Background

Question 1

What does it mean for stages of cognitive development to be invariant?

Answer 1

That we would have to progress through each stage in that order.

Question 2

What is a schema?

Answer 2

A mental organisation that helps us make sense of the world and direct our actions

Question 3

What is the process of developing a schema?

Answer 3

The process of developing a schema is done through assimilation (taking in information), accommodating (changing our schema to fit this new information) and so producing a state of equilibrium.

Question 4

Give an example on how someone develops a schema

Answer 4

When you learn to drive a car you develop a schema for changing gear but when you get anew car you need to take in new information - for example, the brakes are sharper - and adapt your schema slightly to push more gently on the pedal and now you reach a state of equilibrium

Question 5

How does the idea of schemas lend to Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.

Answer 5

Piaget identifies that between stages of cognitive development the thought processes of children change because they are gradually assimilating and accommodating information and change their schemas.

Question 6

State Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and approximate ages

Answer 6

Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years)
Pre-operational stage (3-6 years)
Concrete operational stage (7-11 years)
Formal operational stage (11 years to adult)

Question 7

State the characteristics of the Sensorimotor stage of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.

Answer 7

Learn and develop schema through interaction with the environment.

Acquire object permanence at 7 months age

Language development starts towards the end of this stage
- Symbols are seen to represent something

Question 8

State the characteristics of the Pre-operational stage of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.

Answer 8

Continued development of language as the use of language and the use of symbols

Imagination is shown in play and stories

Egocentric view - a child is shown in believing that what the child sees is what everyone else sees.

Question 9

State the characteristics of the Concrete operational stage of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.

Answer 9

Child understands the concept of conservation - changes in shape doesn’t mean there is always a change in mass or size.

Can think beyond what can actually be seen and begins to lose its egocentric view

Question 10

State the characteristics of the Formal operational stage of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.

Answer 10

Not everyone reaches this stage.

People will show logical and systematic thinking
- being able to use symbols to represent abstract concepts, such as the infinity sign represent an ongoing number.

Question 11

What did Vygotsky suggests affected development that Piaget didn’t consider?

Answer 11

He believed that the culture and language of a child would impact on learning, placing an emphasis on social factors that Piaget hadn’t considered.

Question 12

What is Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development and how does a more knowledgeable other affect this?

Answer 12

The zone of proximal development is an area that can be reached with the help of a more knowledgeable other.

Question 13

What are the main differences between Piaget’s view on how children learn from Vygotsky’s view?

Answer 13

The role of a more knowledgeable other is crucial in Vygotsky’s view that giving a child a stimulating environment he or she will could learn independently.

Another difference is the emphasis that Vygotsky puts on language being the precursor for learning, which Piaget does.

Question 14

What is discovery earning and how does it differ from learning with a MKO? State the research to back it up which is a better way of learning?

Answer 14

Discovery learning is where a child is left on its own to learn.
This doesn’t include using the help of a MKO.

Some research states that children when given the task of putting the right furniture into the right room in doll house showed the most improvement when working their mother compared to doing it themselves.

This suggests that learning with an MKO is more effective than discovery learning.

Question 15

What else did Bruner consider to be an ability developed through cognitive development?

Answer 15

Developing the ability to be creative and autonomous and invent new thoughts.

Question 16

What did Vygotsky and Bruner agree on about what affects development?

Answer 16

That language was a key tool to enable a child to develop in a stimulating environment.

Question 17

What did Piaget and Bruner agree on about cognitive development?

Answer 17

They both believed that the stages were invariant.

Question 18

How can Bruner’s stages be used to help how we teach to child?

Answer 18

These stages are also used as a guide for how to present new information to be learned by a child

Question 19

State Bruner’s stages of cognitive development and describe each of them and when they occur.

Answer 19

Enactive stage (0-1 year)
Where the actual objects need to be touched and played with
The child may have no schema or representation of the object

Iconic stage (1-6 years)
Where object are represented by pictures or icons

Symbolic stage (7 years onwards)
Where words or formulae can represent the object

Question 20

How can Bruner’s theory be used by teachers in education?

Answer 20

Teachers can go through these stages in the classroom to help children to understand something they may have never come across before.

Also teachers can teach based on the age of the children and decide whether they can learn in any of the stages

Question 21

What is the role of a MKO in Bruner’s theory and what does he believe are the pre-requisites for learning?

Answer 21

The role of the MKO in Bruner’s theory was to provide a stimulating and interesting environment and guide learners to learn for themselves.

MKO’s play less of a role than in Vygotsky’s theory but are more important than in Piaget’s theory.

Bruner believes that to motivate children to learn the environment needs to contain objects that stimulate the students’ curiosity

Question 22

What did Bruner and Piaget agree on in their theories of cognitive development?

Answer 22

Children are pre-adapted to learn

Children will naturally explore their environment

Children’s cognition develops over time

Children are active in their learning

Symbols can be used when cognition developed

Question 23

What did Bruner and Piaget disagree on in their theories of cognitive development?

Answer 23

Bruner says development is continuous; Piaget suggests a stage theory.

Bruner says language precedes learning; Piaget says it comes after learning.

Bruner believes material represented appropriately with support can presented at any time; Piaget believes it must be stage appropriate.

Bruner believes adults and MKO are important; Piaget believes discovery learning is what is important.

Bruner believes symbols wont replace other forms of representation; Piaget thinks they are the final skill to acquire.

Question 24

Who does Perry’s stages of cognitive development apply to?

Answer 24

His theory has been particularly applied to college and university students rather than younger ages

Question 25

What other theory do Perry’s stages link to?

Answer 25

Kohlberg’s theory of moral development

Question 26

How does Perry’s nine point scheme operate?

Answer 26

It operates in a cyclical way.

Students move from position one to position nine, but at any point may encounter new areas where they will start again.

Question 27

State the 9 positions, the type of knowledge they have, what they try to learn and what they assume?

Answer 27

Dualism (1 & 2)
Received knowledge.
Student’s task: Learn the right solutions
Assumption: The tutor knows what is right and wrong

Multiplicity (3 & 4)
Subjective knowledge
Student’s task: Learning how to find the right solution
Assumption: Everyone has a right to their own opinion

Relativism (5 & 6)
Procedural knowledge
Student’s task: Learn to evaluate solutions
Assumption: There are no right or wrong answers, but some answers might be better than others.

Commitment (7, 8 & 9)
Constructed knowledge
Student’s task: Student makes a commitment
Assumption: What is important is not what the tutor thinks but what I think.

Question 28

What does Bruner suggest about how new content should be learned using his concept of the spiral curriculum?

Answer 28

He believed that you would first introduce new content to be learned in an enactive mode using physical objects.

Later the topic would be revisited, but this time using images as an iconic mode.

Finally the third time the topic will be revisited using a symbolic mode of representation.

Question 29

Discuss the concept of scaffolding and give an example.

Answer 29

Scaffolding involves structured support between the more knowledgeable person and a child which aims to help the child learn.

Gradually, as the child acquires the knowledge, the support is removed until the child can achieve the task on his or her own.

Question 30

What is a benefit if discovery learning in the classroom?

Answer 30

This type of learning would result in children being active and engaged in the learning process.

Actively engaged children in a classroom are less likely to be distruptive as they will neither be bored or left behind and will be working at an appropiate level for themselves.

Question 31

What did Vygotsky believe the role of the teacher is?

Answer 31

To facilitate the learning process be designing tasks in the child’s kZPD and scaffolding as necessary.

Question 32

What did Bruner believe the role of the teacher is?

Answer 32

He felt that the teacher was responsible for presenting material in an appropriate manner and to not lecture but let the child discover.

Question 33

What did Piaget believe the role of the teacher is?

Answer 33

The teacher should provide an appropiate, stimulating environment which allow children to discover.