Jean Piaget

1896-1980

Alex Dugan
Sarah Ryszewski
 Jean Piaget
• Full name: Jean William Fritz Piaget
• Born: August 9, 1896 in Switzerland
• Died: September 16, 1980 (aged 84)
• Era: 20th Century philosophy
• School: Constructivist
• Main interest: Epistemology
• Notable ideas: Genetic episemology,
Theory of cognitive development,
Object permanence, egocentrism
 Theory
"What the genetic epistemology proposes is
discovering the roots of the different varieties
of knowledge, since its elementary forms,
following to the next levels, including also the
scientific knowledge."
 Equilibration of Cognitive
Structures: The Central Problem of
Intellectual Development
• Knowledge development is a process of
equilibration using two main concepts in
his theory, assimilation and
accommodation, as belonging not only
to biological interactions but also to
cognitive ones.
Jean Piaget
1896-1980

Alex Dugan
Sarah Ryszewski
 Theories about Thinking
• Acting intelligently is: to think
• THINKING = INTELLIGENCE
• Child is learning and thinking (developing
intelligence)
• Biological and cognitive thinking develops
through organization & adaptation
 Stages
• Sensory-motor (birth to age 2)
• Preoperational (ages 2 to 7)
• Concrete operational (ages 7 to 12)
• Formal operational (ages 12 onwards)
 Thinking and Children
• Children = constantly constructing and
reconstructing
• Function of education = use ACTION-
INTELLIGENCE
• Thinking is the use of child’s intelligence
• Encourage child to be involved in problem-solving
play
• Important: freedom to work at own level, speed &
style
 Thinking and Teachers
• Stimulating activities for ALL children in classroom
• Know & group children
• recognize signs that a child is having trouble
• Idea: child = Thinker-in-Action
• provide activities that develop thinking strategies in all
subjects
• focus on motivation inside the student
Jean Piaget
1896-1980

Alex Dugan
Sarah Ryszewski