PIAGET’S THEORY OF INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

PIAGET’S THEORY OF INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

            According to Piaget   cognitive development of human intellectual abilities take place as a result of the organization and reorganization of certain pattern of behavior called schema. Schemas constitute the structural units of human mind (cognitive structure). The process of organization of those structural units (schemas) take place by three different activities – assimilation, accommodation and equilibration. These activities constitute for functional aspect of human mind (cognitive function or cognitive process)

Stages of cognitive development   

According to Piaget cognitive development arises as a result of the interaction between the individual and the world and payses through a series of a sequential stages. He identified four major stages in the cognitive development of individual. They are

(1)  Sensori- motor stage (0 to 2 years)

(2)  Pre-operational stage (2 to 7 years )

(3)  Concrete-Operational stage (7 to 11 years )

(4)  Formal operational stage (12 to 15 years)

1. Sensory motor stage (0 to 2 years)

            It is period of sensory motor activities. The child understands the world through sensory experience and motor activities. The child at the beginning lacks thinking. A three month old child thinks that out of sight objects do not exist. As the child grows and reach eight months, he can understand that out of sight objects also exist. At the end of this stage, the child starts to use words and the child becomes plan full thinkers.

2- Pre-Operational Stage

            As the name suggests, the child at this stage cannot do mental operations. The inability to do mental operation is due to some mental limitations of the child. The child has the following mental limitations.

a)     The child lacks reversibility: - Reversibility is the ability to reverse an example, the child can understand that 5+2 is equal to 7. But he cannot understand the 7-2 is equal to 5. He cannot reverse the action.

b)     The child has egocentrism: - Egocentrism is the inability to view the world from other point of view. The child can see the world from his own point of view. He cannot see the world from others point of view.

c)     The child does not understand the principle of conservation: - Principle of conservation says that the basic characteristics like length, mass and volume of an object does not change when its outward appearance changes. But the child at this stage cannot understand this principle. The child believes that the basic characteristics like length, mass and volume change when it is outward appearance changes.

During this state, the child starts symbolic thinking. He uses languages and images to represent his world. He engages in symbolic games. This stage is again subdivided in two:-

Ø  Pre – conceptual stage (2-4): in which the child cannot from concepts.

Ø  Intuitive stage (4-7) : in which the child starts to think intuitive

3. Concrete operational stage (7-11 years)

            At this stage, the child is able to perform complex mental operations. He starts to think logically. He overcomes the limitations of earlier stages. That means, now the child has reversibility, the child can think from others point of view, and the child can understand the principle of conservation.

            But there in order to perform complete mental operations, the child needs concrete object or event. He cannot think about abstract events or objects. For example, a child this stage cannot think about a man with five hands because he has not seen such a person in his life.

4. Formal operational stage (11-15 years)

            This is the final stage of cognitive development it is the stage at which the thinking of the child becomes formal and systematic. At this stage the child can perform mental operations base on both concrete and abstract objects and events. The main features of this stage are as follows:-

a)     The child can think logically.

b)     The child can thin both about concrete and abstract events. He can imagine about a person with five hands.

c)     The child can conduct complex experiments.

Educational implications of Piaget’s Theory

            Piaget’s theory may find its implications in the following areas.

1)     Piaget’s theory provides a broad development of perspective to the educator for building ability based curriculum for children.

2)      The description of the characteristics of each stage of intellectual growth is very useful in providing learning experiences in tune with the mental abilities of child.

3)     According to Piaget, learning is the net result of assimilation and accommodation. Hence, for optimum leaning the teaching – learning situation should be geared to point where the child is resther neither too familiar nor too unfamiliar with the learning task.

4)      Infants are in the sensori- motor stage of intellectual development. Hence play activities involving a fairly wide sensory and motor experience should be given to them to facilitate intellectual development.

5)     The pre-schoolchild is at the pre-operational stage. Hence, the educational programme at this stage should provide concrete experience to the children.

6)     Since the concrete operational children are able to think only in concrete terms, it is advisable to allow them to experiment with material in order to accommodate new understand and to new learning by themselves.

7)     Piagetian Theory advocated the need of child cantered educational experiences must be build around the learner’s cognitive structure.

8)     Piaget’s techniques may lead to the assessment of the child’s level of intellectual development that in turn may guide educator in grade placement and remedial measures.

JESNA. S      

Social Science