Response Comparing Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky

Shannel Mason                                                                                         10/15/16

EDU-40                                                                                                     Professor Dee Savoy

                                 Response Comparing Jean Piaget and  Lev Vygotsky

            Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky were brilliant psychologists during their time. They both had rather intriguing theories when it came to the cognitive development of children. Although both psychologists' theories shared some similarities, they differed in many ways. 

Piaget believed that children are born with a very basic mental structure that is inherited genetically and evolves, which all subsequent learning and knowledge is based.  Vygotsky believes that culture affects the shaping of cognitive development in children. 

            Lev Vygotsky's theory focuses on the role social interaction plays in the development of cognition. Vygotsky makes references to tools of intellectual adaptation. These particular tools allow children to use their basic mental functions more effectively and adaptively, which he believes to be are culturally determined. For an example memory mnemonics and mind maps.

            Jean Piaget's theory focuses on the cognitive development of a child based on observational studies of cognition in children as well as multiple tests that revealed different cognitive abilities in children. Piaget believed that intellectual growth was part of  a process called adaptation. During adaptation a child will experience assimilation, 

accommodation, and equilibration. Piaget was intrigued by how children learnt and in how they thought.

            Vygotsky's theory helped implement "reciprocal teaching", which was used to help students learn from text. Piaget helped implement "discovery learning", which is  the idea that children learn best through doing and actively exploring. Both Vygotsky and Piaget's theories helped influence educational and teaching methods that is actively used today. I would have to say that I agree with both Jean Piaget's theory and Vygotsky's theory because both theories are still applied today and helped build the foundation of appropriately analyzing children's cognitive development.