Learning - Sociocultural perspective Flashcards
Object of knowledge/Methods/Data Collected?
Hermeneutic approach to the study of learning; involving the use of tools and artefacts, which are embedded within the context of interpersonal relationships and further entrenched in social and cultural systems. Methods consist of observational studies in which naturalistic coding schemes are used and qualitative descriptions. Data collected consisted of discourse during interaction and the use of tools in learning.
Key Names - Theorists
Saljö suggests that human learning consists of using tools (physical objects, psychological and symbolic tools, language). Further intimates that learning is mediated through the use of these tools as the world is indirectly accessed (interplay) also known as mediated action.
Crook & Light suggest that we need to understand learning within institutional and cultural contexts; learning is a process of enculturation.
Key Names/Studies
Keogh examined nature of talk and joint activity in children in either same or mixed sex pairs (observational) on computer or paper. Found that boys dominated computer usage, but on paper the activity was distributed equally.
Mercer did naturalistic observational study on primary school children’s talk in small groups working on computers within a classroom context. Discovered three distinctive types of talk; disputational, cumulative and exploratory. The latter offers potential of learning over the other two idicating that reasoning is interacive.
In relation to course themes? (nature vs nurture; humans and non-human animals; fixity and change)
Focuses on social interaction within the environment.
Knowledge and meaning are jointly created in discourse.
Does not generalise - looks at cultural context
Discourse indicates that learning is fluid and changable and meaning-making
How do the perspectives interact; Complimentary, Co-existing or conflicting?
Co-existent in that sociocultural looks at learning as a whole process; no separation between what is learned, how it is learned and used through appropriation/mediation of tools.
Applications?
Provides insights into children’s learning at school can be facilitated. (exploratory talk)
