More handpicked essays just for you.
Describe and evaluate Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development
Describe and evaluate Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development
Describe and evaluate Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In this society, knowledge is deemed
Young boy who is determined to see the world. He’s content with shepherding, until he has this reoccurring dream. Through many encounters his view on life changes, he becomes more interested in the spiritual meaning of life.
Introduction This assignment is in two parts. The first part of this assignment would attempt to use the theories of human development to explain the child behaviour observed during child observation at the preschool while the second part of this assignment would propose an intervention on a scenario at my practice placement. I would demonstrate my critical understanding of the theories and evaluate their relevance for evidence-informed and value-based practice. I would conclude by articulating my critical appreciation of the use of theory to inform professional social work practice based on my experience from the child observation and my placement experience.
Introduction “Learning is not development; however, properly organized learning results in mental development and sets in motion a variety of developmental processes that would be impossible part from learning. Thus, learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human, psychological functions” (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 90). The Russian psychologist of the early twentieth century, Lev Vygotsky, laid down the foundation for an entire school of thought to later be known as the socio-cultural perspective on human development. Vygotsky differentiated himself from other psychologists of the time by placing an emphasis on societies influence on development and the processes by which development
Conversely, Vygotsky disputed that the culture in which a person lives also plays a substantial part in cognitive development. Vygotsky believed that a child’s cognitive development was stimulated by the interaction of the child and its social environment (Vygotsky, 1987). Vygotsky also believed that children’s use of speech also influenced their cognitive abilities (Martin, Carlson & Buskist, 2010). Vygotsky stated that language was the basis for cognitive development, including the ability to remember, solve problems, make decisions and formulate plans (Martin, Carlson & Buskist, 2010). Studies have shown that children who use speech when met with difficult tasks are more focussed and show better improvement in cognitive performance then those who are less talkative (Behrend et al., 1992).
Jean Piaget, known for his interest in the Epistemology in children is seen as the pioneer of Developmental Psychology. Piaget 's Cognitive development theory led to a great deal of research work in the field of educational philosophy . But in the discipline of Psychology, every theory has been faced with a counter theory or an alternative. So is the case with Piaget 's theory. Lev Vygotsky, a soviet psychologist came up with the socio-cultural theory, which is another strong theory emphasizing child development and is seen as a major counter theory to Piaget 's work (Saul McLeod, 2004).
This article aims to explore Piaget’s cognitive development theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural cognitive theory. Piaget explicated people fundamentally improve their thinking in stage at distinct periods. In terms of Vygotsky’s sociocultural cognitive theory, it is inevitable to investigate the correlation between social interaction and individual cognitive development, the role of cultural tools in mental process, and the zone of proximal development(ZPD). In light of Piaget’s theory, there are four elements proposed to elaborate people gradually endeavor to interpret and interact with the world. To be precise, biological maturation, activity, social experience, and equilibration impinge on the development of thinking (Piaget,1970).
The cognitive- developmental approach to gender identity posed by Kohlberg (1966, 1969) is one of the studies considered when exploring the theories of gender differentiation and identification. It is a theory that considers cognition aspects of a child and how this affects gender identity development. It is studied due to its evidence, explanation and evaluation which make the theory well-grounded and substantial. The following essay explores this idea, considering its critiques and basis.
Cognitive development is a process which enhancing the ability of learning. The cognitive theories emphasize on conscious thoughts which highlight the mental aspects of development such as logic and memory. The primary factors of cognitive theories is the structure and development of the individual’s thought processes and the means of these processes can effort the person’s understanding of the world. Therefore, the cognitive theories study on how this understanding, and the expectations it creates, can affect the individual’s behavior. There are three types of cognitive development theories in human which are Piaget’s Cognitive development theory, Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Cognitive theory and Information-Processing theory.
Cognition is the study of the mind works. When we study cognitive development, we are acknowledging the fact that changes occur in how we think and learn as we grow. There is a very big difference in the way that children and adults think about and understand their environment. Jean Piaget (1896-1980), a biology student did extensive research work in the area of child development and is attributed with the development of the theory of cognitive development which has played a major role in this field (child development).
Brief History Jean Piaget was a Twentieth century Swiss psychologist and was the first psychologist to systematically study the cognitive development of children. Thomas (2005) wrote that early in Piaget’s career he worked with children and his observations and interactions with the students led him to the theory that a young person's cognitive processes are inherently different from those of adults (pp. 188-9). According to Ahmad, et al. (2005) , Piaget showed that when compared to adults, young children think in differently and he then came to the conclusion that cognitive development was an ongoing process which occurred due to maturation and interaction with the environment (p. 72).
Social and physical environments in the home and the social environment in the classroom impact early childhood development. This paper discusses: the impact of the social environment in the home on early childhood development; the possible negative impact of the physical environment on a preschool child in a Guyanese home; and the impact of a positive social environment in the early childhood classroom. Early childhood development is“a set of concepts, principles, and facts that explain, describe and account for the processes involved in change from immature to mature status and functioning.” (Katz, 1996, p. 7) The physical environment refers to; the nature of the physical home surroundings including its cleanliness; the safety of the home and the security which the home offers.
According to Erikson, the primary motivation is social and reflects a desire to affiliate with other people and that development change occurs throughout the life span. Cognitive theories emphasize conscious thoughts. Piaget and Vygotsky are best known for cognitive theories. Piaget believed that children go through four stages of cognitive development as they actively construct their understanding of the world. Vygotsky’s had a sociocultural cognitive theory that emphases how culture and social interactions guide cognitive development.
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Cognition is a process where different aspects of the mind are working together that lead to knowledge. Piaget’s cognitive development theory is based on stages that children go through as they grow that lead them to actively learn new information. Cognitive change occurs with schemes that children and adults go through to make sense of what is happening around them. The change that occurs is activity based when the child is young and later in life correlates to mental thinking. Piaget’s stages of cognitive development start from birth to adulthood
Also, they both had some interest in philosophy. Their views help enhance the similarities and differences providing in their theories. The first theorist introduced is Piaget and his theory was based on “the understanding of how children and adolescents think and learn” (198). The second theorist introduced is Vygotsky and his theory was influenced by Karl Marx’s proposal “that historical changes in society have significant impact on how people think and behave” (215).
