Lev Vygotsky

BioSoviet Belarusian psychologistFounder of a theory of human cultural and biosocial development

Theories stress the interaction in the development of cognition and developed a socio-cultural approach to cognitive development.

Social Influences on Cognitive Development

Believed children are curious and actively involved in their own learning and the discovery and development of new understandings

Much of a child's important learning occurs through social interactions with a skillful tutor

Tutor may model behaviors and/or provide verbal instructions for the child

Referred to this as co-operative or collaborative dialogue

Child seeks understanding of the actions or instructions and acquires the knowledge it, later to be used in their own performance

Zone of Proximal Development

Relates to the difference between what children achieve independently and what they can achieve with the guidance and encouragement of a tutor

Vygotsky views the Zone of Proximal Development as the areas where little guidance should be given in order to allow the child to develop their own skills.

Also sees interactions with peers as ways of developing skills and strategies

Vygotsky and Language

Language plays 2 critical roles in cognitive

development: • It is the main source to which adults

use to interact and demonstrate information to children• Language itself becomes a key tool

of intellectual adaptation

Classroom ApplicationsA contemporary educational

application of Vygotsky's theories is "reciprocal teaching", used to improve students' ability to learn from text.

In this method, teachers and students use collaborate in learning and practicing 4 keys skills: summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting