51ºÚÁÏ

This fully editable lesson on Piaget’s Theory of Conservation introduces students to key concepts in cognitive development, focusing on conservation as a milestone in children’s thinking. Aligned with the AQA GCSE Psychology Specification, this resource explores Piaget’s research and McGarrigle and Donaldson’s ‘Naughty Teddy’ study, assessing how children’s ability to conserve develops with age. The lesson includes engaging activities, critical thinking tasks, and exam practice to consolidate understanding.

• Comprehensive Lesson Slides: The slides provide clear explanations of Piaget’s theory of conservation and his research methods. Students explore how conservation ability develops, with examples such as volume, number, and mass tasks. The lesson also introduces McGarrigle and Donaldson’s ‘Naughty Teddy’ study, outlining its aim, method, findings, and conclusions. The slides include evaluation points, discussing methodological strengths and weaknesses, including ecological validity and experimental control.

• Interactive Activities: Students engage in Do Now tasks and thought-provoking discussions on how psychologists study children’s cognitive abilities. Activities include summarising McGarrigle and Donaldson’s study, matching key concepts with their definitions, and evaluating Piaget’s conservation tasks in relation to alternative research findings.

• Exam Practice and Assessment: Students complete an exam-style question assessing their understanding of conservation research. Structured evaluation worksheets guide students in identifying strengths and weaknesses of the studies, such as issues of experimental validity and the influence of demand characteristics. Tasks help students develop strong AO1 and AO3 responses, refining their ability to apply knowledge to exam-style questions.