Preview

Cognitive Development

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2614 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Cognitive Development
Abstract

This report looks at cognitive development of an adolescent through the use of Piaget’s pendulum task, and aims to assess the level of cognitive development with comparison to literature in the field and furthermore provide suggestions of how a teacher could enhance the subjects learning in one key learning area.

Pieget’s studies have been based around cognitive development. The development has 4 major stages. Each stage enables the person to develop ways of knowing. This report concentrates on the fourth stage, the formal operational stage. Critics of Piaget’s work are looked at and ideas such as learning, mentors and structures are looked at.

It was found that while the results of previous Piaget’s tests were replicated, the observations suggest that the results can not be assessed through Piaget’s work alone. Furthermore, to enhance the learning of the subject it was found that the NSW geography curriculum has the potential with appropriate teacher stimulus to adequately provide for the student, although literacy could be focused upon.

Introduction
This report looks at cognitive development through the use of Piaget’s pendulum task. The pendulum task asks a person to figure out the variable that makes the pendulum swing faster, that is, increase the frequency. The way in which someone goes about the task is supposed to give an insight into the person’s level of cognitive development.

Fundamental to Piaget’s work is that the brain and the environment interact in producing cognitive development, and that this development can be broken up into four major stages (Gleitman, 1995). Berger (1998) in review of Pieget (1952, 1970) states that these stages are age related, in that children generally reach each stage within a particular age range in sequence. As a child enters into each stage they develop new ways of knowing and understanding (new ways of gathering intelligence) as defined by the boundaries of that stage.

In respect to the age



References: Adey, P. Robertson, A & Venville, G. (2002). Effects of a cognitive acceleration program on Year 1 pupils. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 72, pp.1-25. Adey, P. (1997). It All Depends on the context, Doesn’t It? Searching for General Educable Dragons. Studies in Science Education. (29), pp.45-92. Adey, P. Shayer, M. (1993). An Exploration of Long-Term Far-Transfer Effects Following an Extended Intervention Program in High School Science Curriculum. Cognition and Instruction. 11(1), pp.1-29. Berger, K. S. (1998). The Developing Person Through the Life Span. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Gleitman, H. (1995). Psychology. 4th ed. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company. Hallam, R. N. (1967). Logical thinking in history. Educational Review, 119, pp.182-202. Inhelder , B. & Piaget, J. (1958). The growth of logical thinking from childhood to adolenscence: An essay on the construction of formal operational structures. New York: Basic books. Siegler, R. Liebert, D. & Liebert, R (1973). Inhelder and Piaget’s Pendulum Problem: Teaching Preadolescents to Act as Scientists. Developmental Pschology. 9(1), pp.97-101.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Piagetian Model. There is little argument that while not perfect, Piaget’s theories have had a profound impact on the field of cognitive development. Provide an analysis of his model as well as the challenges to it.…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psy 220 Week 4 Review Paper

    • 2322 Words
    • 10 Pages

    * Describe Piaget’s formal operational stage. What is hypothetico-deductive thinking? Describe the pendulum problem that is often used to test this type of…

    • 2322 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This activity describes Piaget’s theory of the growth of intelligence and simulates the performance of three children of different ages on some of Piaget’s tasks.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Jean Piaget’s stage theory of cognitive development made much emphasis on developmental changes in children’s thinking processes as well as the difference in structures that reflect learning at different ages. Spite the fact that Piaget theory is through the observance of children, I am persuaded the cognitive development is relevant even at adulthood. I believe there are influential factors that cause our mind to evolve which can either be something, someone or one’s…

    • 1331 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some of the theories of development and how the frameworks to support development can influence practice:…

    • 1283 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    CYP31 2

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Piaget’s focus on the child’s thinking led to the development of the stages of cognitive development. Piaget believed the focus was on the child’s thinking and that they must be self-initiated and actively involved in learning activities. He recognised that not all age groups thought the same way and dealt with changes in circumstances differently.…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Huitt, W., Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/piaget.html…

    • 1307 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Piaget theory was about how early cognitive development happens through a process where actions prompt thought processes. He had belief that cognitive development follows a process of four stages that are the same for all children, but can reach that stage at different times. First stage is Sensori-Motor: Birth to 2 years old. In this stage, children are learning about the world around them through their senses. The second stage is the Preoperational Stage: 2 – 7 years old. In this stage, children sees their world as it is. Piaget’s third stage is the Concrete Operational Stage: 7 – 11 years old. Children at this stage are not yet able to think in complex thoughts, but are starting to mentally solve problems, with concepts such as numbers,…

    • 160 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    (Cyp 3.1.2.3)

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Jean Piaget is the most widely known of all educational theorists and perhaps the main contributor to current practice of education. Piaget made vast contributions to the direction, meaning and understanding of contemporary constructivism. Examples of Piaget's contributions include his ideas that knowledge should be actively constructed by a child and learning activities should match the level of the development stage of each child. Also, several major approaches to the national curriculum and instruction are based on Piaget’s theory. For instance, Piaget influenced many teaching techniques such as the focus on the process of the child's thinking and the active role of the learner. Piaget's focus on the process of the child thinking promoted the development of the stages of cognitive development. Teachers use the stages in today's classroom as a way to gauge a child's cognitive functioning. This permits the development of activities and learning experiences that are at the correct cognitive development stage for the child's ability to learn. Piaget recognised that children must be self-initiated and actively involved in learning activities. A current application of this concept today can be found, many of the national curriculum material include interactive activities and even educational software for the child to engage in self-controlled learning.…

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to Piaget, children’s cognitive development can be viewed as occurring in a pattern of four stages known as the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete stage and the formal operational stage (Kaplan, 2000).Before going into further detail about Piaget’s stages of cognitive development, it is important to explain what atypical development is, in order to link it to Piaget’s theory of development.…

    • 362 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Piaget's work keeps on adding to the comprehension of subjective improvement in kids and how to instruct kids adequately. Analysts have regularly seen youngsters as an adaptation of grown-ups yet littler renditions. Through Piaget's hypotheses, he has served to show youth is an uncommon and critical human improvement period. Piaget's work is persuasive and keeps on affecting understudies and analysts ("Cognitive Development", 2015). The modern day usage of the Jean Piaget Cognitive Development Theory has been in schools within today's society. It applied in school by applying visual aids, instructions short and spoken out loud, becoming understanding of all students’ emotions and knowledge. Even though giving kids a great deal of the hands-on practice will help them obtain knowledge rather faster. Provide them with a wide range of experiences having the ability to build a foundation of knowledge and understanding ("Cognitive Development",…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, observed how children learn and develop. His observations led to the discovery that children have certain problem-solving strengths and weaknesses depending upon their age. Through extensive research and observations, Piaget developed the theory of cognitive development. Piaget’s theory concluded that cognitive development occurs in four distinct stages; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations. Children progress through the four stages of hierarchical development, building on the…

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Feldman, D. (2004). Piaget’s stages: the unfinished symphony of cognitive development. New Ideas in Psychology, 22 (3), 175-231.…

    • 1152 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Miss

    • 2681 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Mooney, C. (2000). An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky. St Pau, MN 5517: Readleaf Press.…

    • 2681 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The last stage of Piaget’s cognitive development is known as the Formal Operational Stage, which occurs between the ages of eleven and sixteen. Adolescents have now gained the ability to think in an abstract matter, and can now understand things such as science and algebra. The most distinct difference between the Concrete Operational stage, and the Formal Operational stage, is known as inferential thinking. A child who needs to draw a picture or use objects is still in the Concrete Operational Stage, whereas a child who can reason an answer in their head in the Formal Operational stage. They can also formulate hypotheses and consider different possibilities. For example, a child who has progressed to this stage could now hypothesize what will happen to a plant in the absence of water.…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays