Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development posits four stages of development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Piaget believed that children progress through these stages as they interact with their environment. According to Piaget, children construct an understanding of the world through physical experiences in the sensorimotor stage and begin to use symbols and language in the preoperational stage. In the concrete operational stage, children can think logically about concrete objects and events. Finally, in the formal operational stage, adolescents can think abstractly and hypothetically. While Piaget emphasized self-discovery, Vygotsky argued that social learning plays an important role in cognitive development.

1. Cognitivism Theory: Jean Piaget
Presented By:
•Tiffany Bryan.
• Candace
Coburn.

2. What is Cognitivism?????
• Cognitivism can be defined as the study in psychology that focuses on
mental processes, including how people think perceive and learn, to
solve problems and direct their attention to one stimulus rather than
another.
• The Cognitive Learning Theory explains why the brain is the most incredible
network of information processing and interpretation in the body as we learn
things. This theory can be divided into two specific theories: the Social
Cognitive Theory (SCT), and the Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT).

3. Overview of the Theory!!!
 Jean Piaget theory of cognitive development originated firstly
through his interested in animals, and how they were
equipped to cope with their environment and have the ability
to survive.
 Piaget became intrigued with the reasons
children gave for their wrong answers on the
questions that required logical thinking. He
believed that these incorrect answers revealed
important differences between the thinking of
adults and children.
 Piaget believed that all the stages of development were
the same for each child and that each one has to be
passed in sequence.

4. What other theorist say about the
Cognitivism?
 According to Vygotsky (1978), much important
learning by the child occurs through social
interaction with a skillful tutor.
 Vygotsky believes that young children are curious
and actively involved in their own learning and the
discovery and development of new
understandings. However, Vygotsky placed more
emphasis on social contributions to the process
of development, whereas Piaget emphasized
self-initiated discovery.

5. What other theorist say about
Cognitivism?
 According to Vygotsky (1978), much important
learning by the child occurs through social
interaction with a skillful tutor.
 Vygotsky believes that young children are curious
and actively involved in their own learning and the
discovery and development of new
understandings. However, Vygotsky placed more
emphasis on social contributions to the process
of development, whereas Piaget emphasized
self-initiated discovery.

6. Four Developmental Stages are described as:
 The Sensorimotor Stage: from birth to age two.
 The Preoperational Stage : from age two to age
seven.
 The Concrete Operational Stage: from age seven
to eleven.
 The Formal Operational Stage: from age eleven
to sixteen.

7. Sensori-motor Stage
 From birth to age two .
 The infant constructs an understanding of the
world by coordinating sensory experiences with
physical actions.
 An infant progresses from reflexive instinctual
action at birth o the beginning of symbolic thought
to the end of the stage.

8. Preoperational Stage
 From ages two –seven.
 The child begins to represent the world with
words and images.
 Their thinking ability increases where as they are
able to make logical responses with gestures.
 At this stage the child play is categorized as
symbolic play and manipulating symbols.

9. Concrete Operational
 From ages seven-eleven
 At this stage a child starts to attach concepts to
concrete situations.
 At this stage the child learns rules such as
conservation.
 At this stage the child can also think logically
about objects and events.

10. Formal Operational Stage
 From eleven to sixteen.
 At this stage the adolescent can transcend the
concrete situation and think about the future.
 Think abstractly, reason theoretically.
 Not all people reach this stage

11. Examples of Cognitivism in the Classroom by
the Teacher
 Teach students using representative pictures to
accommodate their level of learning.
 Power points and movies can be shown relating
to the subject matter.
 Teach students all types of learning, going
outside to do activities.
 Show how to do activities and have students
follow.

12. References
 Overview on jean piagets theory of cognitive development. (n.d.).
Retrieved February 10, 2015, from
http://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/overview-on-jean-piagets-
theory-of-cognitive-development-psychology
• Piaget's theory - Google Search. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2015,
from https://www.google.com.jm
• “Cognitivism.” Cognitivism (2008) (n.d) Retrieved February 13, 2014
<http://www.learningtheories.com/cognitivism
 Berk, Laura E. (2009). Child Development. 8th ed. United States of America:
Pearson Education, Inc.
 Erikson E (1968), Identity, Youth, and Crisis, New York: Norton
 Lawrence A. Tomei (2005) Taxanomy for the technology domain, pg 109.