Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development and Vygotsky’s Social Constructivist Theory

7/24/2019 Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development and Vygotskys Social Constructivist Theory

1/4

NORDIANA MAT YAACOB

EDUC 252 TT3

ASSESSMENT 1: ESSAY 1

There are four major learning models which are behaviourism, information

processing, cognitive constructivism and social constructivism. I chose to discuss the

cognitive constructivism model and the social constructivism model. Piagets Theory

of Cognitive Development will be the main focus for the cognitive constructivism

model whereas ygots!ys "ocial Constructivist Theory will be the main focus for the

social constructivism model. ignette one will be used as a basis for comparing and

offering the teaching solutions for these two models.

The emphasis of Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development is the biological

contribution to childrens cognition #$er!, %&&'(. This theory divides humans

cognitive development into four se)uential stages which are sensorimotor #birth to %

years(, pre*operational #% to + years(, concrete operational #+ to years( and lastly

formal operational # years and older( #$er!, %&&'(. -ear "i students in vignette

one whose ages are between ten to eleven fall under the third stage of Piagets

Theory of Cognitive Development which is the Concrete /perational "tage #+*

years(. Children at this stage do well with concrete information that they can perceive

but not with abstract information #$er!, %&&'(. 0nfortunately, the mathematics story

problems presented in vignette one re)uires the students to deal with hypothetical

version of problems. Therefore, when dealing with the situation in vignette one, the

Piagetian model tends to tac!le the limitation of the students mental ability. 1s a

solution, the students who are struggling with the mathematics story problems could

be presented with graphical displays such as illustrations, diagrams, graphs or charts

so that they could perceive and understand the information provided #/Donnell,

2eeve 3 "mith, %&&'(. The use of graphical displays should be suitable with the goal

of the )uestions #/Donnell et al., %&&'(. 4or eample, if the mathematics problem

touches on se)uencing, a diagram that shows continuing flow should be used.

/n the other hand, ygots!ys "ocial Constructivist Theory emphasises the

profound effect of social and cultural contet towards childrens cognition #$er!,

%&&'(. ygots!y believed that infants are endowed with basic perceptual, attention

and memory capacities that develop through direct contact with the environment

#$er!, %&&'(. 5ence, ygots!ian model has a tendency to emphasis and eploit the

social contet around the students in solving the situation in vignette one. "ince there

are mied*ability students in the classroom, they could be assigned for co*operative

1


2/4

NORDIANA MAT YAACOB

EDUC 252 TT3


learning where they would be divided into small groups and wor! together to achieve

intersubjectivity. Intersubjectivity is achieved when they arrived at a shared

understanding on how to solve the story problems though they have different

understandings at the beginning #$er!, %&&'(. Co*operative learning is most effective

when each group consists of both the strugglers and more capable peers. It is

because when more epert students assist less epert students, both benefit in

achievement and self esteem, with stronger effects of low*income, minority students

#6insburg*$loc!, 2ohrbe!, 3 4antu77o, %&&89 2enninger, '': as cited in $er!,

%&&'(.

/ther than that, Piagets Theory leads to the proposal of not teaching the

students beyond their stages of cognitive development. This is due to the fact that it

ta!es into account the individuals readiness to learn and their different rates of

learning even though it has definite se)uential stages #$er!, %&&'(. "ome of the

students inability to solve the story problems is probably because the concepts in the

problems are unfamiliar to them ma!ing it difficult for them to incorporate the

unfamiliar concepts into their previous familiar scheme #assimilation( #$erger, %&&;(.

5ence, the problems that are considered too difficult for the students could be

simplified by supplying familiar concepts or real life situations in them. 4or instance,

should a ten to eleven year old student not be able to comprehend a mathematics

problem on the subject of building a tower bloc!, the problems could be simplified

into a concept that they are able to understand such as building a tree house.

In contrast to Piagetian model, ygots!ys Theory, as recommended by $erger

#%&&;( in her one ofProimal Development in ygots!ys "ocial Constructivist Theory. The >one of

Proimal Development is defined as the area between the childrens current level of

development


3/4

NORDIANA MAT YAACOB

EDUC 252 TT3


mathematics story problems in vignette one are learning within their >PD as they

cannot solve the problems on their own but are most li!ely able to do so with the help

of adults or more capable others. Thus scaffolding #supportedAassisted teaching(

could be used. The students could be supported by the means of in)uiring what they

do not understand, underlining the !ey words, brea!ing the problems into parts, and

prompting them through every steps of solving the story problem #$er!, %&&'(. Bater,

when the scaffolding is gradually diminished, the students could use the dialogue

with their teacher as part of their private speech and use this speech to organise their

independent effort to solve the story problems #$er!, %&&'(.

Despite the differences between Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development

and ygots!ys "ocial Constructivist Theory, the solutions that are suggested based

on both theories are similar in terms of the emphasis of learner centeredness. $oth

theories view children as active see!ers of !nowledge who are self*motivated in

forming ideas and testing them against the world #$er!, %&&'(. 1s a conse)uence,

the solutions suggested based on both theories provide opportunities for students

active participation in solving the story problems and re)uire them to construct

!nowledge using their own understanding. The students are the ones, not the

teacher, who will be eploiting the graphical displays, assimilating new concepts,

collaborating in a group or wor!ing under guidance in solving the problems.

In conclusion, I thin! that there is no theory that is better than the other. $oth

Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development and ygots!ys "ocial Constructivist

Theory have their own strengths. ducators should not adhere to only one theory but

a combination of both so that effective teaching and learning can occur.

3


4/4

NORDIANA MAT YAACOB

EDUC 252 TT3


242C"

$erger, E. ". #%&&;(. The Developing Person through the Life Span. 0.".19 Forth

Publishers.

$er!, B. . #%&&'(. Child Development#:thed(. 0.".19 Pearson ducation Inc.

?eadows, ". #''@(. ?odels of cognition and childhood9 metaphors, achievements

and problems. In The Child as Thinker#pp.'+*%G(. Bondon9 2outledge.

/Donnell, 1., 2eeve, H. 3 "mith, H. E.#%&&'(. Cognitive and social cognitive

Bearning. In Educational Psychology : Reflection for ction #%nd ed., pp.%8%*

%':(. 5obo!en #H(9 Filey.

4

Documents

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development and Vygotsky’s Social Constructivist Theory