EP114 Development in School-Aged Students

Unit 5 SeminarCognitive Development

Developmental Theories(Piaget and Vygotsky)

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Getting to know you…

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Unit 5 Assignments

Complete Readings

Participate in the Discussion thread

Either attend Seminar OR complete

Seminar Option 2

Key Ideas in Piaget’s Theory

Children are active, motivated learners Children naturally organize what they experience

• schemes• operation

Children adapt to environment through assimilation & accommodation

Interaction with physical environment is critical Interaction with others is critical Equilibration leads to increasingly complex thought

• equilibrium• disequilibrium

Children think in qualitatively different ways at different age levels

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor Stage (birth – 2)

Begins with reflexes & sensorimotor schemes

Goal-directed behavior emerges Object permanence emerges Symbolic thought emerges

• transition to new stage

Preoperational Stage

Symbolic representation Limited mental manipulation

(operations)• egocentrism• failure to conserve

Age 2 to about age 6 or 7

Concrete Operational Stage

Some mental manipulation & logical thought• can conserve• difficulty with abstract and counterfactual

ideas Age 6-7 years until 11-12 years

Formal Operational Stage

Abstract & scientific reasoning Hypothetical ideas Contrary-to-fact ideas Adolescents also become more

idealistic

Current Perspectives

Research supports sequence Research does not support ages

• infants show object permanence at 2 ½ months• preschoolers aren’t always egocentric and often

demonstrate conservation and class inclusion• some elementary students exhibit abstract reasoning• some high-school students never develop abstract

reasoning Knowledge, experience, and culture affect

reasoning abilities• conservation may be taught • children age 4 or 5 exhibit conservation after experiencing

it• prior knowledge affects formal operations• education and culture affect cognitive development

Cognitive development may not be universally stage-like

Applying the Ideas

Provide opportunities for children to experiment Explore children’s reasoning, problem-solving with

different activities & questions Keep Piaget’s stages in mind, but don’t take them

too literally Present situations and ideas that children cannot

easily explain using existing knowledge & beliefs Use familiar content and tasks when asking

children to reason in sophisticated ways Plan group activities in which young people share

their beliefs and perspectives

Key Ideas in Vygotsky’s Theory

Some cognitive processes are seen in many species; others are unique to humans • lower vs. higher functions

Adults convey cultural interpretations through informal interactions & formal schooling• mediation

Every culture passes along physical and cognitive tools

Thought & language become interdependent • self-talk becomes inner speech

Complex mental processes begin as social activities & evolve into mental activities • internalization

Key Ideas in Vygotsky’s Theory

Children acquire cultural tools in their own idiosyncratic manner• appropriation

Children can perform more challenging tasks when assisted

Challenging tasks promote cognitive growth • zone of proximal development

Play allows children to stretch themselves cognitively

Zone of Proximal Development

Current Perspectives on Vygotsky’s Theory

Social construction of meaning• mediated learning experience

Scaffolding Participation in adult activities

• guided participation• cognitive apprenticeship

Acquisition of teaching skills

Applying the Ideas

Help children acquire cognitive tools Use group learning activities to help children

internalize cognitive strategies• reciprocal teaching

Present challenging tasks & provide sufficient scaffolding • help children develop strategies to scaffold themselves

Assess children’s abilities under a variety of work conditions

Provide opportunities to engage in authentic activities

Let children play

Let’s hear your thoughts…

Discuss your thoughts of the theories of

Jean Piaget's and Lev Vygotksy.

What similarities do you see in the two

theories?

What differences do you see?

Comparing PerspectivesPiaget Vygotsky

Constructive processes

Individual Social

Readiness Children can accommodate only when they can also assimilate the objects. They can think logically about new problems only if they have constructed the relevant logical operations.

An ever-changing zone of proximal development.

Comparing PerspectivesPiaget Vygotsky

Challenge Children develop more sophisticated thought processes when they encounter phenomena that create disequilibrium.

Children benefit most from tasks that they can perform only with assistance.

Social interaction

Others present information and arguments that create disequilibrium and foster perspective taking.

Children internalize the processes they use with others until, ultimately, they can use them independently.

Theoretical Differences

Piaget Cognitive development is

independent of language Developmental schemes

are independent, requiring little guidance

Interaction with peers is more valuable

Culture is not important in determining thinking styles

Vygotsky Language is essential for

cognitive development Activities are facilitated &

interpreted by more competent individual

Interaction with advanced individuals is more valuable

Culture is critical in determining thinking styles

Take-Home Message

Piaget• children are active, motivated learners who construct

understanding based on experience• probably underestimated capabilities of children • probably overestimated the capabilities of adolescents

Vygotsky• humans differ from other species in their acquisition of complex

mental processes, which are largely the legacy of cultural heritage Similarities

• constructive processes, readiness, challenge, social interaction Differences

• role of language; relative value of free exploration versus structured, guided activities; relative importance of interactions with peers versus adults; influence of culture

Piaget Vygotsky

•Constructivist process•Readiness•Challenge•Social interaction

•Zone of Proximal Development•Scaffolding•Language is critical to cognitive development•Guided exploration and instruction•Greater emphasis on adults and those more advanced than the child

•Assimilation •Accommodation•Language comes after cognitive development•Self exploration•Greater emphasis peer interaction than adult

Unit 5 ProjectVenn Diagram

Questions?Questions are

always welcome!

ReferencesMcDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Child

Development and Education. Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.