Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1. Cognitive Development:
Bruner was influenced by Piaget's ideas
about cognitive development in children.
During the 1940's his early work focused
on the impact of needs, motivations, &
expectations (mental sets) and their
influence on perception.
He also looked at the role of strategies in
the process of human categorization,
and development of human cognition.
He presented the point of view that
children are active problem-solvers and
capable of exploring difficult subjects.
Bruner believed that children have an
innate capacity that helps them make
sense of the work and that cognitive
abilities
develop
through
active
interaction. His focus was on the
development
of
conceptual
understanding, cognitive skills and
learning strategies rather than the
acquisition of knowledge. Bruner argued
that social factors, particularly language,
were important for cognitive growth.
These
underpin
the
concept
of
scaffolding.
Modes of Representation:
In the first stage the first kind of memory is called enactive when
a person learns about the world through actions on physical
objects and the outcomes of these actions. This mode is used
within the first 18 months of life. A baby represents world
through actions (corresponding with Piagets sensorimotor
stage). The infant stores information in the form of muscle
memories: remembering the feel of actions. baby may carry on
shaking arm even if you take rattle away
thought arm
movement made the noise!
Thinking is based entirely on physical actions. Infants learn by
doing, rather than by internal representation (or thinking). This
mode continues later in many physical activities, such as learning to ride a
bike. They become automatic through repetition. Like Piaget, Bruner sees
onset of object permanence = amajor qualitative change in way child thinks.
2. The iconic mode (develops from 18 months):
The second stage was called "Iconic" where learning can be
obtained through using models and pictures. Information is
stored as sensory images: usually visual ones, like pictures in
the mind. Mode begins to develop from 18 months. Some
children develop an extreme form of this known as eidetic
imagery (photographic memory), but they usually lose it as
they grow older.
Thinking is based on the use of mental images (icons), which
may be based on sight, hearing, smell or touch. Baby can represent rattle as
a visual image so it is now an independent thing = object
permanence childs thinking is dominated by images Im in Im in iconic mode
leave my rattle alone!
-things are as they look in this mode.
3. The symbolic mode (6-7 years onwards)
The final stage was "Symbolic" in which the learner develops the capacity to
think in abstract terms. In this stage child has the ability to store things in
the form of symbols. Words are powerful symbols and we can store a lot of
information as verbal memory.
ii.
Social Learning
iii.
Constructivist Theory:
a. Categorization:
Bruner's theories emphasize the significance of
categorization in learning. "To perceive is to
categorize, to conceptualize is to categorize, to learn
is to form categories, to make decisions is to
categorize."
Interpreting
information
and
experiences by similarities and differences is a key
concept.
Categorization is the
process in which ideas and
objects
are recognized, differentia
ted and understood.
b. Modes of Thought:
Bruner also suggested that there are two primary modes of thought:
1. The narrative (intuitive) mode:
2. The paradigmatic (analytic) mode:
1. The narrative (intuitive) mode:
The mind engages in sequential, action-oriented, detail-driven thought.
based on logic, traditional type of thinking emphasized in schools, leads to
construction of categories and hierarchies
2. The paradigmatic (analytic) mode:
The mind transcends particularities to achieve systematic, categorical
cognition. More interpretive, complex and rich phenomena of life better
represented in stories or narratives (Lieblich et al 1998)
iv.
Scaffolding
Analysis:
Synoptic points
The theory uses a number of approaches - Cognitive (information
processing - like Piaget dev occurs through experience and maturation)
Social Constructionist - like Vygotsky social context important
Explains Individual Differences - culture and environmental influences
Real world applications - major impact on education
Eventually Bruner was strongly influenced by Vygotsky's writings and began to turn
away from the intrapersonal focus he had had for learning, and began to adopt a
social and political view of learning. Bruner argued that aspects of cognitive
performance are facilitated by language. He stressed the importance of the social
setting in the acquisition of language. His views are similar to those of Piaget, but
he places more emphasis on the social influences on development. The earliest
social setting is the mother-child dyad, where children work out the meanings of
utterances to which they are repeatedly exposed. Bruner identified several
important social devices including joint attention, mutual gaze, and turn-taking.
Bruner also incorporated Darwinian thinking into his basic assumptions about
learning. He believed it was necessary to refer to human culture and primate
evolution in order to understand growth and development. He did, however, believe
there were individual differences and that no standard sequence could be found for
all learners. He considered instruction as an effort to assist or shape growth.In 1996
he published The Culture of Education.. This book reflected his changes in
viewpoints since the 1960's. He adopted the point of view that culture shapes the
mind and provides the raw material with which we constrict our world and our selfconception.