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