Cognitive Development

Cognitive Development

1. Key Concepts

   • Cognitive Development: Age related changes
   • Invariant stages: The stages that children go through, in the development of their ability, are in a fixed order
   • Universal stages: The pattern/order of development are the same for children everywhere
   • Stages
     • 0-2: Sensori-motor stage
     • 2-7: Pre-operational stage
     • 7-11: Concrete operational stage
     • 11+: Formal operational stage

2. Core Theory: Piaget's Theory

   • While looking at young people and making notes as they matured he saw that behaviour gets better as they go through the universal, invariant stages
     • 0-2, Sensori-motor stage: Body schema-Infant recognises that it exists/can recogniseitself in mirror. Motor coordination- Learns to move different body parts properly. Object permanence-The baby now knows that objects not in their sight still exist
     • 2-7, Pre-operational stage: Animism-treating inanimate objects as though they are alive. Reversibility-Unable to work backwards in thinking. Egocentrism-Can only see things from their point of view (Piaget's 3 mountain test)
     • 7-11, Concrete operational stage: Has overcome all things in previous stage. Linguistic humour-Understanding word games and enjoying them. Seriation-putting things in rank order. Conservation-Properties of objects remain the same e.g. 1 litre in different beakers
     • 11+, Formal operational stage: Hypothetical/abstract thinking of the 'bigger picture'
   • Criticisms
     • Cognitive stages are not that rigid, from some skipping stages, to some not going through them whatsoever. Also differs in cultures.
     • Development isn't on automatic when we're born, upbringing helps
     • Ignored different types of thinking than just logical, such as the arts
     • Only describes the kind of thinking that takes place, not how
   • All biological, children 'scientists'

3. Alternative Theory: Vygotsky

   • How a child's mental abilities develop depend on their culture more than biology, children 'apprentices'
   • Cultural tools teach children how to think as well as what think, the people around the child are what helps them learn
   • Zone of Proximal Development: The gap between where a child currently is in their learning, and where they can get to with the help of others. 'Scaffolding' learning on the support of others

4. Core Study: Piaget and Conservation of Number (1952)

   • Aim: To see whether Pre-operational children understand conservation
   • Procedure: Cross-sectional study (children of different ages). Children were shown two identical rows of counters, he then stretched one of the rows in front of the child. The children were then asked which row had more counters
     • Findings: Those in the Pre-operational stage tended to say that the stretched row had more counters as it was longer. This could be due to them not being able to conserve, or that they cannot reverse the counters back to their original place. Concretes operational's got it right.
   • Limitations
     • The way he questioned the children: He asked the children twice if they were the same, at home/classrooms this only happens if their first answer was wrong
     • Criticised for the nature of the task: contrived and had little meaning to children, when made 'child-friendly' 60% of 2-7's got it right.
     • Small sample size cannot be a generalisation on all children

5. Application of Research: Educating Children

   • Piaget
     • Concept of 'Readiness': Children bound to their particular stage, so the classroom should only teach what they are 'ready' for. E.g. young children learn by doing, whilst older ones have abstract debates
     • Discovery learning: The teaching should be the facilitator, teaching them how to learn not what to
     • Per support: Opportunities for discussion and collaborative learning to de-centre and take others POVs
   • Vygotsky
     • Role of teacher: Actively intervene to help the child stretch their development (ZPD)
     • Spiral curriculum: Difficult ideas first presented simply, then more advanced later
     • Scaffolding: The teacher should teach in such a way that their students learn through them