Piaget vs Vygotsky: The Cognitive Development Theory

Cognitive development is defined as development of the ability to think and reason (University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, 2006). Jean Piaget and Lev Semionovich Vygotsky were both enormously significant contributors to the cognitive development component of Psychology. The way children learn and mentally grow plays a central role in their learning processes and abilities. By understanding the progression of cognitive development teachers enable themselves to better cater to the unique needs of each child.

Both Piaget and Vygotsky were regarded as constructivists. Constructivism is an approach to teaching and learning based on the premise that cognition is the result of "mental construction". In other words, students learn by fitting new information together with what they already know. Constructivists believe that learning is affected by the context in which an idea is taught as well as by students' beliefs and attitudes (Hawai'i Department of Education E-School, 1996). One other similarity between Piaget and Vygotsky is that they both believe that the boundaries of cognitive growth were established by societal influences. Unfortunately, this is where the similarities between Piaget and Vygotsky end.

The key ideas of Piaget's and Vygotsky's theory differ. Piaget believed that intelligence came from action. He held that children learn through interacting with their surroundings and that learning takes place after development. Alternatively, Vygotsky felt that learning happens before development can occur and that children learn because of history and symbolism (Slavin, 2003, p.30, 43). Vygotsky also believed that children value input from their surroundings and from others. Piaget did not place importance on the input of others. Piaget and Vygotsky's theories on cognitive development also have differing opinions.