COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
, PIAGET’S THEORY
Jean Piaget – 1900s
Schema
o Packages of information developed from experience that act as a framework for
interpreting new information
o These become more complex as development occurs
o Combinations of schema are ‘operations’
Assimilation
o Information is added to existing schema
Accommodation
o New schemas are formed or expanded
Equilibrium
o New information causes imbalance, so assimilation and accommodation are
motivated to occur
Evaluation:
- Vygotsky emphasises learning as a social process reliant on others – ‘experts’
- This theory may be incomplete and minimal as it focuses on individuals
- Vygotsky emphasises the role of language as distinct from other cognitive
abilities with support from Carmichael
- This theory may be incomplete and minimal
- Application in education through widespread ‘discovery-learning’ by using
sandpits and sensory experiences
- This theory is monumental in transforming classwork to active learning
- Deterministic as everyone feels disequilibrium and has a set framework of
schema
- But children are autonomous in what they learn and can alter their environment
, PIAGET’S THEORY
Jean Piaget – 1900s
Schema
o Packages of information developed from experience that act as a framework for
interpreting new information
o These become more complex as development occurs
o Combinations of schema are ‘operations’
Assimilation
o Information is added to existing schema
Accommodation
o New schemas are formed or expanded
Equilibrium
o New information causes imbalance, so assimilation and accommodation are
motivated to occur
Evaluation:
- Vygotsky emphasises learning as a social process reliant on others – ‘experts’
- This theory may be incomplete and minimal as it focuses on individuals
- Vygotsky emphasises the role of language as distinct from other cognitive
abilities with support from Carmichael
- This theory may be incomplete and minimal
- Application in education through widespread ‘discovery-learning’ by using
sandpits and sensory experiences
- This theory is monumental in transforming classwork to active learning
- Deterministic as everyone feels disequilibrium and has a set framework of
schema
- But children are autonomous in what they learn and can alter their environment
