Development — Edexcel GCSE Psychology
Test yourself on Development with PEARSON EDEXCEL GCSE practice questions.
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Development explained
Daniel Willingham’s theory argues that factual knowledge must precede skill development; students need background knowledge to think critically.
Read the full explanation
He emphasises practice and effort to make skills automatic, freeing up working memory. To support cognitive development, teachers should use structured tasks. For physical development, practice of motor skills builds muscle memory. For social development, Willingham suggests encouraging self-regulation and demonstrating appropriate behaviours. Strengths include its strong basis in scientific research and practical classroom strategies. Weaknesses include the potential neglect of individual differences and the fact that his ideas may not easily apply to subjects requiring less factual recall.
Your focus
- Explain why factual knowledge must precede skill development according to Willingham.
- Describe strategies to support cognitive, physical and social development.
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Willingham's learning theory.
Development exam tips
Marking Points
- Explaining that factual knowledge is essential before students can develop problem-solving skills.
- Describing how practice and effort lead to automaticity, which reduces the cognitive load on working memory.
- Identifying a strategy for physical development, such as repetitive practice of motor movements to build muscle memory.
- Evaluating the theory by noting a strength, such as its foundation in cognitive neuroscience, or a weakness, like its limited application to creative subjects.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Memorise one specific strategy for each of the three areas of development to use in applied questions.
- 💡Link the concept of automaticity to working memory when explaining why practice and effort are important.
- 💡Use the term 'factual knowledge' explicitly rather than just 'information' to align with Willingham's specific terminology.
Common Mistakes
- Thinking that skills can be taught independently of facts; the correction is to state that Willingham argues factual knowledge must come first.
- Confusing cognitive, physical and social development strategies; the correction is to clearly categorise strategies, such as linking self-regulation specifically to social development.
- Assuming practice is only for physical skills; the correction is to explain that practice is also crucial for cognitive skills to achieve automaticity.