Exercise 2: Nature vs Nurture - This assignment is designed to compare and contr

Question

Exercise 2: Nature vs Nurture - This assignment is designed to compare and contrast Piaget (a 'nature' theorist) and Vygotsky (a 'nurture' theorist) in terms of providing examples for aspects of each of their theories as well as assessing strengths and weaknesses of each theorist.

Complete the document by providing examples of Piaget's concepts of centration, egocentrism, transformation, and conservation, and Vygotsky's concept of scaffolding. Also, provide examples of one strength and one weakness for each theorist. Lastly, evaluate which researcher you believe had the "better" theory, and why.

This assignment is worth 25pts.

Piaget:

Centration example (3pts):

Egocentrism example (3pts):

Transformation example (3pts):

Conservation example (3pts):

Strength (2pts):

Weakness (2pts):

Vygotsky:

Scaffolding example (3pts):

Strength (2pts):

Weakness (2pts):

Compare/Contrast:

Which researcher had the “better” theory? (1pt):

Why? (1pt):

Explanation / Answer

Centration - Here a child between 4-7 years develops logic and has the tendency to focus on only one aspect of the situation. A child may complain that all his friends are wearing a new red t shirt would complain that his blue t shirt even though new is an old one. If old red t shirt is wore, the child would be happy.

Egocentrism - Once me and my child had watched lion king, I told him that Lion's name is Simba. He thought that animal is known as Simba. He started referring to that thing as Simba even when we said that no he is known as Lion

Transformation - A child may consider a toy as his or her vehicle or complete transform that toy in his own idea.

Conservation - It refers to quantities that will remain irrespective of containers shape. It develops at the age of 7-11. A child may view that milk given to him in small or big glass has got the same quantity.

Strengths and weaknesses - It laid a strong foundation to many education institutes. IT brought into to focus what the children actually think and what they actually want to say. It led to lot of research in child's cognitive development. Weakness - Those stages often inter lap with each other, Vygostky also said that he didn't took the cultural or social impact on the child. He had concentrated only on the Swiss children

Vygotsky - Scaffolding - Zone of proximal development - they are the activities which child decides whether he can do by himself or he needs anybody's help in doing that. Many theories arose from ZPS which is known as scaffolding. Eg: A chid may want to learn to draw a nice painting of his cartoon which he tries to draw but something is imperfect. His mom shows him how to draw a perfect circle, tricks etc. He does but still he feels that something is incomplete, his teacher gives to guidance of using oil pastels and he is very happy at the bright colouring that he does.

Strengths and weakness - ZPD also played a major role in educational institutes. He suggested that if teacher would give group exercise a child would earn more better. As per theories many theorist started working on language development which leads to the cognitive development .Weakness - Vygotsky dies at very early stage and hence there are lack of experiments in his theory. His theory did not receive same importance due to its time consuming process. He says that his theory in universally valid across all the cultures that is more dependent upon the verbal instructions

I guess even though Vygotsky's theory is critisized and does not has much content but his theory is better. We see that today is generation of competition and the principle of scaffolding is very much valid. a student might take help of many people around to progress. That is what actually a school structure is and it is valid across all the cultures. A nation or a child progresses byby taking help of many people and judging is it possible for him to take this step.

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