Background
Jean Piaget’s theory of child development
is one of the most widely recognized, referenced, and accepted schools of
thought that directly addresses child development. For those of you unfamiliar
with this theory, Jean Piaget was a clinical psychologist best known for his
pioneering efforts and developments in child and youth studies. One of his most
popularized theories is his theory of cognitive development, which can be
summarized and simplified through the table shown below.
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| Retrieved from: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/socialization/piagets-model-of-cognitive-development |
At a first glance this theory can be very
appealing and sensible. However upon further consideration, many biases can be
found in even the most simplistic versions of this theory, which calls me to
question how, and why, this school of thought is still frequently utilized and
referenced throughout today’s modern society.
My Argument
In a society as advanced as the one we live
in today, it seems barely plausible that our children’s development is being
evaluated in reference to an eighty-one year old model of child development.
Considering the rapid development modern
society has made merely within the last decade, one can only imagine how
irrelevant a theory created more than six decades ago must be.
Although this topic tends to be one that
initiates substantial controversy with in the field of child and youth studies,
I personally believe that the topics discussed the least ,tend to negatively
effect societal associations the most.
That being said, I think a criticism of
this beloved theory is long overdue.
Many advocates of Piaget’s theory of
cognitive development also support the idea of learning by discovery. In
addition to this, they also invest in this discovery-based methodology above
all other methods of learning. This brings me to my first point of discrepancy
in Piaget’s model; if you’re not told what or how to do certain activities or
tasks, one would only be able to develop to a certain point. Piaget’s theory of
cognitive development essentially assumes one’s abilities are simply innate.
However modernized theories have pointed out that this is not entirely true,
and any given individual depends greatly on their environment for efficient
development.
Case studies on feral children can be used
to prove this point. One of the most popular and extreme cases of feral
children is that of Genie. Her story can be found through the following link:
If the learning process Piaget advocates
for (discovery learning) is so effective, why did she not simply discover the
cognitive skills needed to develop on her own?
Exactly, because in order to effectively
develop, one needs exposure to direct instruction and guidance for cognitive
growth. Furthermore, proving that Piaget’s idea’s are no longer directly
applicable within today’s society.
If this hasn't convinced you, then let’s
discuss a more relatable example, involving a multi-step process. As known, we,
as humans, are highly unlikely to discover multi-step- processes on our own
without the guidance of direct instruction. Many things that are crucial within
today’s society are not innate, and therefore we need direction for one to be
able to develop the desired skill(s). For example, driving a car on the
highway, following all the rules of the road. Without direct instructions on
how to do this, one would have to learn by trial and error, which in this case
would be a lethal task to complete.
In addition to this, Piaget’s theory
underestimates the cognitive abilities of children in the early stages of
development. His early work asserts that children ages 0-7 are unable of
complex and critical thinking.
For example, in the preoperational stage it
states that children are capable of using their imagination, but that complex
and abstract thinking arte concepts too difficult for this age group. However,
more recent studies have shown that children, although they may have been wrong
in their attempts, do in fact try to find rational, scientific explanations for
concepts and occurrences that do not make sense.
If we were to maintain Piaget’s school of
thought, it would have a detrimental impact on young students due to the fact
that we would be consistently underestimating their abilities, ultimately limiting
their potential.
Concluding Thoughts
Although Piaget’s theory does have its
validities, he neglects to acknowledge the significance environmental factors
has on one’s development, which makes his theory both dated and invalid within
today’s modern society.
