Week 5: Cognitive Development Vygotsky Flashcards
What theory did Vygotsky propose and when (i.e. when was he alive)?
-Sociocultural theory
-Alive between 1896-1934, only lived till he was 27
Because of this his theory is not as fully formed (because he died so young)
-In Soviet union his ideas were controversial and his work was banned this resulted in him being largely unknown in the west till early 1980s
What are the key idea’s of sociocultural theory
-Focuses on how culture – the values, beliefs,
customs, and skills of a social group – is
transmitted to the next generation
(Berk, 2013, p. 25)
-Emphasises the role that social interaction
plays in enabling children to acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a
community’s culture.
- Draws attention to the importance of the people who surround a child, as those
people play a crucial role in supporting and enhancing that child’s development
(Claiborne & Drewery, 2014): believed in cooperative dialogues between children and more knowledgeable others (scaffolding)
Contrast Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories in terms of what drove cognitive development in children
Piaget
-Cognitive development was driven by a child’s
inbuilt tendency to adapt to new experiences
-Children learnt through active self-discovery
Vygotsky
-Cognitive development was driven by social interaction
-Children learnt through instruction and guidance
BOTH believed children were active in the construction of knowledge
What is a tool in Vygotsky’s view?
Vygotsky believed that both mental and physical activity were mediated – or facilitated by – tools.
* “Adults use a variety of tools to pass on culturally valued modes of thinking and problem solving to their children” (Sigelman et al., 2013, p.
182).
Psychological tools (language, counting)
Technical tools (physical implements – pens, computers, electronics)
What did Vygotsky think the most important tool was?
-Vygotsky viewed language as the most important tool.
-Vygotsky saw “thinking and language as intertwined and felt that language came to direct thinking and hence to control behaviour”
Compare/ contrast Piaget and Vygotsky’s views when it came to preschoolers talking to themselves
Piaget viewed it as egocentric speech and didn’t think it played an important role in cognitive development -> Vygotsky thought it was very important and labelled it as private speech
Private Speech
- Self-directed speech that children use to guide their own thinking and behaviors (e.g. the video of the child doing the puzzle and talking themselves through the process)
- Used more when tasks are appropriately challenging, after errors, or when children are
confused - Gradually becomes more silent
- Children with learning and behavior problems use longer -> Intellectually capable children use private speech earlier(more attentive and better performance in tasks) and then transition to internal speech faster
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
The difference between what a learner can accomplish independently and what s/he can accomplish with the guidance and encouragement of a more skilled partner.
- The ZPD is the optimal zone for development, so
skills within this zone should be the target for
instruction
-The theory also recognises that there are things that the child could not even with guidance or help
Does the person guiding/ encouraging in the ZPD theory have to be the parent?
No it could be a sibling, other adult or simply another child who is more skilled at the task. The person does not need to be older.
ZPD and the Tuakana/Teina Relationship
- Tuakana: An older sibling or cousin of the same
gender - Teina: A younger sibling or cousin of the same
gender - The tuakana/teina relationship is also used to
explain learning relationships. - This relationship involves a more expert (often older) tuakana helping
and guiding a less expert teina, who is often – but not always younger. - The tuakana/teina model is integral to kaupapa Māori education and is often employed in mainstream settings within “buddy systems.”
Scaffolding
- The term scaffolding has become synonymous with the concept of the ZPD but it is not one that Vygotsky used himself.
Scaffolding involves:
* “Adjusting the support offered during a teaching session to fit the child’s current level of performance” (Berk, 2013, p. 268).
* A more skilled person giving structured help to a less skilled person BUT then gradually reducing that help as the less skilled learner becomes more competent.
Vygotsky and Make-Believe Play
-Provides zone of proximal development (an ideal place to learn new skills witht he guidance of peers/ others)
* Imaginary substitutions help children separate thinking from objects. example = The “card phone”
The substitution allows the child to assign a new meaning to the object which is beyond its literal meaning
- Rules strengthen capacity to think before acting e.g. in make believe play might have role that you stick to which requires self regulation to think about how you should act in the scenario.
- Helps children understand social norms and
expectations
Evaluating Vygotsky’s Sociocultural
Theory (strengths and limitations)
Strengths
* Helps explain cultural diversity in cognition
* Emphasizes importance of teaching
Limitations
* Focus on language (Assume verbal interactions have the most important role in learning – true in western settings but other cultures place a greater emphasis on observation and involvement in community activities.)
* Says little about biological contributions to cognition i.e. doesn’t take into account nature
