Database results:
examBoard: AQA
examType: GCSE
lessonTitle: Concrete Operational Stage
The Concrete Operational Stage is the third of Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, typically occurring between the ages of 7 and 11 years. During this important period, children develop logical thinking abilities that allow them to solve problems in a more organised and rational way than during earlier stages. However, their thinking is still tied to concrete (physical) situations rather than abstract concepts.
Key Definitions:
Piaget believed that children actively construct their understanding of the world through experiences and interactions. His four stages of cognitive development are:
Each stage builds upon the previous one, with new abilities emerging as children's thinking becomes more sophisticated.
During the concrete operational stage, children develop several important cognitive abilities:
One of the most significant developments during the concrete operational stage is the ability to understand conservation - the principle that certain physical properties remain unchanged despite changes in appearance.
When two rows with the same number of counters are arranged differently (one spread out, one close together), the child understands both rows still contain the same number of counters.
When water is poured from a short, wide container into a tall, thin one, the child understands the amount of water remains the same despite the different appearance.
When a ball of clay is flattened into a pancake shape, the child understands the amount of clay hasn't changed, only its shape.
Children in the concrete operational stage develop several logical operations that help them solve problems and understand the world around them.
Children can now organise objects into categories and subcategories based on similarities and differences. For example, they understand that a dog is both a pet and an animal and that the category "animal" includes both dogs and cats.
Children can:
Seriation is the ability to arrange objects in a logical sequence based on a property like size, weight, or colour. Children can:
During the concrete operational stage, children become less egocentric and more able to see situations from other people's perspectives. This is a significant social-cognitive development.
Piaget and Inhelder developed the "Three Mountains Task" to test children's egocentrism. Children were shown a model of three mountains and asked to describe what a doll would see from different positions. Preoperational children typically described what they themselves could see, regardless of the doll's position. Concrete operational children, however, could mentally put themselves in the doll's position and describe the correct view, showing decreased egocentrism.
Despite these significant cognitive advances, concrete operational thinking still has important limitations:
Children at this stage can think logically about concrete situations they can observe or manipulate, but struggle with abstract or hypothetical problems. For example, they can solve "If John is taller than Mary and Mary is taller than Sue, who is tallest?" because they can picture the people. However, they would struggle with abstract algebraic equations like "If a > b and b > c, then a > c".
Children in this stage don't yet use systematic approaches to problem-solving. They often use trial and error rather than developing and testing hypotheses. They also struggle with considering all possible combinations or permutations when solving complex problems.
Piaget's theory of the concrete operational stage has been extensively researched, with studies both supporting and challenging his ideas.
McGarrigle and Donaldson (1974) modified Piaget's conservation tasks by introducing a "naughty teddy" who accidentally messed up the rows of counters. When the change was presented as accidental rather than deliberate, many more 4-6 year old children demonstrated conservation. This suggests that children's understanding may be affected by how questions are phrased and their interpretation of the experimenter's intentions.
Understanding the concrete operational stage has important applications in education and parenting:
Teachers can design lessons that build on concrete operational thinking by:
Parents can support development by:
Beneficial activities include:
The concrete operational stage represents a significant advancement in children's cognitive development. During this period, children develop logical thinking abilities, understand conservation, classification and seriation and become less egocentric. However, their thinking remains tied to concrete situations rather than abstract concepts. While Piaget's theory has been challenged and refined over time, it continues to provide a valuable framework for understanding cognitive development during the primary school years.
Log in to track your progress and mark lessons as complete!
Login NowDon't have an account? Sign up here.