The influence on education of Piagets theory of cognitive development has been enormous Piaget showed through his studies of cognitive development in children that it is a relatively orderly process that takes place gradually. It is through Piagets work in cognitive development that we can come to understand the way children learn and interact with the world around them.
The environment affects a childs cognitive development, as they mature their Interactions with the environment changes. Very young children within Piagets stage Sensorimotor learn through imitation and use of memory.
These young children tend to forget about an object once it is removed from their field vision, they learn quickly however that when an object is not in sight that it still exists and as they mature and develop more motor skills will start to actively look for it.
By the ages of 2-7 years, they are moving into the stage defined by Piaget as Preoperational. A child in this stage of development use symbolism and language, Children will play-act things such as eating and drinking . They can look at or use a picture of an object and use it to represent an object that is not present.
Children in this stage though have difficulty thinking backwards, this is seen in Piagets conservation tasks(woolfolk 2001).
This period of development also includes a phase termed as egocentric by Piaget in as much as children think that everyone else shares the same feelings or sees the world in the same way as they do.
The Term Paper on Piaget’s stages of cognitive development
... since Piaget's theory is based upon biological maturation, children should not be taught certain concepts until they have reached the appropriate stage cognitive development. Overall ... mental images develops as the infant acquires object permanence (ICELS). Object permanence is the understanding that objects have a continued existence when they ...
The next stage of development signalled by Piaget is concrete operational . It is in this stage that most people function in daily lives.
These is the point where children aged 7-11 years learn things can be changed but retain their original characteristics. The child now solves the conservation tasks that a preoperational child may have failed in the concrete operational stage.
Children in the concrete stage have developed their cognitive processes to a point complete and logical thinking. This logic however is based in the physical world on objects they can classify, organise and manipulate.
It is in Piagets final stage of development that we see the ability to solve hypothetical questions and abstract problems. This is the stage of development known as formal operations.
This final stage in Piaget’s theory shows that children at this level of cognitive development can answer hypothetical questions, think abstractedly, use reason and analyse their own thoughts and those of others.
Not all children reach this stage of thinking, many children will continue to operate at the concrete operational stage through out their lives. Those that do move into formal operations may not always work within this stage and switch back and forth between Concrete operational and formal operational.
There are limitations to Piagets theory the effects cultural influences play on the cognitive development of children was overlooked. A nomadic child would learn differently to child who attends western school.
Piagets organising cognitive development into stages has helped to understand the learning process of children. The age ranges though can be misleading as children develop differently depending on their environment and culture.
Piaget has had enormous influence on education though his work into the way children think. This understanding enables teachers to design lessons that will stimulate and educate their students. The use off well defined stages to show the changes in childs cognitive development is useful but the age ranges can be misleading as some children develop faster or slower than others.
The Term Paper on Jean Piaget Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget: Cognitive Development There is more to a child than meets the eye. Development is more than a physical process. A childs mind develops greatly through ... to mentally manipulate them as well.Some characteristics in children of the Concrete Operations stage are that children can understand the rules that account for ...
