Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who studied child development. He lived and worked from 1896 -1980 and is well-known for his work on the Cognitive Development Theory. This theory tries to explain the process of learning.
Schema Theory
To understand the cognitive development theory (CDT), we have to understand the Schema Theory first.
Aspects of Schema Theory:
- Meaning: The main idea is that a person uses schemas, or mental maps, to interpret and organize ideas. It’s a unit of knowledge about something. For example, a “kitchen” schema is about cooking, using kitchen tools, tasting, and all the things involved with the kitchen.
- How do they help? They help a student understand information by teaching them to focus on the important details and guess, or infer, missing information.
- How does the student organize schemas? This is part of the CDT where the student assimilates new information and then accommodates it into what they already know. Doing that takes time because it introduces instability into their idea of how the world works. They start to seek equilibrium to find that balance again.
- Will schemas make remembering easier? Schemas have an influence on how memories are made and remembered. Yes, it can help to remember things more, but memory isn’t always perfect. Misremembering is always a consideration.
If knowledge is symbolized by buildings and skyscrapers, then schemas are the building blocks that support them.
Now, let’s look at the aspects of cognitive development theory.
Assimilation
First, students must assimilate the information. This can be achieved easily by using an analogy to “activate their background knowledge”. Take something they already know, and use it to explain something similar and new.
Accommodation
Second, the student must accommodate the information. They must find a place for the new item in their mental space. It’s like bringing home a new piece of furniture: one must find the most efficient place in the room for its placement and use. It takes a bit of time, but eventually, the new information will feel at home.
Equilibriation
Third, the human brain is always trying to find a balance, or equilibrium, between what it observes and what it knows. When someone receives new information that doesn’t match what they know, their brain is not balanced. Equilibriation is the brain’s attempt to gain that balance again. It might sound bad to be off balance, but this is how we grow: it’s called learning!
Example
I could try to explain why it’s rude in the West to chew food with an open mouth by comparing it to placing chopsticks upright in a bowl of food. This also works in reverse! The details aren’t the same, but the feeling is instantly understood.
2026-04-17 10:01