV 8 – 12 Coordination of schemesPutting together schemes used separately in the paste.g., coordination of cover removal and grasping, goal oriented

Search for fully hidden objectsA-not-B error

Sitting up

V 12 – 18 Tertiary circular reactionsInventing new means

Cannot take account of invisible displacements

Crawling

VI 18 – 24 Mental representationInsight

Full object permanence

WalkingBrings about detour problems

6 Periods

The Preoperational Stage (ages 2 to 4)

• need of concrete physical situations• objects classified in simple ways

especially by important features.• thinking is still egocentric

• As physical experience accumulates, accommodation is increased

• Can think logically about objects and events 

• Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9) 

• Classifies objects according to several features such as size.

The Concrete Operational Stage

(ages 7 to 11)

• Cognition reaches its final form

• capable of deductive and hypothetical reasoning

• Can think logically about abstract propositions and test hypotheses systematically. 

• Becomes concerned with the hypothetical, the future, and ideological problems.

The Formal Operational Stage

(ages 11 to 15)

KEY PIAGETIAN PRINCIPLES

JEAN PIAGET

Learning is anactive

process

How is information presented?

Learning is an active process

Learning should bewhole,

and “real”authentic

Learning should be whole, authentic, and "real"

How is meaning constructed?