Developmental Learning 

Theories of Jean Piaget
EDT 716, 6:40 pm
Group 1
Group 1 Members (6:40 pm Section)

• Adam Bellow
• Kristina Desiante
• Carol Carota
• Melissa Errante
• Kristen Poulos
• Kaylin Mozzone
 
 Four Stages of Cognitive
Development
 
 
• Sensorimotor (birth-2 years)

• Preoperational (2-7 years)

• Concrete Operational (7-11 years)

• Formal Operational (11 years onward)

 Sensorimotor Stage - Birth to 2
Years
Infants learn about themselves through their environment and through motor and reflex actions.  They 
learn that they are seperate from their environment and that people and things exist even though they may 
be outside of their reach.  Behavior can be modified by using the senses such as a frown or a firm voice.
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• Just an action in itself serves as a stimulus to which the response is the same action. 
         Example:  A baby may suck his/her thumb which feels good so they continue.
• An awareness of the environment develops and infants become more object oriented.
         Example: A baby may shake a rattle which makes a pleasing sound so they do it again and again!
• Object permanence develops in which infants realize that just because they cannot see something 
doesn't mean it's gone.
         Example:  A baby enjoys the game peek-a-boo.
• Actions are done intentionally and can be combined to reach a goal.
         Example:  A baby may use an stick to reach a toy.
• Mental representation develops where an infant can hold an image in their mind for a period beyond 
the immediate experience and engage in deferred imitation.
          Example:  A child may throw a tantrum an hour after seeing another child throw one.
• Infants use mental combinations to solve simple problems
          Example:  A child may put a toy down to open the door.
• Pretend play emerges
          Example:  A child will use a toy for its intended purpose instead of using it to throw or suck on.
 
 Preoperational Stage - 2 to 7 Years
 
Children apply their new knowledge of language and begin to use symbols as 
representation for objects. They are able to think about things and events that aren't 
present, but can have difficulty understanding time. They are egocentric and expect others 
to see situations from their viewpoint.  Teaching must consider a child's vivid fantasies and 
undeveloped sense of time. Using neutral words and hands on instruction gives children 
an active role in learning.
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• Children are able to use symbols and is able to pretend.
        Example:  Creative play using  a stick as a sword, drawing, language
• Children develop an understanding of past and future
        Example:  "Mommy will be home soon." or "Remember when Daddy took you to the 
        fair?"
• Children see things from from their own point of view
        Example:  Children bring out a new toy that only they can play with
• Children focus on one aspect of a problem or communication at any given time
        Example: "I don't live in New York, I live in Dix Hills!"
 
    
 Concrete Operational Stage - 7 to 11 Years

Children begin thinking logically about concrete events but 
have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts.
 
Mental operations improve: 
seriation
classification
decentering
reversibility
conservation
elimination of egocentricism
 
Woolfolk, Anita. (2004) Educational Psychology (9th Edition). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
 Concrete Operational Stage - 7 to 11 years

What it means:
A child playing with a ball of dough understands that:
• appearance can change without changing its identity (flattened ball 
of dough may change shape, but its amount does not change)
• effects of action can be reversed (flattened dough can be rolled out 
again)
• a change in one dimension can be compensated for by an opposite 
change in another dimension (flattened dough covers a wider area, 
but is also thinner than rolled dough)
 
In the classroom:
• students can add and subtract on paper but cannot perform mental 
math
• students can work with a map but cannot verbally provide directions
 
 
http://social.jrank.org/pages/157/Concrete-Operational-Thinking.html 
  Formal Operational Stage - 11 years onward

• Children develop the ability to think about abstract 
concepts rather than simply thinking concretely and 
specifically
 
• Skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and 
systematic planning also emerge
 
• Instead of relying solely on previous experiences, 
children begin to consider possible outcomes and 
consequences of actions. This type of thinking is 
important in long-term planning
 
 
 Formal Operational Stage - 11 Years Onward

What it means: 
At the formal operational stage, child 
• is able to think about abstract problems in logical 
fashion
• can apply hypothetical and deductive reasoning
• can implement more scientific thinking
• develops concerns about identity and social issues

In the classroom:
• students engaging in dialogue concerning abstract 
notions: existence, truth, justice, and morality 
 
Driscoll, M.P. (2005). Psychology of Learning for Instruction (3rd Ed.). Boston: Pearson Education.
The Processes of Development
critical to development
responsible for children's progression from one stage to 
the next
 

1. Assimilation
 
2. Accomodation
 
3. Equilibration
 
  
Driscoll, M. (2005).  Psychology of Learning for Instruction (3rd Ed.).  Pearson Education, Boston MA. 

 
 
Assimilation
• Occurs when a child perceives new objects or events in 
terms of existing skills
   -Example: An infant knows how to grab his favorite rattle and put it in his 
mouth.
  When he sees another object that is new to him, such as his dad's expensive 
watch, he grabs it and puts it in his mouth.  (he assimilated a new oject into an 
old schema)
 
•  Functional quality of assimiliation
-Children and adults will apply any mental structure available to assimilate to a new 
event.
-Children learning to talk will talk endlessly to themselves, whether or not anyone is 
listening.  Adults who have learned a new skill will also try to apply that 
knowledge in as many situations as possible.
 
IN THE CLASSROOM
• learner-centered education (active discovery)
• teachers are facilitators of knowledge
 
Driscoll, M. (2005).  Psychology of Learning for Instruction (3rd Ed.).  Pearson Education, Boston MA.
 
 Accommodation
 
•  When existing skills (schemes) must be modified to account 
for a new experience, accomodation occurs
  -Example: The same infant who grabbed his dad's watch and put it in his 
mouth assimilated the watch to his rattle.  Since this will most likely create a 
negative reaction by dad, the infant will accomodate to the new object.
 
• Assimilation and accomodation are the two sides to 
adaptation (learning) and influence each other
 
 IN THE CLASSROOM
• allow children to make mistakes and learn from them
• present students with situations and materials and allow them to discover new 
learning
 
 
Driscoll, M. (2005).  Psychology of Learning for Instruction (3rd Ed.).  Pearson Education, Boston MA.  
                    Equilibration
 
• The master developmental process, encompassing both 
 

assimilation and accomodation
 Characterizes the child's transition from one stage of development to the next
 When disequilibrium occurs, thinking will shift and accomodation will occur
 
• Involves the person striking a balance between himself and 
the environment, between assimilation and accomodation
 
• Equilibration is the major factor in explaining why some 
children advance more quickly in the development of logical 
intelligence than others
 

  IN THE CLASSROOM

• analyze student errors to gain a better understanding of their thought 
processes
 
Driscoll, M. (2005).  Psychology of Learning for Instruction (3rd Ed.).  Pearson Education, Boston MA 

 
 Three Types of Knowledge

• Physical Knowledge

• Logical-Mathematical Knowledge

• Social Knowledge
 Physical Knowledge
Physical knowledge is a childs knowledge about
objects in the world around them. This knowledge is
obtained through their senses, such as seeing and
touching. The objects supply the information.
 
Example:
A child plays with blocks and learns that blocks are hard, square and
colorful.
 
Next, the child plays with playdoe and learns that playdoe is soft and can
change shape.
 
The childs learns some general characteristics of blocks and playdoe.
He/she can use this knowledge and apply it to other objects with similar
characteristics.
 
In the classroom:
-Students can learn through investigating and making discoveries on their
own.
-Students should have ample time to interact with different objects.
 Logical-Mathematical Knowledge
Logical-Mathematical Knowledge is knowledge that is invented through
ones actions on objects. A child is able to find a simularity between two
things that appear to be different.The action supplies the knowledge

Example:
There are two rows of blocks, each containing four blocks. One row
has all red blocks and the other all blue blocks. The child can see that
the physical characteristic of color is different(physical knowledge) but
that each row contains the same amount of blocks (logical-
mathematical knowledge).

In the classroom:
Once a student learns how to connect objects using information other
than physical traits, they can apply this to all other objects or ideas.

    
 Social Knowledge

Social knowledge is knowledge obtained through

interaction with people in the same culture.
Actions supply the knowledge.
 
Example:
A child learns to decorate a Christmas tree through
the interaction with his/her family members. 
 
In the classroom: 
Students learn by doing and by working with others. 
 Principles of Instruction

• Learning environment should support the activity of the child.
 
• Children's interaction with their peers are an important source 
of cognitive development.
 
• Adopt instructional strategies that make children aware of 
conflicts and inconsistencies in their thinking. 
Learning environment should support 
the activity of the child.
WHAT IT MEANS
Activity is the key to the growth in intelligence

Students gain knowledge through their actions

Learning environments should encourage students to initiate 
and complete their own learning activities.

Students must come to their own educational discoveries, 
not the ones of the teacher.
 
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM

Use of manipulatives 
Through play and discovery
Children's interaction with their peers 
are an important source of cognitive 
development.
WHAT IT MEANS
Peer interactions are essential to move children beyond egocentric thought

Egocentric child (Preoperational stage of development)
 
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM

Peer teaching

Social negotiation during problem solving
Adopt instructional strategies that make 
children aware of conflicts and 
inconsistencies in their thinking.
WHAT IT MEANS
When confronted with a lack of reasoning, students 
construct more complex and adequate rules
 
Students need there to be disequilibrium between current cognitive 
structures and new information to move to a new developmental stage.
 
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM

Teachers assess what students know and how they think

Logical structures must be in place before inducing conflict
 Piaget's Theory as Applied to 
Educational Technology
 
Students can use multimedia to:
Knowing reality means constructing
systems of transformations that 
correspond, more or less adequately, to 
reality.

• learn
• communicate understanding to others
• create represenatations of knowledge
• search for answers in larger contexts
 
Ideally:
• Students become active participants 
• The teacher takes on the role of facilitator
• Students can teach other students
• Knowledge is a byproduct of exploration
 
 Piaget and Educational Technology

Drill and Practice Software Interactive Internet Activities
    example Math Blaster     example WebQuests

Student Produced Movies
    example MovieMaker or   
iMovie used to create 

Graphic Mapping Software
Overuse/Misuse of PowerPoint Inspiration / Kidspiration
    No Student Interaction
    No Feedback Blogs / Wikis / Google Docs

Student Podcasts
Piaget Speaks On His Educational Theory