Vygotsky’s Theory of
Cognitive Development
Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934)
• Russian psychologist
• Worked in post-revolutionary
Soviet Union to rebuild psychology
along Marxist lines
• Applied psych. to problems confronting the
new state, especially in the field of ed psych.
• Worked to create theories of cognitive
development
….more Vygotsky
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Conducted research & writing during the same
time as Piaget (1920’s & 1930’s)
His writings were banned in the Soviet Union in
1936 & only became available in the west in the
1960’s
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His work became highly influential.
He died of tuberculosis at the age of 38.
Vygotsky & Stalin
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For 20 years after his death, it was forbidden
to discuss, disseminate or reprint any of his
writings
His works could be read only in a single
library in Moscow by special permission of
the secret police
After Stalin’s death, his writings were
rediscovered
Vygotsky Continued
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Different than Piaget’s image of the individual
constructing understanding alone
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Everything is social
Vygotsky saw cognitive development as
depending more on interactions with people
& tools in the child’s world.
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Tools are real: pens, paper, computers;
or Tools are symbols: language, math systems,
signs
The Big Ideas…
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Explained complex learning through Guided
Participation.
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Explained things that are taught rather than
discovered (reading, writing etc.)
a way to “share the thinking load”
Helping a novice accomplish a complex task
Assistance can be physical or mental & come from
adults or peers
Scaffolding: where the more knowledgeable other
provides some type of structure.
The Big Ideas…
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Vygotsky developed the theory of the Zone of
proximal development (ZPD)
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The distance between where a learner is at
developmentally on their own & where a learner
could be with the help of a more knowledgeable
other.
A more knowledgeable other can be an adult or a
peer, helping a learner in this way is to scaffold
their learning.
Examples of Guided Participation
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A mother sitting with her toddler singing, “Baa,
baa black sheep have you any wool, yes sir, yes
sir ….” at this point the mother pauses and the
child sings loudly, “THREE BAGS FULL!”.
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How is this guided participation?
Examples of Guided
Participation
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A 6-year old lost a toy & asks her father for
help. The father asks her where she last saw
the toy; the child says , “I can’t remember.” He
asks a series of questions – “Did you have it in
your room? Outside?” To each question the
child answers “No”. When he asks, “In the
car?”, she says “I think so” and finds the toy in
the car.
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In this story, who found the toy?
Examples of Guided Participation
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Think back to your days of driver’s ed. and
driving around with your parents and your
temporary driver’s license.
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In what ways did your parent or driving instructor
provide guided participation for you?
Vygotsky and Schools
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Emphasized social learning
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We can often complete harder tasks with someone
else than we could alone.
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Zone of Proximal Development
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Collaborative learning, group presentations, group work
The teacher considers how much scaffolding to give
a student to help them learn.
A push for “authentic learning”.
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Learning is tied to the context it is in.
Motivation & Vygotsky
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This view emphasizes how people’s
identities are formed by their participation
in a group
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Students can be motivated to learn by
participating in communities where learning is
valued
Ex: Children want to learn to read & write to
become members of the “literary club”, to be
able to participate and interact with the written
world
Vygotsky’s Words…
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“It is through others that we become
ourselves”
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All learning is social
“What a child can do in co-operation today he
can do alone tomorrow”
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Guided participation, ZPD, scaffolding