Introduction
Piaget’s theory of childhood development has been known for quite a while. It has provided numerous opportunities for studying the process of cognitive skills acquisition in children, thus, leading to the development of efficient strategies for managing developmental problems (“Jean Piaget”). The framework provides a detailed description of the processes associated with the development of specific knowledge in children and relies heavily on the importance of sensory experiences.
The approach suggested by Piaget can be used as the foundation for developing a coherent teaching strategy. While the theory is viewed as rather dated at present, it remains an important addition to the overall concept of childhood learning. Therefore, it must be accepted as an important component of a teaching strategy (“Jean Piaget”).
Key Concepts
When considering the theory, one must mention schema as the primary unit of measuring the process of acquiring new information and skills by children. A schema represents a calorie of knowledge that is necessary to build the foundation for further learning.
The phenomenon of assimilation implies that a learner should encounter a particular situation in which they face a specific stimulus and recognize the specified situation successfully. The assimilation implies that the child should use any of their senses or a combination thereof to identify the stimuli and define their key properties.
The accommodation process that follows assimilation, in turn, suggests that the learner should acknowledge the presence of new data and incorporate it into the set of data that they have already acquired. Thus, the new knowledge is integrated with a preexisting schema so that the child could develop a deeper insight into a particular object, phenomenon, etc.
Theory Description
According to Piaget, there are four primary stages of cognitive development, i.e., sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational ones (Siegler 111). The specified stages imply that one should acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in a specific succession. In other words, the theoretical framework designed by Piaget suggests that a child should pass the stages from relying purely on sensations to the development of basic schemas to the acquisition of habits to the coordination of touch and, finally, to the study of objects’ property and using basic signs to express their emotions (Kolb 109).
Problems and Opportunities
Piaget’s theory has a range of strengths, the primary one being the fact that it allows for building a uniform approach toward meeting the needs of students. Therefore, the tool can be customized to address the needs of diverse students in a specific setting. As a result, the foundation for promoting multiculturalism in the classroom setting and encouraging teachers to adopt a student-centered approach can be created. The identified change in the teachers’ priorities creates the foundation for more efficient management of learners’ needs (Liben 124).
However, the framework also has several problems. For example, it has become rather outdated. As a result, it needs to be coupled with an innovative approach so that it could be introduced into the learning environment. In addition, the tool under analysis lacks a proper emphasis on the importance of acknowledging the learners’ intellectual abilities. Piaget’s theory fails to recognize the individual intellectual characteristics of learners, which means that the framework needs to be combined with the theory that views learners as individuals and, thus, provides a chance for them to express themselves (Siegler 112).
Its Application
Piaget’s framework can be used in tandem with a more recent and efficient tool for meeting diverse students’ needs. As a result, a deep insight into the nature of children’s cognitive abilities will be combined with a device for encouraging cross-cultural communication and taking the unique characteristics of learners into account. Therefore, even though Piaget’s concept of childhood development might seem to lack relevance, it still has potential as the method of exploring new opportunities in teaching and meeting young learners’ needs.
Works Cited
“Jean Piaget.” Biographgy.com, 2016. Web.
Kolb, David A. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. FT Press, 2014.
Liben, Lynn S. Piaget and the Foundations of Knowledge. Psychology Press, 2014.
Siegler, Robert S. “Continuity and Change in the Field of Cognitive Development and in the Perspectives of One Cognitive Developmentalist.” Child Development Perspectives, vol. 10, no. 2, 2016, pp. 128-133.