AO1 - Vygotsky’s Theory

• Vygotsky's theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition.
• Unlike Piaget's notion that children’s' development must necessarily precede their learning, Vygotsky argued social learning tends to precede (i.e., come before) development.
• Vygotsky developed a sociocultural approach to cognitive development.
• Vygotsky claimed that individual development cannot be understood without reference to the social and cultural context within which it is embedded.
• Vygotsky suggested higher mental processes in the individual have their origin in social processes.
• The work of Lev Vygotsky (1934) has become the foundation of much research and theory in cognitive development over the past several decades, particularly of what has become known as Social Development Theory.
• Vygotsky assumes cognitive development varies across cultures, whereas Piaget states cognitive development is mostly universal across cultures.
• Vygotsky states cognitive development stems from social interactions from guided learning within the zone of proximal development as children and their partner's co-construct knowledge.
• For Vygotsky, the environment in which children grow up will influence how they think and what they think about.
• For Vygotsky, thought and language are initially separate systems from the beginning of life, merging at around three years of age, producing verbal thought (inner speech).
• Like Piaget, Vygotsky claimed that infants are born with the basic materials/abilities for intellectual development yet Piaget focused on motor reflexes and sensory abilities.
• Vygotsky refers to tools of intellectual adaptation; these allow children to use basic mental functions more effectively and these are culturally determined (e.g., memory mnemonics, mind maps).
• According to Vygotsky (1978), much important learning by the child occurs through social interaction with a skilful tutor.
• The 'more knowledgeable other' (MKO) refers to someone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept.
• The 'zone of proximal development' (ZPD) is an important concept that relates to the difference between what a child can achieve independently and what a child can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner.
• Vygotsky (1978) sees the ‘zone of proximal development’ as the area where the most sensitive instruction or guidance should be given, allowing the child to develop skills they will then use on their own, developing higher mental functions.
• Freund (1990) conducted a study in which children had to decide which items of furniture should be placed in particular areas of a dolls house. Some children were allowed to play with their mother before they attempted it alone (zone of proximal development) while others were allowed to work on this by themselves (Piaget's discovery learning).
• Freund (1990) found that children who had worked with their mother (ZPD) on a task showed the greatest improvement, suggesting that guided learning within the ZPD led to greater understanding than working alone (discovery learning).
• Vygotsky claimed instructional concepts such as 'scaffolding' and 'apprenticeship', in which a teacher or more advanced peer helps to structure or arrange a tasks, provide more successful outcomes, when the novice has to act alone.
• Lev Vygotsky (1934) was a Russian psychologist who was influenced by Piaget’s work.
• Vygotsky saw cognitive development as a social process of learning from more experienced others (experts). He also saw language development as more important than Piaget did.
• Vygotsky believed that when a student is in the ZPD for a particular task, providing the appropriate assistance will give the student enough motivation to achieve the task.
• The idea of scaffolding was introduced by Wood et al (1976).
• Wood and Middleton (1975) gave 4-year-old children a set of blocks and pegs to build a 3D model shown in a picture. Building the model was too difficult a task for a 4-year-old child to complete alone. Wood and Middleton observed how mothers interacted with their children to build the 3D model.
• Wood et al (1976) named certain processes that aid effective scaffolding; including gaining and maintaining the learner’s interest in the task, making the task simple and emphasising certain aspects that will help with the solution.
• Wood et al (1976) also suggest that controlling the child’s level of frustration and demonstrating the task can help the child achieve.
• Scaffolding (assistance) is most effective when the support is matched to the needs of the learner. This puts them in a position to achieve success in an activity that they would previously not have been able to do alone.
• According to Dixon-Krauss (1996) the teacher's role is mediating the child's learning activity as they share knowledge through social interaction.
• Copple & Bredekamp (2009) suggest that scaffolding is a key feature of effective teaching and can include modelling a skill, providing hints or cues, and adapting material or activity.
• Vygotsky's theories also feed into current interest in collaborative learning, suggesting that group members should have different levels of ability so more advanced peers can help less advanced members operate within their zone of proximal development.
• The ZPD is the gap between a child's current level of development and what they could achieve with the help of a more knowledgeable other.