Sociocultural Sociocultural TheoryTheory

Natalia Keritsis

Lev Vygotsky and Lev Vygotsky and Sociocultural Theory Sociocultural Theory

““We can formulate the We can formulate the genetic law of cultural genetic law of cultural

development in the development in the following way: any function following way: any function

in the child’s cultural in the child’s cultural development appears on development appears on

stage twice, on two planes. stage twice, on two planes. First it appears on the social First it appears on the social

plane, then on the plane, then on the psychological, first among psychological, first among people as an interphysical people as an interphysical category and then within category and then within

the child as an intraphysical the child as an intraphysical category.”category.”

Four Basic Principles Underlying Four Basic Principles Underlying the Vygotskian Frameworkthe Vygotskian Framework

Language plays a central role in mental

development

Consider private speech, where children speak to themselves to plan or guide their own behavior. This is most common among preschoolers, who haven’t yet learned proper social skills but rather explore the idea of it. Children often use private speech when the task becomes too difficult and the child doesn’t know how to proceed. Private speech helps the child accomplish a task.. Vygotsky believed private speech changes with age, by becoming softer or being just a whisper.

1

Development can not be separated from

its social context

This theory suggests that social interaction leads to continuous step-by-step changes in children’s thought and behavior that can vary greatly from culture to culture. Development depends on interaction with people and the tools that the culture provides to help form their own view of the world.

There are three ways a cultural tool can be passed from one Individual to another: imitative learning, instructed learning, and self-regulated learning.

2Four Basic Principles Underlying the Four Basic Principles Underlying the Vygotskian FrameworkVygotskian Framework

Learning can lead development

3Vygotsky believed that any pedagogy creates learning processes that lead to development and this sequence results in zones of proximal development. It's the concept that a child accomplishes a task that he/she cannot do alone, with the help from a more skilled person.

Vygotsky also described the ZPD as the difference between the actual development level as determined by individual problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or collaboration with more knowledgeable peers. The result of this process is children become more socialized in the dominant culture and it induces cognitive development.

Four Basic Principles Underlying the Four Basic Principles Underlying the Vygotskian FrameworkVygotskian Framework

Four Basic Principles Underlying the Vygotskian Four Basic Principles Underlying the Vygotskian FrameworkFramework

Children construct their knowledge

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Human behavior results fromthe integration of socially and culturally constructed forms of mediation into human activity.

The Key Terms of SCTThe Key Terms of SCT

SCT

Activity Theory

ZPD

Mediation

Internalization Inner Speech

Input

Output

Check your Check your understandingunderstanding

Activity Theory

ZPD

Inner Speech

Mediation

Internalization

A. Humans do not act directly on the physical world but rely on

tools, which allow us to change the world.

B. Reconstruction of sociallymediated external forms

on the psychological plane.

C. Human behavior results fromthe integration of socially and culturally constructed forms

of mediation into human activity.

D.Through this process higher

forms of mediation come to be.

E. It is not directed at the other

person, rather it is oriented to the children themselves.

F. What a person can achieve

when acting alone is different from what the same person can accomplish with support

from someone else.

5 = 6

The History of SCTThe History of SCT

A.Luria 1902-1977neuropsychologistRussia

Lev Vygotsky1896-1934Founder of SCTRussia

The History of SCTThe History of SCT

Alexey N. Leontiev1903-1979Developmental psychologist,Founder of Activity TheoryRussia

Alexey A. LeontievRussia,reading a lecture abouthis father

The History of SCTThe History of SCT

James P. LantolfPenn UniversityApplied LinguisticsUS

The EndThe End