Lauren Jackson 33443557 EDN221: Assessment 1

Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theories of cognitive development in educational psychology are

significantly influential in current teaching practices despite his passing, 84 years ago. His theories

stress the importance of social interaction on the developing learner and how these experiences

impact progression to higher order functions. As a prominent psychologist, Vygotsky’s research

focussed on external influences such as the importance of social, cultural and historical contexts

within an individual’s environment (Duchesne, McMaugh, Bochner & Krause, 2013). Internalisation,

social interaction, language as a tool and the zone of proximal development [ZPD] were embedded

into his theory of sociocultural development. Through social interaction and utilisation of ZPD to aid

in the learning process, Vygotsky developed the sociocultural theory of cognitive development. His

research is highly recognised, with psychologists further developing his models (McInerney, 2014).

Although his methods are highly recognised, educators need to mindful of possible implications

when implementing his theories.

Cognitive development regarding the sociocultural model can be defined as the acquisition of high

psychological functions such as rational thought and processing of information from the lower or

inherited capabilities, which one receives from birth (McInerney, 2014). When an individual has a

multitude of interactions and experiences it is often reflected in their enhanced learning. Vygotsky’s

research into cognitive development highlighted the requirement for social interaction, arguing that

it is through social interaction where one can make meaning of concepts and achieve learning

(Duchesne, McMaugh, Bochner & Krause, 2013). Studies have indicated the importance of early

social settings such as day-care on the developing learner in the transition to formal kindergarten

education. Barblett, Barratt-Pugh, Kilgallon and Maloney (2011) stress the value of day-care to

facilitate social and emotional development through understanding roles and expectations and

recognising of prior learning experiences. In examinations regarding the sociocultural theory,

Vygotsky concluded that values of parents and their cultural background play a vital part in shaping
Lauren Jackson 33443557 EDN221: Assessment 1

an individual and how this influences the direction and extent of their own children’s cognitive

development (McInerney, 2014). Children adapt from their surrounding environment; those who are

raised on rural land may have highly developed gross motor skills from living off the land whilst

those brought up being spoken to in more than one language, have a higher possibility of becoming

bilingual. This type of behaviour is a great example of the social structuring process (Duchesne et al.,

2013). The variance in upbringing also renders the values they place on objects, events or

experiences notably diverse. Parents and carers subconsciously structure their children’s

experiences to reflect their own social, cultural or historical background and once a child

understands where specific values are positioned and why they accept it as their own (Duchesne et

al., 2013). “Children are born with a wide range of perceptual, attentional and memory capacities

that are substantially transformed in the context of socialisation and education, particularly through

the use of cultural interventions such as tools, social structures and language…” (McInerney, 2014).

Initially, when children are subjected and participate in certain experiences, they internalise the

ideas and processes, facilitating cognitive growth (Duchesne et al., p. 85). When a child observes a

mentor, engaging in a particular task, they internalise what they have witnessed, communicating

with themselves in the form of inner speech, for the purpose of self-direction. Vygotsky argued that

every learning experience in a child’s life appears twice; first inter-psychological, on a social level and

then intra-psychological, internally (Duchesne et al., 2013). Therefore, Vygotsky’s cognitive

development theory is based on social constructs and interaction.

Language as a mental tool is seen as of the utmost importance regarding cognitive development.

When children are in the initial stages of learning a new task, they may externalise self-talk. This self-

talk is not directed at anyone, it merely acts as an instructional tool in order to reach higher mental

functions. “Speech acts start their career as a form of social interaction, but almost as soon as they

begin to talk, children will also talk to themselves, using speech acts to shape their own

behaviour” (Geurts, 2018, p. 271). Following the intrapsychological development, the learner no
Lauren Jackson 33443557 EDN221: Assessment 1

longer depends on the external environment and has the ability to self mediate their own cognitive

functioning (Kozulin, 2002). As well as using language as a mental tool, they also acquire other

mental tools as a product from the environment they were raised in (Duchesne et al., 2013). This is

evidenced when a year one student attempts an addition exercise and utilises ‘tools’ such as their

fingers, aiding in the development to higher mental functions. “No human, for instance, born a

culturally proficient member; it is necessary to be taught the appropriate cultural practices within

the interactions in a society” (Danesfar & Moharami, 2018, p. 2). Internalising this private speech

begins to serve an intellectual function, as a tool for problem-solving and self-regulation. Once the

concept is explicitly comprehended, the child is then able to internalise their rationale and use

language as a mental tool for ‘private speech’. Internalisation is the transformation to complex

mental processes. Once understanding is established, self-talk is no longer required (Duchesne et al.,

2013, p. 85).

Vygotsky’s initiative and development of the zone of proximal development [ZPD] is his most

influential strategy to date. ZPD can be defined as teaching one level above the explicit knowledge

an individual has already acquired. ZPD is achieved through guided participation from a more

knowledge other and is attainable through prior knowledge. It is beneficial to recognise that the

more knowledge other is not providing students with answers, rather, prompting them to think for

themselves and problem solve. In essence, Vygotsky placed the high value on collaboration through

the means of active learning, assisted learning and reciprocal teaching (McInerney, 2014). This

theory of ZPD was later developed and renamed ‘scaffolding’ by Bruner (Duchesne et al., 2013, p .

85). Scaffolding is essentially the building blocks educators provide learner to successfully complete

the task at hand (Gredler & Shields, 2007, pp. 101-108). Learning happens when you teach one step

ahead of what they already know (Dempsey, 2019). It is important to recognise that if an educator

attempts to educate year one students on the molecular structure, that this is not appropriate

learning for their age and is far beyond their ZPD. Essentially, they will not be engaged in this activity
Lauren Jackson 33443557 EDN221: Assessment 1

as the content is far too advanced for them. “A teacher’s role is to develop childs understandings

and to regulate their own learning, rather than tell or demonstrate what they are required to know”

(Duchesne et al., p .87). In the course of the development, mistakes are crucial to the process of

perceiving information which allows individuals to further develop.

By implementing a multicultural family day in kindergarten, families of children would be welcomed

into the classroom, each bringing in items such as food and materials. Not only does an experience

like this cater for learning about the different aspects of the world we live in, it also provides the

children with a greater amount of social interaction. It is important to acknowledge that a multitude

of experiences indicates enhanced cognitive growth, allowing them to progress into a more

knowledgeable individual. Children use experiences and interactions to create meaning within the

world they live in (Pange & Kontozisis, 2001). Exposing children to an array of both play-based and

cultural experiences within a kindergarten setting would be highly advantageous. It is necessary to

create meaningful experiences when aiming to achieve the content description to “use facial,

expression, movement and space to imagine and establish role and situation” (Australian

Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2014, ACADRM028). For children to

actively participate, educators need to provide students with inviting activities that inspire them to

play. Setting up the classroom with an assortment of stations such as a hairdresser, shop, mechanic

and digging pit showcase authentic materials, allows children to transform into altering characters,

expanding their knowledge. This is integral to stimulate communication and knowledge between the

learners, both verbally and non-verbally, which also contributes to language development. The

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR] (2009, p. 10) defines play

as a context for learning, which allows children to make connection and make sense of their social

worlds, as they actively participate with people, objects and representations. By studying one

another in these types of pretend play activities, creates opportunity for children to convey their

intentions and cause behind their individual thinking. Pretend play is vital, granting children to
Lauren Jackson 33443557 EDN221: Assessment 1

manage varying identities, concentrating on the framing of interaction (Kyratzis, 2004). Vygotsky

argues that the more experiences a child has, the greater their cognitive development, although it

must be recognised that these the more genuine and enticing interactions are, the more beneficial it

is to a child’s development.

Integrating Vygotsky’s ZPD method may heed the intended outcome if not applied correctly. For

Vygotsky, learning is social; ZPD resides though social interaction from more knowledge others and

those who are just acquiring skills and knowledge (Ingold & Crawford, 2015). For ZPD to be effective,

an educator or more knowledge other must not provide children with answers to the task at hand,

rather provide strategies to support their own problem-solving abilities. “Effective scaffolding

enables a learner to understand and to produce language that would ordinarily be beyond their

capabilities with a view to enabling this level of linguistic performance in the future without

assistance” (Ingold & Crawford, 2015). ACARA (2014, ACAMUR083) states that children need to

“develop confidence with number sequences to and from 100 by ones from any starting point. Skip

count by twos, fives and tens starting from zero”. In a situation like this if they are struggling, instead

of explaining why the child was mistaken or perplexed, they must instead prompt the children to

reflect and problem solve for themselves. For example, if a child was trying to count a specific shape

but was confused due to the assortment of miscellaneous shapes in front of them, an educator may

encourage the child to sort the blocks into piles, dependant on their shape. This, in turn, allows the

child to count shapes carry out the task with ease, without impeding a child’s learning. Whilst

Vygotsky’s methods are highly effective within the classroom, it is fundamental that educators

consider the ramifications if they are not carried out effectively.

In a world where technology is central to everyday life, the utilisation of Vygotsky’s theories may

become problematic due to society engaging less in face to face communication. According to

Vygotsky, exposing students to new experiences such as technology can be constructive for their
Lauren Jackson 33443557 EDN221: Assessment 1

cognitive growth, however, it can be simultaneously damaging for children. As children spend an

extended period on screens, they become dependent upon it and are subjected to fewer

interactions, impacting the way they view the world. This not only has negative effects on mental

functions but also their emotional wellbeing. Despite the prevalence of screen media, it is important

to acknowledge that young children learn more from face to face interactions (Hipp, Gerhardstein,

Zimmermann, Moser, Taylor & Barr, 2017, pp. 33-34). As an educator, these issues need to be

addressed. With information and communication technology [ICT] being an integral part of today’s

curriculum, it would be best to integrate interactive technology within the classroom, where it can

be attentively monitored. Children’s real-world exposure is often limited with the advancement and

prevalence of today’s technology and as a result, challenges may arise due to the decrease of social

interaction.

Since Vygotsky’s passing, his ideologies have been further developed and are still applied in modern

teaching practices today. His theories of ZPD, internalisation and using language as a tool, are based

around the requirement for social interaction. “For Vygotsky, the learning process was not a

solidarity exploration by a child of the environment…, but rather a process for appropriation or

absorption by the child of culturally relevant behaviour” (McInerney, 2014). Although Vygotsky’s

theory of sociocultural development is prevalent in education today, educators need to be cautious

and comprehend possible implications when employing his theories.

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REFERENCES

Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority. (2014). Foundation to Year 10 Curriculum:
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Barblett, L., Barratt-Pugh, C., Kilgallon, P., & Maloney, C. (2011). Transition from Long Day Care to
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Dempsey, H. (2019). Topic 2: Cognitive Development. [Video Recording]. Murdoch, WA: ECL4 Lecture
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Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2009). Early Years Learning Framework.
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Gredler, M. E., & Shields, C. C. (2007). Vygotsky's legacy : A foundation for research and practice. Retrieved
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Hipp, D., Gerhardstein, P., Zimmermann, L., Moser, A., Taylor, G., & Barr R. (2017). The Dimensional Divide:
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McInerney, D. (2014). Educational psychology: Constructing learning (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W:
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