71 Jean Piaget Facts: Education, Contribution, Theory And More

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Oct 25, 2023 By Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Originally Published on Jan 14, 2022
Jean Piaget facts talk about his Constructivist theory.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 5.5 Min

Jean Piaget is most recognized for his cognitive development hypothesis, which examined how children grow mentally during development.

Piaget's theory had a significant impact on the creation of developmental psychology as a separate discipline within psychology and made significant contributions to education development. He is also acknowledged as a founder of constructivism, which proposes that individuals actively develop their understanding of the world via connections among their thoughts and perspectives.

Jean Piaget claimed that children categorize their information from their interactions and experiences into schemas. Whenever new data can be collected, it is absorbed into current schemas, adapted by changing an existing schema, or created as a whole new data category.

He is most recognized now for his mental (developmental) psychology study. Piaget studied the growth and teaching of his three children and came up with a theory that detailed the stages that children go through. At the same time, they gain intellect and fundamental cognitive processes.

To read more such articles, check out Aristotle facts and William James facts.

Facts About Jean Piaget

In a 2002 research, Piaget was named the second greatest influential psychologist of the 20th century.

Jean Piaget was born on August 9, 1896, in Switzerland, and he showed an initial passion for science. He began his professional career at the age of 11 when he wrote a brief report about an albino bird. In 1918, he completed his Ph.D. in zoology first at the University of Neuchâtel.

His passion for the scientific method prompted him to continue his studies and study pathological psychology and conduct interviews with mentally ill patients and supported him in maintaining his philosophy. Shortly after, he started working in an organization for boys founded by Alfred Binet, who used an examination he devised to assess cognitive levels.

Piaget's concern in the developmental patterns of children's intellect arose due to this encounter and his academic background. Piaget married Valentine Chatenay in 1923, and the couple raised three children together.

Piaget launched the much more significant of his investigations during this moment, studying the intellectual children's mental development from baby to pre-adolescence with his own children and others.

According to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, children progress through four stages of intellectual development and mental development that represent the growing sophistication of their thinking. Children progress through these phases of childhood in the very same order, and stages of cognitive development and interaction with the world dictate child development.

The children's reasoning and philosophy are substantially different at each phase of human development, implying that each step requires a distinct intellect. Thus, significant strides were made in the science of child psychology in these studies.

Jean Piaget' Contribution To Psychology

Professor Piaget's research supported the idea that children think differently than adults, and he uncovered several important stages in children's psychological growth. Research in developmental and learning psychology grew as a result of his research. Piaget's insights are being studied by psychology and educating today's students.

During his days as a professor, Piaget maintained many chair posts and studied psychology and epistemology. In 1955, he established the International Center for Genetic Epistemology, which he led till his death on September 16, 1980.

Piaget's concepts have had a massive impact on developmental psychology. He influenced how people thought about children's worlds and how they studied them. Many people followed in the footsteps of Piaget and adopted his views. Piaget's concepts have spawned a slew of studies that have improved our knowledge of cognitive development.

Piaget, in 1936, was the very first psychologist to explore intellectual abilities in depth. A development theory of infant cognitive development, a thorough process of child cognition, and a series of basic but innovative tests to show varied cognitive capacities are among his accomplishments.

His theories have been shown to help comprehend and interact with youngsters, especially in the realm of education (Discovery Learning).

According to Piaget in 1958, absorption and adaptation necessitate individuals are aware rather than passive because issue abilities cannot be given but must be found. Learning in the classroom should be high school senior and based on active exploration learning. Rather than providing direct instruction, the teacher's responsibility is to promote learning and not only education.

In 1955, he created and became the head of the International Centre of Genetic Epistemology in Geneva. He made a significant contribution to sociology, experimental psychology, and scientific cognition, among other fields.

The child, according to Piaget, is continually developing and re-forming his picture of reality, progressing mentally by integrating basic notions into higher-level concepts at each step. He advocated for a genetic epistemology, which he defined as a natural timeline for developing a child's ability to think, and he identified four phases in the process.

Throughout the first two years of life, he regarded the infant as someone in a sensorimotor stage, when he was concerned primarily with controlling his basic bodily reflexes and expanding them into enjoyable or intriguing acts.

During this time, the infant first recognizes itself as a distinct physical being and subsequently discovers that the items in his environment have their own distinct and everlasting life.

The infant learns to affect his surroundings symbolically using inner conceptions, or ideas, about just the universe in the next, or preoperational, stage, which lasts from age two until age six or seven.

Jean Piaget was a professor of genetic psychology and a director of the International Bureau of Education.

Books Written By Jean Piaget

Some of the most famous books written by him are listed down below :

The Psychology of the Child (Published in 1966): Taking the assistance of his long-time partner Bärbel Inhelder, Jean Piaget provides a final account of the psychoanalytic theory he had developed over the previous four decades. This thorough analysis tracks each step of the child's learning and development from birth through puberty.

The Language and Thought of the Child (Routledge Classics): Anybody who has ever pondered how a youngster learns speech, intellect, and understanding will like this book. Before this classic publication, little was understood about the way youngsters thought.

The Child's Conception of Space (published in 1977): This anthology of articles and reviews is the most important and thorough work on Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors. Miola's edited book also includes a comprehensive analytical history, a complete reference, and images from important performances of the play from across the world.

There are five previously unreleased articles in the anthology.

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Written by Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason

Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason picture

Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

With over 3+ years of professional experience, Olanrewaju is a certified SEO Specialist and Content Writer. He holds a BSc in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Throughout his dynamic career, Olanrewaju has successfully taken on various roles with startups and established organizations. He has served as a Technical Writer, Blogger, SEO Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Digital Marketing Manager. Known for his hardworking nature and insightful approach, Olanrewaju is dedicated to continuous learning and improvement.
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