Jean Piaget: Epistemology:
Born in 1896 in Switzerland. Genetic epistemology means genesis, in the sense of evolution,
Trained in natural history and biology. origin of things and growth of knowledge.
He noticed that children’s thinking differed from adults thinking. Young children have difficulty understanding these concepts.
Biological approach:
Structuralism: Assimilation; the process through which children
Children think in a systematic way and develop new incorporate new experiences into their pre-existing
understandings of the world on the basis of what they schemas.
know already. Accommodation; the process through which children adapt
‘Schema’ is a store of information that can be used to to new experiences by modifying their pre-existing
evaluate future events and experiences. schemas.
A schema is a basic unit of understanding that offers a
How do children modify their schema?
frame of reference that the child uses to filter new
Organisation; the tendency to put together observations
information.
into coherent knowledge.
Schemata become more complex over time.
Adaptation; consists of assimilation and accommodation.
Methodology:
Piaget used the clinical method, Weaknesses:
Describes rather than explains, the
observation and experimentation.
Also used diaries and observed the basic processes.
Assimilation and accommodation are
behaviour of his children.
He tried to look at the world through the hard to test.
Children may use concrete operational
child’s eyes.
thinking on one task and
preoperational on another task.
Strengths:
Some of his findings are subject to
Major influence on both
teaching and learning. Piaget’s theory bias (e.g. he used his own children).
Questions were confusing and may
A source of inspiration.
Showed that children think of cognitive have influenced the children’s
answers.
differently from adults.
development Small samples.
Didn’t gather data on important
factors.
4 stages of cognitive development: Piaget’s ideas about the stages:
1. Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years); A stage is structured while in a state of
- The infant experiences the world through senses and actions equilibrium;
and changes from the helpless new-born individual to an Progress from one stage to the next
individual with a mind involves change in kind rather than change
- Object permanence is developed in degree.
- They develop schemas At the end of each period of development
2. Preoperational (2-7 years); there is equilibrium or a sense of stability
- The child uses symbols but there are limitations in their and comfort.
thinking Each stage derives from the previous stage;
- Children find it difficult to see things from another’s point of Moving back to a previous stage is
view unlikely.
- Their thinking also seems magical Once you move up the stages, the previous
- They begin using pretend play becomes unavailable.
- This allows them to learn new skills The stages follow an invariant sequence;
3. Concrete operational (7-11 years); The stages follow a particular order.
- They can think more logically and systematically with regard to None of the stages are omitted.
concrete objects Stages are universal;
- Thinking is categorised by centration The same stages are found in all children
- They develop the ability of conversation in the same order.
- The conversation task investigates children’s ability to Each stage includes a coming into being and a
understand that physical characteristics of objects, such as being;
weight, don’t change as objects change shape. Each stage has a beginning and an end
4. Formal operations (12 years to adulthood); There are only gradual changes within
- The child grasps abstract concepts and reasons in a way that each stage and between stages
scientists do
- Adolescents think about abstract matters and possibilities
- They develop the ability to think abstractly
Born in 1896 in Switzerland. Genetic epistemology means genesis, in the sense of evolution,
Trained in natural history and biology. origin of things and growth of knowledge.
He noticed that children’s thinking differed from adults thinking. Young children have difficulty understanding these concepts.
Biological approach:
Structuralism: Assimilation; the process through which children
Children think in a systematic way and develop new incorporate new experiences into their pre-existing
understandings of the world on the basis of what they schemas.
know already. Accommodation; the process through which children adapt
‘Schema’ is a store of information that can be used to to new experiences by modifying their pre-existing
evaluate future events and experiences. schemas.
A schema is a basic unit of understanding that offers a
How do children modify their schema?
frame of reference that the child uses to filter new
Organisation; the tendency to put together observations
information.
into coherent knowledge.
Schemata become more complex over time.
Adaptation; consists of assimilation and accommodation.
Methodology:
Piaget used the clinical method, Weaknesses:
Describes rather than explains, the
observation and experimentation.
Also used diaries and observed the basic processes.
Assimilation and accommodation are
behaviour of his children.
He tried to look at the world through the hard to test.
Children may use concrete operational
child’s eyes.
thinking on one task and
preoperational on another task.
Strengths:
Some of his findings are subject to
Major influence on both
teaching and learning. Piaget’s theory bias (e.g. he used his own children).
Questions were confusing and may
A source of inspiration.
Showed that children think of cognitive have influenced the children’s
answers.
differently from adults.
development Small samples.
Didn’t gather data on important
factors.
4 stages of cognitive development: Piaget’s ideas about the stages:
1. Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years); A stage is structured while in a state of
- The infant experiences the world through senses and actions equilibrium;
and changes from the helpless new-born individual to an Progress from one stage to the next
individual with a mind involves change in kind rather than change
- Object permanence is developed in degree.
- They develop schemas At the end of each period of development
2. Preoperational (2-7 years); there is equilibrium or a sense of stability
- The child uses symbols but there are limitations in their and comfort.
thinking Each stage derives from the previous stage;
- Children find it difficult to see things from another’s point of Moving back to a previous stage is
view unlikely.
- Their thinking also seems magical Once you move up the stages, the previous
- They begin using pretend play becomes unavailable.
- This allows them to learn new skills The stages follow an invariant sequence;
3. Concrete operational (7-11 years); The stages follow a particular order.
- They can think more logically and systematically with regard to None of the stages are omitted.
concrete objects Stages are universal;
- Thinking is categorised by centration The same stages are found in all children
- They develop the ability of conversation in the same order.
- The conversation task investigates children’s ability to Each stage includes a coming into being and a
understand that physical characteristics of objects, such as being;
weight, don’t change as objects change shape. Each stage has a beginning and an end
4. Formal operations (12 years to adulthood); There are only gradual changes within
- The child grasps abstract concepts and reasons in a way that each stage and between stages
scientists do
- Adolescents think about abstract matters and possibilities
- They develop the ability to think abstractly
