Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory

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Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was a Swiss psychologist with a background in biology and is renowned for his theory of cognitive development. According to Piaget, children grow through four stages of learning. Ewing et al. (2011) contend that although he attached approximate ages to each level, he theorized that the ability of humans to progress through the stages of development was on a continuum. The authors propose that Piaget theorized ascension through the levels depended on maturing, personal experiences, social engagement, and the ability to assimilate new experiences into existing knowledge.

The first is called the Sensori-Motor stage (birth to two years).

Good et al. (1978) pose that a baby uses all of her senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing) to explore the world during this stage. From one to four months, a baby is concerned with her own body and develops the ability to form repetitive actions (primary circular reactions). She will be curious about the association between objects and previous experiences. The researchers argue from four to 12months; a baby is becoming concerned with what is happening around her (secondary circular reactions). You may see parents playing peek-a-boo. When parents cover their faces, a baby believes they have disappeared. The baby will laugh and try to keep a good thing going (intentionality). The authors suggest that a baby is starting to learn that items exist during this period. She will be moving toys around and studying the concepts of 'near' and 'far.' By the end of the sensory-motor stage, she will know that if a blanket covers a toy, it still exists (the beginnings of working memory). Good et al. (1978) tender that a baby begins experimenting from 12 months to two years (tertiary circular reactions). She's not satisfied with what she's learned previously and is looking for new results and experimenting to see what happens (Good et al., 1978).

The second is the Preoperational stage (two to seven years) or the prelogical stage.

Good et al. (1978) illustrate that at the beginning of this stage, the child doesn't consider that others might have a different point of view and their thinking is egocentric. The authors proffer that as children age, they will start to understand that others might think differently and justify their positions. Children are developing language, and speech use can be egocentric or social. Children will begin to symbolize objects and events; think about crayon drawings of houses, trees, and the sun. The researchers argue the most significant aspect of this stage is 'irreversibility' (Good et al., 1978). The child cannot think backward. If a ball of dough is split into two pieces, a child may believe there is more dough because the number increases, and she cannot connect the two pieces as the original dough.

The third is the Concrete Operations stage (seven to eleven years). This is also called the logico-mathematical stage.

Good et al. (1978) submit this is the beginning of reversible thinking.

The child will now understand that a ball of dough split into two more petite balls will still be the same amount of dough because they can trace the sequence. The authors argue a child's intellect has grown to the point that she can calculate simple math operations, like adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. Children can classify objects. Bananas, oranges, and apples in the child's kitchen are all types of fruit. Piaget had a holistic view of intellectual growth. The act of classifying and identifying relationships is interrelated. Piaget named this idea the 'interrelatedness of operations.' The researchers contend that Piaget theorized grouping structures that would explain how children construct their realities concerning speed, time, space, movement, and more in this phase (Good et al., 1978).

The fourth is the Formal Operations stage (11 to 16+).

Good et al. (1978) suggest this is the last stage of Piaget's cognitive development theory. Youth can think more about what is hypothetically possible and can link possibilities to reality. Young people can now think about abstract concepts and theorize outcomes (Good et al., 1978). The ability to think about thinking is now possible. Youth can put themselves in others' shoes and develop critically and as compassionate human beings.

Conclusion

Ewing et al. (2011) propose that Piaget thought maturing had little to do with teachers. Still, that instruction greatly impacted students by providing opportunities to explore, observe, test, and organize information through active experiences. Intentional guidance by significant adults and peers and self-directed learning can support intellectual growth in each human being.

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References

Ewing, J. C., Foster, D. D., & Whittington, M. S. (2011). Explaining student cognition during class sessions in the context Piaget's theory of cognitive development. NACTA Journal, 55(1), 68-75. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/explaining-student-cognition-during-class/docview/864043581/se-2?accountid=14656

Good, R., Mellon, E. K., & Kromhout, R. A. (1978). The work of Jean Piaget. Journal of Chemical Engineering, 55, 688-693.

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