Teaching methods and orientations have been strongly influenced by the theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky . Both authors have contributed to the field of education and psychology, offering explanations on how learning and cognitive development occur at early ages.

Piaget and Vygotsky may differ in some respects from their theoretical proposals, but both offer teachers and educators good recommendations on how to maximize the learning process in childhood and adolescence. Although Piaget and Vygotsky are often presented as rivals, both theories have been very useful to the fields of psychology and education. This demonstrates the complexity of the cognitive development of human beings .

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Learning

The Theory of Learning by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, considered the father of constructivism, focuses on the cognitive development of children and adolescents. His theory describes and explains the changes that occur in logical thinking at these ages. Piaget suggested that cognitive development occurs following a series of stages of maturation and experience: sensory-motor, pre-operational, concrete operations and formal operations.

If you want to know more about the stages of Piaget’s cognitive development, you will find all the necessary information in this article by psychologist Adrian Triglia: “The 4 stages of Jean Piaget’s cognitive development”.

Piaget reveals to us in its theory that it is through interaction with the environment that we acquire new information. But as a psychologist and constructivist pedagogue, in his research he realized that children play an active role in obtaining knowledge , that is, he considered them “little scientists” who actively build their knowledge and understanding of the world.

A schematic summary of his theory

In summary, below are the key points of his theory :

  • Cognitive development occurs following a series of universal stages.
  • Children are active learners who build knowledge from interaction with their environment.
  • They learn through assimilation and accommodation , and complex cognitive development occurs through balance.
  • Interaction with the physical world is key to cognitive development.

If you want to go deeper into Jean Piaget’s theory, this other article by Bertrand Regader will be of great help to you: “Jean Piaget’s Theory of Learning”.

Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

Lev Vygotsky is also one of the most influential and important authors in the field of education and psychology. Vygotsky’s Theory of Sociocultural Development states that individuals learn through social interactions and their culture. Vygotsky explains that dialogue is an important psychological tool in the development of a child’s thinking, and as children grow and develop, their basic language becomes more complex.

Language is key in human development, because it is produced through processes of exchange and transmission of knowledge in a communicative and social environment . That is, the transmission of knowledge of culture is carried out through language, which is the main vehicle of the development process and is what decisively influences cognitive development.

Moreover, as a constructivist psychologist like Piaget, he believes that children learn actively and through practical experience. However, Vygotsky believes that learning is built through social interactions, with the support of someone more expert. Not like the Swiss psychologist, who says that knowledge is built up individually. Vygotsky was important for understanding collaborative learning and for knowing more about the influence of the socio-cultural environment on children’s cognitive development.

His theory in a few strokes

Some of the basic principles of Vygotksy’s theory are as follows:

  • Children develop through informal and formal conversations with adults.
  • The first years of life are critical to development, as this is where thought and language become increasingly independent.
  • Complex mental activities begin in basic social activities.
  • Children can perform more difficult tasks with the help of a more experienced individual.
  • Challenging tasks promote the growth of cognitive development.

If you want to go deeper into this important theory, just click here: “Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory”.

Similarities between both theories

Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s theories have similarities, but there are also some differences . First of all let’s start with the similarities.

Both Piaget and Vygotsky are constructivist theorists, although the latter is considered the main precursor of social constructivism . Both think that children are active learners who actively organize new information with existing information. Therefore, Piaget and Vigotsky postulated that knowledge is constructed by each subject and is not the result of an acquisition of answers .

Both authors believe that, over time, cognitive development decreases. They also believe that cognitive development begins with conflict. For example, in Piaget’s case, when the child realizes that a new idea does not fit with a previous knowledge, and then it is necessary for the child to look for a new answer in order to allow the balance.

Moreover, both Piaget and Vygotsky share the idea of the importance of play in the psychological , pedagogical and social aspects of human beings. Finally, both think that language is important for cognitive development, but from different perspectives.

Differences between the two theories

After seeing the similarities between the theories of these two authors, let’s move on to the differences :

Knowledge construction

As we can see, both authors are constructivists, but Vigotsky differs from Piaget in the role played by the medium and culture. For Vigotsky, besides seeing the child as an active subject who builds his knowledge, he emphasizes the consideration of the social, which contributes with the mediators, to transform reality and education . These mediators have a guiding function to help them in the process of learning and development.

In Piaget’s case, learning takes place on an individual basis. It is the conflict between what is new and what is known that leads the individual to seek balance.

The stages of development

Piaget’s theory deals with cognitive development by universal stages . On the other hand, for Vigotsky there are no such stages, since in building knowledge through social interaction, each culture is different and therefore cannot be generalized.

This means that, for Piaget, the potentiality of cognitive development depends on the stage in which the subject is . On the other hand, for Vygostky, the potentiality of cognitive development depends on the quality of the interaction and the Next Development Zone of the subject.

Role of learning

Vygotsky thinks that development depends on learning and children learn through history and symbolism. Piaget, on the other hand, thinks the opposite. In other words, learning depends on development. Piaget states that intelligence comes from action and does not give as much importance to external influences .

The role of language

Piaget explains that egocentric speech manifests the inability to adopt the other’s perspective and, since it does not adapt to adult intelligence, egocentric speech disappears. For Vygotsky, egocentric speech helps children to organise and regulate their thinking .