Intellectual development beyond formal operations

Post‐formal operations as a stage of cognitive development beyond Piaget's formal operations state are discussed. It is argued that thinking abilities are of major importance for an adequate understanding of quantum‐mechanical and relativistic issues as they occur in modern science, especially physics. Some pedagogical consequences of the ‘fifth stage’ of cognitive development are discussed and proposals made about how post‐operational thinking abilities might be developed in students.

Notes

† Corresponding author

‡Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eduardo A. Castro†

† Corresponding author

Francisco M. Fernández†

‡Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.