Educational Psychology

Transcript: Hi, I'm Jenai Duong and I'm talking to teachers about 3 major theories of cognitive development. Understanding these frameworks is important as you teach your students. First, let's discuss Jean Piaget. Using biological principles to inform his studies, Piaget described 4 distinct stages of development. They are: Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Piaget believed that development precedes learning. On to Lev Vygotsky. Contrary to Piaget, Vygotsky believed that learning precedes development. He thought that children must learn sign systems in order to develop. Vygotsky identified the “zone of proximal development” as where learning occurs. This zone includes skills just beyond what a child has mastered. Vygotsky also described scaffolding and mediation, as learners receive instruction and support from more advanced peers and adults. Vygotsky also highlighted the importance of cooperative learning. Let's finish up with Urie Bronfenbrenner. He focused on many different factors that affect cognitive development and how those factors are interconnected. Bronfenbrenner's model features a series of concentric circles, the innermost one being the microsystem of the individual. The circles widen to include more rare interactions and abstract concepts. Thank you for joining me today in exploring these 3 major theories of cognitive development. As teachers, we must be aware of how our students are developing and how we can support them onto the next stage of development.