Understanding learning foundations requires comprehensive research concerning the
various methods that can be applied. The major theories are Piaget and Vygotsky's theories. This
essay aims to explain how to research to find out about the different learning foundations. The
research specifically aims at understanding the differences between Piaget's and Vygotsky's
views of learning. It also explains the possible challenges faced when doing a research study on
this topic.
The major purpose of this study is to come up with a list of differences between Piaget's
and Vygotsky's views of earning. It also researches other foundations of learning which have
been used to explain cognitive development. Vygotsky's theory explains that a child can be
considered to be a social being, and cognitive development is triggered by the presence of social
interactions. On the other side, Piaget believed that a child is an independent being whose
development is propagated by self-center and directed events.
These two theories have been controversial; therefore, it is necessary to use many sources
to understand the major differences. Understanding learning theories can help teachers know the
best methods to apply when teaching different levels of classes and types of students (Pardjono,
2016 p. 9). The two theories are also similar in that they both recognize cognitive development,
which leads to maturity at a certain age depending on an individual.
Piaget suggested that the physical and social environment helps in cognitive
development, which occurs in different stages. They also make discoveries on their own. On the
contrary, Vygotsky stated that children have to be directed to make these discoveries (Schrader,
2015 p. 24). Both these theories are useful when teaching students because they can be applied
to different lessons. Understanding the different theories means that teachers can know when to
use one theory or the other. After this research, a list of the differences will be provided as a
conclusion to the study.
This research can be conducted by collecting and reading articles that are available
online. The method applied in this study is a qualitative study analyzing information available in
the sources. The articles and books should all be peer-reviewed. The sources should also be
recent enough and contain reliable data. Lastly, the authors of these sources have to be qualified
in the field and have high levels of expertise. The literature review will be formed by selecting
articles from Google scholar. These articles must be closely related to the topic. Additionally, the
research can be conducted by using learners exposed to the information for the first time and
watching how they accept and use it. The sample can be big enough to represent an entire
population at different levels of earing.
When doing this research, one of the major challenges faced is likely to be differentiating
peer reviewed articles and other unreliable sources. Additionally, data collection is a long
process and requires an extended period. Also, getting people to help in the research may take
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time, and most of the task has to be done individually so that one can receive quality
information. Additionally, there are sources, for example, books, which have to be bought; hence
financial requirements will increase. Getting the sample that represents the whole population
may be hard because there are different ages and levels involved. The research also requires the
use of time and resources. This research is expected to give feedback on the other learning
foundations, which will help educators.
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Works Cited
Pardjono, Pardjono. "Active learning: The Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, and constructivist theory perspectives."
Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan 9.3 (2016).
Schrader, Dawn E. "Constructivism and learning in the age of social media: Changing minds and learning
communities." New Directions for Teaching and Learning