Verified Document

Piaget's Theories Should Piaget Be Essay

One of the key criticisms of Piaget's work can be found in his research methods. He used Qualitative research methods, which often do not stand up to the rigors of science. Many factors can influence the outcome of qualitative studies. For instance, sample bias may have been present in Piaget's original study. All of the children were from well-educated families. The sample size was small; therefore, the results may not apply to sample with different demographic profiles. It is difficult to generalize his findings to a larger population.

In addition to sample bias, qualitative studies are prone to bias by the researcher. They may wish to "prove" their theories to the extent that they see patterns where none exist, or they may tend to leave out important information that does not coincide with their theory. There is no way to know if Piaget's study suffered from these problems, but they cannot be ruled out. Piaget's research methods present a key challenge to his theories.

Personal experience, including the observation of many children in school settings supports Piaget's theories of schemas. Children from different social backgrounds, universally have the ability to integrate new information into existing schemas. The modern educational system is based on Piaget's schemas. The children are taught basic concepts and then the educational system builds...

It is easy to agree that development takes place in an ordered fashion and in a hierarchical fashion.
My own personal experience and observations of children supports Piaget's theories. However, one must allow for individual differences in the development of these stages. The opportunity to observe autistic children and to compare them to the average population supports Piaget's theories. It appears that the more experiences a child has when they are young, the better they are able to assimilate new information later in life. It would seem from Piaget, that the bigger the file size, the easier future learning would be. The more information a child has assimilated, the more readily they will be able to assimilate new information.

In conclusions, Piaget's theories about schemas are supported by personal observations. His theories about schemas are supported by observation of autistic children and the way they integrate new information. However, like many other theories that depend on defined stages in child development, it can be recognized that development occurs in stages. However, Piaget's theories fall short in accounting for differences in these developmental stages. Overall, I agree that Piaget's theories are an excellent basis for the modern educational system, although one must account for individual differences among children.

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Piaget's Stages
Words: 1049 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Piaget's Stages Of Cognitive Development Child Behavior Evaluations using Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development I was working at the library when two 15 to 16-year-old girls sat down at my table. Remembering that I had to do this assignment, I tried to pay attention to their behavior without seeming to. One of the girls opened up her laptop and began to work on what appeared to be homework, while the other girl

Piaget Cognitive Development
Words: 883 Length: 3 Document Type: Research Paper

Piaget Harry James Potter was born in 1980, the son of James and Lily Potter. Both of Harry's parents died when Harry was an infant. The murder of his parents literally left Harry Potter scarred for life: his lightening bolt-shaped scar is one of his most distinguishing physical features. The orphaned Harry was forced to live with distant family relatives who are Muggles, and culturally distinct from Harry. Harry Potter studies

Piaget's and Bruner's Theories for Cognitive Development
Words: 918 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Piaget's And Bruner's Theories For Cognitive Development Cognitive theory, to some extent, is complex and multipart proposition. It puts forward the idea that development in humans is a function of an interaction with their upbringing, surroundings and individual understanding and experiences. Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner are the two great theorists who constructed cognitive theories (William). Both theories have some similarities and differences which would be discussed in the paper. Piaget's and

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory Psychology
Words: 1475 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

Piaget's Cognitive Development The Webster Dictionary describes the word cognition as; the psychological means of distinguishing, including features such as consciousness, perception, reasoning and decision making (Cognition). Piaget's Cognitive Developmental theory was a novel idea at the time of its birth. In depth, this theory, was the first on the issue and continued the specification of the field for a while. All through this paper, Piaget's thesis will be torn down

Piaget Vs. Vygotsky Cognitive Constructivism and Social
Words: 1213 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Piaget vs. Vygotsky Cognitive Constructivism and Social Constructivism are both theories in the field of Cognitive Development which focuses on the development of how people attain knowledge about their surroundings and come to understand their world throughout their life span. Both psychologists, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, came up with their own theories on cognitive development. Piaget came up with the idea of Cognitive Constructivism, while Vygotsky came up with Social

Piaget Vs. Vygotsky
Words: 600 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

Theories Comparing the Theories of Piaget and Vygotsky Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky were both born in 1896 in Switzerland and Russia, respectively. Both men were born at the turn of the 20th century, one of the greatest and most prolific centuries in modern history. Both men were profoundly instrumental in shaping the perspectives and practices regarding education, socialization, and human development. The paper will examine the theories of each gentlemen, offering

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now