Piagets Cognitive Theory Essays Examples

Jean Piaget believed that the individual develops concepts about the world and modifies the environments to his needs. His cognitive theory considered development as a sequential process and learning as a minor, but integral part of development of an individual.
Piaget’s theory has been influential in designing curriculum for the schools in America. This was because he emphasized the importance of active involvement of learners in the learning process. He believed that concepts can’t be taught verbally and the learning process of concepts can’t be accelerated, without the students’ proper cognitive development. The idea that children should be taught according to their developmental level was widely accepted and found much application in education.
What distinguished Piaget’s works from others was that, he didn’t believe in the memorization and performance task of the young learners. Instead, he analysed how the children perceived their environment, approached and reasoned even the simplest of daily events. This helped him to formulate in-depth, more powerful theories on the development process of children and the influence of environment in it.
Cognition refers to all the abilities and skills possessed by an individual by the proper development and functioning of the brain, which helps him to understand the world and act better. Whereas, all the bodily changes undergone by an individual while attaining adulthood shows his physical maturation. Whereas, the psyche denotes the linking not only with cognition but also with the bodily sensations. Any change in the thinking and acting process of an individual denotes a behavioural change, which happens due to changes in cognition.