Development Flashcards
The parts of the brain that develop first:
The basic outline of early brain devepment: Brain Stem Cerebelum Thalamus Cortex
Early brain development, 3 things about the Brain stem
Brain stem:
Highly developed at birth
Connects the brain to the spinal cord
Autonomic functions
Early brain development, 3 things about Cerebellum
Cerebellum
Matures Late
Near top of spinal cord
co-ordinates movement / sensory info with motor activity, and some input into language and emotions.
Early brain development, Thalamus what and where is it.
Deep insde the brain in each hemisphere
Information hub, receives and sends signals around the brain.
Early brain development, define cortex and frontal lobe.
Functions in the womb but develops through life.
Very thin and folded cover
Thinking and processing
two hemispheres, several areas, frontal, visual, auditory, motor areas in each hemisphere.
What is Piaget’s theory of development
Piaget said that children change how they think over time and that children think differently from adults.
What are the four elements of Piaget’s development theory about how children learn.
Stages
Schemas
Assimilation
Accomodation
Piaget’s development theory define stages of how children learn
Piaget’s development theory
Stages: children develop different kinds of logical thinking at each stage.
Piaget’s development theory, define schemas
Piaget’s development theory
Schemas: These are mental structures containing knowledge and our understanding of the world. They become more complex through assimilation and accommodation.
Piaget’s develpment theory, define Assimilation
Piaget’s development theory
Assimilation: Adding new information to an existing schema
Piagetls development theory, define Accommodation
Piaget’s development theory
Accommodation: Receiving new information that changes our understanding so that a new schema is formed.
What is the word that describes the mental structure and knowledge we have about something
Schema
What is the word that describes adding new information to an existing schema
Assimilation
What is the word that describes receiving new information that changes our understanding so that a new schema is formed
Accommodation
Piaget’s development theory, evaluation
+ Research evidence, many studies to test Piaget’s theory, which has helped improve our understanding of how childrens thinking develops.
+ real word application, teaching methods adapted.
- Only Swiss children used so may not be universal.
Piaget’s theory, define conservation
Piaget’s theory, Conservation, Piaget proved that children can’t conserve, ie if the appearance of a quantity changes they think the actual quantity has changed.
Who conducted a study in Conservation and what was it called.
McGarrigle and Donaldson, “Naughty Teddy Study”
What Study did McGarrigle and Donaldson undertake
Conservation: “Naughty Teddy Study”
McGarrigle and Donaldson, “Naughty Teddy Study”.
Aim, method, result, conclusion
McGarrigle and Donaldson “Naughty Teddy Study”
Aim: To see if a deliberate change in a row of counter would help young children conserve.
Method: 80 Children (primary / nursery) Edinburgh aged 4-6
Two rows of counters
Teddy messed one up and then the children where asked if the rows were the same.
Results:
Deliberate change 41% conserved
Accidental change 68% conserved
Older children did betten than younger ones.
Conclusion
Piaget’s underestimated what children can do
Study did prove that there are still age related changes.
McGarrigel and Donaldson, “Naughty Teddy Study”, evaluation
- Primary school sampled from one school so may not be valid ie all from a similar home environment.
- Children may only of appeared to conserve (just didn’t notice the change) because they were distacted by the teddy in the accidental condition.
+ Challenges Piaget as he may of confused young children with his questioning style so this study helps to refine his theory
Early brain development, 3 things that can affect this during pregnancy and concluding statements.
Smoking during pregnancy can lead to smaller brains.
Infection:
German measles during pregnancy can cause hearing loss.
Babies can recognise their mothers voice
while in the womb.
Interaction between nature and nurture while in the womb: Brain forms due to nature but envirnment has a major influence.
Piaget theory, Egocentrism study
Piaget’s egocentrism study was called the “Three Mountains”
Piaget theory, Egocentrism study, “Three mountains” overview:
Piaget theory, Egocentrism, “Three mountains task”:
A child is shown a model of three mountains, one with a cross on the top, one with a house and the other covered in snow.
A doll is placed across from the child and the child was asked to choose a picture of the view the doll would see.
Young children would choose the same view that they could see, only children over 7 could consistently choose the right picture.
Name a study on Egocentism other that Piaget’s
Martin Hughes (1975) “Policeman study”
What study did Martin Hughes (1975) undertake
Egocentrism: “Policeman Study”
Hughes “Policeman study”
aim, method, results, conclusion
Hughes “Policeman Study”
Aim: To see if children were less egocentric at an earlier age if the task made more sense to them than Piaget’s.
Method:
30, 3 1/2 to 5 year olds, all from Edinburgh, asked to hide a boy doll from two policeman using a walled cross model. They were allowed to practice with one doll first.
Results:
90% could hide the boy doll away from the two policemen.
3 year olds did less well with a more complex task.
Conclusion:
Children under 4 are mostly not egocentric
Piaget underestimated ability but was right that thinking changes with age.
Hughes “Policemen study”, evaluation
Hughes “Policeman study” evaluation.
+ more realistic, the task made more sense to children than the three mountains. Hughes also made it very clean what was expected, three mountains they may not of understood the task.
- Researcher bias, Hughes may of unconsciously given the children subtle clues about where to hide the doll.
+ Challenges some of Piaget’s assumptions abt the age changes happen as Piaget may of confused children with his questioning.
Piaget, Stages of Cognitive development
Piaget, Stages of Cognitive development:
- Sensorimotor 0-2 years.
- Pre-operational 2-7 years
- Concrete operational 7-11 years
- Formal operation 11 years plus
What age and define the Sensorimotor stage
Sensorimotor stage is 0-2 years
lean to co-ordinate sensory and motor information
object permanence develops
What age and define Pre-operational stage
Pre-operational is 2-7 years.
Can’t think in a consistently logical way
Egocentric and lack conservation
What age and define Concrete operational stage
Concrete operational stage 7-11 years
most children can conserve and show less egocentrism.
logical think applied to physical objects only
What age and define Formal operational stage
Formal operation stage 11 years plus
Can draw conclusions about abstract concepts and form arguments.
Piaget Stages of Cognitive development, evaluation
Piaget Stages of Cognitive development:
- underestimated some childrens abilities, some thinking develops ealier that Piaget proposes
- Overestimates childrens abilities in the Formal operation stage, abstract reasoning but can’t cope with Wason’s card sorting task in abstract form.
+ Basic idea is correct, childrens thinking does change with age so theory is valid.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive developement, what is the impact on education, 3 points and then application to stages for all stages.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, impact on eduction:
- Readiness - you can only teach something to a child who is biologically ready.
- Learning by discovery: Active role play and teachers challenging schemas.
- Individual learning: not all children are ready at the same time although the order is the same.
- Application to stages:
Sensorimotor - stimulating sensory environment
Pre-operational - discovery learning
Concrete operational - physical materials to manipulate
Formal operational - scientific experiments to develop logical thinking.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, evaluation of applications in education.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, evaluation of applications in eductation.
+ very influencial; Positive impact on UK education, primary schools more child -centred activities.
- Practice can make an impact irrespective of age.
- Direct instruction is better for some subjects.
Effects of learning and development: What is Dweck’s mindset theory
Dwecks mindset theory is that our mindset affects success. Success is due to effort not talent.
Effects of learning and devopment, who developed the mindset theory
The mindset theory was developed by Carol Dweck (2007)
Dweck’s mindset theory, define fixed mindset
Dweck’s mindset theory, fixed mindset means a person expects there abilities are in their genes and that no amount of effort will change the situation.
Focus on performance goals and feel good when they are doing well.
Dealing with failure: Failure is a sign that they are not as good as they thought they were so prone to giving up.
Dweck’s mindset theory: define growth mindset
Dweck’s mindset theory: No matter what natural ability growth mindset people believe that with practice they can improve at anything.
Focus on learning goals and feel if they are working hard.
Dealing with failure: Seen as opportunity to try harder and learn more to overcome the obstacle.
Dweck’s mindset theory: evaluation
Dweck’s mindset theory: Evaluation
+ research has proved that growth mindset leads to better grades. Pupils taught a growth mindset improved grades.
- Both mindsets involve external praise, better to be self motivated.
+ Real world application that can be applied to many different settings. Seeing failure as a lack of effort rather than talent motivates future effort.
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy: What is the positive effect of praise
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy:
Positive praise, a reward so makes someone feel good.
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy: What is the effect of praise of effort rather than performance
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy:
Praise of effort: Praising effort enables control, praising performance is demotivating.
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy: What is self-efficacy
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is Understanding your own abilities. Self-efficacy increases or decreases future success.
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy: Effect of high self-efficacy on performance
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy:
High self-efficacy has a big impact on motivation resulting in greater effort, longer persistence, greater task performance and resilience.
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy: Evaluation three points
Effects of learning on development: Role of praise and self-efficacy: Evaluation
- Praise destroys internal motivation, less interest if previously rewarded (Lepper)
+ low self-efficacy lowers performance, research with IQ test when results decreased when participants reminded of race: stereotypical effect.
+ Practical application: Students criticised for effort performed better on a test than those previously praised.
Effects of learning on development: Define learning style and what are the 3 main types.
Effects of learning on development: Learning styles:
People differ in how they learn therefore matching teaching to style should improve learning.
Types of style: Verabliser / Visualiser / Kinaesthetic.
Effects of learning on development: Learning styles:
Evaluation.
Effects of learning on development: Learning Styles evaluation:
+ change from traditional methods. Teachers have adopted a varied approach to benefit students learning.
- No supporting evidence. no good quality studies (Pashler et al) which challenges claim that learning styles improve performance.
- Too many different styles, Coffield identiried 71 different types so difficult to work out preffered type of learning stye.
Daniel Willingham learning theory. strong critic of learning styles, what is his theory and 4 key points.
Willingham’s learning theory is that Educational ideas should be evidence based and that Cognitive and neruoscience can be used to improve learning and that Learning should be appopriate for the subject.
- Praising effort should be unexpected. (Lepper) Praise before a stask led to less motivation in the future.
- Memory and forgetting: (Tulving and Psotka) Forgetting occures because of lack of cues.
Practise retreiving information from memory (Roediger and Karpicke).
- Self regulation. Self control (delayed gratification, marshmallow test) linked to high academic performance (Shoda et al).
- Neuroscience: Brain waves in dyslexics are differen This could benefit progress by receiving help earlier (Willingham and Lloyd).
Willingham learning theory, evaluation
Willingham learning theory, evaluation:
+ Evidence based theory, scientific evidence giving the theory greater validity.
+ real world application: Positive impact on education using research with specific application to learning and teaching as an alternative to learning styles.
- Dyslexia cannot just be diagnosed by brain waves as it’s not linked to just one thing.
