Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who pioneered the study of child development and introduced the concept of cognitive schemas. Schema theory describes how knowledge is acquired, processed, and organized through mental representations called schemas. Schemas allow people to understand new information based on prior knowledge and experiences. According to Piaget, cognitive development involves two processes: assimilation, where new information is incorporated into existing schemas, and accommodation, where schemas change to fit new information. Through assimilation and accommodation over time, schemas adapt and become better organized, allowing individuals to make sense of their environment.

1. SCHEMA THEORY
M. UMA MAHESHWARI
ROLL NO : 75
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
VOC COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

2. WHO IS JEAN PIAGET?
 9 AUGUST 1896 – 16 SEPTEMBER 1980.
 SWISS CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST.
 PIONEERING WORK IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT.
 PROFESSOR OF MEDIEVAL LITERATURE AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF NEUCHATEL.
 THE TERM “SCHEMA” WAS INTRODUCED BY PIAGET IN 1923.

3. WHAT IS SCHEMA THEORY?
• ONE OF THE COGNITIVIST LEARNING THEORIES.
• DESCRIBES HOW KNOWLEDGE IS
-ACQUIRED
- PROCESSED
- ORGANISED
THIS CONCEPT WAS INTRODUCED BY
BRITISH PSYCHOLOGIST FREDERIC BARTLETT.

4. WHAT IS SCHEMA?
 THE MOST PREDOMINANT ONE OF THE COGNITIVE
LEARNING THEORIES.
 STRUCTURE FOR REPRESNTING CONCEPTS IN MEMORY.
SCHEMATA : PLURAL
SCHEMA : SINGULAR
 THROUGH SCHEMAS OLD KNOWLEDGE INFLUENCES
NEW INFORMATION.

5. FOUR CONCEPTS OF COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
1) ASSIMILATION
2) ACCOMODATION
3) ADAPTATION
4) ORGANIZATION

6. ASSIMILATION
ASSIMILATION MEANS TAKING IN OR
OBSERVING EXPERIENCE/INFORMATION FROM THE
EVIRONMENT AND FITTING THEM INTO THE
EXISTING SCHEMA.
USING CURRENT SCHEMES TO INTERPRET
THE EXTERNAL WORLD

8. ACCOMODATION
ACCOMODATION MEANS MAKING ROOM FOR, OR AJUSTING
OR MODIFYING THE EXISTING SCHEMA.
INVOLVES ALTERING EXISTING SCHEMAS, OR IDEAS, AS
A RESULTOF NEW INFORMATION.
ADJUSTING OLD SCHEMAS AND CREATING NEW IDEAS
TO BETTER FIT ENVIRONMENT.

10. ADAPTATION
ASSIMILATION HELPS IN EXPERIENCING THE EXISTING SCHEMA
WHILE ACCOMODATION HELPS IN MODIFYING THE EXISTING
SCHEMA. THUS THE INDIVIDUAL IS HELPED IN ADJUSTING TO
THE NEW ENVIRONMENT.
THIS ADJUSTMENT TO NEW ENVIRONMENT IS CALLED AS
ADAPTATION.
THIS PROCESS OF ADAPTATION CONTINUES THROUGHOUT
LIFE. IF ADAPTATION IS NOT POSSIBLE, A NEW SCHEMA IS
DEVELOPED IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING SCHEMA.

11. ORGANIZATION
LARGE NUMBER OF SCHEMAS ARE CREATED AND THEY
ARE ORGANIZED.
AS THE CHILD GROWS,ITS COGNITIVE STRUCTURE
CONTINUES TO CHANGE, BECOMING QUALITITATIVELY
BETTER AND BETTER.
AS A RESULT, CHILD GETS THE KNOWLEDGE OF
“PICKING UP” WHAT IT WANTS.

12. JEAN PIAGET’S ILLUSTRATION