Different Processes that Facilitate Construction of Knowledge 

Back to: Learning and Teaching – Unit 2

Cognitive Development

Cognitive development or the construction of knowledge is the emergence of thinking and understanding ability. It refers to the way individuals think, explore, and observe the things around them. Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner are considered to be the two most renowned educational psychologists who have hugely contributed to the field of cognitive psychology. According to Jean Piaget,

“Cognitive development is a progressive reorganization of mental processes as a result of biological maturation and environmental experience.”

Different Processes That Facilitate Construction of Knowledge

There are six main types of processes that facilitate the construction of knowledge or cognitive development which are as follows:

Language

Language is a means of communication. It includes the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. With these skills, we develop the ability to communicate effectively.

Attention

Attention refers to the ability to be able to concentrate or focus on one thing or task at a time.

Memory

Memory refers to knowledge that is stored in the mind. Our brains store many memories. Memories allow people to recall and recollect objects, information, and situations and react to them.

Perception

It includes new information and old information that enables the brain to make sense of a situation, process and perceive them, and respond to them. It includes smell, touch, sight, and hearing.

Learning

Learning refers to the acquisition of new knowledge and information. It blends the previous knowledge with new knowledge for better functioning of the brain.

Higher Reasoning

Higher reasoning involves skills such as making decisions, planning and organizing your schedule, planning, plotting, problem-solving, and reasoning.

Conclusion

These are the six different and most common types of cognitive processes for learning. Jerome Bruner researched the cognitive development of children and identified three stages of representation namely, the enactive stage, the iconic stage, and the symbolic representation stage.