Fischer and Knight's skill theory of cognitive development in real children¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Fischer and Knight present skill theory as a tool for analyzing children's development, explaining how the same child can show both stagelike developmental levels and wide performance variations. The theory relates a child's capacity, motivation, and emotional state to the contexts in which behavior emerges, and distinguishes optimal from typical performance. The article states Fischer and Knight "draw adistinctionbetween students' optimal and more middling or real performance, calling on concepts of familiarity, practice, and conti.tual support as factors that influence the two tyi es of behavior."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Analysis of a child's performance must attend to capacity, motivation, emotional state, and the specific context of behavior.

Constraints¶

• The theory treats developmental levels as tied to particular skill mastery, with performance varying between optimal and real levels.

Target Learners¶

• Children in elementary and secondary classrooms

Target Learning Objectives¶

• Understanding and fostering skill development across varying student capacities and contexts

Claims¶

Related Theories¶

• Reflective Judgment Framework: a three-level developmental model of reasoning about ill-defined problems
• Stages of Cognitive Development
• Play and Cognitive Development

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Presseisen, Barbara Z.; Sternberg, Robert J.; Fischer, Kurt W.; Knight, Catharine C.; Feuerstein, Reuven. (1990). Learning and Thinking Styles: Classroom Interaction. National Education Association. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED327322