AGUSAN DEL SUR STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
Bunawan, Agusan del Sur
PROF. ED 100 | Asynchronous Learning Activity
JEAN PIAGET’S COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
I. Learning Objectives
At the end of the asynchronous session, students should be able to:
1. Describe the central concepts of Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
(schemas, adaptation, assimilation, accommodation, equilibrium).
2. Differentiate the four cognitive developmental stages based on age range,
characteristics, and examples of children’s thinking.
3. Analyze real-life child behaviors and identify which cognitive stage they belong
to.
4. Reflect on the significance of understanding cognitive development in planning
instruction and classroom strategies.
A. Introductory Reading: Foundations of Piaget’s Theory (15 minutes)
1. Piaget’s View of the Child
Children are active learners, not passive receivers of information.
They construct knowledge based on experience.
Cognitive development happens through interaction with objects, people, and
the environment.
2. Key Concepts
• Schemas
Mental structures or frameworks that help individuals organize and interpret information.
Example: A child’s schema for “dog” may include “four legs, furry, barks.”
• Assimilation
Using existing schemas to understand new experiences.
Example: A child sees a cow and calls it a “dog.” The child is using an existing schema
incorrectly.
• Accommodation
Modifying existing schemas or creating new ones.
Example: The child learns that cows and dogs are different animals; they form a new
schema for “cow.”
• Equilibration
The process of balancing assimilation and accommodation to create stable
understanding.
When children encounter something new → disequilibrium → they adapt → return to
equilibrium.
B. Piaget’s 4 Stages of Cognitive Development (15 minutes)
Watch the assigned video: “Piaget’s Four Stages Explained Simply”
[Link]
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Students must take note of:
1. Sensorimotor Stage (0–2 years)
Learns through senses and actions.
Develops object permanence.
Begins goal-directed behavior.
Example: Baby searches for a hidden toy.
2. Preoperational Stage (2–7 years)
Egocentric thinking (difficulty seeing another’s perspective).
Engages in pretend play.
Lacks conservation skills (cannot understand that quantity remains the same
despite changes in shape).
Example: Thinks the taller glass has more water, even if both have equal amounts.
3. Concrete Operational Stage (7–11 years)
Develops logical thinking, but only with concrete objects.
Understands conservation, classification, seriation.
Begins to solve problems using step-by-step reasoning.
Example: Can sort blocks by size, color, or shape.
4. Formal Operational Stage (12+ years)
Can think abstractly.
Can understand hypothetical and deductive reasoning.
Able to form and test hypotheses in a scientific manner.
Example: A teen can discuss complex moral issues and imagine multiple possibilities.
IV. Activities
Activity 1: Stage Application Task – “Which Stage Is This?” (15 minutes)
Scenario 1 – “Where Did the Ball Go?”
A 9-month-old baby is playing with a red ball. The mother hides the ball under a blanket.
At first, the baby looks confused, but after a few seconds, the baby lifts the blanket and
smiles when the ball is found.
Scenario 2 – “The Taller Glass Has More!”
A teacher pours equal amounts of juice into two identical glasses. In front of the child,
she pours one glass of juice into a taller, thinner glass. The child excitedly points to the
tall glass and says, “This one has more juice because it’s higher!”
Scenario 3 – “Sorting Buttons”
A group of 9-year-old students are given a box of buttons. They begin to sort them into
groups based on size, shape, and color. Later, they arrange the buttons from smallest to
largest and explain the order to the teacher using logical steps.
Scenario 4 – “If I Were President…”
A 14-year-old student confidently discusses a school project about social change. She
imagines different scenarios such as “What would happen if the country had no laws?”
and creates possible solutions. She also compares multiple viewpoints before deciding
on a stand.
Output:
For each scenario:
1. Identify the Piagetian stage.
2. Give a 2–4 sentence explanation connecting the behavior to the characteristics of
the chosen stage.
Example Format:
Scenario: A child insists that the amount of juice changed when it was poured into a
shorter, wider cup.
Answer: Preoperational Stage. Children at this stage lack conservation skills. They rely
on appearance rather than logic, so they think the quantity changed because the
container looks different.
Activity 2: Short Reflective Response (10 minutes)
Reflection Prompt (100–150 words):
“Why is Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory important for future teachers?
Explain how this theory can guide classroom strategies, expectations, and lesson
design.”
Students must mention:
Developmentally appropriate teaching
Matching tasks to cognitive abilities
Understanding how children think at different ages
Deadline: As posted in Google Classroom.