iaget's Stages - Saylor Academy（iaget阶段-塞勒学院）.pdf

Piaget's Stages Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development Kay C. Wood, Harlan Smith, Daurice Grossniklaus Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia Contents • 1 Introduction • 2 Stages of Cognitive Development • 3 Educational Implications • 4 Criticisms of Piaget's Theory • 5 References • 6 Citation Introduction From his observation of children, Piaget understood that children were creating ideas. They were not limited to receiving knowledge from parents or teachers; they actively constructed their own knowledge. Piaget's work provides the foundation on which constructionist theories are based. Constructionists believe that knowledge is constructed and learning occurs when children create products or artifacts. They assert that learners are more likely to be engaged in learning when these artifacts are personally relevant and meaningful. In studying the cognitive development of children and adolescents, Piaget identified four major stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Piaget believed all children pass through these phases to advance to the next level of cognitive development. In each stage, children demonstrate new intellectual abilities and increasingly complex understanding of the world. Stages cannot be "skipped"; intellectual development always follows this sequence. The ages at which children progress through the stages are averages--they vary with the environment and background of individual children. At any given time a child may exhibit behaviors characteristic of more than one stage. Stages of Cognitive Development Figure 1. The Inspiration web above illustrates Piaget's four cognitive development stages; sensorimotor (birth-2 years), preoperatio