Reflection #1 - Cognitive Development

EDAT 6115, Reflection Blog #1 

Chapter 2 – Cognitive Development 

Description 

Chapter 2 of Educational Psychology covered the idea of cognitive development in children.  The two main theorists in this area are Piaget and Vygotsky.  Although modern theorists may suggest some changes to those theories of cognitive development, they are central to understanding the ages and stages at which children learn, from babyhood to adulthood.  Understanding students cognitive development can help teachers aim for their zone of proximal development where they will best learn.  Many strategies can be used to help students learn in and outside of the classroom. 

Analysis 

As educators, our primary focus is teaching children.  The public school system has students who range in age from 4 to 18 years old.  In order to best meet the needs of each child, educators must have an understanding of cognitive development.  The term cognitive development is used to describe how people grow, adapt, and change over the course of their lifetimes (Slavin, 2018, p. 23).  The two most prominent psychologists in this field are Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.  

 Piaget did a tremendous amount of research on the ages and stages of cognitive development in children.  His theory suggests that there are four primary stages of development:  sensorimotor (birth-two), preoperational (2-7), concrete operational (7-11), and formal operational (age 11-adulthood).  Each of these stages have defining characteristics and ways of learning.  Piaget believed that each person must go through each of these developmental steps as they learn.  Steps cannot be hurried or skipped.   

Lev Vygotsky, a contemporary of Piaget, also defined ages and stages of cognitive development.  One difference in theory was that he believed learning precedes development.  Children develop as they learn.  His stages include:  1) Learning that actions and sounds have meaning, 2) Practice using those actions and sounds, and 3) using signs to solve problems without help from others.  In order for a child to learn, they must be taught in their zone of proximal development.  Within this zone, tasks and ideas are not too easy, but also not too hard.  The child needs help to learn them, but with help from a teacher or peers, can learn to the point of being able to do the task alone without help.  The educational ideas of scaffolding and cooperative learning are supported within this theory. 

A few other ideas of cognitive development were also discussed.  This included Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological theory which suggests that a child’s development is influenced by the environment in which the child grows.  Influences would include home, school, places of worship, neighborhood, peers, mass media, laws and customs.  Stages of reading and writing development were also described.   

Reflection 

The subject of cognitive development is fascinating to me.  As a mother of four children, I have observed my children throughout each one of the stages listed.  As a teacher of students grades 1-12, I have taught students in multiple cognitive stages and have had to use different strategies with each grade.  Over the years, most of my experience has been with younger children.  Now that I am teaching high school freshman, I am trying to better understand their cognitive development.  There were a few sections of this chapter that I found helpful.   

The first idea that struck me was a statement that Slavin gleaned from the works of Niaz, Packard & Babineau, and Meece & Daniels, “The thinking characteristics of the formal operations stage usually appear between ages 11 and 15, but there are many individuals who never reach this stage. As many as two-thirds of U.S. high school students do not succeed on Piaget’s formal operations test.” He went on to say that this can carry on into adulthood.  (Slavin, 31).   Immediately, I asked myself, “How I use formal operational thinking?  How have I grown in my own cognitive development?  Athough I was a straight A student in high school, I can remember needing “help” in the form of discussions, question and answers, and prompts to help me think beyond the “concrete” answers and move into hypothetical thinking about situations which I had not experienced.  I can see how this development has continued to grow throughout adulthood.  Even as I start this graduate program, my thinking is already being challenged about educational ideas and I can “feel” my brain pushing the boundaries of growth.  So, if my brain is still developing, what does that mean for my students who are 14-15 years old?  It means, that they are just beginning to enter this stage of formal operational thinking.  They have not “attained” it.  Instead, they need help to begin thinking about the bigger picture beyond their own experiences.  This leads me to the next point.   

Vygotsky introduced the idea about the zone of proximal development.  This place of learning that is not too easy or too hard.  It is attainable for the student, but not without some help from a teacher or knowledgeable peers.  It is in this zone, that their brains learn and grow.  When I am teaching, am I teaching in this zone?  Are my lectures and activities too easy?  Too hard?  Am I expecting too little or too much?  The other key point is this – they need help from others to challenge their thinking and help them attain growth.  Just like I depended on the prompts from my high school teacher.  My students are depending on me to provide those prompts, questions, answers, and activities to help them stretch their thinking. 

So, how can I do this in the classroom?  Slavin lists 4 of Vygotsky’s ideas that can easily be added into the classroom environment.  Private speech – giving the students time and freedom to put their thoughts into words, think aloud, and listen others think.  Mediation – explaining and modeling complex skills.  Scaffolding – providing more supports initially and gradually allowing the student to do the work with less supports.  Finally, cooperative learning – this gives the students a chance to incorporate private speech and mediation as they work through challenging assignments.  (Slavin, 34) 

I am excited to start re-thinking my lessons for the upcoming school year.  I would love to re-do them in a way that challenges the students at the appropriate level and gives them more opportunities to experience the benefits of cooperative learning. 

Reference 

Slavin, R.E. (2018).  Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education