Limitations of Recent Research Relating Piaget’s Theory to Adolescent Thought

Abstract

Educators have been interested in Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development as a means of linking developmental level, concepts that can be grouped, and instructional strategy. Also, considerable effort has been directed to acceleration of the child’s developmental level. Many researchers, wishing to generalize to large numbers, have turned away from Piaget’s technique to group paper-and-pencil tests. Attention has been focused on the psychometric properties of these tests and their statistical links with other constructs. This review takes the following perspectives. First, there is a questionable relationship between the observed products of mental effort and their underlying mental strategies. There is evidence of a many-many rather than a one-one relationship between solution and strategy. Second, when viewed from its own experimental statistical perspective, much of the research suffers from serious methodological flaws. Third, attempts to prescribe instructional strategies that accelerate intellectual development have borne little fruit. The review closes with suggestions for a redirection of emphasis on the application of Piaget’s theory to education.