Genetic epistemology is a study of the origins of knowledge which was established by Jean Piaget. The goal of genetic epistemology is to link the validity of knowledge to the model of its construction. It shows that the method in which the knowledge was obtained affects the validity of that knowledge. Genetic epistemology also explains the process of how a human being develops cognitively from birth throughout his or her life through four primary stages of development. 1) Sensorimotor (birth to age 2) 2) Preoperational (2-7) 3) Concrete operational (7-11) 4) Formal operational (11 years onward). The main focus is on the younger years of development. In order to progress from one stage to another comes by way of a process of development. Assimilation, which occurs when the perception of a new event or object occurs to the learner in an existing schema and is usually used in the context of self motivation. Accommodation, one accommodates the experiences according to the outcome of the tasks. The highest form of development is equilibration. Equilibration encompasses both assimilation and accommodation as the learner changes their way of thinking in order to arrive at a correct or different answer. This is the upper level of development
With this theory there is a detailed time frame that could restrict development. If you have a three year old who is deveolpmentally behind it would effect their learning capabilities in preschool. This could set the child up for failure throughout life. He or she may never catch up cognitivly or on any other level. On the other hand, these stages of development can give educators an ideal sense of where most children are and can therefore set up the curriculum according to this theory.
I would be teaching children that are “formal operational.” These are children eleven and up. Children at this level will be leanijnmg to think abstractly. This is very important in cognative development because the students will use this way of...