Piaget's theory and instruction: How compatible are they?

Three views of the compatibility of Piaget's theory and educational practice are considered: (a) it is a useful framework to guide instruction; (b) it is antithetical or unrelated to the goals of instruction; and (c) there are some instructional features of the theory that can be operationalized and studied empirically. The findings of such studies are briefly discussed, and in general, more research is deemed needed to establish the validity of Piaget's most educationally relevant constructs. Some general features of Piaget's theory that have attracted teachers are described, and the implications of Piaget's more recent theoretical emphasis on social factors such as conflict are considered.