VYGOTSKY

• What is social development?

  Vygotsky emphasised the importance of social interaction and culture in cognitive development. He suggested that the child internalises the understanding of others. In contrast to Piaget, development is not something through which a child automatically progresses as they age, rather it requires input from other people.
• Vygotsky (1934-1978)

  Concepts include culture

  Emphasise the role of social interaction in the development of mental abilities e.g. speech - influenced by social and cultural factors.
• What is cognitive develpoment?

  Social mediated process that children apply cultural beliefs through collaborative dialogues.
• What is the more knowledgeable other (MKO)?


  Someone who has a high-level of ability or greater understanding than the learner regarding a task, process or concept.

  can be a teacher or peer.
• What is the zone of proximal development?

  The gap between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance.
• These interactions significantly increase the quantity of information and number of skills they could develop as well as development of higher order functions.

  Higher mental abilities could only develop through interaction with MKO's.

  Encourages collaborative and cooperative learning.
• What is scaffolding?


  Involves the teacher providing support structures to help the children master skills beyond their current level.

  Shared construction of knowledge.

  e.g. reciprocal teaching.
• What is inner speech?

  Is used for mental reasoning

  External speech is used to converted others - initially these operations occur separately; before age 2, a child possesses no internal language.

  Once social language is internalised.