Essay Plan: Vygotskys Theory of Cognitive

Development (see Pennington p.53-5 an! "ross p. #$%-5&&'

(tart )y giving some histori*al )a*kgro+n! on Vygotsky: ,e -as
.+ssian/ his theory -as !evelope! in the 0$1&s )+t not p+)lishe! in
English +ntil the 0$2&s.
Vygotsky stresse! so*ial (see )elo-' an! *+lt+ral fa*tors 3 *hil!ren
learn -hat is *+lt+rally relevant to them. 4estern *hil!ren are at ease
-ith *omp+ters )e*a+se they are a *entral part of their *+lt+re.
E5plain ho- Vygotsky sa- *hil!ren as apprentices (learning from
others' -hereas Piaget sa- *hil!ren as scientists (!is*overing things
for themselves'.
6e5t/ say ho- Piaget -as *riti*ise! for ignoring so*ial fa*tors (the role
of other people in *ognitive !evelopment' 3 remem)er he -as more
intereste! in !is*overy an! the pro*ess of a!aptation.
Vygotsky/ on the other han!/ stresse! the so*ial -orl! an! *laime!
that learning or !evelopment *an only o**+r thro+gh others. "ive the
7+ote (or as m+*h as yo+ *an remem)er':
Vygotsky (1978) states: "Every function in the child's cultural
developent appears t!ice: first" on the social level" and later" on the
individual level# first" $et!een people (interpsychological) and then
inside the child (intrapsychological)%
Des*ri)e -hat Vygotsky means )y internalisation an! give an
e5ample (learning to *o+nt is a goo! one'.
E5plain the Zone of Proximal Development. Dra- the
!iagram 3 remem)er to +se the key -or!s (a*t+al an!
potential'. "ive an e5ample.
E5plain ho- the 8PD also a**o+nts for in!ivi!+al !ifferen*es
)e*a+se t-o !ifferent people of the same age *an )e at
!ifferent points on the line. Piagets stage theory *annot !o
this )e*a+se he says that if yo+ are age #/ for e5ample/ yo+
m+st still )e in the pre-operational stage.
Des*ri)e the pro*ess of scaffolding 3 give an e5ample
(learning to !rive is a goo! one'.
9se 4oo! : ;i!!leton (0$5' as empiri*al s+pport 3 see
p.5# (Pennington'.
E5plain the impli*ations for the *lassroom:
Piaget 3 *hil!ren sho+l! )e given the opport+nity to
e5plore/ e5periment an! !is*over things for
themselves
Vygotsky 3 *hil!ren nee! str+*t+re! g+i!an*e an!
tea*hing from a!+lts an!<or e5perts in or!er to
!evelop.
Eval+ate the theory:
o Vygotskys theory !oes ans-er many of the *riti*isms
ma!e against Piaget (see points a)ove'
o ,is theory implies that !evelopment *an )e artifi*ially
a**elerate! )y lots of g+i!an*e/ )+t this is not so 3
*hil!ren often only learn -hen they are rea!y to learn/
e.g. lang+age.
o ,is theory s+ggests that a!+lts (parents' al-ays a*t in
positive an! helpf+l -ays to-ar!s their *hil!ren. This
is not al-ays so/ parents sometimes !e*eive their
*hil!ren a)o+t iss+es s+*h as se5 an! !eath.