1. Describe theoretical perspectives in relation to physical development

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

UrieBronfenbrenner (1917-2005)

Answers

1. The cognitive development theory propounded by Jean Piaget focuses on the fact that children pass through four distinct stages of mental development. The theory relies upon the understanding of the manner in which children acquire knowledge and the nature of the intelligence(Piaget and Inhelder 2013).The four stages of development that have been described includes the sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage and the formal operational stage(Beilin and Pufall 2013). The underlying theoretical perspective was dependent upon the consideration of the children across different age groups right from birth up to the age of 12 years and above.

According to Berk (2017) the sensorimotor stage deals with the development stage from birth up to 2 years of age. The major characteristics and the developmental changes include, acquiring knowledge about the world through sensory perceptions (Berk 2017). At this developmental stage, children acquire the basic skills such as grasping, listening and sucking. Children come to terms with the fact that entities continue to exist even when the voices are not heard and their existence is independent of object and people around them (Berk 2017). The pre-operational stage deals with the developmental stage from 2 to 7 years. As stated by Meins (2013) the major developmental characteristics involves the ability of the children to think symbolically and learn to associate things with pictures and words. It has been said at this stage children tend to be egocentric and see things from a different perspective. This stage serves as the foundation stage for language development (Meins 2013). Children start developing their language and thinking but tend to express in condensed terms. The next stage can be described as the concrete operational stage. This stage extends from the age 7 to 11 years (Meins 2013). The major characteristics and the developmental changes include, development of critical and logical thinking about concrete events (Mischel 2013). In addition to this children also start comprehending things with logic and reasoning. The last stage that is the formal operational stage extends from age 12 and above(Piaget and Inhelder 2013). At this age, the children develop the skills to comprehend abstract concepts and analyse complex problems based upon analytical reasoning(Piaget and Inhelder 2013). The perspectives widen and children are able to deal with complicated issues such as political, ethical, social and philosophical issues (Piaget and Inhelder 2013).

Urie Bronfenbrenner propounded the ecological systems theory that emphasised upon the fact that the growth and development of a child is dependent upon the exposed environment. The theory mentions four aspects of environment that regulates the upbringing of the child microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem (Lau and Ng 2014). The microsystem has been explained to be the immediate environment where a child grows up. It incorporates the carers and parents and the caring relationship shared with the child. The temperament of the child is influenced by the nurturing relationship shared by the caregivers within the microsystem. The mesosystem includes several Microsystems that must work in favour of the child’s development so as to avoid conflicting experiences (Lau and Ng 2014). The exosystem forms the external environment that has an indirect impact on the development of the child. Though the children do not interact directly with the exosystem, it still has an impact on the upbringing of the child. For instance poor work life balance of parents can negatively affect the child. The macrosystem includes the government policies and welfare policies that ensure a healthy growth and development (Lau and Ng 2014).

2. The theories discussed above form an underlying basis of the early year framework for imparting elementary education. The theoretical perspectives help in understanding the level of intellectual development along with the physical growth and progression and the impact of the concerned envrionmnt. As mentioned by Demetriou (2016) the considerations help in designing appropriate academic materials and resources to support the academic and social development of the children. In addition to this, it should also be noted that the current development frameworks are created on the basis of Piaget’s and Bronfenbrenner’s development theories that serve as a foundation stone. The underlying basis of the current theories and frameworks of early childhood education and cognitive development is based upon the fact that children are not merely passive recipients of knowledge but stimulated learners (Beilin and Pufall 2013). The exposure to the world stimulates a spirit of investigation and experimentation in order to develop a crystal clear understanding about the manner in which the world works. It is extremely important to thoroughly consider the developmental stage and environmental exposure in order to promote a healthy growth and development.

References:

Beilin, H., andPufall, P. B. 2013. Piaget's theory: prospects and possibilities. Psychology Press.pp.75

Berk, L., 2017. Development through the lifespan. Pearson Education India.pp.111-114

Demetriou, A., Shayer, M. and Efklides, A., 2016. Neo-Piagetian theories of cognitive development: Implications and applications for education. Routledge.pp.68

Meins, E., 2013. Security of attachment and the social development of cognition. Psychology press.pp.119

Mischel, T. ed., 2013. Cognitive development and epistemology. Academic Press.pp.24-26

Piaget, J. and Inhelder, B., 2013. The growth of logical thinking from childhood to adolescence: An essay on the construction of formal operational structures. Routledge.pp.33-42

Lau, J. and Ng, K.M., 2014. Conceptualizing the counseling training environment using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 36(4), pp.423-439.