Piagets Theory

Question 1

Paige’s believes (2)

Answer 1

• difference between adults and children is because we learn as we grow
• reason cognition is different is due to thinking differently

Question 2

Paiget believes cog development is a result of 2 things:

Answer 2

Maturation

Environment

Question 3

Def maturation

Answer 3

The effects of the biological process of ageing and how some processes become more available to us as we grow

Question 4

Def environment

Answer 4

Interaction of the environment leads us to understand the world more completely

Question 5

Schema def

Answer 5

Cognitive framework which we create through experiences to help us represent concepts, and allow us to act/ behave and expect in unfamiliar situations

Question 6

2 different types of schemas

Answer 6

Behavioural or cognitive

Question 7

When a child is born, do they have schemas

Answer 7

They have a few innate schemas such as distinguishing human objects

Question 8

How to schemas change

Answer 8

We alter an existing schema because of new information which is conflicting with the current one

Question 9

Accommodation meaning

Answer 9

Differs as it requires a change in existing schema

Question 10

An example of accommodation

Answer 10

Baby has a schema for a dog but one day mother corrects it for a cat, a child can not assimilate this to the current schema of a dog, they may look at the cat and notice it doesn’t wag its tail, they are accommodating nee information and creating new schema

Question 11

Assimilation refers to

Answer 11

Indivuduals ability to apply novel information to an existing schema

Question 12

Description of assimilation

Answer 12

• we take in new info and process it using schemas

- there’s no need to make any changes to the existing schema to simply add to it by fitting new experiences into it

Question 13

Example of assimilation

Answer 13

A new toy is sucked by a baby in order for the baby to determine what it is

Question 14

4 evaluation points of Paigets theory

Answer 14

• evidence for the individual formation of mental representations
• underestimates the role of others in learning
• has been applied in teaching
• no firm evidence that kids learn better using discovery learning

Question 15

Explanation of strength - existence of evidence for the individual formation of mental representations

Answer 15

• Paiget - children form individual representations of world when have sim learning experiences
• Howe demonstrated this in study (9-12yr placed in groups of 4 investigating movement of objects down slope)
• following this, children found to have increased understanding but understanding hasn’t become more similar
• meaning each individual child formed individual mental representation of how objects move on slope

Question 16

Elaboration weakness - underestimated the role of others in learning

Answer 16

• he saw learning as an individual process which contrasts with other learning processes thought to be social
• vygotksy saw knowledge existing only in mind of experienced other and then the learner
• decreased validity because may be incomplete explanation

Question 17

Elaboration strength - has been applied in teaching

Answer 17

• paiget suggests people learn by exploring their environment has changed classroom teaching actively
• tasks allow kids to have own understanding of curriculum
• eg children investigating physical properties of sand and water
• shows paigets theory has wide application as it has helped facilitate development of individuals mental representations of the world

Question 18

Elaboration weakness - no firm evidence showing that children learn better using discovery learning

Answer 18

• lazonder and harmsen concluded discovery learning with input of others and not discovery is the crucial element of effectiveness
• decreases validity as discovery learning is less effective than we would expect if paiget theory of learning was correct