In Lesson 3, we will apply what we have learned about how children learn and the stages of cognitive development proposed by Jean Piaget. We will examine how his ideas may be used by teachers in the classroom and parents at home. Piaget did not direct his research towards education and teaching, but his theory of how children acquire knowledge (or learn) and develop intellectually clearly provides much that is relevant to teaching and learning.
-
Hands-On – Teaching should be action-based in which children should have physical contact with concept such as trees, grass, cold and so forth. Just showing children pictures of trees and reading about trees is inadequate. Use lots of teaching aids and manipulatives to help children learn especially when learning mathematics and science.
-
Learning by Discovery – Children are encouraged to discover for themselves through asking questions and doing things rather than passively receiving ready-made knowledge, i.e. children should be actively involved in the teaching-learning process. Opportunities should be provided for children to explore, explore, develop new understandings and discover things for themselves.
-
Learn from their Peers – Encourage children to learn from their peers. Learning to listen thoughtfully to their peers and respect different viewpoints will provide lifelong benefits for children.
-
Learn from Mistakes – Allow children to learn from their mistakes. Children develop knowledge about the world through trial and error. Mistakes can be frustrating for children as well as the teacher, but try to model patience and guide the child toward a different conclusion. Mistakes show that the child is actively interacting with the world around her and trying out new ideas for herself.
-
Focus on the Process as Well as the Result – Instead of focusing on the right answer only, pay attention to the many different steps that can be taken to arrive at the right answer or the finished product. If a child gets a wrong answer, get the child to think why the answer is wrong and where he or she made an error or forgot to take into consideration.
-
Accept Individual Differences – Children go through the same stages of cognitive development. However, they do so at different rates, i.e. some may be slower than others. Hence, teachers must make a special effort to arrange classroom activities for individual groups of children rather than for the whole class. In other words, teaching should be developmentally appropriate taking into consideration the cognitive level of the child.
Watch these Video Clips on Application of Piaget’s Ideas in the Classroom
Piaget-Classroom Application
Applying Piaget's Theory
Application in Classroom
Piaget-Classroom Application
