Lev Vygotsky: Sociocultural Theory
"Through others we become ourselves."
In contrast to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, Vygotsky stressed the impact of one's environment, culture, and social interactions upon cognitive development. He believed learning is socially constructed through interactions with others.
Key Terms
Psychological Tools: Cognitive devices and procedures with which humans communicate and use to explore the world. Vygotsky argued these are the most vital things a culture passes on to future generations.
(Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Children are introduced to these tools as elements of communication through social interactions. As the child develops, he or she will internalize these processes so they become second-nature. Spontaneous Concepts: young children learn facts, concepts, and rules through communication with others and engaging in play (Snowman & McCowan, 2013). These concepts are grounded in the child’s everyday experiences, and are byproducts of social interactions. Scientific Concepts: Psychological tools that are acquired during formal schooling and allow children to purposefully manipulate their environments (Snowman & McCowan, 2013). Zone of Proximal Development: The difference between what a child can do on his or her own, and what that child can do with help. Scaffolding: The process by which students/children are aided in the process of developing skills and knowledge from a more knowledgeable peer or adult. An example of scaffolding is asking leading or guiding questions to students in order to help them solve a difficult problem. |
This video serves as an example of Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory because it shows the development of a young boy's counting procedures as influenced by what Vygotsky refers to as a "more knowledgeable other". The woman in the video allows the boy to first demonstrate his proficiency with counting without any help, and then gives him gentle hints and advice as a form of scaffolding. With her guidance, the boy's counting is much more accurate than when he counted on his own. The difference between what the boy could do on his own and what he could do with help is an example of his zone of proximal development.
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How does this translate into classroom practices?
Students must be provided with explicit and clear instructions, guided and independent practice. This theory follows the constructivist model of learning, rather than the transmission model. Therefore, students should be active participants in the construction of their own learning rather than passive recipients of knowledge.
For example, when planning lessons, a teacher would incorporate collaborative group work and systematic inquiry to allow children to discover concepts through authentic learning. The teacher should design student-directed activities in which students develop understanding through real world examples and collaboration. These types of lesson plans would include activation of students' prior knowledge.
Examples of instructional practices that follow this model of learning include think-alouds and shared story telling.
For example, when planning lessons, a teacher would incorporate collaborative group work and systematic inquiry to allow children to discover concepts through authentic learning. The teacher should design student-directed activities in which students develop understanding through real world examples and collaboration. These types of lesson plans would include activation of students' prior knowledge.
Examples of instructional practices that follow this model of learning include think-alouds and shared story telling.
All rights reserved. Image Copyright Apolinar Fonseca. (2009)
A Brief History: How did sociocultural theory originate?
Vygotsky created his theory in Russia during the 1920's. At this time, Russia was under the communist and politically oppressive rule of dictator Joseph Stalin; therefore his works were not published until after his death in 1934 (Yang, 2013). His works largely became popular in the 1960's through the 1980's, and came to be the leading theory of cognitive development at this time (Snowman & McCowan, 2013).
Vygotsky generated his theory of cognitive development around the same time as Piaget, but their theories differed greatly with regards to the emphasis Vygotsky placed upon social interaction.
John-Steiner and Mahn explain the historical context of Sociocultural Theory with the following quote: "At a time when psychologists were intent on developing simple explanations of human behavior, Vygotsky developed a rich, multifaceted theory..." His pioneering thoughts on the social context of learning are applied throughout a variety of educational principles and instructional strategies today.
Vygotsky generated his theory of cognitive development around the same time as Piaget, but their theories differed greatly with regards to the emphasis Vygotsky placed upon social interaction.
John-Steiner and Mahn explain the historical context of Sociocultural Theory with the following quote: "At a time when psychologists were intent on developing simple explanations of human behavior, Vygotsky developed a rich, multifaceted theory..." His pioneering thoughts on the social context of learning are applied throughout a variety of educational principles and instructional strategies today.
Photo used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License
Sociocultural Theory in Contemporary Education
Mark Tappan is a modern proponent of Sociocultural Theory. He proposed a "Four Component Model to Maximize Scaffolding Efforts" to aid teachers in instructing students in their zones of proximal development. His model is comprised of the following parts:
More information on Tappan's work: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042814026962?np=y
Additional ways Sociocultural Theory is Applied:
- Model desired academic behaviors.
- Create a dialogue with the student.
- Practice.
- Confirmation (positive support and acknowledgement that the student will succeed).
More information on Tappan's work: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042814026962?np=y
Additional ways Sociocultural Theory is Applied:
- Scaffolding
- Guided Practice
- Modeling
- Think-alouds
- Collaborative Grouping
- Peer scaffolding/tutoring
- Help students create knowledge from personal experience
- Allow students to construct knowledge through negotiation with others
Additional Pedagogical Research
"ZPD, Tutor; Peer Scaffolding: Sociocultural Theory in Writing Strategies Application." (Shooshtaria, Z. & Farzaneh, M., 2014).
These researchers studied the effects of scaffolding writing strategies for EFL (English as a foreign language) students. They found that the participants with who received non-random scaffolding made progress in both writing quality and strategy application. This suggests that scaffolding is a useful pedagogical technique for teaching writing strategies and improving the quality of student's writing.
These researchers studied the effects of scaffolding writing strategies for EFL (English as a foreign language) students. They found that the participants with who received non-random scaffolding made progress in both writing quality and strategy application. This suggests that scaffolding is a useful pedagogical technique for teaching writing strategies and improving the quality of student's writing.
Additional information and resources:
Using Sociocultural Theory with ESL Students:
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-tips-foreign-languages/97396-using-the-sociocultural-theory-module-in-your-classroom/
A Prezi on Vyvotsky's Theory:
https://prezi.com/2kpthezwcivj/vygotzsky-cognitive-development-zpd/
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-tips-foreign-languages/97396-using-the-sociocultural-theory-module-in-your-classroom/
A Prezi on Vyvotsky's Theory:
https://prezi.com/2kpthezwcivj/vygotzsky-cognitive-development-zpd/
Vygotsky's "Tools of the Mind":
http://www.toolsofthemind.org/philosophy/vygotskian-approach/
http://www.toolsofthemind.org/philosophy/vygotskian-approach/
References
John-Steiner, V. & Mahn, H. (n.d.). Sociocultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework. Educational Psychologist.
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013). Ed psych. Belmont: Wadsworth.
Yang, G. (2013). Incorporating sociocultural theory into English reading instruction: A unit plan for Chinese EFL learners. US-China Foreign Language, 11(11), 859-869. Retrieved March 29, 2015, from file:///Users/aoscarlece/Downloads/Incorporating SCT into EFL Reading Instruction.pdf
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013). Ed psych. Belmont: Wadsworth.
Yang, G. (2013). Incorporating sociocultural theory into English reading instruction: A unit plan for Chinese EFL learners. US-China Foreign Language, 11(11), 859-869. Retrieved March 29, 2015, from file:///Users/aoscarlece/Downloads/Incorporating SCT into EFL Reading Instruction.pdf