Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive theory about the nature and development of human intelligence. It was first created by the Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget. The theory deals with the nature of knowledge itself and now humans gradually come to acquire, construct and use it. Piaget’s theory is mainly known as developmental stage theory. To Piaget’s cognitive development was as progressive reorganization of mental process resulting from biological maturation and environmental experience.
He believed that children construct an understanding of the world around them, experiences discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in the environment then adjust their ideas accordingly. Moreover, Piaget claimed that cognitive development is at center of the human organism, and language is contingent an knowledge and understanding acquired through cognitive development.
Characteristics of the Stage of Cognitive Development:
1. The stages can be generalized. This means that all aspects of cognitive development would follow the same pattern.
2. The stages are invariant means that they would always rigidly follow a fixed sequence and no stage can be slipped.
3. The stages are universal, meaning all the children everywhere will follows the described pattern of cognitive development.Stages of cognitive development. There are four stages of cognitive development.
4. Sensorimotor stage (up to 2 years)
5. Preoperational stage (2-7 years)
6. Concrete operational stage (7-11 years)
7. Formal operational stage (11 years on wards)
