“Each time one prematurely teaches a child something he could have discovered himself, that child is kept from inventing it and consequently from understanding it completely.” This is a quote from the famous psychologist Jean Piaget. THINK – PAIR – SHARE

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development Lesson Objectives Hot – To define schemas, assimilation, accommodation and equilibrium. Hotter – To apply the key aspects of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.

Jean Piaget Children do not simply know less than adults do. Instead children just think in entirely different ways from grown ups. Piaget was interested in understanding the process of learning. He was concerned with both what motivates us to learn and how our knowledge of the world develops.

Piaget’s explanation of understanding the world Piaget held that children develop through adaptation – they adjust to the world as they experience new things. As they develop, babies have to understand many new things. They do this by forming ideas about how things are in the world. Their ideas take the form of schemas (schemata) or plans through which they represent the world, such as a schema for ‘things dropping when they are let go’. Often they can fit new things into their existing schemas about the world. However, as they experience more, they need to change their schemas and create new ones. Piaget’s theory and the development of intelligence The development of intelligence is about building knowledge and skills. Intelligence is acquired through stages of development, such as developing object permanence and formal reasoning (Piaget’s four stages of development). Intelligence is developed through building schemas via adaption and through the four stages of cognitive development.

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development Piaget saw intelligence as a process: individuals learn about the world around them and how to interact with it.

Schemas: Units of knowledge As children develop they construct more and more detailed and complex mental representations of the world. These representations are stored in the form of schemes. A schema is a mental structure containing all the information we have about one aspect of the world. As adults, we have schemas for people (including ourselves), for objects, physical actions and also for more abstract ideas like justice and morality. Children are born with a small number of schema and during infancy construct new schemas (include the me-schema). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U3yBRlmQkE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U3yBRlmQkE – Inside out

The motivation to learn: Disequilibrium and equilibrium We are motivated to learn when our existing schema do not allow us to make sense of something new. This leads to the unpleasant sensation of disequilibrium. To escape disequilibrium we have to adapt to the new situation by exploring and learning what we need to know – the process is called equilibration. By doing this we achieve equilibrium, the preferred mental state.

How learning takes place: Assimilation and accommodation Piaget saw the process of learning as adapting to new situations so that we can understand it. He identified two process by which this adaptation takes place. Assimilation – This takes place when we understand a new experience and equilibrate by adding new information to our existing schemas. Eg – a family with dogs can adapt to the existence of different dog breeds by assimilating them into their dog schema.

How learning takes place: Assimilation and accommodation Accommodation – This takes place in response to dramatically new experiences. The child has to adjust to these by radically changing current schemas or creating new ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl46c6S6pI0

Terminology explained: A baby’s earliest schema are innate inborn reflexes (sucking) This is their starting point to interacting with environment Early schemas are external and physical (later they may be internal and cognitive) With time they become less reflex and more deliberate -> under control

Terminology explained: sucking as an example 1st babies suck everything they come into contact with in the same manner This is called assimilation (part of adaption) = fitting new environmental experiences into existing schemas If possible -> state of equilibrium (part of equilibration) = a pleasant state of balance

Terminology explained: sucking as an example 2nd babies come into contact with something new that they cannot suck in usual way (e.g.: drinking from a cup) -> they experience disequilibrium (the other part of equilibration) = unpleasant state of imbalance

Terminology explained: sucking as an example Children are naturally motivated to return to equilibrium – achieved by accommodation of the new experience (other part of process of adaption) This involves altering existing schemas to accommodate new experiences e.g.: using new lip shapes for different things.

Terminology explained Cognitive development involves a constant swinging between equilibrium and disequilibrium involving continuous series of assimilation (fitting knowledge into new schemas) and accommodation (altering schemas to fit new knowledge). When schemas are formed, assimilation allows for practice of the new experiences until they are automatic. This process continues throughout life but is most apparent in the first 15 years.

Equilibrium vs Equilibration Equilibrium is maintaining a sense of balance – we strive for this. Equilibration is seeking to restore the balance – the process of going between equilibrium and disequilibrium.

Piaget’s theory - the development of intelligence - complete using page 8 Meaning Example Picture to show example Schema/schemata Assimilation Accommodation Equilibrium

Assimilation or accommodation? Can I outline Piaget’s theory? Can I apply Piaget’s theory? Can I evaluate Piaget’s theory?

Assimilation or accommodation? Can I outline Piaget’s theory? Can I apply Piaget’s theory? Can I evaluate Piaget’s theory?

Apply it! At the age of four years Paige is visiting the zoo for the first time. She has enjoyed feeding ducks and pigeons in her local park before but this is the first time she has learned about the existence of parrots and bats. Referring to Piaget’s theory, explain the processes of learning Paige might go through when she sees parrots and bats and asks questions about them in order to understand what they are. So she will try to assimiliate the information into an existenice schema but find that the animals are different, for example the bat does not have beak or feathers, she will feel a state of disequilirbrium and go through the

Paige has experienced two new animals, a bat and a parrot which at first she will try to fit into her existing schema of birds. With reference to the parrot, Paige will successfully assimilate the parrot into her existing schema of birds by considering the feathers and beak of the parrot which is the same as pigeons and ducks, through this process of equilibration she will go from disequilibrium to equilibrium. With reference to the bat, Paige will try to fit this into her existing schema but find that it is too different due to not having feathers and a beak but instead having teeth etc, so by using the process of accommodation will change her schemas. Through using accommodation Paige will go through the process of equilibration and shift from disequilibrium to equilibrium.

In pairs - Can you create your own scenario of going through the process of learning? Suggestion - 1 person narrate and the other person act this out.

Strengths and weaknesses of Piaget’s theory Piaget’s work has practical applications. For example Discovery learning (the idea that children learn best through doing and actively exploring). Some studies have shown that children can do things earlier than Piaget thought, which challenges his ideas. A child’s background could influence their development and Piaget ignored this. For example Dasen (1994) found that Aboriginal children develop the ability to conserve at a later date than Piaget’s Swiss sample. Piaget’s research has lead to lots of other research, including experiments (e.g. the three mountains task), to prove the stages he said exist and that children build knowledge through schemas. Piaget’s data comes from his interviews and observations with children. His interpretations of situations may have been subjective, leading to some bias in his findings. Piaget’s studies may lack validity, other studies using similar methods but in a more realistic setting have produced different findings.

Strengths and weaknesses of Piaget’s theory Piaget’s work has been applied in real life. For example Discovery learning (the idea that children learn best through doing and actively exploring). Some studies have shown that children can do things earlier than Piaget thought, which challenges his ideas. A child’s background could influence their development and Piaget ignored this. For example a child from a different culture may do things at a later stage than Piaget thought. Piaget’s research has lead to lots of other research, including experiments (e.g. the three mountains task), to prove the stages he said exist and that children build knowledge through schemas. Piaget’s data comes from his interviews and observations with children. His interpretations of situations may have been based on his personal feelings.