The Significance of Piaget's Formal Operations Stage in Education

Abstract

Despite a relative lack of attention on the part of both developmental and educational researchers, there are some grounds for believing that Piaget's stage of formal operations is the single stage in his sequence having the most profound and far-reaching implications for education. Following a review of the existing theory and research pertaining to formal operations, some of these potential implications are explored. They arise primarily, it is argued, from indications that the stage of formal operations, unlike the earlier stages in Piaget's sequence, may never be attained by some significant number of individuals. Lastly, some obstacles to fully realizing these implications are discussed.