Social Development

Theory

Lindsey Elliott + Basak Haznedaroglu

Who invented it?Lev Vygotsky

a Soviet psychologist and the founder of cultural-historical

physchology

When did it first gain attention?

Most of his books and articles were suppressed under political grounds.After Stalin’s death in 1953, writings

became public and Vygotsky became a major influence in psychology and

education.

Repackagings?Firstly main focus was on language and its role in cognitive development then expanded to the general education.

Scaffolding, reciprocal teaching, and guided instruction are effective strategies

that implement Vygotsky’s theory.•Reciprocal teaching is an instructional strategy used to teach reading where students take turns being the teacher for a pair or small group. The teacher’s role

may simply be to clarify or ask questions.

•Guided instruction involves the teacher and students exploring math problems and then sharing their different problem solving strategies in an open

dialogue

How was/ is it applied?- Vygotsky was very much involved in

developing the education program for the Soviet Union

- Has 2 parts: MKO and ZPD

MKO- More Knowledgeable Other: teacher, coach, adult, peer, computer

ZPD- Zone of Proximal Development: distance between a student’s ability to perform a task

with others vs. independently

EXAMPLE: instead of desks in a row, they are in groups!

Is it aligned with particular subjects?- No, however this theory focused on the

connection between people and the sociocultural context

(where they interact while sharing an experience)

- The tools children develop (writing and speech) as social functions lead to higher

thinking skills

Strengths?•Interaction between peers = use of

social skills•Enhancement in human ability to

dynamically engage in social interactions and share experiences

•Development of a deeper understanding of the importance of past experiences

and prior knowledge in making sense of present situations

Shortcomings?

- Children could look to others for answers instead of figuring things out for themselves