Reference no: EM133202050

According to Sigelman & Rider (2022) "Using naturalistic observations of his own children and the clinical method to explore how children understand everything from the rules of games to the concepts of space and time, Piaget formulated his view of the development of cognition." (p.176). His approach is known as evolutionary or genetic psychology, as it describes a series of periods with qualitatively distinct characteristics. These sensitive periods condition the effects that educational experiences have on the student's development. On the other hand, Vygotsky also has his theory on the evolution of the development of the human mind, which differs a little from Piaget's, but has many similarities. "Both Piaget and Vygotsky acknowledge the importance of the social context of development." Sigelman & Rider (2022, p. 183). The basic assumptions of Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories show significant differences. Both agree that the child must mentally construct knowledge, only that Vygotsky gives greater importance to the role of social interactions in this process. For him, the construction of knowledge is not an individual process but a social process in which higher mental functions are the product of an activity mediated by society. Piaget pays more attention to the child's interaction with the physical environment, while Vygotsky emphasizes the importance of social interaction. Vygotsky gives greater importance to the social and cultural context. The development to which Piaget refers is a natural, spontaneous development (from the person-environment interaction), while Vygotsky refers to a development that is not possible without the help of the adult. Piaget understands development as an internal and individual process. Vygotsky understands it as a social (interpersonal) process. For Piaget cognitive progress goes from the individual to the social and for Vygotsky from the social to the individual. For Piaget, social interaction favors cognitive development. For Vygotsky, development takes shape through social interaction. In Vygotsky's theory, the role of the adult or tutor is more relevant. Piaget presents a theory of universal stages, while Vygotsky's theory is not a theory of stages. Piaget presents a more linear and unidirectional view of development, while Vygotsky subscribes to a more discontinuous and multidirectional view of development. According to Piaget, learning is subordinate to development, while for Vygotsky learning is the engine of development, understanding that between learning and development there is a bidirectional relationship and reciprocal influence.