Jean Piaget conducted research by a clinical method, whereby, to establish his theory, he presented children with problems to solve and watched and recorded A) the ways in which they approached them and B) their reasoning. He did this with varying ages. To him children were not just passive receivers. Piaget’s theory is based primarily upon development. Piaget argued that children’s development occur in the sequence of 4 stages.
The major areas of development include biological, cognitive and social and emotional development. Both of these psychologists were concerned with the study of understanding the area of cognitive development specifically in children and were considered to be constructivists. Constructivism is the theory in which “learners actively construct their own knowledge based upon the things they know now and have known in the past” (TFL resources, 2006). This essay will seek to compare and contrast the theories of psychologists Piaget and Vygotsky and will critically look at their theories to judge which aspects are appropriate for the long term. Jean Piaget focused his research on studying children and observing their thought processes.
While rooted in many of the basic concepts of traditional learning theory, Bandura believed that direct reinforcement could not account for all types of learning. His theory added a social element, arguing that people can learn new information and behaviours by watching other people. Known as observational learning, this type of learning can be used to explain a wide variety of behaviours. Basic Social Learning Concepts There are three core concepts at the heart of social learning theory. First is the idea that people can learn through observation.
Their thought process is more idealistic. Vygotsky's theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition. Vygotsky believed in a continuous development versus the thought of stage based development. He believed that while children can develop knowledge and lead in their own development, development cannot be separated from social context. Meaning a child will only learn things within their instructors
It demonstrates the effect that discipline and parenting styles can have on a child. Social Learning Theory recognises children as being more engaged in their leaning and stresses the importance of role models, stating that children can learn by simply observing others. Constructivism somewhat downplays the role of social experiences in favour of biological influences and suggests that children are independent agents of their own learning, not overly influenced by parents and teachers. Finally, Social Constructivism argues that the key to learning and development lies in the social interaction with peer groups, rather than merely observing others. Behaviourists believe that the environment in which a
While Piaget believed in the universal stages and set cognitive development within those stages, Vygotsky really placed a great deal of the responsibility for development on the culture to which the child is exposed, and he also placed a great amount of importance on social factors. (simplypsychology) Critics of Piaget feel that he greatly underestimated the effects of social factors on cognitive development. Research has refuted the claims by Piaget that his learning stages were fixed and that certain learning could not take place until a child reached that particular stage of development (Slavin, 2009, p.40) Through research, it is now widely accepted that children are more competent than Piaget deduced. Piaget also believed in self-initiated discovery while Vygotsky placed emphasis on social contributions to learning such as cooperative learning. Another main controversy is with Piaget’s broad grouping of the stages affecting cognitive tasks.
However, teachers do need to indentify the specific disabilities and these are categorised in terms of general areas of development as follows; physical, cognitive, motor, social, language, behavioural and emotional development. Special needs also apply to gifted children who in many cases are not categorised as (SEN) however; they need adapted teaching to challenge their abilities and to foster their potential development. Therefore, this paper will also look at gifted children throughout the concepts and theories. Piaget's theory of cognitive development in essence deals with the view that all species inherit two basic tendencies; the first is organisation – organising behaviours and thoughts into logical systems. The second is adaptation – adjusting to your environment (Woolfolk, Hughes & Walkup, 2008).
• Albert Bandura (social learning): - Claimed that humans are cognitive beings (concerned with acquiring knowledge). Individual’s process information from the environment and this plays a major role on their learning and development. This is called the ‘Social Learning Theory’. Bandura’s approach is influential in the analysis of media violence on children and the treatment of behaviour problems and
Bandura believed that humans are able to learn through modeling. Modeling is an observational behavior and it is not purely imitation (Berger, 2011). Modeling allows children especially, to acquire new responses through observing others' behavior. A social model can be a parent, sibling, friend, or teacher, but particularly in childhood a model is someone of authority or higher status. The interaction of nature and nurture is clearly described in social learning theories.
Kolb’s Experiential Theory of Learning The Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) provides a holistic model of the learning process and a multilinear model of adult development, both of which are consistent with what we know about how people learn, grow, and develop. The theory is called “Experiential Learning” to emphasize the central role that experience plays in the learning process, an emphasis that distinguishes ELT from other learning theories. The term “experiential” is used therefore to differentiate ELT both from cognitive learning theories, which tend to emphasize cognition over affect, and behavioral learning theories that deny any role for subjective experience in the learning process. Another reason the theory is called “experiential” is its intellectual origins in the experiential works of Dewey, Lewin, and Piaget. Taken together, Dewey’s philosophical pragmatism, Lewin’s social psychology, and Piaget’s cognitive-developmental genetic epistemology form a unique perspective on learning and development.