Cognitive Development

The Work
of
Lev Vygotsky
The Life and Times of Vygotsky

Born in Czarist Russia

in 1896, Lev Vygotsky
lived a relatively short CzarNicholas

life, dying of tuberculosis in 1934.

Because he was Jewish, the law limited
his higher education options.
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 The Writings of Vygotsky
Human activities take place in sociocultural
settings and won’t be understood apart from
these settings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N03XBVzvDgM

“Every function in a child’s cultural

development appears.. first between people
(social/interpsychological) … and then inside
the child (individual/intrapsychological).”
 The Writings of Vygotsky

Higher order thinking begins as

co-constructed thoughts and ideas
- shared cognition -
and is later internalized by the
learner.
Woolfolk, A. (2010). Educational Psychology (11th Ed.). Columbus: Merrill.
 Thinking together
1. Read the passage from Mark 8:22-26.

2. In groups of 3 to 5 people discuss this story

by considering these questions:
1. Why didn’t Jesus’ healing touch seem to work
completely the first time? Isn’t he all-powerful?
2. Why was Jesus directing this man to avoid the
village ?
 Highlights of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural
Theory

 Zone of proximal development

 Assisted learning

 Private speech
Zone of Proximal Development
 What level of task difficulty causes us to
learn best?
Tasks accomplished alone
Tasks accomplished with support
Unreachable tasks even with support
 The dangers of boredom & frustration
Ormrod, J. (2009). Educational Psychology.
 Testing to find the ZPD
 How do we determine the ZPD?
 Static assessment is individualistic and gives
no feedback to guide problem solving. It’s the
conventional method for asking test questions.
 Dynamic assessment provides graduated hints
to help the child solve the problem. It still
assesses knowledge while encouraging
learning.
Sternberg, R.M. & Williams, W.M. (2002). Educational Psychology.
Assisted Learning
 Scaffolding – changing the level of
support – providing “mediated learning”
 Dialogue and thoughtful questions assist
this process
 Co-constructed thought is a result.

Santrock, J. (2008). Educational Psychology.

Sternberg, R.M. & Williams, W.M. (2002). Educational Psychology.
Private Speech
 Vygotsky saw this as a tool of thought
 Mental functions have external, social
origins . These origins lead to
“internalization” of thought.
 We practice thought when we talk with
ourselves and others.
Santrock, J. (2008). Educational Psychology.
Sternberg, R.M. & Williams, W.M. (2002). Educational Psychology.
Applying a Vygotskian Perspective

What would church be like if we

applied Vygotsky’s ideas to our
congregational life?
 Comparing the theories of
Vygotsky and Piaget
When we consider these theorists, what do
they have in common?
How do they contrast over the role of
culture, readiness (development before
learning), private speech?

Sorting activity
 Improvements in education
 Piaget: the goal of education ought to be learning how to
learn.
 Piaget: Active and concrete experience helps to construct
knowledge.
 Piaget: Play is the work of children.
 Vygotsky’s ZPD corresponds to Piaget’s “problem of the
match” and maintaining healthy disequilibrium
 Vygotsky: conversation with the more-knowing builds
helpful scaffolds.
 Vygotsky: Teachers assist learners in discovery.
Woolfolk, A. (2010). Educational Psychology (11th Ed.). Columbus: Merrill.