Definition

Vygotsky’s Cognitive Development Theory postulates that social interaction is fundamental to cognitive
development. Vygotsky’s theory is comprised of concepts such as culture-specific tools, language and
thought interdependence, and the Zone of Proximal Development. Furthermore, the theoretical
concepts presented herein provide part of the foundation for constructivism and have contributed
greatly to the restructuring of formal educational systems [1, 3].

Description

Vygotsky’s Cognitive Development Theory argues that cognitive abilities are socially guided and
constructed. As such, culture serves as a mediator for the formation and development of specific
abilities, such as learning, memory, attention, and problem solving. It is proposed that culture-specific
tools play an integral role in the way children organize and think about the world. These tools may
include various social artifacts,...

Vygotsky’s view is that social interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition, or
thinking.

Application Education

Vygotsky (1978) sees the Zone of Proximal Development as the area where the most sensitive
instruction or guidance should be given - allowing the child to develop skills they will then use on their
own - developing higher mental functions.

Vygotsky also views interaction with peers as an effective way of developing skills and strategies. He
suggests that teachers use cooperative learning exercises where less competent children develop with
help from more skillful peers - within the zone of proximal development.
Bronfenbrenner believed that a person's development was affected by everything in their surrounding
environment. He divided the person's environment into five different levels: the microsystem, the
mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem, and the chronosystem. In this lesson, you will learn
about these different environmental levels by meeting five-year-old Alex and examining the influences
in his life.

Urie Bronfenbrenner noticed that a child’s nature depends on the context they grew up in. Thus, he
decided to study what factors had the most effect on childhood development. Bronfenbrenner
considered that the environment was made up of four interrelated systems. He added a fifth system
later on in his career.

Because the five systems are interrelated, the influence of one system on a child’s development
depends on its relationship with the others. Bronfenbrenner organized them in order of how much of an
impact they have on a child.

Microsystem

We will begin with the first level of Bronfenbrenner's theory: the microsystem. The microsystem is the
system closest to the person and the one in which they have direct contact. Some examples would be
home, school, daycare, or work. A microsystem typically includes family, peers, or caregivers.
Relationships in a microsystem are bi-directional. In other words, your reactions to the people in your
microsystem will affect how they treat you in return. This is the most influential level of the ecological
systems theory.

The mesosystem

is where a person's individual microsystems do not function independently, but are interconnected and
assert influence upon one another. These interactions have an indirect impact on the individual.

One aspect of Alex's mesosystem would be the relationship between his parents and his teacher. His
parents take an active role in his school, such as attending parent/teacher conferences and volunteering
in his classroom.

Application Education

His theory is important for educators to understand because it allows the educator to build fundamental
relationships with their students and create a communication rich classroom that involves the parents.