Lev Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural

Theory
 Lev Vgostsky
• Born in Russia in 1896
• His work began when he
was studying learning and
development to improve
his own teaching.
• He wrote on language,
thought, psychology of
art, learning and
development, and
educating students with
special needs.
• Key theme of Vgotsky’s theory is that social
interaction plays a very important role in
cognitive development.

• Social and cultural factors should be looked

into in understanding individual development.
 Scaffolding
• is Vygotsky’s term for the appropriate
assistance given by the teacher to assist the
learner accomplish a task
 Socio-Cultural Theory
• He recognized that social interaction and
language are two central factors in cognitive
development.
 Piaget and Vygotsky
Piaget Vygotsky
More individual in focus More social in focus
Believed that there are Did not propose stages but
universal stages of emphasized on cultural
cognitive development factors in cognitive
development
Did not give much Stressed the role of
emphasis on language language in cognitive
development
 Social Interaction
• Vgotsky gave more weight on the social
interaction that contributed to cognitive
development of individuals.
• Effective learning happens through
participation in social activities.
• Parents, teachers, other adults and peers
contribute to success in learning.
 Cultural Factors
• Culture has a crucial role on the cognitive
development of children.

• He looked into the wide range of experiences

that a culture would give to a child.

• Ex. One culture’s view about education, how

children are trained early in life all can
contribute to cognitive development.
 Language
• Language opens the door for learners to acquire
knowledge that others already have.

• Language serves a social function but it also has an

important individual function.

• It helps the learner regulate and reflect on his own

thinking.

• Private speech – a form of self-talk that guides the

child’s thinking and action.
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Potential Level – Actual Level = ZPD

Potential Level – level that the learner achieves

with the assistance of the teacher or a more
advanced peer

Actual Level – level that the learner achieves alone

 More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)

• Competent adult or a more advanced peer

Scaffolding
• The support or assistance that lets the child accomplish
a task he cannot accomplish independently.

• It is a judicious assistance given by the adult or peer so

that the child can move from the zone of actual
development to the zone of proximal development
Scaffold and Fade-away Technique
• As learners become more proficient, able to
complete the tasks on their own that they
could not initially do without assistance, the
guidance can be withdrawn.