Lev Vygotskys

Lev Vygotsky’s
Sociocultural Theory
CAZAR, AERON G.
DISCUSSANT
Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) was a Russian teacher who is considered
a pioneer in learning in social contexts. As a psychologist, he was also
the first to examine how our social interactions influence our cognitive
growth. He was convinced that learning occurred through interactions
with others in our communities: peers, adults, teachers, and other
mentors. Vygotsky sought to understand how people learn in a social
environment and created a unique theory on social learning. He
determined that teachers have the ability to control many factors in an
educational setting, including tasks, behaviors, and responses. As a
result, he encouraged more interactive activities to promote cognitive
growth, such as productive discussions, constructive feedback, and
collaboration with others. Vygotsky also stated that culture was a
primary determinant of knowledge acquisition. He argued that
children learn from the beliefs and attitudes modeled by their culture.
Vygotsky's Theory
Vygotsky's social development theory asserts that a
child's cognitive development and learning ability can be
guided and mediated by their social interactions. His
theory (also called Vygotsky's Sociocultural theory) states
that learning is a crucially social process as opposed to an
independent journey of discovery. He expands on this by
stating that a child's learning benefitted greatly from being
guided by a more knowledgeable member of the
community - such as a parent or teacher.
Vygotsky's Concept of More Knowledgeable
Other (MKO)
Vygotsky's theory places importance on guiding
children's learning through their interaction with a
more knowledgeable other (MKO). The more
knowledgeable other could be anyone with a
greater understanding of the task or concept that
the child is trying to complete or learn. Most
often, this would be a parent, caregiver or teacher,
but it could also be a peer or mentor.
Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development
(ZPD)
The concept of the zone of proximal development,

also known as the zone of potential development, is
used to explain a child's potential for cognitive
development and ability when they are guided
through a task, rather than asked to do it in isolation.
Zone of Proximal Development Stages
1. Tasks a learner can accomplish without assistance
This refers to tasks that the learner can perform

independently. If the learner has reached this stage, the
teacher or mentor will need to increase the level of
difficulty of the task in order to facilitate further
learning.
Zone of Proximal Development Stages
2. Tasks a learner can accomplish with assistance
This is referred to as their zone of proximal development. In
this stage, the learner needs the guidance of a more
knowledgeable other to help them complete the task.
3. Tasks a learner cannot accomplish with assistance

This refers to tasks that the learner cannot do, even with the
guidance of a more knowledgeable person. If the learner's
ability falls within this range, the level of difficulty may
need to be decreased to accommodate their skillset.
Elementary Mental Functions
Vygotsky's child development theory refers to four 'elementary
mental functions' as the innate abilities that we are born with.
These are:
 Attention
 Sensation
 Perception
 Memory
These abilities are then developed into 'higher mental functions'

through social interaction with our community.
Social Influences and Cognitive
Development
Vygotsky believed that learning was an active process
rather than a natural or passive one. He said that
children were engaged in their own learning and
discovery but that their development happened in the
context of social interaction, as opposed to
independently or in isolation.
Vygotsky's Theory and Language
Vygotsky's theory says that social interactions help children
develop their ability to use language. According to Vygotsky,
there are three stages/forms of language in the development
process:
 Social speech - communication between children and others
(usually from the age of 2)
 Private speech - private speech that is directed to the self
but has not yet been internalized (usually from the age of 3)
 Silent inner speech - a child's internal monologue (usually
from the age of 7)
Challenges to Application of Vygotsky's Theory in
the Classroom
 Not having enough time or resources to address the needs of
each student or help them individually
 The possibility of misjudging a student's ZPD and causing
frustration for both the student and teacher
 There might be too many students in the class, with rapidly
changing ability levels, to employ this method successfully
 If the lesson plan is not arranged to accommodate scaffolding
beforehand, it might be difficult to be flexible enough to follow
through with it
 If the teacher is unaware of the student's ZPD, the techniques
might not be effective
Criticisms of Vygotsky
Lack of experimental tests
•Vygotsky mostly used observation methods to support his theories, which has
invited criticism about the validity of his findings. He also only vaguely defined
social interaction and never stated the best method for engagement.
Active participation in learning
•Vygotsky's theory about active participation in learning does not account for some
circumstances in which children experience slower cognitive growth. Other
philosophers have suggested that genetics should be factored in and that the results
of passive learning should not be negated.
Social interaction
•Some psychologists and philosophers are critical of Vygotsky's determination that
socialization was key to learning language and culture. This theory does not explain
why some children learn and develop slowly, despite having strong social support.
The vagueness of his theories has been criticized, with some suggesting that they
were underdeveloped.
Criticisms of Vygotsky
Language as the foundation of learning
•Vygotsky's theory that language was a crucial tool of social interaction
and therefore a crucial tool for learning has also been questioned. Some
activities can be taught or learned using physical actions, hands-on
processes, observational techniques or more creative methods,
suggesting that language is not always the foundation of learning.
The zone of proximal development
•The concept of the zone of proximal development is criticized for
being unspecific and is sometimes viewed as a general term that
encapsulates various models of cognitive development. It is also not a
foolproof theory, because it doesn't explain why some students cannot
perform certain tasks, even with help.
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Lev Vygotsky’s

The concept of the zone of proximal development,

This refers to tasks that the learner can perform

3. Tasks a learner cannot accomplish with assistance

These abilities are then developed into 'higher mental functions'

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