Child Theorist Paper: Jean Piaget

Micaela Johnson
EDUC 121- Child and Adolescent Development
Mrs. Connie Deardorff
December 2, 2014

Many people have worked tirelessly in the field of child development. People are
fascinated by how children develop physically, mentally, and emotionally, so numerous
individuals have dedicated themselves to learning about this area of study. It is because of these
thoughtful people that we know a great amount of information about the stages of development
that children go through. It would be impossible to single out one person as being the most
influential to child development. Although some people do not believe that Jean Piagets
contributions to child development were significant, many others would argue that his work
paved the way for other theorists, and his thoughts and ideas are an intricate part of this field.
Jean Piagets work was significant because it became a heavily discussed and debated topic.
Jean Piaget has presented many ideas about how children think and develop, but his most
well-known contribution is his four stages of cognitive development. Piaget theorized that all
children move through four stages of cognitive development, from infancy to adulthood.

Children are in the sensorimotor stage from birth to age two. During this time, the child
progresses from having only simple reflexes to acquiring symbolic processing and object
permanence. The next stage of Piagets theory is the preoperational stage, which lasts from age
two to age six. This stage is characterized by the childs frequent use of symbols to represent
objects and events. Piaget stated that it is during this stage that children experience egocentrism,
animism, and centration. Preoperational children have a hard time seeing the world from another
persons point of view, they sometimes believe that inanimate objects have lifelike properties,
and they tend to concentrate on only one aspect of a problem, while ignoring other equally
important aspects. The third stage of Piagets theory is the concrete operational stage, which lasts
from age seven to age eleven. It is during this stage that children first begin to use mental
operations to solve problems and to reason. However, concrete operational children still are not
able to think abstractly or reason hypothetically. The final stage of Piagets theory is the formal
operational stage, which begins at age eleven, and continues through adulthood. During this
stage, children begin to apply mental operations to abstract thoughts and problems. Piaget also
said that it is during this time that people being to think in a hypothetical manner and reason
deductively (Kail, 2012, p.p. 172-179)
Piaget is also credited for his belief in constructivism, which has become a major part of
the American education system. Piaget believed that children take an active role in their own
development, and they construct their own understanding of the world that they live in. Many
people accepted constructivism and agreed that children do create their own understanding of the
world. Because of Piagets establishment of constructivism, lawmakers and educators began to
encourage this type of education in the classroom. This is still prevalent in todays classrooms,
because educators are urged to be facilitators, while children are encouraged to discover things
for themselves (Kail, 2012, p.179)

Constructivism is not the only contribution that Piaget made to education. Educators who
support Piagets theory also realize that childrens cognitive skills develop at different rates.
Teachers also recognize that the most beneficial learning experiences are the ones that are
slightly above the childrens current level of thinking and reasoning. Piaget encouraged teachers
to allow children to be in charge of their own education, and to allow them to decide if their
thinking is consistent or inconsistent (Kail, 2012, p.180)
While many people support Piagets theory and can see the truth in it, there are also
people who dont feel that it is accurate. Modern investigators believe that infants and young
toddlers have more skills and are more advanced than what is to be expected from Piagets
theory. Other theorists have also presented the notion that Piaget may have overestimated the
cognitive skill that adolescents have, because sometimes adolescents and adults fail to reason
effectively, and they revert back to the simple thinking of earlier stages in the theory. Several
theorists have questioned the validity of the consistency of the order of the stages. Piaget was
firm in his belief that each stage has its own unique characteristics. However, since all children
think and develop differently, the sequence of these stages is sometimes not consistent with what
Piaget theorized (Hopkins, 2011, n.p.)
Despite these weaknesses in Piagets theory of the four stages of cognitive development,
it is hard to deny the fact that Piaget created a theory that made people stop and analyze how
children act and behave at different stages of their development. Although some children do not
follow the same sequence of the stages, most children do experience parts of each stage at some
point in their development. His theory and ideas seem to be an important part of classrooms
today, because teachers want to focus on the cognitive processes of their students, but it is
difficult at times because they also must place a great emphasis on the cognitive products of their

students due to the prevalence of state assessments and the importance of adequate yearly growth
(Jax, 2014, n.p.)
Piagets belief in schemas is also still prevalent today. Piaget theorized that children
develop schemas over time. Schemas are a group of linked mental representations of the world,
which are used to both understand and respond to situations in the world. He believed that people
acquire schemas, and store them in their mind so that they can be used whenever they are
needed. As a child grows, their schemas becomes more elaborate, and they acquire more and
more of them over time. This thought also seems to be an important part of education. After all,
isnt this the reason that people go to school? People learn more and more material every day,
and they are responsible for retaining this information until it is needed again, perhaps for a test
or an exam (McLeod, 2009, n.p.)
Piaget also emphasized the importance of hands-on activities in the learning environment.
He believed that hands-on activities keep students engaged during the learning process, and it
also allows them to actively display the knowledge that they have obtained over time. He thought
that hands-on activities could be used to introduce new topics or to give students the opportunity
to showcase what they have learned at the end of a unit or chapter. Hands-on activities are still
part of schooling today. Science courses almost always involve some type of hands-on activities
or lab experiments. Other subjects are beginning to use more hands-on activities to reinforce
topics, and to allow students to interact with one another (Mclendon, 2011, n.p.)
In todays classrooms, students are not simply listening to a teacher lecture all day.
Teachers are incorporating many different experiences into the learning process, so that all
students can learn in the way that is easiest for them. Hands-on activities, lectures, field trips,
computer assignments, and videos are all being used intensely in the classroom to ensure that all
students are successful. Piaget emphasized the importance of variability in the classroom,

because he believed that having a wide range of learning opportunities in a classroom is the key
to reaching all the different learning styles of each student (Mclendon, 2011, n.p.)
Although Piagets ideas have been criticized by many people, his theories and thoughts
are still an important part of todays education system. He has played a huge role in developing
the teaching methods of modern teachers, and his ideas are being incorporated in classrooms
every day. While everyone may not agree with him, one must appreciate the work that he has
done and how much he has contributed to the fascinating field of child development.
Works Cited
Hopkins, J. (2011). The Observer. The enduring influence of Jean Piaget. Retrieved December 2,
2014.
Jax, C. (2014). Global Post. How Piagets theory influenced child development. Retrieved
December 2, 2014.
Kail, R. (2012). Theories of Cognitive Development. In Children and Their Development (6th
ed., pp. 172-180). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education.
Mclendon, K. (2011). Funderstanding. Jean Piaget: cognitive development in the classroom.
Retrieved December 2, 2014.
McLeod, S. (2009). Simply Psychology. Jean Piaget. Retrieved December 2, 2014.