Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development (sociocultural)

Development, social interaction, language, and culture

Social interaction and developmentLanguage and developmentCulture and development

Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development (sociocultural)

Piaget thinks children depend on their own to explore, form ideas, and test these ideas with their experiences

Vygotsky emphasizes social and cultural influences on the child's developing mind

Cognitive development is influenced by social interaction, language, and culture

development is influenced by social interaction, language, and culture

Culture

Cog.Development

Social Language Interaction

Social interaction and development

Learning and cognitive development arise directly from social interaction

A child acquires knowledge through interacting with more knowledgeable others (adult, or child)

The child develops an understanding that he wouldn't have been able to acquire on his own.

Piaget proposed that children explore the world individually

Social interaction and development

Vygotsky suggested that children need not, and should not, reinvent the knowledge of a culture on their own.

Adults explain, give directions, provide feedback, and guide communication

The child is actively involved in the interaction with the adults by doing.

Language and development

Language plays at least 3 different role in development according to Vygotsky's theory

1. Through social interaction, language gives learners access to knowledge others already have.

2. Language provides learners with cognitive tools that allow them to think about the world and solve problems

3. Language serves an individual function; it gives us a means for regulating and reflecting on our own thinking

Language and development

Private speech: is self-talk that guides thinking and action.

Piaget termed it "egocentric speech" Vygotsky believed that private speech

"seemingly targetless mumblings" indicates the beginnings of self-regulation.

Private speech, first muttered aloud and then internalized, forms the foundation for complex cognitive skills such as sustaining attention, problem solving, and memorizing new information

Culture and development

Culture provides the context in which development occurs

The language of a culture becomes a cognitive "tool kit" (belongings) that children use to conduct their interactions and make sense of the world

Culture provides a mechanism for both communication and thinking