Piaget and Vygotsky were two researchers interested in teaching. Both contributed to research on children’s learning and cognitive development, creating theories that have marked the world of education from those times to the present.
Thus, from Psychology-Online, we want to give you the opportunity to learn about the two most recognized learning theories, as well as their similarities and differences. To do this, do not hesitate to continue reading this article about Piaget vs Vygotsky: differences and similarities between their theories.
Piaget’s Learning Theory: Summary
Piaget studied the children’s cognitive developmentbased on his constructivist theory, in which it is understood that children construct their own learning through active contact with what they already know and interpreting new facts and/or objects. In other words, Piaget studied the cognitive development of people by focusing on the way in which new knowledge is acquired as people develop.
For this reason, Piaget divided children’s cognitive development into 4 major stages:
- Sensorimotor (0-2 years)
- Preoperational (2-7 years)
- Concrete operations (7-11 years)
- Formal operations (+12 years)
In each of these stages, Piaget focused on paying attention to the change that occurs in children’s qualitative thinking, since it is assumed that each of these 4 stages represents the gradual transition of a more complex and abstract way of obtaining knowledge.
According to Piaget, children progress as they gradually go through these 4 stages. At the beginning of these stages, children’s language and thinking cannot be modified, since both appear throughout the development of these stages and are formed along with symbolic behaviors.
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Vygotsky’s Learning Theory: Summary
In the Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, studied how children learn as they develop. However, when it comes to giving importance to the relationship between the child and his interaction with the objects and the environment that surrounds him, Vygotsky gives more importance to a third person, that is, from Vygotsky’s theory it is considered that for children can develop their learning, it is essential involvement of a third individual, on which all the importance falls. In other words, without this third individual, children’s relationship with their environment and the development of their learning would not be possible or would be more complicated.
It should be noted that Vygotsky considered that in order to carry out a study on the development of children, it is essential to carry it out in real and natural contexts such as, for example, at school, at home or in family situations, with friends, among others. On the contrary, carrying out studies in artificial spaces (medical consultation, office, laboratory…) could lead to lower reliability of the study. In addition, Vygotsky also highlights that children mature and develop based on what they learn, regardless of their age, and with the help and support of other individuals with more abilities.
According to Vygotsky, we must take into account 3 levels When carrying out these studies:
- Immediate interactive level
- Structural level
- Cultural level (way we communicate)
According to Vygotsky, we are capable of communicating through social language from the moment we are born and, as time progresses, we strengthen the internalized language.
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Piaget and Vygotsky: similarities
After briefly knowing the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, we present the main similarities that are detected between these theories:
- Interests: The main similarity we find refers to the fact that both Piaget and Vygotsky share a great interest in studying the cognitive development of people from the moment they are born.
- Constant Learning: The theories of both researchers understand that people’s learning never stops, since people’s development allows them to continue learning. In this way, learning never comes to an end, since people live in constant development.
- Constructivism: Both researchers present their theories from a constructivist paradigm. From constructivism, it is understood that for the learning process it is essential that subjects are participatory, dynamic and interactive. For this reason, they consider that social interaction (with the environment and with the people and objects that surround them) encourages and favors people’s learning, although, below, we will see a small difference with respect to interaction.
Piaget and Vygotsky: differences
Do you want to know the main differences between Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories? Below, we present them:
1. Individual action vs interaction
As we have mentioned previously, both researchers consider that social interaction favors the development of people. However, within this similarity we find a difference:
- On the one hand, Piaget believes that children can learn from autonomouslywithout the need to interact, although interaction may favor it.
- On the other hand, Vygotsky believes that in order to learn, children need the interaction with other people.
Thus, Piaget gives more importance to individual actions, understanding social interactions as variables that influence learning, while Vygotsky gives more importance to interaction.
2. Language
Language is another difference between the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky:
- Vygotsky considers that language exists from the moment we are born, referring to this language as the social language, which allows us to interact with the environment to be able to express ourselves (for example, by crying we communicate). As time passes, according to Vygotsky, we begin to develop internalized language, which allows us to think with words and express in a more developed way what we want to explain.
- Contrary, Piaget considers that children, at the beginning, develop a egocentric languageThat is, with this language, children are not able to perceive things from a point of view other than their own, thus making social interaction difficult. Thus, according to Piaget, as time passes, children develop social language.
3. Age
- On the one hand, Piaget considers that children learn at certain established agesdivided into the 4 stages already mentioned.
- On the other hand, according to Vygotskychildren mature based on what they learn, regardless of your age.
That is, for Piaget, age conditions learning and for Vygotsky it is learning that conditions maturity.
4. Type of learning
- For Piagetthe typology of learning that children use to develop their intelligence is Learning by discoverythat is, that learning in which children take a more active and experimental role, without the need to maintain contact with other people.
- On the contrary, for Vygotskythe typology of learning that children use when developing is the Collaborative learningin which social interactions are required both with the environmental environment and with the people around them.
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Bibliography
- Pedronzo, MJ (2012). Learning theories. Subject.
- Tomás, J., and Almenara, J. (2007). Cognitive development: the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky.