3. Vygotsky's Theory of Development Flashcards
When did Vygotsky live?
How did this influence his behaviour?
- lived during the russian revolution
- class divisions, communism and socialism were present in this time
What are the similarities between Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories?
- agreed that children are active learners
- believed that interaction with the world is important for development
- both considered constructivists
What is socioculture?
- brings together how society, the social world and the culture impact a childs development
How does socioculture impact development?
- determines the type of practical activities we engage in and what we learn
- e.g n problem solving people from libya are not as good at estimating length but better at estimating quantities of rice
What were the 3 things Vygotsky thought about childrens behaviour in terms of self speech and inner speech?
- controlled by adults instructions
- private speech is said out loud (not internalised yet)
- internalised monologues begin at around 7 years
What is the role of others in learning thought to be?
childrens cognition improves through the interaction of other people
- especially those more experienced and knowledgeable
What is the idea of the zone of proximal development?
- the idea that development is more likely when a child is thinking of what they can do with assistance compared to without help
What is the idea of scaffolding?
- children need a supportive structure to learn
- this is adjusted as a child becomes more capable
How can scaffolding be conducted?
- modelling an action
- suggesting a strategy to solve a problem
- restructuring the problem into parts that are more manageable
What 5 important aspects of scaffolding did Wood et al propose?
- recruitment: engage interest
- reduction of degrees of freedom: reduce the number of acts for completion
- direction maintenance: maintain motivation
- marking critical features
- demonstration
How is scaffolding used in the Vygotskian classroom?
- structured learning activities
- helpful hints tailored to child’s ability
- monitoring the learners progress
- collaborative learning exercises
What type of sample were motor skill milestones predominantly based on?
What did research out of this sample show?
WEIRD samples
- white educated industrialised rich and democratic data
data from WEIRD samples show that
- motor skills develop linearly and in order
- babies develop these skills when their bodies are ready
What are the conclusions from cross cultural research?
- different skills may be actively discouraged/encouraged in different cultures
-cultures vary in their norms - motor milestones are not universal
- demonstrates how important it is to consider socioculture
What does the original marshmallow task show as a predicter?
- childrens ability to delay gratification predicted greater success in adolescence and adulthood
What has recent research proposed about the delay of gratification?
- both socioeconomic status and culture may play a role in how well children delay gratification
What is socioeconomic status?
a measure of a child’s social standing relative to others
- often measured by families income and parental education
Why may socioeconomic status play a role in delay of gratification?
- lower socioeconomic status may infer food insecurity and therefore less certainty: therefore they may take more risks
What are the differences between Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories?
- Vygotsky focusses on the role of the culture and social world of the child
