,TMS3725 Assignment 2 (COMPLETE ANSWERS)
Semester 1 2025 - DUE 18 June 2025; 100% correct
solutions and explanations.
QUESTION 1
1.1 Describe the theory of constructivism developed by Jean
Piaget. (8)
Jean Piaget’s constructivist theory holds that children actively
construct their own understanding of the world through
interaction and cognition. Its key tenets are:
1. Stages of Cognitive Development
o Sensorimotor (0–2 years): Knowledge emerges
through physical interaction (e.g. object permanence).
o Preoperational (2–7 years): Symbolic thinking
develops (language, pretend play), but thinking is still
egocentric and intuitive.
o Concrete Operational (7–11 years): Logical
reasoning about concrete events appears; children
grasp conservation, classification, serial ordering.
o Formal Operational (11 years+): Abstract and
hypothetical thinking emerge, enabling systematic
problem‐solving.
2. Schemas
– Mental “building blocks” or frameworks that organize
experiences. Schemas evolve as children assimilate new
information into existing schemas or accommodate
schemas to fit new information.
, 3. Assimilation & Accommodation
– Assimilation: Integrating new experiences into existing
schemas (e.g. calling every four‐legged animal “dog”).
– Accommodation: Adjusting schemas when new
information cannot fit (e.g. distinguishing “cat” from
“dog”).
4. Equilibration
– A self-regulatory process balancing assimilation and
accommodation. Equilibration drives the progression
through developmental stages by resolving cognitive
conflict (disequilibrium) into a more stable understanding
(equilibrium).
5. Active, Discovery Learning
– Children learn best through hands-on exploration and
discovery rather than passive reception of facts. Knowledge
is constructed internally, not simply transmitted from
teacher to learner.
Through these mechanisms, Piaget showed that intellectual
development is a dynamic, self-regulated process in which
learners construct, test, and refine their understanding of
mathematical and scientific concepts.
1.2 Describe two general principles of constructivism that
are largely based on Piaget’s principles. (6)
While Piaget focused on individual cognitive development, two
broader constructivist principles for instruction are:
Semester 1 2025 - DUE 18 June 2025; 100% correct
solutions and explanations.
QUESTION 1
1.1 Describe the theory of constructivism developed by Jean
Piaget. (8)
Jean Piaget’s constructivist theory holds that children actively
construct their own understanding of the world through
interaction and cognition. Its key tenets are:
1. Stages of Cognitive Development
o Sensorimotor (0–2 years): Knowledge emerges
through physical interaction (e.g. object permanence).
o Preoperational (2–7 years): Symbolic thinking
develops (language, pretend play), but thinking is still
egocentric and intuitive.
o Concrete Operational (7–11 years): Logical
reasoning about concrete events appears; children
grasp conservation, classification, serial ordering.
o Formal Operational (11 years+): Abstract and
hypothetical thinking emerge, enabling systematic
problem‐solving.
2. Schemas
– Mental “building blocks” or frameworks that organize
experiences. Schemas evolve as children assimilate new
information into existing schemas or accommodate
schemas to fit new information.
, 3. Assimilation & Accommodation
– Assimilation: Integrating new experiences into existing
schemas (e.g. calling every four‐legged animal “dog”).
– Accommodation: Adjusting schemas when new
information cannot fit (e.g. distinguishing “cat” from
“dog”).
4. Equilibration
– A self-regulatory process balancing assimilation and
accommodation. Equilibration drives the progression
through developmental stages by resolving cognitive
conflict (disequilibrium) into a more stable understanding
(equilibrium).
5. Active, Discovery Learning
– Children learn best through hands-on exploration and
discovery rather than passive reception of facts. Knowledge
is constructed internally, not simply transmitted from
teacher to learner.
Through these mechanisms, Piaget showed that intellectual
development is a dynamic, self-regulated process in which
learners construct, test, and refine their understanding of
mathematical and scientific concepts.
1.2 Describe two general principles of constructivism that
are largely based on Piaget’s principles. (6)
While Piaget focused on individual cognitive development, two
broader constructivist principles for instruction are:
