Concept, principles, stages of development, Piagets theory of cognitive development, its stages and important terma about the theory B.ed first year notes.

1. Concept of development
Development :
Development is the process of quantitative and qualitative growth of the child
and the emergence and differentiation of capabilities over time.
It is the function of maturity as well as interaction with the environment.
As an individual develops, old features like baby fat, hair and teeth, etc.,
disappear and new features like facial hair etc. are acquired.
When maturity comes, the second set of teeth, primary and secondary sex
characteristics, etc., appear.
Similar changes occur in all aspects of the personality.
It may be defined as a progressive series of orderly, coherent changes. The
term progressive signifies that changes are directional, that they lead forward
rather than backward.
Orderly and coherent suggest that there is a definite relationship between the
changes taking place and those that precede or will follow them.
Development represents changes in an organism from its origin to its death, but
more particularly the progressive changes which take place from origin to
maturity.
DEVELOPMENT –
FROM DEPENDENCY TO AUTONOMY
 CERTAIN CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN HUMAN BEINGS FROM
CONCEPTION TO DEATH.
 NOT LIMITED WITH RANDOM CHANGES
BUT TO THOSE WHICH ARE PERMANENT IN NATURE
(QUALITATIVE CHANGES).

2. Principles of Growth and
Development
Growth and development are inseparable but they differ from each other.
The growth represents the physical changes of an individual and development represents
the overall changes, structure and shape of an individual.
Knowledge of the growth and development at the various stage is very essential for the
teacher. The teacher has to stimulate the growth and development of a child. He can do it
only if he has proper knowledge of the growth and development at various stages.
Principles of Growth and Development
1. Principle of Continuity
The development follows the principle of continuity which means that development is a
continuous process. It starts with pre-natal and ends with death.
2. Principle of Integration
Development thus involves a movement from the whole to parts and from parts to the
whole and this way it is the integration of the whole and its parts as well as the specific
and general responses. It enables a child to develop satisfactorily concerning various
aspects or dimensions of his personality.
Example: Child first starts to learn hand movement then finger movement and then learn
the movement of both hand and finger together this is called integration.
3. Principle of lack of uniformity in the developmental rate

3. Development through the continuous process, but does not exhibit steadiness and
uniformity in terms of the rate of development in various development of personality or
the developmental periods and stage of life.
Example: A person may have a high rate of growth and development in terms of height
and weight but may not have the same pace of mental and social development.
4. Principle of individual difference
Every organism is a distinct creation in itself. One of the most important principles of
development is that involves individual differences. There is no fixed rate of
development. That all children will learn to walk is universal, but the time at which each
child takes his her first step may vary.
5. Principle of uniformity pattern
Although development does not proceed at a uniform rate and shows marked individual
differences concerning the process and outcome of various stages of development, it
follows a definite pattern in one or the other dimension which is uniform and universal
concerning the individual of a species.
6. Principe of proceeding from general to specific
While developing to any aspect of personality. The child first pickup or exhibit a
general response and learn how to show specific and goal-directed responses
afterwards.
7. Principle of interaction between Heredity and Environment
The development of a child is a process that cannot be defined wholly based on
either heredity or environment. Both have to play an important role in development.
There are arguments in favour of both. However, most psychologists agree that an
interplay o these two factors leads to development.
Where heredity decides or set some limits on development ( mostly physical),
environmental influences complete the developmental process ( qualitative).
Environmental influences provide space for multidimensional development through
interaction with family, peers, society and so on. Growth and development is a joint
product of heredity and environment.

4. 8. Principle of interrelation
Various aspects or dimensions of one’s growth and development are interrelated. What is
achieved or not achieved in one or other dimensions in the course of the gradual and
continuous process of the development surely affects the development of other
dimensions?
A healthy body tends to develop a healthy mind and an emotionally stable, physically
strong and socially conscious personality. Inadequate physical or mental
development may, on the other hand, result in a socially or emotionally maladjusted
personality.
9. Principle of Cephalocaudal
Development proceeds in the direction of the longitudinal axis. Development from head
to foot or toe. That is why, before it becomes able to stand, the child first gains control
over his head and arms and then on his legs.
10. Principle of Proximodistal
Development of motor skills to start at central body parts to outwards. That is why, in
the beginning, the child is seen to exercise control over the large fundamental muscles of
the arm and then hand and only afterwards over the smaller muscles of the fingers.

5. 11. Principle of predictability
Development is predictable, which means that with the help of the uniformity of pattern
and sequence of development. We can go to a great extent, forecast the general nature
and behaviour of a child in one or more aspects or dimensions at any particular stage of
its growth and development. We can know the particular age at which children will learn
to walk, speak and so on.
12. Principle of Spiral versus Linear advancement
The child doesn’t proceed straight or linear on the path of development at any stage never
takes place at a constant or steady pace. After the child had developed to a certain level,
there is likely to be a period of rest for consolidation of the developmental progress
achieved till then. In advancing further, therefore, the development turn back and then
moves forward again in a spiral pattern.

6. 13. Principle of Association of Maturation and Learning
Biological growth and development are known as maturation. Biological changes
involve changes in the brain and the nervous system, which provide new abilities to a
child. Development proceeds from simple to complex. In the beginning, a child learns
through concrete objects and gradually moves to abstract thinking. This transition
happens because of the maturation
Stages Of Development
All children progress in a definite order through these stages and they all follow
similar basic patterns. These stages along with the corresponding ages of the
child have been identified by developmental psychologists as follows.
Stage : Time frame
prenatal before birth
infancy Birth to 1 year
early childhood 1-3 years
preschool 3-6 years
school childhood 6-12 years
adolescence 12-20 years
young adulthood 20-30 years
adulthood 30-50 years
mature adult 50-65 years
aging adult 65+

7. 1. Prenatal Period (before birth)
Life begins at the time of conception. When the child is in the mother’s womb
the particular period spent there is known as prenatal period. All important
external and internal feelings start to develop at this stage.
2. Infancy (Birth to 3 years)
From birth up to the third year of life, the stage is known as infancy. Babies
grow very rapidly in size during their first three years. The acquisition of motor
skills like holding things, crawling, walking proceeds from simple to complex.
3. Pre-school childhood (3-6 years)
The growth in height is not as rapid during this stage as it is in infancy. Children
improve eye, hand and small muscle coordination. For example they can draw a
circle, pour fluids into a bowl, button and unbutton clothes, and language
development is rapid.
4. School childhood (6-12 years – Primary school years)
School children between the age of 6 to 12 years look much taller and
thinner. Children exhibit rapid gains in strength and swiftness. They achieve
new motor skills and their competence becomes more pronounced in all areas
of development.
5. Adolescence (12-20 years)
It is the span of year between childhood and adulthood which begins at puberty.
This is the period of rapid physiological growth. There are a number of
psychological changes which also take place. Children jump rope, bicycle, ride
horses, dance and indulge in all possible games. Cognitively they are more agile
and social
relationships become important. But the hallmark of this stage is the search for
identity. A number of psychological changes also take place. Given sex-role
expectations, girls attach greater importance to good interpersonal relationships
and the family while boys emphasize the importance of their own social prestige
and career.

8. 6. Adulthood (20-65+ years)
For better understanding, adulthood can be divided into three stages. These
are:
(a) Young adulthood (20-50 years)
(b) Mature adulthood or the Middle years (50-65 years)
(c) Aging adulthood (65+ years)
Strength and energy characterize this time of life from the middle twenties
when most bodily functions are fully developed, until about the age of 50.
Thereafter there is gradual decline in energy level.
Areas Of Development
There are five types of developments
1. Physical development
2. Emotional development
3. Cognitive (mental) development
4. Language Development
5. Moral Development

9. Piaget's Theory
Piaget believed that children take an active role in the learning process,
acting much like little scientists as they perform experiments, make
observations, and learn about the world.
As kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new
knowledge, build upon existing knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas
to accommodate new information.
His theory focuses not only on understanding how children acquire
knowledge, but also on understanding the nature of intelligence.
Piaget proposed that intelligence grows and develops through a series of
stages. Older children do not just think more quickly than younger children.
Instead, there are both qualitative and quantitative differences between the
thinking of young children versus older children.
In Piaget's view, early cognitive development involves processes based upon
actions and later progresses to changes in mental operations.

10. Piaget's stages are:
 Sensorimotor stage: Birth to 2 years
 Preoperational stage: Ages 2 to 7
 Concrete operational stage: Ages 7 to 11
 Formal operational stage: Ages 12 and up
The Sensorimotor Stage
 During this earliest stage of cognitive development, infants and
toddlers acquire knowledge through sensory experiences and
manipulating objects. A child's entire experience at the earliest period
of this stage occurs through basic reflexes, senses, and motor
responses.
 During the sensorimotor stage, children go through a period of
dramatic growth and learning. As kids interact with their environment,
they continually make new discoveries about how the world works.
 The cognitive development that occurs during this period takes place
over a relatively short time and involves a great deal of growth.
 Children not only learn how to perform physical actions such as
crawling and walking; they also learn a great deal about language
from the people with whom they interact.
 Piaget also broke this stage down into substages. Early
representational thought emerges during the final part of the
sensorimotor stage.
The Preoperational Stage
 The foundations of language development may have been laid during
the previous stage, but the emergence of language is one of the major
hallmarks of the preoperational stage of development.
 At this stage, kids learn through pretend play but still struggle with
logic and taking the point of view of other people. They also often
struggle with understanding the idea of constancy.
For example,

11. a researcher might take a lump of clay, divide it into two equal pieces, and then
give a child the choice between two pieces of clay to play with.
One piece of clay is rolled into a compact ball while the other is smashed into a
flat pancake shape. Because the flat shape looks larger, the preoperational
child will likely choose that piece, even though the two pieces are exactly the
same size.
The Concrete Operational Stage
While children are still very concrete and literal in their thinking at this
point in development, they become much more adept at using logic.
 The egocentrism of the previous stage begins to disappear as kids
become better at thinking about how other people might view a
situation.
 While thinking becomes much more logical during the concrete
operational state, it can also be very rigid. Kids at this point in
development tend to struggle with abstract and hypothetical concepts.
 During this stage, children also become less egocentric and begin to
think about how other people might think and feel.
 Kids in the concrete operational stage also begin to understand that
their thoughts are unique to them and that not everyone else
necessarily shares their thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
The Formal Operational Stage
 The final stage of Piaget's theory involves an increase in logic, the
ability to use deductive reasoning, and an understanding of abstract
ideas.
 At this point, adolescents and young adults become capable of seeing
multiple potential solutions to problems and think more scientifically
about the world around them.
 The ability to thinking about abstract ideas and situations is the key
hallmark of the formal operational stage of cognitive development.
 The ability to systematically plan for the future and reason about
hypothetical situations are also critical abilities that emerge during this
stage.

12. Important Concepts
It is important to note that Piaget did not view children's intellectual
development as a quantitative process. That is, kids do not just add more
information and knowledge to their existing knowledge as they get older.
Piaget suggested several factors that influence how children learn and grow.
Schemas
 A schema describes both the mental and physical actions involved in
understanding and knowing.
 Schemas are categories of knowledge that help us to interpret and
understand the world.
 In Piaget's view, a schema includes both a category of knowledge and
the process of obtaining that knowledge.
 For example,
o A child may have a schema about a type of animal, such as a
dog.
o If the child's sole experience has been with small dogs, a child
might believe that all dogs are small, furry, and have four legs.
o Suppose then that the child encounters an enormous dog.
o The child will take in this new information, modifying the
previously existing schema to include these new observations.
Assimilation
 The process of taking in new information into our already existing
schemas is known as assimilation.
 The process is somewhat subjective because we tend to modify
experiences and information slightly to fit in with our preexisting
beliefs.
 In the example above, seeing a dog and labeling it "dog" is a case of
assimilating the animal into the child's dog schema.

13. Accommodation
 Another part of adaptation is the ability to change existing schemas in
light of new information; this process is known as accommodation.
 New schemas may also be developed during this process.
Equilibration
 As children progress through the stages of cognitive development, it is
important to maintain a balance between applying previous knowledge
(assimilation) and changing behavior to account for new knowledge
(accommodation).
 Piaget believed that all children try to strike a balance between
assimilation and accommodation using a mechanism he called
equilibration. Equilibration helps explain how children can move from
one stage of thought to the next.