Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development studied knowledge and how individuals acquired and used knowledge. Piaget thought that there were four factors that effected cognitive development (Webb, 2001, p.93). The nervious system and endocrine system have to develop physical abilities, proper and organizational skills are developed through experience, and social opportunites allowing individual to interact and learn from interaction, and also that each individual has an internal self-regulation mechanism that is directly effected by environmental stimulus.
According to Webb Piaget theory of cognitive development follows a series of stages that aid in the process of cognitive development (p. 94). They occur in a particular order. The first stage is the sensoi-motor stage where the child uses their senses and emerging motor skills. With these skills they exploe the envirnment. The child experience a time where they are unable to reason logically. Believeing they are center of the world is part of the preoperational stage. The concrete operational stage allows the child to use logic to analyze relationships and divide objects into cateogories. Finally, the formal operational stage where the individual can manipulate objects. (p. 94).
The article written by Webb discuesses the uniqueness of indiviual learning. Piaget’s theory allows teachers to realize that children may be on different cognitive stages or may process information differently. The article also stresses the importance of social interation between peers (Webb, 2001, p. 94).
With the cognitive development theory proposed by Jean Piaget, it allows educators to direct their teachings to the stage of cognition development their students are in. It also allows teachers to make more appropriate goals for the child rather