CHILD OF THE APPROPRIATE AGE

Child of the Appropriate Age

Abstract

Instructional management focuses on planning, execution and evaluation of learning experiences. For teachers in pre-secondary schools to plan, execute and evaluate learning experiences effectively, they need to have good understanding of the process of cognitive development in children. Piaget has postulated that children progress through a series of four stages beginning with rudimentary reflex responses and achieving full maturity with the attainment of formal deductive reasoning. Piaget's theory also postulates that a child is an active investigator who acts upon his environment with reflex responses during infancy and then with more complex responses that emerge from early interactions. Piaget views interaction as a two-way process, one of which is accommodation and the other is assimilation. In accommodation the child's knowledge of the environment is modified to incorporate new experiences which are adaptive to the broad aspect of cognitive demands imposed by the environment. In assimilation, the child incorporates new experiences into an existing structure. Accommodation and assimilation are reciprocal and their interaction generates cognitive growth. Understanding and application of Piaget's Theory is important in the effective enhancement of teaching and learning process at pre-secondary school level. Consequently, teacher trainers, trainee teachers and practicing teachers need to keep abreast of Piaget's theory of intellectual development.

Child of the Appropriate Age

Introduction

Theories of development are much more specific than paradigms or worldviews (Miller, 1993). A theory of development deals with change over time and is usually concerned with three things. First, it should describe changes over time within an area or several areas of development. Second, it should describe changes among areas of development. Third, it should explain these changes. No one theory has proved adequate to describe and explain learning or development. Numerous theories of development have influenced educational practices during the 20th century, and currently a shift is affecting theories of child development and education (Brown 2009, 369-412).

Some of the historical and current theories that have influenced education include Gesell's (1925) maturational theory, Skinner's (1974) behaviorist approach, Freud's (1935) psychoanalytic theory, Piaget's (1952) constructivist theory, Vygotsky's (1978) sociohistorical approach, Bronfenbrenner's (1989) ecological systems theory, and Gardner's (1983) multiple intelligences theory. More recently, critical theory (see Kessler & Swadener, 1992) has influenced education and child development practices, even though critical theory is not a theory of development. Finally, postmodern conceptions have changed the way we think of children and how to educate them (Broniarczyk 2004, 214-228).

Methods

This section aims at describing and justifying the whole design of research would be used to address the questions of the research. This would be done by exploring theoretical and philosophical considerations which could influence the design of the research. The aim of this research is to study the correlation of circle of stakeholder with project correlation management.

Creswell (2005) defines methodology as a system of methods and rules that enables the collection and analysis of data. So, it helps to explain the work that has been accounted on a subject. It also explains the capability of the individual to ...