VYGOTSKY's SocioCultural Theory: A Basis of Modern Social Constructivism - Notes from Ed Psych Texts

GOOD & BROPHY 8TH EDITION

Knowledge as socially constructed. "In addition to emphasizing that learning is a process of active construction of meaning [constructivism], social constructivists emphasize that the process works best in social settings in which two or more individuals engage in sustained discourse about a topic. Four benefits: 1) increased awareness of things unknown before, thereby expanding cognitive structures; 2) exposure to ideas that contradict their own beliefs and may cause them to examine those beliefs andperhaps restructure them; 3) the need to communicate their ideas to others forces them to articulate those ideas mre clearly, which sparpens their conceptions and often leads to recognition of new connections. 4) consequently, cognitive structures become better developed (both better differntiated and better organized. (P. 420)

Social constructivism heavily influenced by Vygotsky (1962, 1978)

"Language and thought begin separately, but become interconnected during preschool years as children learn to use language as a mechanism of thinking" (p. 420) Gradually, more learning is mediated through language. Initially overt speech is used to acquire cultural knowledge. Then they elaborate on this knowledge and connect it to other knowledge through inner speech.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Children already know things below their zpd or else they can learn them without anyone's help. Learning is most efficient within zpd. They can't learn things above the zpd, even with help.

. "Connected to concept of readiness in learning, but readiness is passive, suggesting teachers wait until children ready to learn algo, but ZPD or zone theory assumes child's readiness depends more one their accumulated prior knowledge re:topic than on maturation of cognitive structures.

They believe that advanced knowledge will be stimulated primarily through the social construction

that occurs during sustained discourse, most rapidly through teaching in the zpd" {p. 420-421)

Vygotsky viewed as socially constructed: literacy, numeracy, and subject knowledge taught in schools.

ORMROD: Educational Psychology: Developing Learners: 3rd Edition 43-50.

Because Vygotsky's theory emphasizes cogntive growth's dependence upon the society and culture,

it's sometimes called a sociocultural theory.

Assumptions:

1. Complex mental processes begin as social activities; as children develop, they gradually internalize these processes and begin to use them independently. Many thinking processes have their roots in social interaction. Segun V, childhood arguments help them discover that there are often several different points of view about the same situation..Eventually children internalize the arguing process and on their own develop the ability to examine situations from multiple perspectives.

2. Inital independence of language and thought until about 2yrs.

3. Zpd children can perform challenging tasks when helped by others.

Child's actual developmental level = what can do independently;

Child's level of potential development= extent to which can perform takss w/ assistance of more competent other.

4. Challenging tasks promote maximum cognitive growth. Children learn very little when performing tasks at their actual level . They develop mainly by taking on more challenging tasks that are within their ZPD and getting the assistance of others. In some cases students can develop by interacting with other students at the same level.

Educational Implications: self-instructions, guided participation, scaffolding, apprenticeships, & peer interactions.(46-50 Ormrod)

Provide the scaffolding that students need to support their work on complex tasks.

Scaffold= external temporary support structure.

Scaffolding supports:

1, work with students to develop a plan for dealing w/ a new task.

2. Demonstrate proper way to perform task so ss can easily imitate it

3. Divide complex task into several smaller, simpler tasks

4. Ask questions that get student thinking in appropriate ways about tasks.

5. Keep students' attention focused on the task

6. Remind ss what their goal is in performing the task (e.g. what pbm solution should look like)

7. Give frequent feedback about how ss are progressing.

8. Gradually withdraw the supports as student competnece increases.

SLAVIN ON VYGOTSKY (P. 256-7)

SOCIAL NATURE OF LEARNING: Children learn via joint Ix w/ adults &/or more competent peers. successful problem solvers talk to themselves to guide their solutions of difficulty problems.

In cooperative learning, children can hear this inner speech out loud and learn how successful problem solvers approach tasks.

COGNITIVE APPRENTICESHIP: process by which a person gradually acquires expertise through interaction with an expert, either adult or more advanced peer. "Student teaching is a form of apprenticship. Constructivist theories suggest that teachers transfer this long-standing and highly effective model of teaching and learning to day-to-day activities in classrooms, both byengaging students in complex tasks and helping them through these tasks.(Newmann & Wehlage, 1993) and by engaging students in heterogeneous, cooperative groups in which more advanced students help less advanced ones". (P. 257)

COGNITIVE MEDIATION OR MEDIATED LEARNING: scaffolding or mediated learning (Kozulin & Presseisen, 1995) Emphasis on giving students complex, difficult, realistic tasks and then be given enough help to achieve these tasks (rather than being given little bits of knowledge that are expected someday to build up to complex tasks).