Module 7
Formal Opeartional Stage of Cognitive Development:
Jr. & Sr. High Students
This stage is characterized by:
• Scientific Reasoning Stage: hypothetico-deductive reasoning
and inductive reasoning
• This stage is not necessary for survival. Many people may never achieve this stage.
• Achieved first in areas of interest and experience. Reasoning at this level is not all or nothing. Some people will be formal operational thinkers in areas that are of high interest (issues related to mechanical engineering) and never achieve this level is other areas (mathematics).
Teaching To Formal Operations
1. Continue to use concrete-operational teaching strategies and materials.
2. Give students the opportunity to explore many hypothetical questions.
3. Give students opportunities to solve problems and reason scientifically.
4. Whenever possible, teach broad concepts, not just facts, using materials and ideas relevant to the students’ lives.
