Cognitive Theorists
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Cognitive Theorists
Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky
Introduction
Individuals differ from one another in their ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning, and to overcome obstacles by taking thought. Although these individual differences can be substantial, they are never entirely consistent: a given person's intellectual performance will vary on different occasions, in different domains, as judged by different criteria. Concepts of "intelligence" are attempts to clarify and organize this complex set of phenomena. Although considerable clarity has been achieved in some areas, no such theory has yet answered all the important questions and none commands common agreement.
Developmental psychologists often focus on the processes by which all children come to think intelligently than on measuring individual differences among them. Today's constructivist-oriented research, classroom pedagogy, and spirit build on such key contributors to education as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. While there are multiple positions amongst constructivists, all constructivist positions share some common beliefs about ways of knowing. Much about the nature of learning is shaped by the works of these two cognitive psychologists and theorists of the twentieth century. The following dialogue will examine the ideas of these two theorists: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.
Jean Piaget
Swiss epistemologist and psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) is well-known for constructing a highly influential model of child development and learning...