Plain English Meaning
A famous researcher who studied how people learn. He showed that learners build their understanding step by step, fitting new information into what they already know, and his ideas shape how instructors today plan and deliver training.
Full Definition
Jean Piaget (1896–1980) was a Swiss psychologist whose theory of cognitive development describes how human thinking matures in stages from infancy through adulthood. He proposed that learners actively build their understanding of the world by adapting existing mental frameworks (schemas) when they encounter new information, through processes he called assimilation and accommodation. His work is foundational to modern educational theory and is referenced in the Aviation Instructor's Handbook as one of the key thinkers behind how instructors understand the learning process.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Aviation Instructor’s when discussing how people learn and how instructors should build lessons in a sensible order.