Vygotsky's Theory of Cognitive Development Flashcards
What two principles does Vygotsky use to describe knowledge in Humans?
Intermental (between someone more expert and someone less expert)
Intramental (Within the individual)
What is the zone of proximal development?
The gap between what a child knows and what they are capable of knowing with the help of an expert.
To Vygotsky, what is the most effective way of gaining advanced reasoning skills?
Can only be achieved through the help of experts, not simply through exploration.
Who proposed the features of scaffolding and what are they?
Wood et al:
- Recruitment - engaging the learner’s interest.
- Reduction in degrees of freedom - focusing the learner the begin learning.
- Direction maintenance - motivating the learner to persevere.
Outline Wood et al’s 5 progressive scaffolding strategies.
1) . Demonstration - expert will show the learner how it’s done.
2) . Preparation - expert helps learner to grasp the task
3) . Indication of materials - expert will point to what is required next.
4) . Specific verbal instruction - expert will make a precise suggestion.
5) . General prompt - expert will tell the learner to try something similar but different to what the expert did.
Give two advantages of Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development.
Advantages:
- Supporting evidence for the ZPD - Rozzari and Bryant - children performed better on ‘guess the number of sweets’ task when working in small groups with people more knowledgeable - children are able to develop more advanced reasoning skills when working with others - supporting the idea that learning is interpersonal.
- Real life applications of Vygotsky’s ideas - Van Keer and Verhaegen - 7 year olds tutored by 10 years olds progressed further in reading - furthermore his ideas of collaborative learning has led to reciprocal teaching in schools - the teacher and students work together to decipher the meaning of text - shown to improve children’s verbal reasoning abilities - high practical validity.
Give two disadvantages of Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development.
Disadvantages:
- Not all children respond identically to learning opportunities - Howe at al. - 9-12 years olds had a better understanding about objects moving down slopes after a group discussion though came to different conclusions - suggesting that children develop at different rates by exploring their environment - Piaget’s theory can be used to describe the different rates of maturation.
- Culturally relative - it was developed in collectivist, communist Russia - place a stronger emphasis on social learning and collective benefit - more so than individualistic Western culture - can also be accused of overlooking biological and individual factors - may lead to a passive attitude to those with learning difficulties - requires more research to be more applicable.
What differentiates Vygotsky’s theory with that of Piaget?
Cognitive development involves active internalisation of problem-solving processes that take place due to mutual interaction between the child and a more knowledgeable other. Thus, he believed in the ‘child as apprentice model’ rather than ‘child as scientist’ as proposed by Piaget.
What is scaffolding?
Providing cognitive assistance to a child to allow them to solve a problem or complete a particular task rather than give them the actual solution. E.g. advising a child to complete the perimeter of a jigsaw then the centre.
As the child develops in the task, the scaffolding is reduced and the child is able to support itself.
How can scaffolding be made to be more effective?
1) Ensuing the task is easy.
2) Gaining and maintaining a child’s interest in the task.
3) Demonstrating the task.
4) Controlling their frustration
5) Placing emphasis on the elements that will help create a solution to the task.
What is the idea of semiotics according to Vygotsky?
Language and thought combine at around age 2 and then thinking becomes a sort of internal conversation.
i.e. inner voice.
What did Wood and Middleton find?
Mothers who tailored the assistance they gave were the most effective at providing scaffolding for their children to cross the ZPD - supports the idea that flexible scaffolding is the most effective.
What did Freund find?
When children had guidance for their mothers to advise a puppet where to arrange furniture in a doll’s house, they performed best - suggesting that the idea of scaffolding, where children learn through guidance, is superior to ‘discovery learning’ as suggested by Piaget.
