Republic of the Philippines
PAMPANGA STATE UNIVERSITY
(former Don Honorio Ventura State University)
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
Educational Psychology
Prepared by: Dr. Flor Ann C. Lingat
Lesson 2 – Cognitive Development
This lesson explores how students' thinking processes change over time, focusing on the biology of
the brain and the influential theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.
I. Foundations of Development
Before diving into specific theories, we must understand the three recurring questions in
developmental psychology:
1. Nature vs. Nurture: Is development driven by genetics (nature) or environment/experience
(nurture)? Current consensus: It’s both.
2. Continuity vs. Discontinuity: Is progress gradual and smooth (like a ramp) or in distinct
stages (like a staircase)?
3. Critical vs. Sensitive Periods: Are there specific windows where a child must learn a skill,
or are there just times when they are especially responsive to learning it?
General Principles: People develop at different rates, development is relatively orderly, and it takes
place gradually.
II. The Brain and Cognitive Development
Understanding the "hardware" of the brain helps explain how learning happens.
• Neurons: Nerve cells that store and transmit information. Learning occurs as neurons create
new connections (synapses).
• Cerebral Cortex: The outer covering of the brain responsible for complex problem solving
and language. It is the last part of the brain to fully develop.
• Adolescent Brain: The "high-emotion" centers (limbic system) develop before the
"judgment" center (prefrontal cortex). This explains why teens may take more risks.
III. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Piaget believed children are "little scientists" who actively construct their own understanding of the
world.
Basic Tendencies in Thinking
• Organization: Arranging information into psychological structures called schemes.
• Adaptation:
o Assimilation: Fitting new info into existing schemes (seeing a raccoon and calling it
a "cat").
o Accommodation: Changing existing schemes to fit new info (learning a raccoon is
NOT a cat).
• Equilibration: The search for mental balance. When we encounter something new, we feel
disequilibrium (uncomfortable confusion), which drives us to learn.
BACOLOR (MAIN) • MEXICO • PORAC • STO. TOMAS • LUBAO • CANDABA • APALIT • SAN FERNANDO
Office Address | 2/F CAS Building, Cabambangan, Bacolor, Pampanga, Philippines
Email Address | cssp@[Link] • Telephone | (045) 649-8050 • Website | [Link]
Republic of the Philippines
PAMPANGA STATE UNIVERSITY
(former Don Honorio Ventura State University)
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
Educational Psychology
Prepared by: Dr. Flor Ann C. Lingat
The Four Stages
1. Sensorimotor (0–2 years): Learning
through senses and motor activity. Key
milestone: Object Permanence
(knowing things exist even when
hidden).
2. Preoperational (2–7 years): Symbolic
thought (language) begins. Limitations:
Egocentrism (thinking everyone sees
what they see) and lack of Conservation.
3. Concrete-Operational (7–11 years):
Can think logically about "hands-on"
problems. Understands Reversibility
and Conservation.
4. Formal Operations (11–Adult): Can
think hypothetically and abstractly.
"What if?" thinking.
IV. Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective
Vygotsky believed that human activities take place in cultural settings and cannot be understood
apart from those settings.
• Sociocultural Theory: Social interaction creates our cognitive structures and thinking
processes.
• Cultural Tools: Both technical (computers, scales) and psychological (number systems,
language) tools shape learning.
• Private Speech: Children talking to themselves. Piaget saw this as egocentric; Vygotsky saw
it as self-regulation (guiding one's own thinking).
• Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): The "Magic Middle." The area between what a child
can do perfectly alone and what they cannot do even with help. This is where learning
happens.
V. Comparison: Piaget vs. Vygotsky
Feature Piaget Vygotsky
Source of Development Individual (active construction) Social (interaction with others)
Role of Language Provides labels for schemes Primary tool for thinking/regulation
Teaching Implication Support child's exploration Provide Scaffolding within the ZPD
Key Terms for Review
• Scaffolding: Support for learning and problem solving (clues, reminders, encouragement).
• Assisted Learning: Strategic help in the initial stages of learning that is gradually diminished.
• Co-constructed Process: A social process in which people interact and negotiate to create
an understanding.
BACOLOR (MAIN) • MEXICO • PORAC • STO. TOMAS • LUBAO • CANDABA • APALIT • SAN FERNANDO
Office Address | 2/F CAS Building, Cabambangan, Bacolor, Pampanga, Philippines
Email Address | cssp@[Link] • Telephone | (045) 649-8050 • Website | [Link]