Understand what is meant by cognitive development.

Describe the principles behind Piaget’s stage theory.

Describe how schemas, assimilation and accommodation enable the child to adapt and learn.

Understand that disequilibrium is essential in stimulating the child to learn.

Describe the 4 stages of Piaget’s theory.

Describe the characteristics displayed by the child during each of these stages.

Evaluate each characteristic with research examples in terms of its strengths and weaknesses.

Describe how different factors such as putting tasks in context may question Piaget’s age limits.

Evaluate the theory in general terms e.g. influential and ages and stages.

Compare the theory to that of Vygotsky and describe similarities and differences and how the two theories may complement one another.

Describe the principles behind Vygotsky’s theory.

Describe Vygotsky’s view of the roles of language and socialising in cognitive development.

Describe the main features of the theory, i.e. ZPD and scaffolding.

Describe and evaluate research evidence for these features (e.g. Moss).

Compare the theory to Piaget’s, describing similarities and differences and how they may complement one another.

Extension

Describe the principles behind the information processing approach.

Describe the 3 main assumptions.

Describe the theories of Case (1992) and Fisher (1980).

Compare the theory to Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s and use it to evaluate these other theories.

Describe how Piaget’s theory has influenced curriculum development and teaching strategies.

Describe the child centred approach to education.

Describe Piaget’s ideas about the limited role of the teacher.

Describe some examples of Piaget’s ideas in practice e.g. Nuffield and CASE.

Evaluate the practical use of the theory using appropriate research.

Describe how Vygotsky has been used in the classroom.

Describe the use of peer tutoring and scaffolding with appropriate research examples.

Describe some practical examples of this, e.g. how CASE combines Piaget & Vygotsky.

Understand what is meant by the concept of intelligence.

Describe the problems associated with its definition.

Be aware of some of the history of attempts to measure intelligence (e.g. Binet)

Understand and describe some of the problems of measuring IQ.

Describe the nature-nurture debate.

Describe the research supporting the genetic argument, including twin studies, adoption studies, IQ stability and Burt’s discredited work.

Evaluate the genetic argument using the work of Kamin and counter arguments by the environmentalists.

Describe how the race argument can be turned round to discredit some of the genetic argument.

Describe the research supporting the environmental argument, enrichment studies, home environment, hothousing etc.

Evaluate the environmental argument using the genetic point of view.

Describe why it is so difficult to separate out the affects of genes and environment.

Describe and evaluate a balanced overview of the nature nurture debate on intelligence.

Describe the interactionist view of intelligence.

Describe the classic study by Capron & Duyne and what it tells u

Extension

Describe what is meant by heritability

Evaluate the genetic argument using the concept of heritability.

Describe the Hebb’s thought experiments on heritability.

Describe the cultural influences of intelligence

Describe the ways in which intelligence testing can be culturally biased with examples

Evaluate the argument for culture fair tests in measuring intelligence.

Describe what is meant by ‘morality’ and its ‘development.’

Describe Piaget’s approach to moral development.

Describe why it is a cognitive theory.

Describe Piaget’s methods, esp. game rules and stories.

Describe the three stages of Piaget’s theory and the differences between them

Describe how moral progress is made

Evaluate the theory using research studies and other theories

Compare the theory with others, especially Kohlberg and Freud

Describe Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.

Describe the levels and stages and the progression through them

Describe the methods Kohlberg used, e.g. dilemmas with examples

Evaluate Kohlberg’s methods

Evaluate Kohlberg’s theory using research evidence and others theories especially Gilligan and Eisenberg.

Compare the theory to other theories

Evaluate the theory in terms of its cultural and gender limitations

Describe Gilligan’s approach and her differentiation of types of morality.

Describe Eisenberg’s variation of Kohlberg’s theory and how it is broadly in agreement with it.

Evaluate these theories with appropriate research and compare these theories to others especially Kohlberg’s.

Describe some of the limitations of Kohlberg’s that they overcome

Describe how Freud thought resolution of Oedipus complex resulted in development of superego

Evaluate the theory without resorting to personal opinions or crudities! 

Compare the theory to others such as Piaget and Kohlberg

Describe the cultural issues that underpin moral development

Use research to describe and evaluate the extent to which cultural issues have been overcome.