Jean Piaget's Stages Of Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development proposes that the developmental process of a child is the result of their brains maturity, their nervous system, and environmental factors. He believes the foundation of a child's ability to learn is through discovery learning (Gordon & Browne, 2016). Piaget suggests that a child’s logic of thinking is different from that of an adults. Children’s cognitive performance is directly related to the stage of development that they are in currently. Additionally, these stages are divided into sub-stages to provide greater insight into a child’s cognitive growth process. The initial stages of development is considered a difficult point to try to determine a child’s developmental

Jean Piaget created a framework of cognitive development in a series of four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. According to Piaget, the outcome of learning depends on what cognitive developmental stage the learner is in. For example, you would not give a calculus problem to a two to seven year old child because they have not yet entered the stage of formal operation, or abstract, logical thinking. A child must be presented with an environment that suits their thought.

There are a few key concepts that significantly stand out when researching into Piaget’s theory. One important concept that is an obvious stand out is the stages of cognitive development (Margetts, 2016). From examining this theory it shows that Piaget broke down the stages of cognitive development into four different phases according to age and the person’s ability to use their brain to function and think (Margetts, 2016). The stages are Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years), Preoperational Stage (2-7 years), Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years) and Formal Operational Stage (11 years to adult) (Ey, 2015). During the sensorimotor stage, intelligence is demonstrated through motor activity without the use symbols (Second Source), this indicates that children (0-2 years) are

At the centre of Piaget's theory is the principle that cognitive development occurs in a series of four distinct, universal stages, each characterized by increasingly sophisticated and

It uses the concept of Piaget schemas, believes that children move through various and set stages to achieve their cognitive response and it is also assumed that the formal operational stage is reached by the age of 12 (Nuffield report, 1969). However although there are numerous policies and studies put in place based on Piaget’s stage theory, there are many that appose his ideas when putting them in practice. I shall now focus upon studies conducted by neo-piagetians, in regards to the Piaget’s stage theory in early years settings. Mayer (2004) conducted research upon active learning, in which Piaget believed is the key element to cognitive development.

Piaget theory was said to believe that children go through Four stages of Cognitive Development. Each stage marks development in how children understand the world. Piaget liked to say that children are “little scientist” and that they explore and make sense of the world around them. Through his observations, Piaget developed a stage theory that included four stages. The Sensorimotor Stage that begins from birth to age 2, is the first one. The Preoperational stage from age 2 to about 7, and the third stage is the Concrete Operational stage from the age 7 to 11. Piaget was interested in children's wrong answers that they’ve given on problems that require logical thinking. Piaget revealed

If these phases are not established, there may be some deficiency in the development, for whatever reason, and that will require exploration as to why (Sudbery, 2010). Through studying human growth and development, when becoming a social worker the ability to recognise whether children developing accordingly to theories will be granted (Parrish, 2010). In relation to Piaget, he says these stages are important because it is the way children construct their understanding of the world. It is their way of organising knowledge and beginning physical interaction; as they grow, they refine these things and they become more complex. It is through these stages that the child’s future is shaped (Wilson & Ruch et al., 2011).

It has been generally believed that what he proved is the fact that a child moves through cognitive developmental stages from a simple pre-operational to a concrete level and then to a more complex and abstract operational cognitive level in the process of maturation. Piaget’s theories have been heavily critiqued, both in terms of his assumptions of developmental stages as well as in terms of the smooth progression from stage to stage, however, the necessity of the shift from the concrete to the abstract level of cognition still appears to be firmly embedded in most educational theories today.

Piaget’s theory is in definition a stage theory. This implies that the individual child must complete certain requirements or accomplish specific tasks prior to entering the next stage. At the same time, Piaget indicates that the stages are somewhat specific to selected age groups. Thus, it is between the ages of two and seven that a child enters and then exits the preoperational stage of development. This suggests that the development is almost concrete and experiential. In other words, the child progresses through the stage and will eventually begin the next stage. The child will have completed the previous stage within the age range and with all the cognitive skills necessary for the next stage. This implies a rigidity that does not necessarily exist. Children progress differently, and most likely this is true even with regard to cognitive development. Keller demonstrates higher thinking at times than his age range may suggest, as children progress at different ages. While also keeping in mind that some experiences from further stages may be achieved while things from lower stages may not be yet achieved. Analyzing Piaget’s theory of cognitive development as a fluid timeline for children helps to better the use and understanding of the theory in todays society.

An examination of Piaget's theory shows that his stage theory is remarkably consistent and comprehensive. His theory has

This essay will be summarising the contributions and shortcomings of the Cognitive-Developmental theory and firstly explore the background and key concept’s of Piaget’s work behind child development. Secondly Piaget’s ideas about cognitive change and the four stages of development from birth which are the sensorimotor stage, the pre-operational stage, the concrete operational stage and the formal operational stage and how this impacts development. Thirdly the main weaknesses of the cognitive theory and why, and look at whether any studies/theories support or refute Piaget’s theory and if they are credible to apply to real life. Finally determining whether Piaget’s theory

Jean Piaget is one of the pioneers to child development, he was an important factor in the growth, development and one of the most exciting research theorists in child development. A major force in child psychology, he studied both thought processes and how they change with age. He believed that children think in fundamentally different ways from adults.. Piaget’s belief is that all species inherit the basic tendency to organize their lives and adapt to the world that’s around them, no matter the age. Children develop schemas as a general way of thinking or interacting with ideas and objects in the environment. Children create and develop new schemas as they grow and experience new things. Piaget has identified four major stages of cognitive development which are: sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operations, and formal operations. According to the text here are brief descriptions of each of Piaget’s stages:

For this paper I will be exploring Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Swiss Psychologist Jean Piaget, theorized that children progress through four key stages of cognitive development that change their understanding of the world. By observing his own children, Piaget came up with four different stages of intellectual development that included: the sensorimotor stage, which starts from birth to age two; the preoperational stage, starts from age two to about age seven; the concrete operational stage, starts from age seven to eleven; and final stage, the formal operational stage, which begins in adolescence and continues into adulthood. In this paper I will only be focusing on the

Piaget’s stages are divided into four main steps of cognitive development. Stage one

Jean Piaget, a cognitivist, believed children progressed through a series of four key stages of cognitive development. These four major stages, sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational, are marked by shifts in how people understand the world. Although the stages correspond with an approximate age, Piaget’s stages are flexible in that if the child is ready they can reach a stage. Jean Piaget developed the Piagetian cognitive development theory. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development proposes that a child’s intellect, or cognitive ability, progresses through four distinct stages. The emergence of new abilities and ways of processing information characterize each stage. Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children move through four different stages of mental development. His theory focuses not only on understanding how children acquire knowledge, but also on understanding the nature of intelligence.