Vygotsky 's Theory Of Cognitive Development

Vygotsky proposed that children’s development is affected by their culture and social interaction. He also suggested that children are not born with knowledge but they gain it through their social interactions with peers and adults; he does not rule out the importance of biological processes but proposes an interdependent relationship between biological development alongside social activity and cultural interaction.

Lev Vygotsky believed that social and cognitive development work simultaneously to build and evolve on one another. He believed that social, cultural and personal experience cannot be detached from each other and many things influence the way children learn and develop, not just their own experiences, thus Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory. Vygotsky’s ideas were and remain controversial as he had no specific training in psychology or children’s development. His preeminent contribution to children’s development is his recognition of the value of progressing knowledge by means of interaction with educators, peers and family (Mooney, 2000, p. 83). The major ideas of Vygotsky’s theory are scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Scaffolding is a process Vygotsky described as the framework or temporary support for children’s learning. In order for scaffolding to be beneficial, it must be responsive to the child’s needs (Coon & Mitterer, 2013, pp. 106-107).

Vygotsky’s main Theory is the Social Development Theory. He was known for his Sociocultural Theory. With this theory, he talks about how children’s behaviors, as well as their thoughts, can differ because of cultures and how they are raised. The children’s interactions change according to their cultures and teachings.His theory suggests that the children’s development is according to their cultures and how they are raised, the children have their own view of their world depending on their way they are taught and the tools that they are given as they grow up. Vygotsky talks about imitative learning, instructed learning, and collaborative learning. Imitative learning is where the child learns from watching

Why is it that a four year old thinks there is more of water in a tall narrow glass than there is in a short broader glass, when both glasses contain the same amount of water? The answer can be found if one determines the child's developmental level of cognition. In exploring the concept of cognitive development, two names are sure to come up, Piaget and Vygotsky.

Teachers take on the role of learner as well as instructor and are there to guide the discussion towards learning objectives without just forcing their point of view on students. Another very important part from Vygotsky’s work is the concept of a student’s zone of proximal development (ZPD). Vygotsky (as cited by Eggen & Kauchak, 2011) described it as “the distance between the actual development level…and the level of potential development…under adult guidance…or more capable peers” Once a student is within their ZPD, they can vastly benefit from ‘scaffolding’, this is assistance from either the teacher or from peers in a collaborative group to achieve a level that they would be unable to do independently (Eggen & Kauchak, 2011). This scaffolding can take many forms, using prompts and cues, asking pertinent questions, the most important point is not to do the work for the student but to guide in the right direction.

My thoughts are more in sync with Vygotsky. I believe that language plays a big role in a child learning. I believe if a child is unable to read he or she will fall behind on learning experiencing challenges and reading problems. If children was to interact with other childern I believe that it would cause children to have a much stronger cognitive development, that is one reason why I strongly believe in headstart. If a child have strong cognitive skills they would have a more stronger academic performance. Without cognitive development it is impossible for a child with learning or reading problems to perform to their potential. If a child does not talk very well, how can the child tell someone what is going on with them or how can they ask

Vygotsky emphasizes that growth of child’s cognition is directly correlated to his/her interactions with people around him/her. The aspect of the cognitive development through socio cultural interaction seems to be a theoretical framework of Vygotsky’s perspective. It seems that the relationships such as parents, friends, and people in the community plays an important role in the development of a child. A child learns to think and mediate through language, which seems to be supported by the people in his/her life. Nevertheless, sociocultural context plays a vital role in providing the

Vygotsky’s theory is a scaffolding theory whereby children use other people’s knowledge to expand on their own. Vygotsky’s theory assumes that cognitive development varies among cultures whereas Piaget believed that cognitive development was universal among all

Child Development is a text book based upon children’s development looking at all issues, influences and theories. The section of the book that I am referring too looks into detail the likes of Jean Piaget’s and Lev Vygotsky’s perspectives, in relation to cognitive development. In the book, Piaget’s developmental theory was described as a constructive approach, this refers to the ways we build our own understanding of the world around us and how we fit into it.

Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, are the two of the most recognized cognitive psychologist who developed theories that address cognitive development and learning in children. Piaget emphasizes that children constructs a mental model of the world through biological maturation and interaction with the environment. While Vygotsky emphasizes that children actively construct their knowledge and understanding through sociocultural influences. These two theories have widened my knowledge and understanding about child development and learning, even though they have some differences.

This example shows that Vygotsky’s zone of proximal develop where the child learns from someone with a higher understanding and slowly improve oneself, correcting what was learnt previously into something new. Scaffolding is seen in collaborative learning too, as there would be more than one child in an activity when comes to learning, when one with a better knowledge would scaffold and teach one to achieve what he or she does not know. Vygotsky stated that children learn at their best when they are in a group, where social interaction occurred. Vygotsky believed this life-long process of development was dependant on social interaction and that ‘social learning actually leads to cognitive development.’ (Riddle, 1999) Scaffolding is the temporary

The three adaptive processes for cognitive development are assimilation, accommodation, and equilibrium. These are three agents

With the passing of time, the development of thought and language has been the object of study for psychologists such as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. The former drastically influenced the study of thought and speech with his theory of cognitive development and his clinical method. The latter also made his contribution with his sociocultural theory. Although language and thought may be analysed as associate one to the other, both of them may be considered as independent and dynamic processes which belong to different roots. Considering the book Thought and Language by Lev Vygotsky, it might be possible to debunk the fundamental concepts of Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories and to expand on their main differences.

Lev Semionovich Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist and constructivist learning theorist who was known for arguing against the theories of psychologist Jean Piaget. Piaget believed that in order for any learning to occur there had to development within the individual first, but Vygotsky argued the contrary. He argued that in order for development to occur, the individual would first have to have learning take place through instruction and example in a given appropriate environment. Vygotsky’s theory on cognitive development is centralized on two key ideas known as scaffolding and the zone of proximal development which will be explored in this essay and how they contribute to the classroom.

Lev Vygotsky was an educator and a theorist known primarily for his sociocultural theory. Vygotsky developed the sociocultural theory, which is the theory of human development through social and cultural influences (Aimin, 2013), during the 1920’s-30’s. One of Vygotsky’s focuses was the concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which is the idea of a child being appropriately challenged, this will be discussed further on. His theory stemmed from how children’s learning is impacted greatly through guidance of peers, cultural relations (language), social interactions, teachers and any other adult figure in their environment. In the last 10-15 years, teachers, caregivers, and educators have been attending more to Vygotsky’s theory and his concept of the zone of proximal development, because his work impacts how children learn in their optimal environment (Trawick-Smith, 2015). Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory will be discussed through historical insight, explanation of the theory itself, how sociocultural and society relate to each other, and how the theory is applied in the educational society.