Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory | Childhood and Growing up | Sabiha Noor

The video starts with an introduction to Jean Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory, emphasizing its importance for teaching-related exams. The initial concept discussed is 'cognition,' explaining its relation to understanding, memory, and problem-solving processes. Basic concepts like schema, assimilation, accommodation, and equilibrium are introduced, outlining their roles in cognitive growth.

The discussion moves to Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, beginning with the sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years). This stage involves infants exploring the world through sensory and motor interactions, developing milestones like object permanence. Six sub-stages are detailed, including reflex actions and primary circular reactions, emphasizing repetitive actions for learning.

Secondary circular reactions and coordination of reactions are highlighted as toddlers interact intentionally with their environment and develop object permanence. Object permanence is further explained with examples, such as infants learning to search for hidden objects or find missing caregivers, indicating their cognitive growth toward understanding continuity.

Pre-operational stage (2 to 7 years) and its symbolic thinking are covered. Children engage in pretend play and begin using language and imagination. However, they struggle with conservation, as shown in examples of comparing liquid quantities. Egocentrism is addressed, where children focus on their perspective without understanding others’ views.

The video outlines the concrete operational stage (7 to 11 years), where logical thinking develops, enabling problem-solving using tangible objects. Children start understanding conservation, reversibility, classification, and transitivity. These skills help in arranging objects sequentially and understanding logical relationships.