Jean Piaget - Child Development
Jean Piaget (1896–1980) was a Swiss developmental psychologist. His theory of cognitive development describes the nature and development of human intelligence. However, it is concerned with children, rather than all learners, and focuses on child development, rather than learning per se, so it does not address learning of information or specific behaviors.
There Are Three Basic Components To Piaget's Cognitive Theory:
1. Schemas which are building blocks of knowledge.
2. Adaptation processes that enable the transition from one stage to another (equilibrium, assimilation, and accommodation).
3. Stages of Cognitive Development: sensorimotor (birth to age 2), preoperational (from age 2 to age 7), concrete operational (from age 7 to age 11), formal operational (age 11+ - adolescence and adulthood).
Piaget's theory proposes discrete stages of development, marked by qualitative differences, rather than a gradual increase in number and complexity of behaviors, concepts, ideas, etc.
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