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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: THEORY REVIEW FORM TEMPLATE
Write the central research question for your study.
Basic Information About the Theory
Identify the theory.
Developmental Appropriateness (Cognitive Development)
Identify the primary theorist(s). List them.
Jean Piaget
Identify where or how this theory originated.
Piaget developed his theory of developmental appropriateness through a cognitive
development framework he constructed by conducting detailed research and observations
for many years. Earlier philosophers and psychologists like Immanuel Kant, who believed
people actively organize their knowledge, and James Mark Baldwin, who studied social
and cognitive developmental relationships, influenced his thinking (DeVries, 1997). Piaget
developed his concept through his careful study of children’s behavior, including his own.
He realized that children process thoughts differently than adults while their cognitive
development progresses through specific stages. The concept of “schemas” developed
from Piaget’s observations and became the basis of his theoretical framework (DeVries,
1997). Piaget proposed that cognitive development occurs in four stages: sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Every developmental stage
presents a unique approach to thinking and perceiving the world. The theory emphasized
developmental appropriateness by proposing that educational methods need to match a
child’s cognitive stage to achieve effectiveness (DeVries, 1997).
Include the correctly formatted reference list entry for each source used in this section.
DeVries, R. (1997). Piaget's social theory.4Educational researcher,426(2), 4–17.
https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X026002004
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Review of Theoretical Article or Book Selection #1
Note: It is preferred for the first source to be the seminal work of your selected theorist. A
seminal work is a primary text written by the person credited with developing the theory. If the
seminal work for your chosen theory is not available, select another resource that provides a
basic understanding of the theory.
List the reference in the current APA format.
Piaget, J. (1952).4The origins of intelligence in children. International Universities Press.
In 5–10 sentences, summarize the theory using citations.
Jean Piaget’s (1952) cognitive developmental theory investigates how children build their
understanding of the world by engaging with their surroundings. His theory outlines six
sequential developmental stages of intelligence that progress from basic reflexive actions
to complex mental combinations during which children build increasingly advanced
cognitive skills. The sensorimotor stage enables infants to establish basic mental
frameworks through their physical interactions with surrounding elements, which results
in sensorimotor schemata. During their development, children create mobile schemata,
which serve as adaptable mental frameworks that enable them to manage their actions and
adapt to new environments while differentiating between objectives and methods, thus
establishing a foundation for intentional and adaptive behavior. Piaget's theory builds
around the concepts of assimilation and accommodation. Through assimilation, children fit
new data into current cognitive frameworks, whereas accommodation adapts these
frameworks to absorb fresh information. The processes enable children to adjust to their
surroundings while establishing cognitive balance. Piaget (1952) links the development of
intellect to biological mechanisms by emphasizing intelligence as a fundamental aspect of
an organism's adaptive skills. According to his theory, educators and psychologists can
gain a valuable understanding of child learning processes that impact educational methods
and developmental approaches.
Identify the constructs that keep reappearing in the selected source. List and define
them.
Piaget (1952) outlines the concept of stages of cognitive development—sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational—each represents a distinct
way of thinking and reasoning. Sensorimotor intelligence encompasses basic mental
structures created during infancy through bodily experiences with the environment,
becoming sensorimotor schemata. Sensorimotor schemata are basic mental frameworks or
patterns used by infants to organize and interpret experiences. Mobile schemata function
as flexible mental frameworks that assist children in their ability to coordinate actions
while adapting to new situations and distinguishing between goals and means.
Assimilation involves the incorporation of novel information into established cognitive
frameworks, which helps children understand new experiences through known patterns.
Accommodation is modifying existing cognitive structures to incorporate new information
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that does not fit into current schemata, ensuring adaptability and learning. Cognitive
stability emerges from the equilibrium between assimilation and accommodation when
children adapt and integrate their environmental experiences. Universal processes in
intellectual development, including organization and adaptation, are the functional
invariants. Lastly, the biological basis of intelligence is rooted in the biological process
and is an extension of the organism’s ability to adapt to its environment.
Quotes
“Intelligence is assimilation to the extent that it incorporates all the given data of
experience within its framework.” (Piaget, 1952, p. 6)
This quote suggests that mere test scores may not capture how children actively absorb
and structure knowledge.
“There can be no doubt that mental life is also accommodation to the environment.
Assimilation can never be pure because by incorporating new elements into its earlier
schemata the intelligence constantly modifies the latter in order to adjust them to new
elements.” (Piaget, 1952, pp. 6–7)
This quote underscores that measuring intellect by standardized tests alone is limited.
Identify what role this article might play in your research.
In reading Piaget (1952), I realized that his concepts of assimilation and accommodation
explain how elementary students learn, either by fitting new information into their existing
understanding or by adjusting their mental frameworks to account for new concepts. This
perspective makes me suspect a fundamental mismatch between how children learn and
how they are assessed. Piaget’s stages suggest that elementary students operate in the
concrete operational phase, but standardized tests require abstract thinking, which
surpasses their developmental abilities. My research project will utilize this understanding
to explore and develop teaching and assessment methods that match children's cognitive
stages to combat declining test scores. Armed with Piaget’s insights, I also plan to inform
educators and stakeholders that we need to match our instruction and evaluation methods
to the way children naturally construct knowledge so that any proposed solutions are
grounded in how students truly learn.
New references to examine:
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Review of Theoretical Article or Book Selection #2
Note: The second theoretical article or book must be for the same theory as the first source. The
second source must be specifically about the theory, not just an article or book that indirectly
mentions the theory.
List the reference in current APA.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978).4Mind in society: The development of higher psychological
processes4(Vol. 86). Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4
In 5–10 sentences, summarize the information in the source regarding the theory. Use
citations.
Lev Vygotsky's Mind in Society (1978) introduces the Sociocultural Theory of cognitive
development to show how social interaction and cultural influences play a vital role in
developing a child's thought processes. Vygotsky believed cognitive development happens
initially through social interaction before becoming internalized by individuals through
participation in culturally significant activities. The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
represents the gap between children's independent capabilities and their potential abilities
when guided by someone who has more knowledge. According to Vygotsky (1978),
children develop the capacity to organize their behavior and think abstractly through the
internalization of language, which also enhances their problem-solving abilities. Children
develop the capacity to organize their behavior and think abstractly through the
internalization of language, which also enhances their problem-solving abilities.
Educational practices today incorporate his ideas, which emphasize scaffolding, dialogue,
and cooperative learning methods. Sociocultural Theory continues to serve as an essential
foundation for developmental psychology and contemporary teaching practices.
Identify the constructs that keep reappearing in the selected source. List and define
them.
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) describes what learners can achieve by
themselves compared to what they can accomplish when they receive help from a more
experienced person. It represents the potential for cognitive development when appropriate
support is provided. Scaffolding refers to the temporary support given to a learner by a
teacher, peer, or adult to perform a task until they can independently. While Vygotsky did
not coin the term, it operationalizes his concept of support within the ZPD. Individuals
connect with others in their environment through social interaction, influencing their
cognitive development and learning processes. Vygotsky believed that learning starts
through social interaction between people before it becomes internalized by individuals.
Cultural Tools (Psychological Tools) refer to developed instruments like language and
symbols that cultures create to enhance thinking and communication. Vygotsky
maintained that cultural tools shape complex mental processes and exhibit societal
differences. Language serves both as a cultural tool and the main way humans develop
their thinking abilities. Language facilitates communication and self-regulation while
creating space for internal dialogue, also known as private speech, which supports
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essential cognitive development functions. Internalization is how social activities become
part of an individual’s mental functioning through repeated social interaction.
Quotes
"An interpersonal process is transformed into an intrapersonal one. Every function in the
child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the
individual level; first, between people (inter-psychological), and then inside the child
(intra-psychological)" (Vygotsky, 1978).
This quote underlines Vygotsky's concept of internalization, highlighting how social
interactions are fundamental to the development of individual cognitive functions.
Identify what role this article might play in your research.
[Include three to five sentences. This is the critical thinking section of this assignment.
What will you DO with the knowledge you gained from this specific research? How could
it shape your topic or inform your readers? Again, these are your ideas related to your
research topic, not the author’s or theorist’s. If this article might not play a role in your
research, you must choose a different article. Delete these instructions prior to
submission.]
New references to examine:
[Identify any resources cited in the article that may be useful to find and read. Remember,
data mining is important to help you reach saturation of your topic research. Provide a full
current APA citation, including the DOI or URL. Your new references should be sources
less than five years old. You may use a few older articles in your literature review, but
focusing on current literature is essential. Delete these instructions prior to submission.]
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Review of Theoretical Article or Book Selection #3
Note: The second theoretical article or book must be for the same theory as the first source. The
second source must be specifically about the theory, not just an article or book that indirectly
mentions the theory.
List the reference in current APA.
[Please use current APA format, paying close attention to capitalization, italics, URLs, and
DOIs. The Writing Style Guide should be used.
You must use theoretical articles, not empirical studies that mention a theory or discuss the
theoretical framework. Delete these instructions prior to submission.]
In 5–10 sentences, summarize the information in the source regarding the theory. Use
citations.
Identify the constructs that keep reappearing in the selected source. List and define
them.
[Key constructs are a theory’s building blocks or essential elements. For example, within
theories of motivation, both internal motivators (i.e., work ethic) and external motivators
(rewards/pay) are important aspects of the theory. All relevant key constructs of the theory
you are reviewing must be listed and defined.
Defining key constructs based on what has been written in the literature is important.
These “operational definitions” ensure everyone reading your work examines your ideas
through the same lens. For example, a study on religion, defined as “rules of behavior
within a belief system,” will yield very different results than if one was to define religion
as a “collective relationship with a higher being.”
This is not to be a list of key points of the article but a list with definitions of the
constructs. This section must be completed. Do not write that there are no constructs.
Delete these instructions prior to submission.]
Quotes
[Identify two quotes that may be useful. Include quotation marks and the page number(s)
within the citations in current APA format. Note that quotes are rarely included in a
literature review. Only include a quote in your applied research report if there is a specific
reason for doing so and if the information cannot be summarized effectively.Delete these
instructions prior to submission.]
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Identify what role this article might play in your research.
[Include three to five sentences. This is the critical thinking section of this assignment.
What will you DO with the knowledge you gained from this specific research? How could
it shape your topic or inform your readers? Again, these are your ideas related to your
research topic, not the author’s or theorist’s. If this article might not play a role in your
research, you must choose a different article. Delete these instructions prior to
submission.]
New references to examine:
[Identify any resources cited in the article that may be useful to find and read. Remember,
data mining is important to help you reach saturation of your topic research. Provide a full
current APA citation, including the DOI or URL. Your new references should be sources
less than five years old. You may use a few older articles in your literature review, but
focusing on current literature is essential. Delete these instructions prior to submission.]
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Review of Theoretical Article or Book Selection #4
Note: The second theoretical article or book must be for the same theory as the first source. The
second source must be specifically about the theory, not just an article or book that indirectly
mentions the theory.
List the reference in current APA.
[Please use current APA format, paying close attention to capitalization, italics, URLs, and
DOIs. The Writing Style Guide should be used.
You must use theoretical articles, not empirical studies that mention a theory or discuss the
theoretical framework. Delete these instructions prior to submission.]
In 5–10 sentences, summarize the information in the source regarding the theory. Use
citations.
Identify the constructs that keep reappearing in the selected source. List and define
them.
[Key constructs are a theory’s building blocks or essential elements. For example, within
theories of motivation, both internal motivators (i.e., work ethic) and external motivators
(rewards/pay) are important aspects of the theory. All relevant key constructs of the theory
you are reviewing must be listed and defined.
Defining key constructs based on what has been written in the literature is important.
These “operational definitions” ensure everyone reading your work examines your ideas
through the same lens. For example, a study on religion, defined as “rules of behavior
within a belief system,” will yield very different results than if one was to define religion
as a “collective relationship with a higher being.”
This is not to be a list of key points of the article but a list with definitions of the
constructs. This section must be completed. Do not write that there are no constructs.
Delete these instructions prior to submission.]
Quotes
[Identify two quotes that may be useful. Include quotation marks and the page number(s)
within the citations in current APA format. Note that quotes are rarely included in a
literature review. Only include a quote in your applied research report if there is a specific
reason for doing so and if the information cannot be summarized effectively.Delete these
instructions prior to submission.]
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Identify what role this article might play in your research.
[Include three to five sentences. This is the critical thinking section of this assignment.
What will you DO with the knowledge you gained from this specific research? How could
it shape your topic or inform your readers? Again, these are your ideas related to your
research topic, not the author’s or theorist’s. If this article might not play a role in your
research, you must choose a different article. Delete these instructions prior to
submission.]
New references to examine:
[Identify any resources cited in the article that may be useful to find and read. Remember,
data mining is important to help you reach saturation of your topic research. Provide a full
current APA citation, including the DOI or URL. Your new references should be sources
less than five years old. You may use a few older articles in your literature review, but
focusing on current literature is essential. Delete these instructions prior to submission.]
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