Question

Describe at least three ways in which students in Piaget’s formal operations stage are likely to think differently from those in the concrete operations stage. Illustrate each characteristic with a concrete example of how students in each of the two stages might think or behave.

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

Concrete Operational Stage

This stage starts around age 7 and continues until age 11. It is characterized by the beginning of logical thoughts.

1. The student notices that every time he/she speaks to a classmate while the teacher is dictating a concept, the teacher gets angry. He or she might then reason that his or her behavior in the classroom is wrong.
2. At this stage, a young student is able to understand that if he/she separates a glass of glue into two containers, it is still the same amount of glue.
3. If a classmate appears to be very sad after a discussion, students become aware if that he or she is feeling down or thinks differently. However, they are not able to understand or guess what the classmate is actually going through.

Formal Operational Stage

Last stage: It begins aroung age 12 and continues through adulthood. It is characterized by a more logical thought and deductive reasoning.

1. At this stage, the student is able to think in a more reasonable and analytic way. He or she may be able to come up with a good response to solve the problem, e.g. he/she may state that it was necessary to speak to the classmate because he/she needs a sharpener to write down the concept, even though it is not true, however, it was a quick and smart response.
2. At this stage, the student would come up with "what-if" situations to analyze a potential outcome. For instance, what would change if the liquid glue is solidified? Does temperature change consistency? Instead of just separating the liquid and understanding that it is still the same amount, the student will use deduction to create and explain a simple "scientific experiment".
3. At this point, the student would not only acknowledge that his or her classmate thinks differently and is feeling down, but would also be able to actually understand what the other person is experiencing and feeling and that this situation arised due to the discussion.