Abstract:
The Ecuadorian educational system is still with many difficulties, even though
there are many efforts to improve it. Several theories can be applied in this respect.
Piaget and Vygotsky are two thinkers that have contributed to the educational system
over the last century. Both have similarities and different viewpoints in their theories
about childhood speech and language cognitive development. Cognitive development
is defined as development of the ability to think and reason (University of Chicago
Comer Children's Hospital, 2006). Piaget and Vygotsky were both contributors to the
cognitive development theories. Piaget and Vygotsky were both constructivists.
“Constructivism is that individuals are actively involved right from birth in
constructing personal meaning, that is their own personal understanding, from their
experiences. In other words, everyone makes their own sense of the world and the
experiences that surround them.” (Williams and Burden: 1997:21) However, this is
the only similarity between Piaget´s and Vygotsky´s cognitive/constructivist theories.
Piaget believes that intelligence starts from action. He believes that children learn
from interaction with their surroundings and the learning process of that action, which
takes place after development. On the other hand, Vygotsky feels that learning occurs
before development of that action and that children learn because...
