Understanding Cognitive Structures and Their Influence on the Teaching–Learning Process in Psychology

Cognitive structures are the foundational mental patterns that individuals utilize to process information. Metaphorical thinking, an innate mental tool in humans, can be consciously practiced to develop cognitive structures, thereby enhancing information processing. The learning process, as noted by Jean Piaget and William Perry, involves symbolic representations of mental processes actively constructed by learners based on their pre-existing cognitive structures. Hence, the teaching-learning process should focus on developing the existing intellectual framework. Unlike the behaviorist approach, knowledge is acquired through intentional mental representations derived from past learning experiences. The teacher's role is to provide resources that facilitate building new knowledge and modifying old knowledge to accommodate new insights. This paper explores the role of cognitive structures in processing information through the implementation of metaphorical thinking statements in the teaching-learning process.