Educational Psychology

Organization describes the structures (Piaget's term is schemes) which human beings create to allow them to place new objects or experiences into an existing context. Schemes range from very simple ways of organizing knowledge to complex, integrated systems of thinking.

Adaptation describes the ongoing process by which individuals seek to adjust to their environment. Adaptation can take the form of either assimilation or accommodation, adjusting the world to suit the individual's existing schemes of thinking or changing those schemes to fit new situations. Anita E. Woolfolk notes, "Both processes are required most of the time" and are usually interrelated.

Equilibration describes the constant balancing process required in gathering knowledge, thinking, and dealing with the world. According to Piaget, this is the stage at which "actual changes in thinking take place." Attempting to keep the world in balance results either in succ

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p with a primary caregiver. Once trust is established, the individual moves to establish a sense of self-mastery; toilet training occurs at this stage. The third stage involves developing initiative and assertiveness, allowing the child to move to the fourth stage (usually the point at which he or she enters school), where the need to learn new skills is pitted against the possibility of public failure. The fifth stage, adolescence, is characterized by the need to achieve an individual identity, a necessary prelude to the sixth stage, learning how to establish intimate romantic relationships with others. In the seventh stage, the individual seeks to establish a family or in some way guarantee a sense of immortality through support of the next generation. In the final stage, the individual reflects on and seeks to accept his or her life and the choices made. Erikson's stages are as useful as Piaget's to the classroom teacher. For example, since identity is a major issue in adolescence, role-playing games may be a much more effective tool for the high school teacher than for elementary teachers. 4. Robert Gagne observes that knowledge can be placed in one of two categories: general knowledge and knowledge that is specific
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Approximate Word count = 1682
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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