EDUC10: Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles

Module 9
VYGOTSKY’S SOCIO-CULTURAL THEORY

Introduction
The key theme of Vygotsky's theory is that social interaction plays a very important role
in cognitive development. He believed that individual development could not be
understood without looking into the social and cultural context within which development
happens. Scaffolding is Vygotsky's term for the appropriate assistance given by the teacher
to assist the learner accomplish a task. Learn more about it as you do the activity. Read on!
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Intended Learning Outcomes

• Explain why Vygotsky’s theory is called “Socio-cultural” theory.
• Differentiate Piaget and Vygotsky’s views on cognitive development.
• Explain how scaffolding is useful in teaching a skill.

Socio-Cultural Theory of Development

When Vygotsky was a young boy he was educated under a teacher who used the
Socratic method. This method was a systematic question and answer approach that
allowed Vygotsky to examine current thinking and practice higher levels of understanding.
This experience, together with his interest in literature and his work as a teacher, led him to
recognize social interaction and language as two central factors in cognitive development.
His theory became known as the Socio-Cultural Theory of Development.

Piaget and Vygotsky

Vygotsky worked on his theory around the same time as Piaget in between the 1920's
and 30's but they had clear differences in their views about cognitive development. Since
Piaget was taken up already in the preceding module, it would be easier now to see how his
views compare with Vygotsky's.

Piaget Vygotsky
More individual in focus. More social in focus.
Believed that there are universal stages of Did not propose stages but emphasized on
cognitive development. cultural factors in cognitive development.
Did not give much emphasis on language. Stressed the role of language in cognitive
development.

Social Interaction. Piaget's theory was more individual, while Vygotsky was more social.
Piaget's work on Piagetian's task focused heavily on how an individual's cognitive
development became evident through the individual's own processing of the tasks.
Vygotsky, on the other hand gave more weight on the social interactions that contributed to
the cognitive development of individuals. For him, the social environment or the community
takes on a major role in one's development.

Vygotsky emphasized that effective learning happens through participation in social

activities, making the social context of learning crucial. Parents, teachers and other adults in
the learners' environment all contribute to the process. They explain, model, assist, give
directions and provide feedback to the learner. Peers, on the other hand, cooperate and
collaborate and enrich the learning experience.

Cultural factors. Vygotsky believed in the crucial role that culture played on the
cognitive development of children. Piaget believed that as the child develops and matures,
he goes through universal stages of cognitive development that allows him to move from
simple explorations with senses and muscles to complex reasoning. Vygotsky, on the other
 hand, looked into the wide range of experiences that a culture would give to a child. For
instance, one culture's view about education, how children are trained early in life all can
contribute to the cognitive development of the child.

Language. Language opens the door for learners to acquire knowledge that others
already have. Learners can use language to know and understand the world and solve
problems. Language serves a social function but it also has an important individual function.
helps the learner regulate and reflect on his own thinking. Children talk to themselves.
Observe preschoolers play and you may hear "Gagawin ko itong airplane (holding a
rectangular block), tapos ang airport (holding two long blocks)." For Vygotsky, this "talking-to
oneself' is an indication of the thinking that goes on in the mind of the child. This will
eventually lead to private speech. Private speech is a form of self-talk that guides the child's
thinking and action.
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Vygotsky believed in the essential role of activities in learning Children learn best
through hands-on activities than when listening passively. Learning by doing is even made
more fruitful w children interact with knowledgeable adults and peers.

Zone of Proximal Development

When a child attempts to perform a skill alone, she may not immediately proficient at
it. So, alone she may perform at a certain level of competency. We refer to this as the zone
of actual development. However, with the guidance of a More Knowledgeable Other
(MKO), competent adult or a more advanced peer, the child can perform at a higher level
of competency. The difference between what the child can accomplish alone and what
she can accomplish with the guidance of another is what Vygotsky referred to as zone of
proximal development. The zone represents a learning opportunity where a knowledgeable
adult such as a teacher or parent or a more advanced peer can assist the child's
development. See the illustration on the next page.

The support or assistance that lets the child accomplish a task he cannot accomplish
independently is called scaffolding. Scaffolding is not about doing the task for the child while
he watches. It is not about doing shortcuts for the child. Unzipping the lunch bag, opening
the food container and putting straw in the child's tetrapack juice for him is not scaffolding.
Scaffolding should involve the judicious assistance given by the adult or peer so that the
child can move from the zone of actual to the zone of proximal development. When the
adult unzips the zipper an inch or two, and then holds the lunch bag still so that the child can
continue to unzip the lunch bag is scaffolding. Loosening the food container lid just a bit and
letting the child open the lid himself is scaffolding. Leading the straw to the hole and letting
the child put the straw through the tetra pack hole is scaffolding.

The examples given above shows how a right amount of assistance can allow the child
to accomplish the task. The instructor could scaffold in such a way that the gap is bridged
between the learner’s current skill levels and the desired skill level. As learners come more
proficient, able to complete tasks on their own that they could not initially do without
assistance, the guidance can withdrawn. This is called scaffold and fade-away technique.
Scaffolding, when done appropriately can make a learner confident eventually he can
accomplish the task without any need for assistance.

When the MKO scaffolds, the process moves in four levels:

1. I do, you watch.
2. I do, you help.
3. You do, I help.
4. You do, I watch.

Learning will depend in the in the skill of the MKO, and the learners and ability to learn
and the difficulty of the skill being learned.
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TEXTBOOK
• Corpuz, Brenda B., et al…(2018). The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning
Principles. Lorimar Publishing Inc., Cubao, Quezon City.