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Child and Adolescent Development: Cognitive development. Week 2-1. Overview:. Basic theoretical issues Cognitive-Developmental theory (Piaget) Sociocultural theory (Vygotsky). 1.Basic theoretical issues. Definition of development
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Child and Adolescent Development:Cognitive development Week 2-1
Overview: • Basic theoretical issues • Cognitive-Developmental theory (Piaget) • Sociocultural theory (Vygotsky)
1.Basic theoretical issues • Definition of development • Certain changes that occur in human beings between conception and death • Temporary change caused by a brief ill or drugs is not considered part of development • Can be divided into many different aspects,including physical development,personal development,social development, and cognitive development.
General principles of development • People develop at different rates • Development is relatively orderly • Development takes place gradually • Development is affected by both heredity and environment
2.Piaget’s Cognitive Theory • Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, on August 9, 1896. • In 1918, received his Doctorate in Science from the University of Neuchâtel. • In 1952, he became a professor at the Sorbonne
Background of Cognitive Theory • Student of biology and zoology • Learned that survival requires adaptation • Any individual organism, as well as an entire species, must adapt to constant changes in the environment • Viewed development of human cognition/intelligence as the continual struggle of a very complex organism to adapt to complex environment
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory: • Human development described in terms of functions and structures • Functions: inborn biological mechanisms that are the same for everyone, remain unchanged during lifetime; help construct internal cognitive structures • Structures: change repeatedly during development • Schemes = cognitive structures
Schemes • Fundamental aspect of theory • Not something that a child has, is what a child does • Relationships between two elements, an object in the environment and the child’s reaction to the object • E.g., Ball - can push it, throw it, mouth it • Psychological structure, reflects child’s underlying knowledge that guides interactions with the world.
Schemes • It is the nature and organization of schemes that define a child’s intelligence at a given time. • Schemes are flexible, typically have a broad scope, change over time
Example • 3.5 years child reading the map of China • Shandong to Shanghai • Shandong to Beijing • How will we go from shanghai to beijing to call on someone? • Conclusion: The child merges two schemes into a unit
Functions • Two major functions: • 1) Organization: Cognitive structures are related and fitted into the existing system. • Involves integration, not just adding on. • 2) Adaptation: Tendency of the child to fit with its environment in ways that promote survival. (Sub-processes are assimilation and accommodation.)
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory: Constructivism • Children’s knowledge of events in the environment are not an exact reproduction of those events. Not like a photograph. • Children shape what they learn from their environments and shape it to fit with existing schemes.
Stages (periods) of development • Sensorimotor (0-24 months) • Preoperational period (Ages 2 to 6 years) • Concrete operational period (6 - 11 years) • Formal operations period (11 years - adulthood)
Sensorimotor stage (0 to 24 months): • Six substages • Reflexes graduate to more flexible action patterns • Show increasing levels of intentional and goal directed behavior • Begin to understand object permanence • Mental representation develops • Deferred imitation, make-believe play
Preoperational stage (24 months to 7 years) • Make-believe play becomes more complex, evolves to socio-dramatic play • Dual representation develops (realize that photos represent things in the world) • Helps preschoolers understand others’ perspectives • Still quite egocentric • Animistic thinking • Conservation and hierarchical classification still difficult
Teaching preoperational child • Use concrete and visual aids • Short instruction with actions and words • Pay attention to the inconsistent perspectives • More hands-on practice • When learning concepts and language,provide a wide range of experiences
Concrete Operational stage (7 to 11 years) • Thought becomes more logical and organized • Conservation develops: Shows that kids can de-centre and reverse their thinking • Seriation and inference develops • Cognitive maps develop • Cultural practices and education have a profound effect at this stage
Teaching the concrete-operational students • Use concrete props and visual aids • Give students chances to manipulate and test objects • Presentation and readings should be brief and well-organized • Use familiar examples to explain complex ideals • Give opportunities to classify and group objects and ideals on increasingly complex levels • Present questions the need logical,analytical thinking
Formal Operational stage (11 years +): • Abstract thinking appears • Deductive reasoning emerges • Even many university students only think in abstract ways on topics with which they have extensive experience.
Teaching formal operational students • Continue to use concrete-operational teaching strategies and materials • Give students the opportunity to explore many hypothetical questions • Give students opportunities to solve problems and reason scientifically • If possible, teach broad concepts, not just facts,using materials relevant to the real life
Educational implications • Children is not “small adults” • Understanding students’ thinking • Teaching based on the developmental levels of students’ thinking • Learning is a constructive process
Limitations of Piaget’s Theory • The trouble with stages(lack of consistency in children’s thinking) • Underestimating children’s abilities • Children’s trouble with Piagetian tasks can be explained by information processing theory (neo-Piagetian theories ) • Can’t explain youth’s thinking(post-formal operation) • Overlooking the effects of culture and social group
3.Vygotsky’s Sociocultural theory • Born on November 5, 1896 in Byelorussia (Soviet Union) • He was first educated as lawyer and a philologist • He began his career as a psychologist in1917 and only pursued this career for 17 years before his death from tuberculosis in 1934.
Basic viewpoints • Emphasized the way that values, beliefs, customs, and skills of a culture/social group influence children • Focused on dialogues between children and more experienced members of society • Language leads to self-talk and the development of cognition, and later metacognition • (errors in text p44)
Vygotsky’s theories • Cultural tools theory • Private/self speech theory • Theory of zone of proximal development
Cultural tools theory • Social interaction is the origin of individual thinking • Cultural tools,including real tools and symbolic tools play very important roles in cognitive development • Higher-order metal processes are mediated by psychological tools
Private speech theory • Children speak to themselves for self-guidance • Start doing this openly, then to self (you may see their lips move) • Language forms the foundation for all higher cognitive processes • Children with learning difficulties show more private speech over a longer period
Private speech and self-regulation • First, behavior is regulated by others • Next, using the same language to regulated others’ behavior • Third , using private speech to regulate ones own behavior • Finally, regulated his/her behavior by silent inner speech
Theory of zone of proximal development • A: The area where child can solve a problem alone • B: Problems beyond the children’s capabilities • C: Zone of proximal development: the area where the child can’t solve a problem alone,but can be successful under adult guidance or in collaboration with a more advanced peer • Instruction should be given in the ZPD
Implications of Vygotsgy’s theory for teachers • Assisted learning • Scaffolding • From heteronomous to autonomous • The zone of proximal development • Assessment of learning potential • Guide students by explanations,demonstrations,and with other students
Pause and Discussion What makes the differences between Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories?
Application and Generation • Analyse the reasons why your English study are relatively ineffective. • Design a suitable project for enhancing your English performance.