Studies on development have been made in recent times. Philosophers, psychologists, and other specialists have proposed different theories about the nature of development and the influence of such theories about how children develop and learn. The differences between these theories have led to difficulties in finding the most appropriate model for early age education program (Glassman, 1995). Some of them focus on the physical, intellectual, or cognitive development. Others are mostly referred to the social or emotional development, although there regarding the development of personality, none of them offers a full explanation of the various aspects of child development and therefore cannot fully orient parents and teachers on ways to achieve better development in children. The paper seeks to compare and contrast development theories as suggested by Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s.
Vygotsky totally rejects approaches that reduce psychology and learning a simple accumulation of reflexes or associations between stimuli and responses. There are not reducible specifically human traits associations, such as consciousness and language, which cannot be oblivious to psychology. Unlike his former positions, Vygotsky does not deny the importance of associative learning, but considers it clearly inadequate (Adler-Tapia, 2012). Knowledge is not an object that is passed from one to another, but it is something that is built through operations and cognitive skills that are induced in social interaction. Vygotsky notes that the intellectual development of the individual cannot be understood as independent of the social environment in which the person is immersed. For Vygotsky, the development of higher psychological functions occurs first at the social level and then at the individual level.
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Both maintain the constructivist view of learning. However, Vygotsky differs from Piaget, in the role of the media and culture. Vygotsky is essential for the consideration of the social, which contributes to the mediators, to transform reality and education.
Vygotsky believes that development depends on learning, "contrary to the Piagetian position in which learning depends on the development (Shaffer, 1999). The lower psychological functions are biological or genetically formed (involuntary), and higher mental functions are created socially through educational processes. Cognitive tools that make possible past these are the instruments and signs.
Vygotsky is included within cognitive theories focus "progressive" or "evolutionary" because for him cognition is possible through a gradual process of internalization, where the lower psychological functions lead to higher, first at a social level or inner psychological and then to an individual or into psychological level. "Internalization is not an internal copy of the external, but refers to the awareness of the experience."
Jean Piaget’s Learning Theory
The Learning theory of the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget focuses on the cognitive development of children and adolescents. His theory describes and explains the changes that occur in logical thinking at this age. Piaget suggested that cognitive development occurs following a series of stages of maturation and experience: Senior-motor, preoperational, concrete operations and formal operations.
Piaget reveals his theory that through interaction with the environment acquire new information. However, as psychologist and constructivist teacher, in his investigations realized that children have an active role in obtaining knowledge, that is, “little scientists” actively construct their knowledge and understanding of the world.
Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
Lev Vygotsky is also one of the most influential and important in the field of education and psychology authors. In the Sociocultural Theory, Vygotsky states that individuals learn through social interaction and culture. Vygotsky explains that dialogue is an important psychological tool in the development of children’s thinking, and as children grow and develop, its core language becomes more complex (Harris & Westermann, 2015).
Language is critical to human development because it is produced by processes of exchange and transmission of knowledge in a communicative and social environment. That is, the transmission of cultural knowledge is done through language, which is the primary vehicle development process and is what decisively influences cognitive development.
Moreover, as well as constructivist psychologist Piaget, think that children learn actively and through practical experience. However, Vygotsky believes that learning is constructed by social interactions, with the support of someone more expert (Salkind, 2004). Not like the Swiss psychologist, who claims that knowledge is built individually. Vygotsky was important to understand the collaborative learning and to learn more about the influence of the sociocultural environment on the cognitive development of children.
Piaget and Vygotsky’s Theories of Cognitive Development
Cognitive development is defined as development child’s ability to think and reason. The two, Jean Piaget and Lev Semenovich Vygotsky were significant contributors to the study of cognitive development in psychology. The way the child learns and grows mentally plays a central role in their learning process and cognitive skills. Understanding how cognitive development progresses help teachers to meet the needs of each child better.
A similarity between Piaget and Vygotsky is considered both constructivists. Constructivism is a method of teaching and learning that is based on the premise that cognition is the result of a "mental construction.” In other words, students learn to set the new information to what they already know. Constructivists believe that learning is affected by the context in which an idea is taught and the beliefs and attitudes of students (Glassman, 1995). Another similarity between Piaget and Vygotsky is that both believe that cognitive growth limits were established by social influences. Unfortunately, that is where the similarities between Piaget and Vygotsky end.
The most important ideas of the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky 'are different. Piaget believed that intelligence comes from the action. He believed that children learn through interaction with its surroundings and that learning takes place after development. Alternatively, Vygotsky thought that learning can occur before development and that children learn through history and symbolism. Vygotsky also believed that children value the outside influences of the environment and others. Instead, Piaget did not give much importance to external influences
Theories on cognitive development of Piaget and Vygotsky also differ. Piaget's theory consists of four phases evident. The first relates to the sensorimotor stage. This stage occurs between birth and two years. During this stage, children initially rely on their reflexes with those born (for instance, suction and supportive). Intelligence is manifested through motor activities, such as children learn to crawl and walk during this stage.
Most of the knowledge acquired during this stage is through physical activity. However, they begin to emerge some skills related to language, and during this period, the concept of object permanence emerges.
The second stage is the preoperational stage. It takes place between 2 and seven years. Traversing this stage, children are egocentric. In other words, they believe that everyone thinks exactly like them. Children begin to use the symbolism about their world (Duncan, 1995). Also, use of oral language, memory, and imagination originate and develop during this stage.
The third stage of cognitive development Piaget's theory is operational. Between the ages of 7 and 11 years, children experience a dramatic shift in thinking. The thought becomes less egocentric and more logical. During this stage predominantly it manifests reversibility, which is the ability to perform mental operations and then reverse what one thinks to return to the starting point (Slavin, 2003, p.33).
The final stage in cognitive development Piaget identified as the formal operational stage. It has been claimed that only 35% of people achieve a formal operational thinking (Salkind, 2004). This step provides that the reach with the ability to handle abstract thinking using symbols and their relationships. This allows, for example, complete complicated algebra problems. The scenarios are also processed during this stage.
While the theory has four distinct stages Piaget, Vygotsky thought their pre-established steps. The first aspect of Vygotsky's theory refers to the private conversation, or talking to oneself. Vygotsky found that private conversation was important because it helped children to think about an issue and reach a solution or conclusion. The private conversation then internalized but never disappeared completely.
The second idea of Vygotsky is a zone of proximal development. This means the development level immediately above the present standard of the person (Salkind, 2004). The ZPD contains things that the child is not able to do only at that time, but that is close to achieving.
Vygotsky believed that, it was important to work with the ZPD for maximum learning. Staggering involves incentives and assistance in the form of advice and suggestions to help the child understand a new concept. Staggering is the final piece of cognitive development.. Using some clues and ideas of teachers, parents, and peers who have already managed to understand a given concept, children are capable of forming their ways to reach a solution, and eventually, self-regulate, or think and solve problems without help others (Goldman & Aldridge, 2008).
References
Adler-Tapia, R. (2012). Child psychotherapy . New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Duncan, R. (1995). Piaget and Vygotsky Revisited: Dialogue or Assimilation. Developmental Review , 15 (4), 458-472.
Glassman, M. (1994). All Things Being Equal: The Two Roads of Piaget and Vygotsky. Developmental Review , 14 (2), 186-214.
Glassman, M. (1995). The Difference between Piaget and Vygotsky: A Response to Duncan. Developmental Review , 15 (4), 473-482.
Goldman, R. & Aldridge, J. (2008). A little book on theories of development . Birmingham, Ala.: Seacoast Publishing.
Harris, M. & Westermann, G. (2015). A Student’s Guide to Developmental Psychology . London: Psychology Press.
