Vygotsky

Question 1

4 functions infants are born with

Answer 1

attention, sensation, perception and memory

Question 2

3 important principle of Vygotsky’s theory of development

Answer 2

importance of socio-culture - how we think is a social function of the social and cultural world we grow up in

inner speech - crucial role in promoting development

instructions at the heart of learning - cognitive development occurs in situations where learning is aided by an adult

Question 3

how might socio-culture influence the environment

Answer 3

play - type of practical activity we engage in (Efe & San Pedro children - imitate work more in play - Morelli et al)

problem solving - socio culture determines the type of practical activity we do (Kpelle people - estimating rice - Cole et al: Luria - grouped items with farmers educated and uneducated)

language - determines the language we speak influencing problem solving

Question 4

inner speech

Answer 4

age 5-8 - internalised
internalised speech signals inner thought
(Berk; Behrend) - challenging tasks = more inner speech

Question 5

zone of proximal development

Answer 5

influence of education on development

helps you access area’s beyond your ability with help from a more experiences other

Question 6

scaffolding

Answer 6

Jerome Bruner
developed on the zone of proximal development
learning is enhanced when doing it with someone more experienced

it is helped by:
modelling
suggesting a strategy
restructuring the task into smaller parts

Question 7

what does scaffolding involve?

Answer 7

Wood et al (1976)

recruitment - engage a child’s interest
reduction of degrees of freedom - reduce number of acts used to reach a solution
direction maintenance - maintain a child’s motivation
marking critical features - highlight important features
demonstration - model solution/part solution

Question 8

applications in education

Answer 8

peers as tutors - little extra knowledge
computers as partners - provide feedback and structured guidance

Ratner, Foley & Glimpert - could be due to an attribution error - children think they are the ones who did the action rather than the parent

Question 9

similarities between Piaget and Vygotsky

Answer 9

children are active learners and are constructivists

Question 10

differences

Answer 10

cognitive development - progression in different ways
nature vs nurture - maturation (Piaget) compared to social environment and culture (Vygotsky)
social environment - no interaction needed for development (Piaget)
culture - does not influence development (Piaget)
self speech - egocentrism (Piaget) compared to something vital for development