The Evaluation of the Religious Educational Studies in Turkey in the Context of Critiques Directed at Jean Piaget’s Language and Conceptual Development Theories

Abstract

Jean Piaget who was born on August 9, 1896 in Switzerland, studied the characteristics of children's language and thought and put four important periods of cognitive development forward. Piaget's cognitive development theory influenced the developmental stage theories that emerged in the fields, such as education, psychology, sociology, and morality. At the same time, the studies conducted in the field of cognitive development were used to determine the children's religious development stages by adapting them to the areas of religious education and religious development. On the other hand, Piaget attracted many researchers' attentions in terms of both the results achieved and the method providing these results obtained. In this process, a great deal of studies of evaluation and critique were done on the cognitive development theory. When the effects of the cognitive development theory are considered, it is necessary to follow the critiques directed at Piaget and to make evaluations in this direction. The aim of the study at this point is to evaluate the studies of religious education in Turkey in the context of the critiques directed at Piaget's views on language and concept.