Piaget's theory of cognitive development describes 4 stages of development: 1) Sensorimotor stage (birth to age 2) where intelligence develops through experiences and motor skills without use of symbols. 2) Preoperational stage (ages 2 to 7) where symbolic thought and language develop but thinking remains egocentric. 3) Concrete operational stage (ages 7 to 11) where logical and methodical thought allows for problem solving without real-world experiences. 4) Formal operational stage (age 11 onward) where abstract thinking allows for reasoning about hypothetical concepts and formation of hypotheses.

1. SAVITRIBAI PHULE PUNE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AD EXTENSION PUNE
NAME: ALISHA ANN THOMAS
CLASS: T.Y B.SC.B.ED.
ROLL NO: 41
SUBJECT: E- LEARNING AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
SUBJECT CODE: BED641
SUBJECT TEACHER: MR. MAHESH MALI SIR
TOPIC: PIAGET'S THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
COURSE NAME: B.SC.B.ED

2. Introduction to Piaget
Piaget's theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive
theory about the nature and development of
human intelligence.
It was originated by the Swiss developmental psychologist
Jean Piaget (1896–1980).
The theory deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how
humans gradually come to acquire, construct, and use it.
Piaget's theory is mainly known as a developmental stage
theory.

3. Stages of Cognitive Development
Sensorimotor Intelligence, from birth to age 2.
Preoperational Thinking, from ages 2 to 7.
Concrete Operational Thinking, from ages 7 to
11.
Formal Operational Thinking, from age 11 on.

5. The Sensorimotor Stage: Birth to Age 2
• The sensorimotor stage covers children ages
birth to 18–24 months old. Characteristics
include motor activity without use of symbols.
All things learned are based on experiences, or
trial and error.
• The main goal at this stage is establishing an
understanding of object permanence — in other
words, knowing that an object still exists even if
you can’t see it or it’s hidden.

6. The Preoperational Stage: Age 2 to 7
• The preoperational stage can be seen in children
ages 2 through 7. Memory and imagination are
developing. Children at this age are egocentric,
which means they have difficulty thinking outside of
their own viewpoints.
• The main achievement of this stage is being able to
attach meaning to objects with language. It’s
thinking about things symbolically. Symbolic
thought is a type of thinking where a word or object
is used to represent something other than itself.

7. The Concrete Operational Stage: Age 7 to 11
• Children are much less egocentric in
the concrete operational stage. It falls
between the ages of 7 to 11 years old
and is marked by more logical and
methodical manipulation of symbols.
• The main goal at this stage is for a
child to start working things out inside
their head. This is called operational
thought, and it allows kids to solve
problems without physically
encountering things in the real world.

8. The Formal Operational Stage: Age 11 and Beyond
• Children 11 years old and older fall into Piaget’s formal
operational stage. A milestone of this period is using
symbols to understand abstract concepts. Not only that,
but older kids and adults can also think about multiple
variables and come up with hypotheses based on
previous knowledge.
• Piaget believed that people of all ages developed
intellectually. But he also believed that once a person
reaches the formal operational stage, it’s more about
building upon knowledge, not changing how it’s
acquired or understood.

9. Summary of Four Stages
Stage Age Characteristics Goal
Sensorimotor
Birth to 18–24 months
old
Motor activity without use
of symbols. All things
learned are based on
experiences, or trial and
error.
Object permanence
Preoperational 2 to 7 years old
Development of language,
memory, and imagination.
Intelligence is both
egocentric and intuitive.
Symbolic thought
Concrete operational 7 to 11 years old
More logical and
methodical manipulation
of symbols. Less
egocentric, and more
aware of the outside
world and events.
Operational thought
Formal operational
Adolescence to
adulthood
Use of symbols to relate to
abstract concepts. Able to
make hypotheses and
grasp abstract concepts
and relationships.
Abstract concepts

10. REFERENCES
• https://www.webmd.com/children/piaget-
stages-of-development
• https://courses.lumenlearning.com/education
alpsychology/chapter/cognitive-development-
the-theory-of-jean-piaget/