Piaget's Theories
Summary of Piaget's Theories
Amy Ream
CNSL/504
August 28, 2012
Joelle McNutt, MA.Ed.
Summary of Piaget's Theories
The summary of Piaget’s theories includes stages of learning through cognitive development. The cognitive perspective was revolutionized by Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist. Piaget proposed “that all people pass in a fixed sequence through a series of universal stages of cognitive development”. (Feldman, 2008, p. 20) Piaget’s theory outlined four stages of development.
Piaget’s Four Stages of Learning
The four stages of learning are sensorimotor, birth to 2 years old, preoperational, ages 2 to 4, concrete operations, ages 7 to 11, and formal operations, ages 11 to 15. (Campbell, 1976, p. 1) Piaget’s four stage learning model demonstrates how the mind processes new information encountered at different ages. The child does not move from one stage to the next until it has reached physical maturation and has experienced relevant situations. (Feldman, 2008, p. 151)
In the sensorimotor stage the infant learns through interaction with the environment, which could include mouthing and touching items to build an understanding of oneself at this stage of cognitive development. The infant is unable to speak therefore learns through assimilation. (Campbell, 1976, p. 1)
Catherine P. Cook-Cottone used Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to analyze student counseling sessions. In her article “Using Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to Understand the Construction of Healing Narratives” she identifies the stages of learning of students in sessions. Students in the sensorimotor stage “may enter the counseling situation with a very limited ability to conceptualize and describe their presenting problems”. (Cook-Cottone, Fall 2004, Volume 7, p. 182)
In the pre-operational stage conceptualizing abstractly is not possible. There needs to be concrete physical situations for the child to understand there is a difference. The child needs
Amy Ream
CNSL/504
August 28, 2012
Joelle McNutt, MA.Ed.
Summary of Piaget's Theories
The summary of Piaget’s theories includes stages of learning through cognitive development. The cognitive perspective was revolutionized by Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist. Piaget proposed “that all people pass in a fixed sequence through a series of universal stages of cognitive development”. (Feldman, 2008, p. 20) Piaget’s theory outlined four stages of development.
Piaget’s Four Stages of Learning
The four stages of learning are sensorimotor, birth to 2 years old, preoperational, ages 2 to 4, concrete operations, ages 7 to 11, and formal operations, ages 11 to 15. (Campbell, 1976, p. 1) Piaget’s four stage learning model demonstrates how the mind processes new information encountered at different ages. The child does not move from one stage to the next until it has reached physical maturation and has experienced relevant situations. (Feldman, 2008, p. 151)
In the sensorimotor stage the infant learns through interaction with the environment, which could include mouthing and touching items to build an understanding of oneself at this stage of cognitive development. The infant is unable to speak therefore learns through assimilation. (Campbell, 1976, p. 1)
Catherine P. Cook-Cottone used Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to analyze student counseling sessions. In her article “Using Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to Understand the Construction of Healing Narratives” she identifies the stages of learning of students in sessions. Students in the sensorimotor stage “may enter the counseling situation with a very limited ability to conceptualize and describe their presenting problems”. (Cook-Cottone, Fall 2004, Volume 7, p. 182)
In the pre-operational stage conceptualizing abstractly is not possible. There needs to be concrete physical situations for the child to understand there is a difference. The child needs