EDU 301 -General Methods Of Teaching

Spring, 2022
Assignment 1
Total Marks: 20
Name :Maria Khan
Student ID: bc220201140

Question 1: Suppose you are a teacher then what will be your responsibilities as
a decision maker and what will you conclude, If you take decisions in the class
according to the developmental perspective and notices the theories of Piaget
and Vygotsky?

Answer :
Being a teacher is an honor .A teacher has to act like a leader and as a role model .Teacher has
to be a democratic decision maker and his decisions should be in the best interest of his
students at the end .What matters at the end is general good of the students .

Responsibilities of a teacher as a decision maker :

 explanation as to what is accurate and inaccurate about their work
 engaging students with the course material through discussions
 problem solving,
 case studies
 role plays and other methods
 question-and-answer sessions
 discussion integrated into the lecture
 assignments, hands-on activities
 experiential learning events.

Piaget

Piaget's (1936, 1950) theory of cognitive development explains how a child constructs a mental
model of the world. He disagreed with the idea that intelligence was a fixed trait, and regarded
cognitive development as a process which occurs due to biological maturation and interaction
with the environment.

Vygotsky
Lev Vygotsky was a seminal Russian psychologist best known for his sociocultural theory. He
believed that social interaction plays a critical role in children's learning—a continuous process
that is profoundly influenced by culture.

Piaget vs. Vygotsky

Differences:

Piaget

 1)Believed that development occurred in distinct stages and that each must be reached in
order.
 2)Believed that development precedes learning.
 3)Believed that development begins in the individual and continues to the social world.
 4)Focused little on language as a tool of cognitive development.
 5)Believed that language is driven by thought.
 6)Believed that the pace of cognitive development is dictated by the child’s level of
maturation.
 7)Believed that children learn independently.
 8)Believed that the child takes on the role of scientist.
 9)Believed that development is the same in every child.
 10)Believed that the child takes on the role of apprentice.
 11)Piaget's theory of cognitive development helped add to our understanding of children's
intellectual growth.
 12) It also stressed that children were not merely passive recipients of knowledge.
 13) Instead, kids are constantly investigating and experimenting as they build their
understanding of how the world works.
 14)This theory focuses on the mechanisms that help us adapt and learn new concepts or
skills.
 15)In the classroom, teachers can apply Piaget's notions of assimilation and
accommodation when introducing new material. They can help students approach a new
idea through the lens of what they have already learned.
 16)An important implication of Piaget's theory is adaptation of instruction to the learner's
developmental level. The content of instruction needs to be consistent with the
developmental level of the learner. The teacher's role is to facilitate learning by providing
a variety of experiences.
 17)Piaget saw the child as constantly creating and re-creating their own model of reality,
achieving mental growth by integrating simpler concepts into higher-level concepts at
each stage of development.
 18)Piaget provided support for the idea that children think differently than adults and his
research identified several important milestones in the mental development of children.
His work also generated interest in cognitive and developmental psychology
  19)The educational implication of Piaget's theory is the adaptation of instruction to the
learner's development level. It is important that the content of instruction needs to be
consistent with the developmental level of the learner.
 20)Piaget provided support for the idea that children think differently than adults and his
research identified several important milestones in the mental development of children.

Vygotsk

 1)Did not believe that development occurred in distinct stages.

 2)Believed that social learning precedes development.
 3)Believed that development begins in the social world and gradually becomes
internalized in the individual.
 4)Believed that egocentric speech serves to prove that children are self-centred and not
able to see from any point of view but their own.
 5)Believed that egocentric speech occurs as children progress from language as a tool
used to communicate socially to language as private speech and then inner speech
(thought).
 6)Strong focus on language as a tool of cognitive development.
 7)Believed that thought is driven by language.
 8)Believed that children are born with innate elementary functions.
 9)Believed that children depend on social interaction to learn (zone of proximal
development).
 10)Believed that development varies depending on cultural differences.
 11)He claimed that logic, reasoning, and reflective thinking were all possible as a result
of language. This led to the development of instructional strategies to support growth in
literacy as well as a reassessment of the classroom setup.
 12)Teachers were to encourage leadership in the classroom, collaborative learning, and
thoughtful discussions. With the exception of independent tasks, which were also
included, the goal was to create purposeful, meaningful exchanges between students.
 13) The role of the teacher was to facilitate learning by directing the dialogue and
confirming contributions in an effort to further motivate the ststudent
 14)The primary role of the teacher in the educational context is to act as a facilitator for
learning.
 15)Guided exchanges, comprehensive discussions, and the creation of an engaging
community are valuable strategies for cognitive development.
 16Many educators have incorporated Vygotsky’s ideas of social connection and small
group learning in the classroom in an effort to see.
 17)Culture is significant in learnilearnin.
 18)Language is the root of culture.
 19)Individuals learn and develop within their role in the community.
 20)He asserts that the development of knowledge must align with the defined stages.
Adequate of Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s Theories:

 1)Both theories focused on cognitive development.

 2)Both believed that cognitive conflict can initiate and further development.
 3)Both believed that egocentric speech is vital to the process of cognitive development.
 4)Both believed the child is an active participant in his or her own learning.
 5)Both believed that the course of development declines with age.
 6)Both believed the role of biology plays a part in cognitive development.
 7)Both believed the role of language plays a part in cognitive development.
 8)Vygotsky argued that social learning preceded cognitive development. In other words,
culture affects cognitive development.
 9)Whereas Piaget asserted that all children pass through a number of universal stages of
cognitive development, Vygotsky believed that cognitive development varied across
cultures.
 10)Another Vygotskian principle for teaching involves the zone of proximal
development. Like Piaget, Vygotsky believed that there were some problems out of a
child's range of understanding.

Need improvement

Another difference between the two theories is how each theorist presents his school of thought.
Piaget identifies four stages of cognitive development. He asserts that the development of
knowledge must align with the defined stages. Piaget states that children acquire knowledge
independently through interaction with the environment. On the other hand, Vygotsky
emphasizes the need for guidance by adults to facilitate the transfer of intelligence.

Regarding the two cognitive theories, I would be more apt to apply Vygotskian principles to my
classroom. I believe that principles such as scaffolding, co-constructed knowledge, dialogue, and
cultural tools are all important components of a student's knowledge acquisition. By helping
students within their zone of proximal development, we offer them useful learning strategies
which they internalize and utilize later. Piaget proposed many applicable educational strategies,
such as discovery learning with an emphasis on activity and play. However, Vygotsky
incorporated the importance of social interactions and a co-constructed knowledge base to the
theory of cognitive development.