Jean Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory Analysis

Piaget’s cognitive development theory analyses the growth of children’s development for thinking and their understanding. In fact, American Psychological Association (2015) defines cognitive development as the ‘The development of processes of knowing, including imagining, perceiving, reasoning, and problem solving’. This essay analyses Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Jean Piaget was a psychologist who was acknowledged for his significant contribution of research in child development (Woolfolk & Margetts 2016, p. 80). Throughout this essay, Jean Piaget’s key concepts will be analyzed and linked to the development and learning of children. Further to this a reflection on the importance of Piaget’s theory in influencing individual’s

It is crucial to understand Piaget’s theory of learning; he believes that this is as a dynamic development as information is formed from the individuals themselves. Kamii (1974) emphasizes on the idea argued by Piaget which is that intellectual development is that children must be allowed to do their own learning (Halpenny and Pettersen, 2014, p. 152). To substantiate, Anne Marie Halpenny and Jan Pettersen (2014, p. 153) supports this statement in how educators can acquire and assimilate the concepts in educator’s pedagogy by claiming, that ‘active learning’ within allowing children to explore the environment is is the greatest approach for children to acquire knowledge. This suggest, that the responsibility of educators is to construct certain methodologies within their pedagogy to be able to adapt and develop aspects of Piaget’s theory to offer a learning situation where children are offered to cogitate and consequent to having children have the ability to develop as themselves. In addition to this, using Piaget’s theory in the approach of understanding that primary children from year 3 to year 6 would be distinguished as concrete operational individuals. Hence, an educator can integrate practical activities in which the children can use objects in order to encourage them to explore and acquire information to their schemas. In addition to this teacher

In fact, Harry Beilin (1992) claims that that no other psychologist or individuals has impacted the field of developmental psychology as Jean Piaget has. Further to this, he conveyed innovative approaches and processes which immensely transformed the studies of cognitive development of children. This is evident through Piaget asking children unrestricted questions to attempt to understand their cognitive development (Smith et al., 2003, p. 103). Hence, Piaget’s influence on other researchers to research on children development. In contrast to this, despite certain psychologist approving Piaget’s theory on how children cogitate, other psychologist and educators contradict his concept of why thinking progresses the way it does. One question which arose from Piaget’s theory is the lack of consistency of the four stage of children’s thinking (Woolfolk & Margetts (2016, p. 92). One of the critical concerns argued on Piaget’s theory was founded on his one-sidedness of research which overlooked the thinking of individual’s social