The document outlines Jean Piaget's cognitive constructivism theory, which posits that individuals construct knowledge through experiences and that understanding is influenced by prior knowledge. It details Piaget's four stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational, highlighting how intelligence and thought processes evolve through these stages. Additionally, it explains key concepts within cognitive constructivism, such as schemas, assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration.

1. Cognitive
constructivism of
Jean Piaget
Suresh Babu G
Assistant Professor
CTE CPAS Paippad, Kottayam

2. Cognitive Constructivism Theory
 Human beings must build their own knowledge and meaning
through experiences.(Cognitive Constructivist Theories)
 The definition of cognitive is the mental faculty of knowing,
which includes perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, judging,
reasoning, and imagining.(Dictionary.com)
 The three areas of Constructivism are cognitive, social and
radical.
 All three areas of Constructivism assert that the acquisition of
knowledge and understanding is an ongoing process that is
heavily influenced by a student’s prior knowledge
 The Cognitive Constructivism Theory differs from the other
two in the belief that knowledge is the result of the accurate
internalization and reconstruction of external reality. (Doolittle
& Camp, 1999)

3. The Cognitive
Constructivism Theory
of learning and
teaching is based on
Piaget’s beliefs that
humans cannot be
given information that
they immediately
understand and use

5. Jean Piaget(1896 – 1980)
 Jean Piaget was born in Neuchatel,
Switzerland, on August 9, 1896.
 He was the oldest child of Arthur Piaget,
professor of medieval literature at the
University, and of Rebecca Jackson.

7. Piaget’s Stages of Development

8. 1. Sensorimotor Stage - Infancy(0-2 Years)
 In this periods intelligence is demonstrated
through motor activity, without the use of
symbols.
 Knowledge of the world is developing but limited
because of how it is based on physical
interactions and experiences.

9. Pre-operational stage - Toddler and
Early Childhood(2-7 Years)
• Intelligence is demonstrated through the use of
symbols, language use matures, and memory
and imagination are developed in this period.
• Egocentric thinking predominates.

10. Concrete operational stage - Elementary
and early adolescence(7-12 Years)
In this stage intelligence is demonstrated
through logical and systematic manipulation of
symbols related to concrete objects.
 Operational thinking develops and egocentric
thought diminishes

11. Formal operational stage - Adolescence and
adulthood (12-18 Years)
 Intelligence is demonstrated through the logical
use of symbols related to abstract concepts
(conceptual reasoning).
 Early in the period egocentric thought revisits.

13. Cognitive Process - Piaget
 Piaget proposed that children’s thinking does not
develop completely and smoothly
 Instead there are certain points at which it takes
off and progresses into completely new areas
and abilities.
 In his view, early cognitive development involves
processes based upon actions which later
progress into changes in mental operations.

14. Concept of Schema - Piagat
A representation in the mind of a set of ideas or
actions which go together.
Schemas are the basic structural units of human-
mind.
They consist organisational patterns of behaviour
that an individual use in dealing with objects in the
environment.
It develops through cognitive process

15. Stages of Cognitive Process
 Assimilation: The process of taking in
information into our previously existing
schemas.
 Accommodation: Involves altering
existing ideas or schemas as a result of
new information or new experiences.
 Equilibration: A mechanism that assists
children in achieving a balance between
assimilation and accommodation

16. Characteristics of Each Stages
 Each stage is a structured whole and in a state
of equilibrium
 Each stage derives from the previous stage and
incorporate and transform to prepare for the next
 The stages follow an invariant sequence

17.  The stages are universal.
 There is a gradual progression from stage to
stage

18. Example
Here a schema is formed