VYGOTSKY’S

SOCIOCALTURAL
THEORY
BADER CHIHAOUI

YAHYA HAJ TAHER

WHO IS LEV VYGOTSKY?

• Vigotsky is one of the great educational

theorists of the 20th century. His
contributions have had an impact on our
current models of education
His socio-cultural theory shows how
learning is built up gradually during the
early years, and with the help of the
social context of the youngest children
 WHAT IS VIGOTSKY’S SOCIOCULTURAL
THEORY?

Vygotsky’s theory shows how learning is built up gradually

during the early years and with the help of the child’s social
context. Lev Vigotsky argued that children gradually develop
their learning through social interaction: they acquire new and
improved skills .
• this sociocultural theory of cognitive
development focuses not only on how
adults and peers, through
collaborative work, influence
individual learning, but also on how
cultural beliefs and attitudes impact
the way instruction and learning take
place.
• According to Vygotsky, children still have
a long period of brain development
ahead of them. In addition, each culture
provides what he called tools of
intellectual adaptation. These tools
allow children to use their basic mental
abilities in ways that are sensitive to the
culture in which they grow up .
THE HISTORY BEHIND VYGOTSKY'S THEORY

• Sociocultural theory grew from the

work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky, who
believed that parents, caregivers, peers,
and the culture at large are responsible
for developing higher-order functions.
According to Vygotsky, learning has its
basis in interacting with other people.
Once this has occurred, the information
is then integrated on the individual
level.
• Vygotsky contended that children
are born with basic biological
constraints on their minds. Each
culture, however, provides "tools of
intellectual adaptation." These tools
allow children to use their abilities
in a way that is adaptive to the
culture in which they live.3
• Vygotsky, born in 1896, was a
contemporary of other great thinkers such
as Freud, Skinner, and Piaget, but his
early death at age 37 and the suppression
of his work in Stalinist Russia initially left
his theories less well-known. As his work
has become more widely published, his
ideas have grown increasingly influential
in areas including child development,
cognitive psychology, and education.
VYGOTSKY CONCEPTS
• Vygotsky’s Concept of Zone of Proximal
Development
• Lev Vygotsky is most recognized for his concept
of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
pertaining to cognitive development in children.
• According to Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive
development, children who are in the zone of
proximal development for a particular task can
almost perform the task independently, but not
quite there yet. With a little help from other
people, they’ll be able to perform the task
successfully.
• The presence of someone who has
better skills in the task that the child
is trying to learn. This “someone” is
known as a “More Knowledgeable
Other”(MKO), which we will discuss
below.
• The child can receive instructions
from the MKO during the learning
process.
EXEMPLE
VYGOTSKY’S CONCEPT OF MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OTHER

• Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory

emphasizes that children learn
through social interaction that
include collaborative and
cooperative dialogue with
someone who is more skilled in
tasks they’re trying to learn.
Vygotsky called these people
with higher skill level the More
Knowledgeable Other (MKO).
MKO could be teachers, parents,
tutors and even peers.
VYGOTSKY’S CONCEPT OF SCAFFOLDING

• Vygotsky’s concept of scaffolding is

closely related to the concept of the
Zone of Proximal Development.

• Scaffolding refers to the temporary

support given to a child by a More
Knowledgeable Other that enables the
child to perform a task until such time
that the child can perform this task
independently
APPLYING VYGOTSKY'S THEORY
IN THE CLASSROOM
• Sociocultural theory has gained
popularity within certain settings.
Here's how this theory can be put
into practice in classroom
• Understanding the zone of
proximal development can be
helpful for teachers.
• At first, the student may need
assistance from an adult or a more
knowledgeable other ( the
• Planning and organizing • ZPD : Teachers can also take advantage
of the zone of proximal development by
classroom instruction and
providing guidance and support to help
lessons
the students reach their learning goals
 Using hints, and direct instruction to
• Scaffolding where the teacher provides
help kids improve their ability levels
specific prompts to move the child
progressively forward toward a goal