development theories

Question 1

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Answer 1

Cognitive development are the changes we go through in terms of our thinking, problem solving, perception and language.

Piaget suggested that all children will go through FOUR stages of cognitive development like a transition. These stages are UNIVERSAL and INVARIANT.

Universal: Relating to all everyone

Invariant: Never changing

Question 2

Stages of Cognitive Development

Answer 2

0-2 years – Sensorimotor

2-7 years – Pre Operational

7-11 years – Concrete Operational

11+ years – Formal operational

Question 3

Schema development

Answer 3

Equilibrium: Children experience the world around them and the schemas work for them.
For example, a child sees an animal with four legs and calls it a horse this is their schema.
Therefore, every four legged animal is a horse = equilibrium

Disequilibrium: As they experience new things in life, new information is added which does not make sense in terms of their schema.
E.g. A child sees a zebra, it has four legs but its not a horse??? = disequilibrium

Assimilation: Children need to incorporate new information into their schema to accommodate new info. E.g. A child learns about new animals = assimilation

Accommodate: when new information or experiences cause you to modify your existing schemas

Question 4

Dweks mindset theory and effects of learning in development

Answer 4

1) Children should be praised for effort rather than ability
2) Children can develop a fixed mindset and give up on challenges because it is not ‘in them’ to succeed
3) Teachers also have fixed or growth mindsets – a teacher with a fixed mindset will focus on a child’s ability whereas a teacher with a growth mindset sees a child can improve with sticking at things (perseverance).

Question 5

willinghams learning theory and effects of learning in development

Answer 5

Willingham suggested that to learn and develop skills you must have previous knowledge. Knowledge frees up space in our working memory. This allows us to practice skills such as problem solving.

Practice and effort:
Practicing allows knowledge and skills to move from STM to LTM.

Cognitive development:
Use problems that are not too far out of student’s reach.
Remember that children’s abilities change every day.

Physical Development:
Focus on what movements would be necessary for a task.

Social Development:
Encourage self-regulation (do not be influenced by others)

Question 6

Gunderson et al (2013) Parent praise to 1-3 year olds predicts their motivation.

Answer 6

Background: There are two types of praise given to children. The type of praise can affect the type of motivational framework that the child develops.

Procedure:
The sample included 29 boys and 24 girls.
This included a range of cultures

Longitudinal study – Children were assessed using a questionnaire at 14 months, 26 months and 38 months.

Five years later their motivation was reviewed. The questionnaire included a range of questionnaires about their motivation, morality, beliefs and intelligence

Results:
Overall parents gave more process praise than person praise.
Process praise was given more to boys than girls.

Process praise = 18%
Person praise = 16%
Boys = 24% process praise
Girls = 10% process praise
A strong correlation between process praise and motivation was strengthened.

Conclusion:
Clear relationship between parents use of process praise and a child’s later use of incremental motivational framework (ability being changeable)
Did not find that parental use of person praise led to an entity motivational framework (ability to fixed)