Briana Hilton
Comparison of Piaget and Vygotsky
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The world of education and instruction has been changed due to the theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both psychologists have contributed to the field of education by offering unique explanations of the development of the cognitive abilities and learning styles of children. Piaget’s cognitive development theory and Vygotsky’s social historical development theory help provide educators with a foundation to create a learning environment that tends to the developmental needs of all students.
Focus or Purpose
The theory of cognitive-development, developed by Jean Piaget, focuses on logical thinking and reasoning and complex situations. This viewpoint contradicts the notions that
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These stages were: sensorimotor intelligence, preoperational thought, concrete operations, and formal operations. Even though there were age ranges that were assigned to each stage, Piaget stated that, “children move through the stages in an invariant sequence” (Cognitive Development: Piaget and Vygotsky). Each stage is simply a representation the increasing complex ways that children think as they progress from birth to adulthood. As sated earlier, children are constantly exploring and trying to gain an understanding of the world around them. While engaging in this process, children are developing their own modes of thinking and utilizing the information being presented to them. Overall, cognitive development is not driven by an internal process or lessons from a teacher.
In regard to the social-historical theory of cognitive development, Vygotsky believed that the acquisition of speech is a major step for a developing child. Once a child develops speech, they are able to fully interact in an intelligent manner once a child reaches preschool age, they are able to carry out dialogues with one another about everyday things. By the time a child reaches early elementary age, they are able to talk to themselves. Vygotsky believed that the ability for adults to talk to themselves, contributes to the strength of our
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The theory of Piaget is student centered and the teacher plays the role of a facilitator. This simply means that teacher should not be feeding students all the knowledge but instead the teacher should help the student at the level they are at and setting tasks for students to achieve to grow their abilities. Piaget also believed that teachers should create tasks that cause disequilibrium and so then the child will have to accommodate and create new schemas to deal with their confusion with the new subject. Piaget also believed that children develop in stages and that children should be taught based on the stage they are currently in. When a teacher is teaching a students based on their current stage, there should be some accommodation and assimilation of new subjects and
Piaget was firm in his concept of these stages. He was convinced that a person had to progress from one stage to the next, that this was a natural biological process influenced by the environment and experiences. Biology limits the point in time, but the environment determines the quality of development.
Methods and approaches to teaching have been greatly influenced by the research of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both have contributed to the field of education by offering explanations for children's cognitive learning styles and abilities. While Piaget and Vygotsky may differ on how they view cognitive development in children, both offer educators good suggestions on how to teach certain material in a developmentally appropriate manner.
Piaget’s theory was founded on observations he made when observing children engaging in certain tasks, where he found that at different ages, children are conducting the same task, but in a different manner (Jansen, 2011). With this, he found there were four age groups that behaved significantly different to one another, resulting in the formation of four correlating stages of development (Jansen, 2011). As a child ages, their cognitive abilities increase, resulting in a more logical approach to problem solving and mental communication (Young,
Piaget versus Vygotsky: Similarities and Differences This paper explores the ideas of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Exploring their philosophies and how they impact us today. The two scholarly articles show similarities and differences in their works and explore what they each mean. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two of the most influential philosophers in the field of cognitive development.
During my volunteering process i noticed some 4 year olds with ADHD. Prior to volunteering i was told that they can sometimes be out of hand and that they need more attention then other kids. While they all appear to be a bright childen, their actions in the classroom are interesting. While the class is sitting in a circle listening to stories, the children are unable to sit for any significant period of time. They will get up and wander around the room and when told to rejoin the group, they have a look on their face of total bewilderment. It is not unusual for them to hum outloud, suck on the corner of their shirt and or talk at inappropriate times. It is normal for children to have trouble behaving and focusing from time to time, however
The differences these theorists have are how they view a child development just as the active role. For Piaget, the child is view as the constructor of knowledge where as for Vygotsky; the child is views as the co-constructor of knowledge. A child’s learning is subordinate to their development in Piaget’s opinion. In other words child are born with knowledge and learn on their own through what they experience by themselves. A child’s learning proceeds development in Vygotsky’s opinion. In other words, children learn from others as well with the help of a wiser and experienced individual. The similarities both these theorists have is that social interactions played an exceptional role in a child cognitive development. Piaget encouraged interactions and the most beneficial where the ones where the child interacted with peers their own age because children feel a basic equality. Vygotsky felt that social interactions leads development. Through interactions between children and adults cooperate in helping build meaningful constructions which learning therefore becomes a reciprocal experience where the children becomes the wise
Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date] from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cogsys/piaget.html
In regards to child development, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are both highly regarded and well known for their theories. Some educators view themselves as Piagetian while others view themselves as Vygotskians. They see Piaget and Vygotsky as being vastly different. Then there are others who see similarities between the two and hold both Piaget and Vygotsky as correct in their theories. The purpose of this paper is to examine the similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky and determine what can be gained by better understanding these theories.
== Piaget’s theories of cognitive development are that children learn through exploration of their environment. An adult’s role in this is to provide children with appropriate experiences. He said that cognitive development happens in four stages. 1.
The similarities in the theories, including the development perspective and dialectical approach, are very complex and focus upon the fundamentals of each theory. The differences in each theory make them very unique, including the autonomous and heteronomous approaches for each respective theory. The four cognitive stages of Piaget’s theory, including sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations, provide a clear, effective progression of an individual’s development path from infancy to adulthood. This is very unique to Piaget’s theory and is utilized immensely in academic studies of psychology. The fundamental aspects of Vygotsky’s theory, including cultural and historical factors contributing to the individual’s development is also very unique and is regularly utilized in academic studies. Without the research that each theorist conducted and presented, the psychology studies that we know today would not be the same. The work of both respective theorists will continue to be utilized in academia and in psychology for many years to
Cognition is the process involved in thinking and mental activity, such as attention, memory and problem solving. In this essay on cognitive development I will compare and contrast the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, who were both influential in forming a more scientific approach to analyzing the cognitive development process of the child active construction of knowledge. (Flanagan 1996 P.72). I will then evaluate the usefulness of these theories in understanding a child's development.
Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two very well-known theorists who emphasized the development of cognition in their theories. In Piaget’s Cognitive Developmental theory, he claimed that children go through a series of stages, which he used to describe human development. In Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Learning, he believed culture and social interaction played a role in cognitive development. Although Piaget and Vygotsky both focused their theories on cognitive development they take different stances a series of developmental issues. This paper will look at the similarities and differences between these theorist’s views on critical developmental issues, such as view of human nature, mechanisms of development, and their
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development focuses on the concept of schemas and cognitive thought that helps an individual organize knowledge and understand the world in comparison to Erikson’s theory which focuses on conflicts that arise between and within the ego. Accommodation and assimilation occur throughout Piaget’s theory as a result of children
The Critique of Piaget's Theories Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980) was a constructivist theorist. He saw children as constructing their own world, playing an active part in their own development. Piaget’s insight opened up a new window into the inner working of the mind and as a result he carried out some remarkable studies on children that had a powerful influence on theories of child thought. This essay is going to explain the main features and principles of the Piagetian theory and then provide criticism against this theory. Cognitive development refers to way in which a person’s style of thinking changes with age.
One hundred years ago, Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was a young man developing new insights about learning. He was one of a handful of constructivist-minded writers and educational theorists of the time. Learning theories open educators up to new ideas. They are necessary to expand our knowledge of how learning works. Piaget’s work is a well-tested and educators around the world should be aware of Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive development in particular because it will improve the quality of their teaching. Once a teacher knows this theory, they can plan lessons appropriate to their students’ cognitive ability and build upon students’ earlier knowledge in a constructivist way.