Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development

• Zone of Proximal development (ZPD)

  The gap between the child's current level of development (cognitive tasks they can complete unaided) and what they can potentially do with the help from a more expert other (adult/child)
• Scaffolding


  The process of helping a learner cross the ZPD and advance as much as they can, given their stage of development (this declines over time)
• Vygotsky

  • Russian psychologist who was influenced by Piaget 
  • Agreed on the basics of cognitive development (children development occurs in a certain sequence with particular logic at different stages)
• How does Vygotsky's theory differ to Piaget's theory?

  Vygotsky saw cognitive development as a social process of learning from more experienced others (experts)
• Explain how cognitive development occurs accordind to Vygotsky

  Cognitive development occurs first on a social level, through interaction between people:

  • the more and less expert individual (intermental)
  • second on an individual level within the mind of the less expert individual (intramental)
• How do children benefit from the knowledge of previous generations?

  They gain knowledge through interactions with caregivers - passing cultural attitudes and beliefs from one generation to another, developing them further, and handing them onto the next generation. 
• Each child is believed to ‘inherit’ a number of cultural tools:

  • Technological (such as clocks, bicycles, and other physical objects)
  • Psychological (concepts and symbols, like language and theories)
  • Values (such as efficiency and power)
• How does Vygotsky argue children develop?

  Independently of specific stages and the result of social interaction
• What are the four elementary functions children are born with?

  Attention, sensation, perception, and memory
• Vygotsky's theory can be applied effectively to educational settings
• Wood, Bruner and Ross (1976) noted the particular learning strategies which are put forward when scaffolding to help children pass the ZPD. As the learner crosses the zone of development, the scaffolding is gradually decreased.
• Example of scaffolding process:

  1. Demonstration
  2. Preparation
  3. Indication
  4. Specific instruction
  5. General prompt