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Vygotsky Theory

Vygotsky emphasized that children actively construct knowledge through social interaction. He introduced the concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which is the range of tasks a child can accomplish with guidance that is too difficult to master independently. Within the ZPD, scaffolding provides adjustable support to help children develop skills. Vygotsky also believed that language develops first for social purposes and then internally for self-regulation, and that social learning precedes development. His theory emphasizes collaborative learning within a child's ZPD and has influenced teaching strategies like assessing a child's ZPD and using more skilled peers to provide instructional support.

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242 views3 pages

Vygotsky Theory

Vygotsky emphasized that children actively construct knowledge through social interaction. He introduced the concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which is the range of tasks a child can accomplish with guidance that is too difficult to master independently. Within the ZPD, scaffolding provides adjustable support to help children develop skills. Vygotsky also believed that language develops first for social purposes and then internally for self-regulation, and that social learning precedes development. His theory emphasizes collaborative learning within a child's ZPD and has influenced teaching strategies like assessing a child's ZPD and using more skilled peers to provide instructional support.

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vaibhavi Barka
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Vygotsky's theory

Vygotsky (1962) emphasized that children actively construct their knowledge and
understanding. In Vygotsky’s theory, children are more often described as social creatures than
in Piaget’s theory. They develop their ways of thinking and understanding primarily through
social interaction. Their cognitive development depends on the tools provided by society, and
their minds are shaped by the cultural context in which they live

Zone of proximal development (ZPD)

It is Vygotsky’s term for the range of tasks that are too difficult for the child to master alone but
that can be learned with guidance and assistance of adults or more-skilled children.
Thus, the lower limit of the ZPD is the level of skill reached by the child working independently.
The upper limit is the level of additional responsibility the child can accept with the assistance of
an able instructor.
The ZPD captures the child’s cognitive skills that are in the process of maturing and can be
accomplished only with the assistance of a more skilled person.
Vygotsky (1962) called these the “buds” or “flowers” of development, to distinguish them from
the “fruits” of development, which the child already can accomplish independently.

Scaffolding
Scaffolding means changing the level of support. Over the course of a teaching ses- sion, a
more-skilled person (a teacher or advanced peer) adjusts the amount of guidance to fit the
child’s current performance (Daniels, 2007). When the student is learning a new task, the skilled
person may use direct instruction. As the student’s competence increases, less guidance is
given.

Language and Thought


According to Vygotsky, children use speech not only to communicate socially but also to help
them solve tasks. Vygotsky (1962) further believed that young children use language to plan,
guide, and monitor their behavior. This use of language for self-regulation is called private
speech.

Vygotsky said that language and thought initially develop independently of each other and then
merge. He emphasized that all mental functions have external, or social, origins. Children must
use language to communicate with others before they can focus inward on their own thoughts.
Children also must communicate exter- nally and use language for a long period of time before
they can make the transition from external to internal speech.

After a while, the self-talk becomes second nature to children, and they can act without
verbalizing. Vygotsky reasoned that children who use a lot of private speech are more socially
competent than those who don’t. He argued that private speech represents an early transition in
becoming more socially communicative. For Vygotsky, when young children talk to themselves,
they are using language to govern their behavior and guide themselves.

Teaching Strategies
Vygotsky’s theory has been embraced by many teachers and has been successfully applied to
education (Daniels, 2007; Holzman, 2009). Here are some ways Vygotsky’s theory can be
incorporated in classrooms:
1. Assess the child’s ZPD - Vygotsky argued that assessment should focus on determining the
child’s zone of proxi- mal development. The skilled helper presents the child with tasks of
varying difficulty to determine the best level at which to begin instruction.
2. Use the child’s ZPD in teaching - Teaching should begin toward the zone’s upper limit, so that
the child can reach the goal with help and move to a higher

level of skill and knowledge. Offer just enough assistance. You might ask, “What can I do to
help you?” Or simply observe the child’s intentions and attempts and provide support when it is
needed. When the child hesitates, offer encouragement.
3. Use more-skilled peers as teachers - Remember that it is not just adults who are important in
helping children learn. Children also benefit from the support and guidance of more-skilled
children.
4. Place instruction in a meaningful context - Educators today are moving away from abstract
presentations of material; instead, they provide students with oppor- tunities to experience
learning in real-world settings. For example, rather than just memorizing math formulas,
students work on math problems with real-world implications.
5. Transform the classroom with Vygotskian ideas - The Kamehameha Elementary Education
Program (KEEP) in Hawaii is based on Vygotsky’s theory (Tharp, 1994). The ZPD is the key
element of instruction in this program. Children might read a story and then interpret its
meaning. Many of the learning activities take place in small groups. All children spend at least
20 minutes each morning in a setting called “Center One.”
Evaluating Vygotsky's theory
● Vygotsky’s emphasis on the importance of inner speech in development and Piaget’s view
that such speech is immature.
● Although both theories are constructivist, Vygotsky’s takes a social constructivist approach,
which emphasizes the social con- texts of learning and the construction of knowledge through
social interaction.
● In moving from Piaget to Vygotsky, the conceptual shift is one from the indi- vidual to
collaboration, social interaction, and sociocultural activity (Halford, 2008).
● The endpoint of cognitive development for Piaget is formal operational thought. For Vygotsky,
the endpoint can differ depending on which skills are considered to be the most important in a
particular culture.
● For Piaget, children construct knowledge by transforming, organizing, and reorganizing
previous knowledge. For Vygotsky, children construct knowledge through social interaction
(Rogoff & others, 2007).
● The implication of Piaget’s theory for teaching is that children need support to explore their
world and discover knowledge. The main implication of Vygotsky’s theory for teaching is that
students need many opportunities to learn with the teacher and more-skilled peers.

● In both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories, teachers serve as facilitators and guides, rather than
as directors and molders of learning.

Criticisms of Vygotsky’s theory-


Some critics point out that Vygotsky was not specific enough about age-related changes
(Gauvain, 2008; Gauvain & Parke, 2010). Another criticism is that Vygotsky did not adequately
describe how changes in socioemotional capabilities contribute to cognitive develop- ment
(Gauvain, 2008). Yet another criticism is that he overemphasized the role of language in
thinking. Also, his emphasis on collaboration and guidance has poten- tial pitfalls.

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