1. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Royal Commission at Yanbu
Yanbu University College
Yanbu Al-Sinaiyah
Perspectives on learning: the
cognitive approach
Piaget’s Theory
EDU 301 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

2. Objectives
Piaget’s Theory:
 Schema
 Assimilation
 Accommodation
 Equilibrium
 Four Stages of Cognitive
Development
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3. Theory of Cognitive Development
1896-1980
He was one of the 20th centuries most influential
researchers in the area of developmental psychology. His
work contributed to our understanding of the cognitive
development of children.
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4. Piaget’s Theory
Piaget became interested in how children think while
working in Binet’s test lab in Paris
1896-1980
He noticed that children at a similar age make the same
mistakes. Young children's answers were qualitatively
different than older children.
This suggested to him that younger children were not less
knowledgeable but, instead, answered the questions
differently than their older peers because they thought
differently.
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5. Piaget’s Theory
Our thinking changes radically, though slowly, from birth
to maturity because we constantly strive to make sense
of the world.
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6. Piaget’s Theory
1. Piaget’s ideas provide an explanation of the development
of thinking from infancy to adulthood.
Accordingly he identified four stages of development as a
child grows.
2. Piaget also believed that individuals construct their own
meaning (constructivism) through the interacting
processes of:
assimilation,
adaptation,
accommodation
and equilibrium/disequilibrium, and
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the extension of schema, or ways of thinking.

7. Piaget’s Theory
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8. Schemas
Baba..ammu
Car…..Truck
Cat…..lion
A representation in the mind of a set of ideas or actions
which go together.
People are born with mental systems or categories of perception
and experience about ourselves, other people, mechanical
devices, food, and in fact almost everything.
... we use these systems to organize and simplify
information about our knowledge of the world around us.
Our thinking changes radically, though slowly, from birth
to maturity because we constantly strive to make sense of
the world.
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9. Process of Cognitive Development
Adaptation
People adapt to their increasingly complex environments
by using existing schemas.
……whenever new information is taken in and fits into
existing schemas (assimilation) and by
…………. something new is needed but doesn't fit in, one
modifies and adds to his/her modifying and adding to their
schemas (accommodation)
Adaptation: the balance that one makes between cognitive
schemas and information from the environment.

10. If we apply a particular schema to an event or situation
and the schema works then equilibrium exists.
Equilibrium: the mental balance between cognitive schemas
and the information from the environment.
If the schemas does not produce a satisfying result, then
disequilibrium exists, and we become uncomfortable.
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11. Example?
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12. Example?
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13. Example?
Progress exercise 1.1
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15. Adaptation in the classroom
The level of disequilibrium must be just right or optimal…too little and we aren't’ interested in changing
…… ..too much and we may be discouraged or anxious
and not change.
This keeps us searching for a solution through assimilation
and accommodation, and thus our thinking changes and
moves ahead.
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16. Piaget’s Key Concepts
Schema
A representation in the mind of a set of ideas or actions
which go together.
Assimilation:
The process of taking in information into our previously existing
schemas.
Accommodation:
Involves altering schemas as a result of new information or
new experiences.
Equilibration:
A mechanism that assists children in achieving a balance
between assimilation and accommodation
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17. Question
Jane has learned to feed herself with a spoon. When her
mother gives her a fork, she immediately begins to feed
herself. Jane has __________ the fork into her schema
for utensils
a) accommodated
b)appropriated
c)assimilated
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18. Next week will continue Piaget’s
Four Stages of Cognitive
Development.
Please read pp:2-9

19. Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development
Sensorimotor Period
Preoperational Period
Concrete Operations
Formal Operations
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20. Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development
Piaget’s stage theory is based on the idea that the
developing child builds cognitive structures.
This child progress through the stages in exactly the
order in which they are listed.
Each stage involves a qualitatively different way of
thinking.
No child can skip any of these stages, because each
succeeding stage builds on the previous one.
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21. Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development
Formal Operations
(adolescence to adult)
(11+ years)
Reflexive responding
Concrete Operations
(~ 7-11 yrs)
Preoperational Period
(~2 to 6 yrs)
Sensorimotor Period
(~Birth to 2 yrs)
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22. 1. Infancy: Sensori-motor stage (birth-to age 2)
Begin with reflexive responding and ends with using
symbols.
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, experiences and using
the senses.
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23. 1. Infancy: Sensori-motor stage (birth-to age 2)
During this period the child develops object permanence and
general symbolic function.
Object permanence: Understanding of that objects exist is the
environment whether they perceive them of not.
General symbolic function: the beginning of language, makebelieve play and differed imitation. Ex. Tantrum/mastering
differed imitation.
Deferred imitation: the ability to imitate
actions/language in the absence of the object and
situation.
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24. 2. Early childhood: Pre-operational stage (2-7)
Intelligence is demonstrated through the use of symbols.
Accordingly, language use matures, and memory and
imagination are developed….i.e.,
Limitation in logical thinking:
Inability to decentre and to conserve the faulty views in regard
of egocentrism
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25. 2. Early childhood: Pre-operational stage (2-7)
Egocentrism: The inability to distinguish between one’s
own perspective and someone else’s perspective. It’s
having the cognitive ability to hold and understand two
apparently opposing views.
Centration: Focusing on one characteristic to the exclusion of
others. (Confuse appearance and reality)
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26. Piaget’s three-mountain task
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27. Let’s watch this video…
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28. What is meant by conservation of number?
The realization that an object remains the same even if
that object changed its appearance. (Applied to length,
number, liquid, area, etc.)
Piaget believed that children failed to conserve because (a)t
hey were unable to hold the properties of the material in their
minds and (b) they were unable to mentally reverse an action.
When can we say that a child has the ability to decanter?
When he can see the world from another person’s point of
view, then we can say that he has the ability to decanter..
(Not until the age of 9)
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29. Egocentric conversations
Page 6. Read about evaluation of egocentrism by Hughs (1975) and
the examples to try to illustrate the concept.
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30. Conservation of number
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31. 3.The Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11)
In this stage intelligence is demonstrated through logical and
systematic treatment of symbols related to concrete objects.
The child can now reason logically about concrete events
and classify objects into different sets


Children in this stage are able to conserve and
decentrate, they may also be able to use reversibility
Focus on the real and concrete, not the abstract
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32. 3. The Formal Operational Stage (11+)
Intelligence is demonstrated through the logical use of
symbols related to abstract concepts (conceptual reasoning).
Adolescents can think hypothetically.
Use reasoning.
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33. Criticisms of Piaget
Egocentrism is difficult to be defined

1. Regarding the concept. What is actually meant by
egocentrism? What is meant by “another person’s point of
view?
IMPORT: Read about limitations on your book (page 9)
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34. Criticisms of Piaget
Underestimated the ability of children, and of older
individuals, because his tests were sometimes confusing or
difficult to understand.
Devoted little attention to social and cultural influences.
Ignored individual differences.
Provided a vague explanation on cognitive maturation.
Stated that normal operational thinking is not universal
Failed to distinguish competence from performance
Said very little about how to translate his ideas into
classrooms.
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35. Applications of Theory in the Classroom
Jean Piaget’s theories are imbedded into the school system in
the sense that the curriculum is based on his stage theory.
The curriculum is designed to teach students at the first
stage and progressively teach new learning to change the
schemas in order to move students through each stage.
The teacher starts at the basics introducing a new
sublet and once the knowledge of that subject is
mastered, they would create a schema.
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36. Applications of Theory in the Classroom

In the transition to the next new learning method, the teacher
would demonstrate how the student will change, modify or
adapt their schema to the new method in order for new
learning to take place.
When children enter the school they are generally at the
preoperational stage. Teachers must recognize that they
cannot learn concrete-operational strategies until the
students have mastered the preoperational schemas.
In other words, students must start at the basic first stage and
master it before they can progress well to higher stages
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37. Students with exceptionalities

Students with special needs do not move through these
stages as fast as or much faster than other students. Why?
Because students with special needs do not develop
the same as other students, they do not adapt to
their environment in the same way.
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38. The question is…..
How can you as a teacher help after you
have learned about these four stages?
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39. The ability to think abstractly and
systematically solve problems emerges
during the ___________
a) concrete operational stage
b)sensorimotor stage
c) formal operational stage
d)preoperational stage
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40. Jean Piaget was a _____________.
a) Child psychologist
b)Developmental psychologist
c)Biologist
d) all the above

41. A schema is a...
a) Category of knowledge that allows us to
interpret and understand the world.
b)Process of taking in new information.
c)Process of balancing old knowledge and
new information.
d)None of the above

42. Take away Points and Terms
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