The History About Education

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Piaget and Vygotsky were two important scholars that contribute to cognitive development theories. They were remarkably important contributors towards the cognitive maturational component. The way children learn and mentally develop play a crucial role in shaping their learning assessment and abilities. Through a deep understanding towards their mental growth, it will provide teachers with opportunities to assist student the unique requirement of each child. In addition, both Piaget and Vygotsky are regarded as constructivist. Bartlett and Burton (2012) pointed out that constructivism is predicated on the idea that people make their own sense of things in a unique way. It is a new approach to education that claims human is better able to understand the information they have constructed by themselves. Meece (2002) states in her book, they believed, "children must construct their own understandings of the world in which they live"(p. 121). Their research within the realm of cognitive development had led to the development of educational philosophies.

Piaget proposes four major cognitive stages in child’s cognitive development including sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. The thinking process of a child varies for each developmental stage with its own significance. He convinces that a child can not miss a stage as each is necessary for cognitive development. For example, a child at preoperational stage is not yet has the capacity to conceptualize abstractly and needs concrete physical situations. On the other hand, Lev Vygotsky is well known for his theory of social constructivism. Arora (2010) proposes that his theory emphasizes on learning and development is two depended activity that enable students with mentally developed in the form of socialization and education. Learning process occurred when the child first interacts with the social surroundings on an interpersonal level and then internalizes the experience.

Piaget constructivist classroom.

In Piaget constructivist classroom, a variety of activities must be provided to challenge students to discover new idea, increase their readiness to learn and construct their own knowledge. CD-ROMs, Video disks, projector and simulation software enhance learning, while telecommunication tools, like e-mail and internet, provide context for dialogue within the classroom leading to the social instruction of knowledge.

Vygotsky constructivivst classroom.

In Vygotskian classroom, activities such as reading or writing workshop, collaborative learning and games that provide stimulation can be implemented. In addition, my lecturer always assigned her students to make a presentation for the group project incorporated into classroom activities. It is one way to stimulate interaction between teacher-student and student-student as well as exposed student to project work on problem analysis.

Both Piaget and Vygotsky include social interaction as the central idea of their theory. Piaget in his theory always emphasizes on cognitive development of a child. However, throughout his career, he frequently talks about social factor. According to Piaget’s view, the child cognitively constructed as much an adaptation to the social environment as to the physical. According to Winch and Gingell (2008), Piaget states that peer interactions are crucial to the child’s construction of social and moral feelings, values as well as social and intellectual competence. In addition, teachers’ assist is also required in the Piaget constructivist classroom. Meanwhile, Vygotsky has talked a lot about the social factor as part of the mental constructed. Vygotsky stress on the role of learning by the child through social interaction with the educator. The tutor may become the model behaviors and provide verbal instructions for the child. In explaining this, he refers to this interaction as a cooperative or collaborative dialogue. Thus, the child will find that it is easy for them to access learning by the instructions provided by the teacher, internalizes the information in order to regulate their own performance. Both Piaget and Vygotsky agree with the necessity of the teachers.

According to Woolfolk (2004), a child's thinking regarding these language constraints is very important in language development. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory emphasize on the development of language. He indicates that children starts to learn language much the same way that children learn cognitive skills. One of the major principle of the language development according to him is private speech. Meece (2002) pointed out that private speech is self-talk children may use to guide actions and aid in thinking. In addition, he also refer this speech as internal speech whereby people talk aloud to themselves. He indicates that a child is going to plan activities and strategies that promote their development. Vygotsky believed that Children who engaged in large amounts of private speech is believed to posesses more social competent than children who do not extensively commit it.

On the other hand, Piaget may view private speech as egocentric speech. Piaget states that when a baby is born and starts to speak, he or she will exhibit this form of speech such that he will talk to himself without interacting with others. Normally, the speech created is loud. This is due to the inability to socialize that take him to not comprehend the others’ point of view or egocentrism. This inability will resort to egocentric speech. According to Santrock (2011), preoperational stage is characterised with this feature. As the child grows, he will learn to be part of the society and develop proper communication skill that will neutralize egocentric speech and replaced by social speech. For Piaget, egocentric talk was a sign of cognitive immaturity. However, Vygotsky suggests that the phenomenon of rivate speech speech is not the sign of cognitive immaturity but one way of the developmental process.

In order to master a range of task that is too difficult, the adults take their responsibility to assist children with the task. This is a term used by Vygotsky to describe Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Meece (2002) states that Vygotsky’s term Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) was used to refer the difference between what children can do on their own, and what they could do with the assistance of others. Vygotsky indicates that interactions with adults and peers within this zone enable children to move into a higher level of cognitive functioning in the classroom. He emphasizes on the importance of cooperative thinking that take place in the decision making process. This approach provides students with paired together or involve in a small group activity whereby teacher’s task is to maintaining student’s motivation and competence in order to achieve the instructional goal.

On the other hand, Piaget’s theory advocates that activities perform by children is in line with their cognitive abilities. The ZPD proposes by Vygotsky however challenges the child to commit tasks beyond their mental potential. In accordance with his theory, Piaget’s classroom promotes that teacher should adapt the classroom environment to match the level of the child’s developmental level of motor operations. In addition, the teacher also acts as a role to facilitate with the advancement to the next stage of cognitive development. The child is limited by their four stages of development that include sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Meece (2002), in his book explains that Piaget’s cognitive development theory is based on a child’s innate ability to productively think on their own. As they biologically mature and develop the capacity to adapt to their environment, the transition to the next cognitive stage occur. Children assimilate and accommodate their current schema to fit the new information presented in the classroom.

Summary

Although Piaget and Vygotsky have radically different viewpoint about cognitive development in child, they emphasize on constructivist point of view and indicate that students are not passive in their own knowledge. Assistant from teacher play a vital role that stimulate and generate constructive learning in student. According to Meece (2002), the role of a teacher is not only to educate, but also as important organizers, stimulators, guides and supporters of learning. A great contribution of Piaget to the theory provide students with curriculum in order to enhance their mental precession trough learning concepts and logical steps. In addition, his suggestion that children are capable at learning according to specific stages of cognitive development assist teacher to organized their student well. Vygotsky on the contrary stress on the role of cultural interaction in the classroom. Winch and Gingell (2008), in their book pointed out that Vygotsky believes that knowledgeable adults can help student learn even if they are not at the specific stages as stated by Vygotsky. Piaget and Vygotsky are contradict in viewing the cognitive development, however for the sake of education, teacher can incorporate both theory for better teaching strategy outcome. Teachers must initially consider the social and cultural background of the student before adapting the lesson plan. Piaget’s theory implemented that student must be at the correct stage of development in order to understand and apply certain knowledge. However, Vygotsky claims that even if the child is not at the exact stage of development then a knowledgeable adult or teacher can guide the child and assist him get to a level beyond what his level would otherwise indicate.