1. Cognitive Development Applications to Education
Piaget
Vygotsky

2. Applying the two theories to an educational context
No !
..teach them using my way?
Oy !
..teach them using my way?

3. Main point of this section..
To evaluate how theory is used in classroom – NOT to just evaluate Piaget’s stages or Vygotsky’s theory...

4. CLASSROOM CLIP
Clip 2

5. Child Centred Approach Teacher Centred Approach
Basic Assumptions
Child Centred Approach
Children DO NOT need to be taught
Learn due to being drawn into EXPERIENCES
If taught something PREMATURELY (that they could have discovered for themselves) they are prevented from ever completely understanding it.
Piaget
Teacher Centred Approach
Desire to learn is an OUTCOME of learning rather than a prerequisite for learning
EXPERT GUIDANCE needed to move child through ZPD
Without ACTIVE INTERVENTION the child learns less
Vygotsky

6. Activity Poster teach To Groups
1.Applying Piaget theory to education-Discovery l/readiness
2.Applying Vygotsky theory to education-peer tutoring/scaffolding
3.Evaluation – Piaget vs Vygotsky
4.Evaluation + IDA + A03

7. For info..

8. Discovery Learning
Both Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories use ‘discovery learning’
Knowledge is ‘constructed’ individually (Piaget) and socially (Vygotsky)
Learning is construction of knowledge
i.e. discovery

9. Piaget’s Discovery Learning
Children learn by constructing their own knowledge when placed in ‘novel’ situations
Teacher
Use materials & questions
Challenge
current schemas
Causing
Disequilibrium / Accomodation
Construction of new schemas

10. Piaget’s Discovery Learning
Teacher stands back-allows the child to work out problem for themselves
Peers are important in presenting conflict and breaking down egocentrism
Child needs to be ‘ready’ for each developmental learning stage-otherwise..
“ child will not understand them”

11. Piaget’s Discovery Learning
Use of ‘concrete materials’ in school curriculum for teaching young children
Children need the chance to manipulate concrete objects when first learning ‘abstract’ principles
Used in Montessori approach to teaching pre-school children

12. Piaget’s Discovery Learning --Evaluation--
+ Big impact on education in UK
+ Plowden Report (1967)
Recommended change from ‘teacher centred’ to ‘child centred’ learning based on discovery learning
- Importance of Readiness
Bryant & Trabasso (1971) found that practice can improve performance when children are not ‘ready’.
However, Danner & Day (1977) found no benefits from practice.
- Discovery learning
Mogdil et al (1983) suggest that discovery activities in the classroom
may reduce learning because less time is spent on content learning
(e.g. reading, writing, etc)
- Judging maturation stage is beyond most teachers in terms of time available as well as skill

13. Vygotsky’s Discovery Learning
-Did not accept that teachers need to wait for a child to be ‘ready’ to learn
-Claimed that “what a child can do with assistance today they can do by themselves tomorrow”
-Social context enables learning
Collaborative Learning
Co-operative group work, small groups working together/discussion
Bennett & Dunne (1991) found that children engaged in group work were less competitive, less concerned with status, and were more logical thinkers that those who worked alone.

14. VYGOTSKY

15. Vygotsky’s Discovery Learning
Peer Tutoring/group work
Peers could be experts
Peer tutoring seen by Vygotsky as an effective form of learning
The expert peer more likely to help (Cloward, 1967)
Learning through play
Vygotsky believed that during play, especially pretend play such as “playing shops”, children operated beyond their usual levels of thinking. This is related to the importance Vygotsky placed on culture. During such play children tend to use toys specific to their own culture and this enhances their learning.

16. --SCAFFOLDING-- Stage 1 - RECRUITMENT
gaining the child’s interest
Stage 2 - REDUCTION OF DEGREES OF FREEDOM
breaking down the task into manageable
steps
Stage 3 - DIRECTION MAINTENANCE
encouraging & motivating the child until
they have become self-motivating
Stage 4 - MARKING CRITICAL FEATURES
drawing attention to aspects of the problem
that will help further progress
Stage 5 – DEMONSTRATION
The tutor finishes the task off so that the
learner can imitate this back in a better form

17. Vygotsky’s Discovery Learning --Evaluation--
Individual Differences
Effectiveness of methods varies, e.g. collaborative learning does not benefit all (Blaye, 1991)
Role of ‘Experts’
Skilful application by teachers to recognise limits of ZPD and how/when to respond-may be an unrealistic goal

18. Vygotsky’s Discovery Learning --Evaluation--
Importance of social influences
Educationally more valuable to know what children can do with assistance rather than without.
However, if Piaget is right by using expert intervention we are stifling creativity and understanding
Combined approach
Adey & Shayer (1993) describe the effectiveness of a combined approach in the CASE (combined acceleration through science programme) using Piaget’s approach to setting situations with Vygotsky’s colaborative learning –improving Maths, Science and English performance

19. Piaget vs Vygotsky..

20. Combination of both approaches
Piaget- Knowledge is something a child creates for themselves
Vygotsky-Knowledge as a social collaborative process
Both approaches are constructivist, i.e. individual vs social constrcution

21. Combination of both approaches
ZPD
New experience
e.g. difficult task
Piaget
Child experiences disequilibrium – accommodates new schema
Vygotsky
Teaching input here
Current Ability
ELEMENTARY THINKING
Potential Ability
HIGHER THINKING
Beginning INDEPENDENT LEARNING end
of zone of zone

22. Activity – debate – prize !
Piaget is better vs Vygotsky is better

23. Activity Do Blockbuster quiz
Design a Blockbuster Quiz for the other A2 groups to answer

24. 2. Exam question “Outline ONE theory of cognitive development”
(4 marks)
100 words
“Discuss the application of this theory to education”
( marks)
500 words

25. Or …

26. Potential exam question
1a“Outline any ONE theory of cognitive development”
(12 marks)
1b “Assess the application of this theory to education” (12 marks)

27. 1. Exam question
“Discuss applications of theories of cognitive development to education” ( marks)

28. Three ways to do this essay..
Compare one theory with another
Describe two/three theories then evaluate them
Compare & contrast two/three theories

29. Essay Plan Part 1 Define cognitive development
Briefly outline two main theories-Piaget, Vygotsky
Piaget- don’t need to be taught- learn through experience- based on stages/ages- child centred approach explain- readiness… Apply to education- Piaget used discovery learning- self construction/self learning-teacher stand back-creates disequilibrium (brief description of schemas, etc) uses directed questioning, use of concrete materials HOWEVER,
Vygotsky proposed- Social learning, experts ie. Teachers- needed to move child through ZPD-brief explanation- link with scaffolding, shouldn’t have to wait for the child (Piaget)-Vygotsky- suggests using collaborative learning- group work using scaffolding, teacher move in to assist move to the next zone (i.e. different form of discovery learning) and..

30. Essay Plan Part 2 6. Evaluation..
Use research to evaluate- Ages and stages, Bryant and Trabasso (1971) speed up learning- long process- judging maturation stage is beyond most teachers ability-time & skill… Vygotsky- teachers may lack ability to judge child's position in the zone, scaffolding is too direct, leads to a loss of motivation- doesn’t take account individual diff-
Plowden (1967) report- change teaching techniques- more child centred
Finish… Adey and Shayer (1993)- combined approach, improves maths and science (CASE) programme