Chapter 2: Cognitive
Development:
Vygotsky’s Theories
Week 4
Instructor: Xu Wei
Chapter 2 Objectives (continue)
• Objective 2.3: Explain how the
underlying principles and stages
presented in Vygotsky’s theory of
development influence current
educational research and practice.
Lev Vygotsky
• Russian psychologist (1896-1934), much of
whose work was suppressed until the
dissolution of the USSR
• Focused on sociocultural theory, the idea that
all development takes place in social settings
and is therefore influenced by social forces
• Developed theories as he worked to improve
his own teaching and looked for ideas that
might help explain and guide his experiences
as an educator
Vygotsky’s View of Cognitive Development
How Development Occurs
• Learning Precedes Development
− Acquisition of Signs with Help
of More Experienced Others
− Internalization of Signs
− Autonomous Problem Solving
(Self-regulation)
Vygotsky’s View of Cognitive Development
• Key Ideas
−Social Sources of
Individual Thinking
−Role of Cultural
Tools
−Zone of Proximal
Development
Sociocultural Theory
• Information is passed in two phases:
interpsychologically and then
intrapsychologically
• Experiences are co-constructed; both
the teacher and the learner participate
in the process of knowledge
acquisition or construction
Cultural Tools
• Material (e.g. calculators, blogs, wikis, PDAs,
cell phones, etc.) & Psychological (signs and
symbol systems, Braille and sign language, maps,
works of art, codes, and language) Tools
employed in the culture, in frequent social
situations are critical to cognitive development
• People are best able to represent their thoughts
when they are familiar with commonly accepted
forms of communication
Vygotsky’s View of Cognitive Development
• Private Speech
• Zone of Proximal
Development
• Scaffolding
Zone of Proximal Development
The Zone of Proximal
development is known as
the ZPD or Zo-Ped
(common in Europe)
Zone of Proximal Development
ZPD
Student Knows
Zone of Proximal
Development—Mentor
scaffolds learning and the
learner develops new
knowledge using
developmentally
appropriate learning tasks.
Learning Goal
Scaffolding
• “Scaffolding” is the work required by
the expert necessary to bring the
learner from that which they are
capable of doing alone to that which
they are capable of doing with
assistance.
• It is also used to describe the act of
assistance itself.
1. New Task
= Mentor
+ Learner
2. Time
Passes =
Gradual
Release
Scaffolding
3.
Learner
Takes on the
Responsibility
for learning
Applications of Vygotsky’s Theory
• Provide Cooperative Learning
• Activities Among Students with
Different Ability Levels
Vygotsky’s Work: Instructional Strategies
Instructional Principles
•*Embed learning activities in a context that is
culturally authentic.
•*Create learning activities that involve students
in social interactions.
•*Encourage students to use language to describe
their developing understandings.
•*Create learning activities that are in learners’
zones of proximal development.
•*Provide instructional assistance to promote
learning and development.
Language
• Language is central to sociocultural theory
because it is the primary means of
information transmission between expert
and learner
• Private Speech vs. Egocentric Speech:
–Piaget viewed egocentric speech as
evidence of children’s social immaturity
–Vygotsky viewed private speech as a tool
for simplifying complex tasks
Language
Have you ever found
yourself talking out loud
while trying to solve a
difficult problem?
Comparing Piaget and Vygotsky’s Theories
Piagetian Ideas:
Four discrete stages
Cognitive development
is limited by stages
Young children are
schematic
Motivation to maintain
cognitive equilibrium
Development occurs
when assimilation is not
possible (adaptation)
Both were
constructivists
Both believed
that social forces
set the limits of
development
Vygotsky's ideas:
Continuous
development (no stages)
Zone of proximal
development
Socially transmitted
knowledge (cooperative
learning and
Scaffolding)
Private speech helps
internalize knowledge
Role of Social Interaction
• Piaget: Disequilibrium is the key to
learning.
• Vygotsky: Encounters with more
experienced people (experts) is key to
learning.
• Piaget: Peer-to-peer interaction is the best
source of motivation to learn.
• Vygotsky: Adult or older person-to-child
interactions as ideal sources of learning.
Review
• Piaget and Vygotsky suggest a
paradigm of cognitive development
through physical and social
stimulation.
• Cognitive development requires
sensory stimulation; high variability in
sensory experiences leads to high
levels of cognitive development.
Review
• Children should have opportunities
to play.
• Students should not be assisted with
that which they are able to do by
themselves; they should be assisted
to achieve slightly more than they
might on their own.