Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory Of CD

Question 1

What did Vygotsky believe cognitive development to be?

Answer 1

A social process, therefore Language plays a crucial role

Question 2

What Vygotsky place emphasis on in terms of how children learn?

Answer 2

Children learn from ‘experts’ or more knowledgeable others ‘MKOs’

Question 3

What did Vygotsky say was the process of cognitive development?

Answer 3

Thinking occurs first on a social plane (intermental) between people, and then on an individual plane (intramental) within the child.

Question 4

What is the Zone of Proximal Development?

Answer 4

The gap between a child’s current level of development (as determined by independent problem solving) and the level of potential development (as determined through problem solving under the guidance of others)

Question 5

What is scaffolding?

Answer 5

The kind of help that adults or more experienced peers give to a child to help them cross the ZPD

Question 6

What are 4 steps involved in scaffolding?

Answer 6

Model (all teacher), Guide (mostly teacher), Gradual release (mostly student), Independent (all student)

Question 7

What does the fact that ‘learning is a social process’ lead to?

Answer 7

Cultural differences in cognitive abilities

Question 8

What did Dasen (1994) find?

Answer 8

That spatial awareness abilities developed earlier amongst Aboriginal children than Swiss children.

Question 9

What do Dasen (1994)’s findings show?

Answer 9

Cognitive development is not purely dependent on maturation but in cultural factors too.