HED2601 Assignment 2 2025

QUESTION 1:

1.1 Name the THREE (3) prominent theorists whose approaches to learning have
had a profound impact on Early Childhood Education (ECE).

Maria Montessori

Jean Piaget

Lev Vygotsky

1.2 In ONE OR TWO (2) sentences, summarise the theory or focus of each of the
three theorists that you named in 1.1.

Maria Montessori- Montessori focused on sensory learning and self-actualization,
emphasizing hands-on experiences, repetition, and a prepared environment with childsized
tools
to
foster
independence
and
self-discovery.

Jean
Piaget-
Piaget’s
theory
centered
on
cognitive
development
through
stages,

emphasizing
self-discovery,
play-based
learning,
and
the
idea
that
children
construct

knowledge
through
exploration
and
interaction
with
their
environment.

Lev
Vygotsky-
Vygotsky
highlighted
the
importance
of
social
interaction
in
learning,

introducing
the
Zone
of
Proximal
Development
(ZPD)
and
scaffolding,
where
children

learn
best
with
guidance
from
more
knowledgeable
others.

1.3
Identify
ONE
(1)
principle from
Montessori’s
approach to
learning.