November 17 1896- June 11, 1934► Soviet Psychologist

♥ the founder of a theory of human

cultural and bio-social development.

♥ he proposed a theory of the

development of higher cognitive

functions in children

♥ he also formulated the Socio-

Cultural Theory of Development.

• The key theme of Vygotsky’s theory is that social interaction plays a very important role in cognitive development. He believed that individual development could not be understood without looking into the social and cultural context within which development happens; Scaffolding is Vygotsky’s term for the appropriate assistance given by the teacher to assist the learner accomplish a task.

☻ Culture/Cultural

Factors

☻ Social Interaction

☻ Language

♥ Infants are born with the basic

materials/abilities for intellectual development

through the interaction within the socio-

cultural environment, these abilities tend to be

developed.

Attention

Sensation

Perception

Memory

♥ Participation, the social interactions that contributed to the cognitive development of individuals. For him, the social environment or the community takes on a major role in one’s development.

Teachers Parents Older Adult Technology

♥ Used to know and understand the world

and to solve problems.

It is the main means by which adults

transmit info to the children.

Language itself becomes a very powerful

tool of intellect adaptation.

- Form of self talk that guides the child’s thinking and actions.

- Activities help children acquire more knowledge than passive listening. It is even more fruitful when children interact with knowledgeable adults and peers.

- Learning a skill and may perform a certain level of competency alone.

- The zone of proximal development defines those functions that have not yet matured, but are in the process (of doing so)…”

In this case “proximal” means what comes the next.

This idea is that a child is only able to take the next step in their cognitive development if another person – typically an adult – supports and prompts them to do so.

o Learning opportunity where a knowledge adult assists the child’s development.

o The right amount of support or assistance that lets the child accomplish a task s/he cannot accomplish

independently.

o Withdrawing the guidance when the child could do on their own what they could not initially do

without assistance.