Comparison Between Vygotsky And Piaget

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interaction, language and culture has a direct impact on the child’s cognitive development.

Unlike Vygotsky, Piaget focuses his view on a child’s cognitive development on the stages of development a child passes through and the maturation that occurs with age. Vygotsky did not deny that there are stages but did not emphasize its role in development. Piaget suggested that a child passes through one stage to the next when he reaches an appropriate level of maturation and is exposed to relevant types of experiences. He also believed that the child’s activity is the one major influence in development and the most important source of cognition is the child himself. When a child plays, he/she learns and develops best by self-regulation with little interaction. Piaget believed that free exploration and problem solving would support a child’s development. When a child acts independently, he has a far greater chance to discover the world around him. Piaget understood that the child builds mental maps for understanding and responding to experiences within his environment. In other words, when attempting a new challenge, the child uses any prior knowledge relating to this new challenge and then builds on it with this new experience. Thi...