Lev Vygotsky Social Development Theory

The work of Lev Vygotsky (1896-19!" has #ecome the fo$n%ation of m$ch research an%
theory in cognitive %evelopment over the past several %eca%es& partic$larly of what has
#ecome known as Social Development Theory'
Vygotsky(s theories stress the f$n%amental role of social interaction in the %evelopment
of cognition Vygotsky& 19)8"' *n contrast to +ean ,iaget-s $n%erstan%ing of chil%
%evelopment (in which %evelopment necessarily prece%es learning"& Vygotsky felt social
learning prece%es %evelopment' .e states/ 01very f$nction in the chil%-s c$lt$ral
%evelopment appears twice/ first& on the social level& an% later& on the in%ivi%$al level2
first& #etween people (interpsychological" an% then insi%e the chil% (intrapsychological"'3
(Vygotsky&19)8"'
Like ,iaget& Vygotsky #elieves that yo$ng chil%ren are c$rio$s an% actively involve% in
their own learning an% the %iscovery an% %evelopment of new $n%erstan%ings4schema'
.owever& Vygotsky place% more emphasis on social contri#$tions to the process of
%evelopment& whereas ,iaget emphasi5e% self-initiate% %iscovery'
6ccor%ing to Vygotsky (19)8"& m$ch important learning #y the chil% occ$rs thro$gh
social interaction with a skillf$l t$tor' The t$tor may mo%el #ehaviors an%4or provi%e
ver#al instr$ctions for the chil%' Vygotsky refers to this as co-operative or colla#orative
%ialog$e' The chil% seeks to $n%erstan% the actions or instr$ctions provi%e% #y the t$tor
(often the parent or teacher" then internali5es the information& $sing it to g$i%e or reg$late
their own performance'
6n e7ample of how social interaction can promotes cognitive %evelopment'
Shaffer (1996" gives the e7ample of a yo$ng girl who is given her first 8igsaw' 6lone&
she performs poorly in attempting to solve the p$55le' The father then sits with her an%
%escri#es or %emonstrates some #asic strategies& s$ch as fin%ing all the comer4e%ge pieces
an% provi%es a co$ple of pieces for the chil% to p$t together herself an% offers
enco$ragement when she %oes so' 6s the chil% #ecomes more competent& the father
allows the chil% to work more in%epen%ently' 6ccor%ing to Vygotsky& this type of social
interaction involving co-operative or colla#orative %ialog$e promotes cognitive
%evelopment'
Two main principles of Vygotsky(s work
*n or%er to gain an $n%erstan%ing of Vygotsky(s theories on cognitive %evelopment& one
m$st $n%erstan% two of the main principles of Vygotsky(s work/ the More
Knowledgeable Other (MKO) an% the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).
More Knowledgeable Other
The more knowle%gea#le other (9:;" is somewhat self-e7planatory2 it refers to
someone who has a #etter $n%erstan%ing or a higher a#ility level than the learner& with
respect to a partic$lar task& process& or concept'
6ltho$gh the implication is that the 9:; is a teacher or an ol%er a%$lt& this is not
necessarily the case' 9any times& a chil%(s peers or an a%$lt(s chil%ren may #e the
in%ivi%$als with more knowle%ge or e7perience' <or e7ample& who is more likely to
know more a#o$t the newest teen-age m$sic gro$ps& how to win at the most recent
,layStation game& or how to correctly perform the newest %ance cra5e - a chil% or their
parents=
Zone of Proximal Development
The concept of the 9ore :nowle%gea#le ;ther is integrally relate% to the secon%
important principle of Vygotsky(s work& the >one of ,ro7imal Development' The 5one of
pro7imal %evelopment (>,D" has #een %efine% as the %istance #etween the act$al
%evelopmental level as %etermine% #y in%epen%ent pro#lem solving an% the level of
potential %evelopment as %etermine% thro$gh pro#lem solving $n%er a%$lt g$i%ance& or in
colla#oration with more capa#le peers
<or e7ample& the chil% co$l% not solve the 8igsaw p$55le (in the e7ample a#ove" #y itself
an% wo$l% have taken a long time to %o so (if at all"& #$t was a#le to solve it following
interaction with the father& an% has %evelope% competence at this skill that will #e applie%
to f$t$re 8igsaws'
Vygotsky (19)8" sees the >one of ,ro7imal Development as the area where the most
sensitive instr$ction or g$i%ance sho$l% #e given - allowing the chil% to %evelop skills
they will then $se on their own - %eveloping higher mental f$nctions'
Vygotsky also views interaction with peers as an effective way of %eveloping skills an%
strategies' .e s$ggests that teachers $se cooperative learning e7ercises where less
competent chil%ren %evelop with help from more skillf$l peers - within the 5one of
pro7imal %evelopment'
Applications of the Vygotskys Social Development Theory
9any schools have tra%itionally hel% a transmissionist or instr$ctionist mo%el in which a
teacher or lect$rer ?transmits- information to st$%ents' *n contrast& Vygotsky-s theory
promotes learning conte7ts in which st$%ents play an active role in learning' @oles of the
teacher an% st$%ent are therefore shifte%& as a teacher sho$l% colla#orate with his or her
st$%ents in or%er to help facilitate meaning constr$ction in st$%ents' Learning therefore
#ecomes a reciprocal e7perience for the st$%ents an% teacher'
*nstr$ction can #e planne% to provi%e practice in the 5one of pro7imal
%evelopment for in%ivi%$al chil%ren or for gro$ps of chil%ren' <or e7ample& hints
an% prompts that helpe% chil%ren %$ring the assessment co$l% form the #asis of
instr$ctional activities'
Aooperative learning activities can #e planne% with gro$ps of chil%ren at %ifferent
levels who can help each other learn'
Scaffol%ing (Boo%& Cr$ner& D @oss& 19)6" is a tactic for helping the chil% in his
or her 5one of pro7imal %evelopment in which the a%$lt provi%es hints an%
prompts at %ifferent levels' *n scaffol%ing& the a%$lt %oes not simplify the task& #$t
the role of the learner is simplifie% 0thro$gh the gra%$ate% intervention of the
teacher3 (Ereenfiel%& 198!& p' 119"'
The teacher sho$l% #$il% interest an% engage the learner' ;nce the learner is
actively participating& the given task sho$l% #e simplifie% #y #reaking it into
smaller s$#tasks' D$ring this task& the teacher nee%s to keep the learner foc$se%&
while concentrating on the most important i%eas of the assignment'
The teacher can allow st$%ents to connect or apply concepts #y e7plaining to
another st$%ent or trying to convince another st$%ent' To ena#le st$%ents to
eval$ate their $n%erstan%ing of the teacher-s e7planation' ,eer instr$ction can #e
$se% in review sessions to move st$%ents to a higher learning level& #eyon% their
concern over what to memori5e'
The teacher can organi5e freF$ent gro$p %isc$ssions for each st$%ents to give
their views therefore #ringing more to the ta#le an% allowing other st$%ents to
#etter $n%erstan% the concept or point #eing %rawn'