The Role of Education in Development

Education plays a crucial role in cognitive development. While Piaget emphasised the child as an individual discoverer, other psychologists have highlighted the importance of teaching, instruction, and the educational environment in driving development. This lesson explores the relationship between education and development, including Piaget's views and alternative perspectives.

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Piaget's View of Education

Piaget believed that children are active learners who construct their own understanding through experience. His theory led to several important educational principles:

1. Readiness

Education should match the child's stage of development. There is no point trying to teach a concept that the child is not developmentally ready for:

• Pre-operational children should work with concrete materials, not abstract concepts
• Formal operational thinking should not be expected before approximately age 11

2. Discovery Learning

Piaget advocated discovery learning — children should be given opportunities to explore, experiment, and discover concepts for themselves, rather than being told the answers directly.

• Active engagement with materials is more effective than passive listening
• Children learn best by doing, experimenting, and making mistakes

3. Cognitive Conflict