EDPS 1005 Introduction to Educational Psychology

Name: Jason Hurdle

School: University of the West Indies
Faculty: Humanities of Education(school of Education)
ID #: 40007046
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive
study of human intelligence. Piaget’s main focus is on the nature of
knowledge and how individuals gradually acquire that knowledge, and
how it is used. The theories also stress that a child not only advances to
other stages to acquire knowledge but during those stages, the focus is
on their mental development.
On the other hand, according to one of the theories of Jerome Bruner,
cognitive development does not consist of distinct stages.Bruner
recognizes that learning focuses on the development of children and
further states that children do not learn once, but through a
continuous process.
When compared to Bruner, Piaget highlights that as children reach to
different stages during their childhood years, they travel through
various stages such as the sensorimotor stage. This stage includes from
birth to two years, the preoperational stage which includes from ages
two to seven years, concrete operational stages which also includes
from ages seven to eleven years and finally, the formal operational
stage which is from twelve years and up.
In the sensorimotor stage, Piaget indicates that in the beginning of a
child’s life, he or she goes through a period of dramatic growth and
learning. He further states that children make new discoveries in how
the world really works. During the sensorimotor stage of a child’s life, a
child may suck his or her thumb by accident and then later
intentionally repeat the action. The action repeated because the child
may find it interesting and enjoyable. However, the theorist
summarizes and stresses that at the stages of sensorimotor the infants
recognize movements and sensation, children learn basic action such as
sucking grasping, looking and listening. They also recognize that they
can cause things to happen around them. Children reach that stage of
the sensorimotor thinking when they are at the nursery and infants
level. During that stage the infant will trying to figure out things by
observing various things in their surroundings. This will incorporate
their senses such as sight and hearing. At this stage of their life, there
are dependable, emotional and tend to cry often.
Jean Piaget noted that during the preoperational level from two
years to seven years, children participate and engage in symbolic play
and learn to recognize symbols. On the other hand, they do not
understand concrete logic. He further stated, that at the stage of
preoperational, children may use a fascinated toy and pretend with
that toy to be something else. It is at that stage where a child has a
huge imagination.
According to Piaget’s theory, children’s roles are important, and
they play an active role in their development process. He indicates that
while a child is at the ages of development they engage in several
observational activities and they indulge in carrying out their
experiments in observing colour, objects and shapes. The reason for
that is at these ages a child interacts with the world trying to analyze a
situation and recognize senses whether it is by seeing or speaking.
Between the ages seven to eleven years, during the concrete
operational stage, Piaget points out that it is at this level that children
are more concrete and this level which is more defined to be a literal
stage. Their thinking becomes more adept and logical. Added to that,
he also states that children’s thinking is more logical and it can be also
rigid. He states that children tend to be more recognisable as it relates
to their ability to comprehend and make sense in their behaviour. In
other words, their thoughts are more unique and at this level, their
ideas really matter to them. Not only that children will be able to share
their thoughts or their feelings, they will also be able to understand
and make choices of their own. An example of concrete operational
stage is when a person may have two candy bars of the exact the same
size. A child who is in the concrete operational stage will understand
that both candy bars are still the same amount, whereas a younger
child will believe that the candy bar that has more pieces is larger than
the one with only two pieces.
Jean Piaget also points out that within a child’s stage of life, one
may recognise that the formal stage of his development is when a
child reaches to this level, they logic of thinking may increase gradually.
Furthermore, they may also be able to use deductive reasoning and
also have an understanding of new or good ideas.The child is at this
stage which that individual may be able to plan systematically like
setting goals to succeed or they may make plans for their future. They
may also see various potential opportunity and also may recognise a
problem or observe when a problem is beginning to occur. At this
stage, one may recognise that when a child is ending the concrete
operational stage, that child will be at the adolescent stage.
Both theroists, Jerome Bruner and Jean Piaget have diverse
opinions as it relates to children’s cognitive development. Firstly, the
theorist Piaget lays out four stages of of a child’s cognitive
development and secondly, the theorist Bruner specifies that learning
is a continuous process. When analized, both theorists believe that
children play an active role in their development process. Bruner had
suggests that learning is a continuous process because he believes that
children can learn better through the processes of inquiry and
discovery. He further highlighted that in order for a teacher to teach a
subject, the concept in learning should be organized. He states that
culture shapes children’s views and notions in which they live. Bruner’s
theories identify three stages of cognitive representation such as
enactive, iconic and symbolic representation. He further indicates that
enactive is when children learn through actions and iconic can be
recognised where children can learnig through visual summarization of
images. He further highlights that symbolic representation is when an
individual can learn through words and symbols which those concepts
will describe through experience.
When compared with theorist, Jerome Bruner, Piaget believes that
children go through stages of cognitive develement and at each stage
they learning ability will improve. On the other hand, theroist Jerome
Bruner believes that children learn by a “hands on” approach through
representation of actions and experience.
Therefore, Bruner believes that learning occurs through some
actions, images and the use of languages, while Jean Piaget believe
that learning develop through the stages of
sensorimotor,preoperational stage and concrete operational stage and
formal stage. However, Bruner believes that chidren can learn through
practicable aspects of things and in order to do that children have to be
engaged in the educator’s activities. To Bruner this will include
identification that learning should begin with direct manipulation of
objects. For example, in Mathematics Bruner promotes the use of
algebra tiles, coins and other items that can be manipulated. The
theorist indicates that children as learners should have the opportunity
to directly manipulate objects. Furthermore, he notes that children
should be encouraged to construct visual representations such as
drawing a shape or a diagram. In otherwords, children should learn to
get involve and participate in practical exercise through a ‘hands
on”approach.
Jerome Bruner also mentions previously that children can learn
through inquiry and discovery. Therefore, children can learn new
things while exploring and discovering new ideas. In developing new
ideas in inquiry and discovery, that is the key to the theory of aspects of
cognitive development.The benefits of discovery are :(1) it will
encourage chidren to be creative thinkers (2) it opens them up to have
a deeper understanding of their interests and (3) it allows children to
take ownership of their education. Theorist Bruner recognises that
learning is an ongoing process while Piaget believes that learning
occurs in stages. Bruner recognises that inquiry of learning is
effective ,it works in every level in education and it builds curiosity.
Additionally,it gives children an oportunity to question and interact
with their educational material. For example, children engaging in
homework,classroom assignment and selecting a student to answer a
question that was in a topic in class.
When compared together, the theorist Jean Piaget and Jerome
Bruner believe in education as it relates to children’s cognitive
development. Both of them have diverse opinions relating to how a
child goes through stages as they develop and become older. Whereas
Jean Piaget’s theory is that children go through stages focusing towards
their mental development, theorist Jerome Bruner indicates that in
order for a child to learn they have to go through a process of
continuous learning. In other words, Bruner believes that children
learn through knowledge, action and through experience and it works
inorder to improve their cognitive development.

Three ways in which educators can apply the main principles of Jean
Piaget theory to enhance teaching and learning in the Caribbean are by
introducing sensorimotor intelligence,preoperational thinking and
concrete operational thinking. The reason for introducing sensorimotor
intelligence in the classroom because it is a good practice to ensure
that teachers encourage their students to engage in using their senses
such as seeing, touching, hearing, smelling and tasting.This is relevant
becauses when a child reaches to their different stages during their
cognitive development, that child will be aware of their surroundings
and that will also sharpen their senses and enhance their cognitive
development. For example,as an educator they can pick an object like a
ball and show the students and ask them to name it and ask them to
state what is the colour of the ball. By doing that, they will be
educated about the colour, they will be able to understand or follow
instructions. Therefore, they will be able to see and observe what
colour the ball is and they will enhance their listening skills.The teacher
can also inform the student to close their eyes suprisingly passing the
ball around the class and ask the student to feel the object and inform
them to specify what it is, and what they are feeling. By doing that,
that will enhance the ability to touch and observe. In the classroom,
the educator can also instroduce something to smell or taste and ask
them to describe the taste or ask them what is that particular sense it
brings to mind.
To utilize preoperational thinking, in schools the educator can
introduce educational music and the educator can ask them to tell the
story of the music. By doing that, the teacher can observe diverse
opinions or answers.This can help the student to think logical or
develop their thinking ability. Preoperational thinking is important
because it can represent events and objects and also engaged in
symbolic play. There are certain aspects and educator can include to
enhance the children’s cognitive development such as action figures
,dolls or pretend play toys.
Thirdly, another way an educator can enhance teaching and
learning is by introducing concrete operational thinking. That would be
using concrete props and visual aids. This would include when dealing
with sophiscated material, to encourage students to manipulate and
test objects, ensure readings are well organized and precise and use
examples to explain more complex ideas.
With respect to Jerome Bruner’s theory, three ways educators can
apply the main princlple of the theory to enhance teaching and learning
in the Caribbean are introducing enactive representation.This theory is
encouraging children to learn through practical and action. This will
enhance learning through the “hands on” approach.Some children do
not learn in theory aspects, but children understand things through
movement which is even understandable when certain aspects are
acted upon. As it relates to enactive representation children for
example, have muscle memory which certain sounds must occurred
which that child will wait for certain action to occur. On the other hand
some children represent their past events through motor responses.
Some children will retain knowledge through certain images. With
respect to teaching aids, educators in the caribbean will have for
example to introduce aids, such as pictures or electronic devices via
video to enhance their teaching method which will make their teaching
more effective and efficient.
Secondly, another method which educators can use to enhance
teaching is through iconic representation like introducing visual images
at the school. The educator can also implement a learning centre with
pictures of various types such as shapes and colour. For example,a child
drawing an image or the educator can used a projector to reveal those
visual images teaching the class those shapes and colour or names. The
purpose of iconic representaion in the Caribbean context is to
communicate graphical images or knowledgeable information with
large groups which is more effective and efficient in learning. However,
iconic representation is easily interpreted within a class or school to
get knowledge or learning across the board.
 Thirdly, symbolic representation that is based on language which
is another learning component can be enactive. Through this aspect
children will be able to convey ideas through the use of words, sounds
and play. It is good for children to use symbolic play because a child
can pretend to be playing with an object and they can used it for
something else.That will improve a child’s creativity skill and improve
their imagination. According to the theories of Jerome Bruner, teachers
are advised to utlise and bring together concrete, pictorial then
symbolic activities to facilitate learning. The reason why that symbolic
representaion can implement in the caribbean schools is because it can
assist in learning and chidren will get a better idea of learning and it is a
fantastic idea for the transfer of concepts in Caribbean schools.