Piaget Learning Theory: Stages of Cognitive Development
from Staff
Jean Piaget (1896-1980) is a Swiss psychologist and one of the most influential figures in the psychology of development.
Piaget is best known for his pioneering work on the cognitive development of children. His studies have revolutionized our understanding of how children learn and grow intellectually. He suggested that the children actively construct their knowledge through stages, each of which is characterized by different ways of thinking and understanding of the world.
His theory, the “stages of cognitive development of Piaget,” influenced the official education deeply, emphasizing the importance of adapting teaching methods to the cognitive stage of the child’s development, not expecting all children to study in a similar way.
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development outlines a series of stages of development that children progress as they grow and mature. This theory suggests that children actively build their understanding of the world and different cognitive abilities and ways of thinking, characterize these stages. The four main stages are Sensor (birth up to 2 years), Preoperative stage (2 to 7 years), Operating stage (7 to 11 years) and operating stage (11 years and after).
See also Levels of integration of critical thinking
A quick summary of the stages of the cognitive development of Piaget
In the sensory stage, babies and young children learn about the world through their senses and actions, gradually developing the persistence of the site. The preoperative stage is marked by the emergence of symbolic thought and the use of language, although logical thinking is limited. The concrete operating stage sees that children begin to think more logically about specific events and objects.
Finally, at the formal operating stage, adolescents and adults can think abstract and hypothetically, which allows for more complex solution to problems and reasoning. Piaget theory has influenced the teaching methods that are in line with the cognitive development of students at different ages and stages of intellectual growth.
The four stages of cognitive development of Piaget
Stage 1 of Piaget: Sensor
The Piaget sensorizer is the initial stage of development, usually found from birth to about two years, during which babies and young children learn mainly about the world through their senses and physical actions.
The main characteristics of this stage include the development of the persistence of the site, the understanding that objects continue to exist, even when they are not visible, and the gradual formation of simple mental ideas. Initially, babies participate in reflective behavior, but as they progress at this stage, they begin to deliberately coordinate their sensory perceptions and motor skills, exploring and manipulating their environment. This stage is marked by significant cognitive growth, as children pass from purely instinctive reactions to more targeted and coordinated interactions with their environment.
One example of Piaget’s sensorizer stage is when the baby plays Peek-A-Boo with a caregiver. In the first months of a baby there is no sense of perseverance on the object. When an object, like the caregiver’s face, disappears from his view, he can act as if he no longer exists. So when the caregiver covers his face with his hands during a peek-a-boo game, the baby can answer with surprise or slight suffering.
As the baby progresses during the sensoring stage, usually about 8 to 12 months, they begin to develop the persistence of the object. When the caregiver hides his face, the baby realizes that the caregiver’s face still exists, even though it is temporarily out of sight. The baby can react with expectation and excitement when the caregiver reveals his face, demonstrating his developing ability to form mental ideas and to grasp the concept of persistence of the object.
This progression in understanding is a key characteristic of the sensory stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
Stage 2 of Piaget: Preoperative
The preoperative stage of Piaget is the second stage of cognitive development, usually occurring from about 2 to 7 years, where children begin to develop symbolic thinking and language skills. During this stage, children can represent objects and ideas, using words, images and symbols, allowing them to participate in pretending to play and communicate more efficiently.
However, their thinking is characterized by self -centeredness, where they struggle to look at the perspectives of other people and show animal thinking, attributing the human qualities to inanimate objects. They also lack the ability to make a particular logic and fight tasks that require understanding of conservation, such as recognition that the volume of liquid remains the same when poured into different containers.
The preoperative stage is a significant displacement of cognitive development, as children pass from major sensory responses to more symbolic and representative thought.
One example of Piaget’s preoperative scene is the child’s understanding of “conservation”.
Imagine you have two glasses, one tall and narrow and the other is short and wide. Pour the same amount of liquid into both glasses to contain the same volume of liquid. A child in the preoperative stage, when asked if the amount of fluid is the same in both glasses, he can say that the higher glass has more liquid because it looks higher. This demonstrates the inability of the child to understand the principle of conservation, which is the idea that even if the appearance of an object can change (in this case the shape of the glass), the amount remains the same.
In the preoperative stage, children are often focused on the most famous perceptive aspects of a situation and fight more abstract or logical thinking, which impedes the concept concepts.
Stage 3 of Piaget: A specific operation
Piaget’s concrete operating stage is the third stage of cognitive development, which is usually found for about 7 to 11 years, where children demonstrate improved logical thinking and abilities to solve problems, especially in connection with specific, tangible experiences.
During this stage, they can understand concepts such as conservation (eg, admitting that the volume of liquid remains the same when poured into different containers) and reversibility (eg understanding that the action can be canceled). They can perform basic mental operations such as adding and removing. They become more able to consider different perspectives, are less self -centered and can participate in more structured and organized thought processes. However, they can still fight abstract or hypothetical reasoning, a skill that appears in the next official operative stage.
Imagine two identical containers filled with the same amount of water. Pour the water from one of the containers in a higher, larger glass and pour the water from the other in a short, wider glass. A child in the concrete operative stage could recognize that the two glasses still contain the same amount of water, despite their various forms. Children can understand that the physical appearance of containers (tall and narrow to short and wide) does not change the amount of liquid.
This ability to grasp the concept of conservation is a hallmark of specific surgical thinking, as children become more skilled in logical thought related to real, specific situations.
Stage 4: The official operating stage
The official operational stage of Piaget is the fourth and final stage of cognitive development, usually appearing about 11 years and continues in adulthood. During this stage, people acquire the ability to abstract and hypothetical thinking. They can solve complex problems, think critically and think about concepts and ideas that are not related to specific experiences. They can participate in deductive reasoning, taking into account many possibilities and potential results.
This stage allows for advanced cognitive abilities such as understanding scientific principles, planning the future and considering moral and ethical dilemmas. It is a significant transition from specifically to abstract thinking, which allows people to explore and understand the world more comprehensive and imaginary.
An example of the official stage of work
One example of the official operating stage of Piaget involves the ability of the teenager to think abstract and hypothetically.
Imagine presenting a teenager with a classic moral dilemma, such as “The Problem of Carts.” In this scenario, they are praying to consider whether it is morally acceptable to pull a lever to divert the stroller from the track, where it will hit five people, but thus hit one person to another song. A teenager at the official operative stage can participate in abstract moral reasoning, given different ethical principles and potential consequences, without relying solely on specific, personal experiences.
They can reflect utilitarianism, deontology or other ethical frameworks, and they may think about the hypothetical results of their decisions.
This abstract and hypothetical thinking is a hallmark of the official operational stage, demonstrating the ability to think and think about complex, non-competitive problems.
How teachers can use Piaget development stages in classroom
1. Individual differences
Understand that children in the classroom can be at different stages of development. Adapt your teaching to adapt these differences. Provide different activities and approaches to take care of different cognitive levels.
2. Constructivism
Admit that Piaget theory is rooted in constructivism, which means that children are actively building their knowledge through experience. Encourage practical training and research as this is aligned with the focus of Piaget on learning through environmental interaction.
3. The skeleton
Be prepared to scaffolding instructions. Students in the earlier stages (sensory and preoperative) may need more guidance and support. As they move on to concrete and official operational stages, they gradually increase the complexity of the tasks and give them more independence.
4. Concrete examples
Students take advantage of specific examples and applications in the real world at the particular operating stage. Use specific materials and practical problems to help them understand abstract concepts.
5. Active Training
Encourage active training. Encourage students to think critically, to solve problems and to connect. Use open questions and encourage discussions that help students move from specific thinking to abstract considerations at the official operational stage.
6. A curriculum in development
Make sure your curriculum is aligned with students’ cognitive abilities. Enter gradually abstract concepts and connect the new training with previous knowledge.
7. Respect for the differences
Be patient and respectful of individual development differences. Some students may grasp concepts earlier or later than others and this is completely normal.
8. Evaluation
Develop evaluation strategies that correspond to the stages of student development. Assessing their understanding using methods that are suitable for their cognitive abilities.
9. Professional Development
Teachers can be updated for the most studies for the development of children and education by attending seminars for professional development and collaborating with colleagues for the continuous improvement of their teaching practices.
