Lev Vygotsky

Lev Vygotsky was a seminal Russian psychologist who is best known for his sociocultural theory. He believed that social interaction plays a critical role in children's learning. Through such social interactions, children go through a continuous process of learning. Vygotsky noted, however, that culture profoundly influences this process. Imitation, guided learning, and collaborative learning all play a critical part in his theory.

The Zone of Proximal Development

According to Vygotsky, the zone of proximal development is:

"[The] distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers."—Lev Vygotsky, Mind in Society, 1978

Essentially, this zone is the gap between what a child knows and what he does not yet know. The process of acquiring that information requires skills that a child does not yet possess or cannot do independently, but can do with the help of a more knowledgeable other.

Parents and teachers can foster learning by providing educational opportunities that lie within a child's zone of proximal development. Kids can also learn a great deal from peers, so teachers can foster this process by pairing less skilled children with more knowledgeable classmates.

The More Knowledgeable Other

Vygotsky conceived the more knowledgeable other as a person who has greater knowledge and skills than the learner. In many cases, this individual is an adult such as a parent or teacher. Kids also learn a great deal from their interactions with their peers, and children often pay even greater attention to what their friends and classmates know and are doing than they do to the adults in their life.

Sociocultural Theory

Lev Vygotsky also suggested that human development results from a dynamic interaction between individuals and society. Through this interaction, children learn gradually and continuously from parents and teachers. This learning, however, can vary from one culture to the next. It's important to note that Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the dynamic nature of this interaction. Society doesn't just impact people; people also affect their society.

Vygotsky's Biography

Similarities between Piaget and Vygotsky theory

1. They both share a developmental perspective which is essential for an understanding of psychological phenomena and process namely those relatively more elaborate or complex as in the case of Piaget’s mental operations and Vygotsky’s symbolic operations.

2. Piaget and Vygotsky both put a greater emphasis on the importance of action on the origin of diverse forms of intelligence, and on all functions of consciousness.

3. Both Vygotsky and Piaget stress on the primacy of processes of development, whether of external outcomes or exterior manifestations.

4. Both Vygotsky and Piaget have put a greater emphasis on the qualitative or transformational changes, not on the quantitative or variation one.

5. Both Vygotsky and Piaget share a dialectical approach, in that the psychological development involves a continuous interaction among distinct, but interdependent, functions or processes such as assimilation in Piaget’s theory and internalization in Vygotsky’s theory.

6. They both share a non-reductionist view of human intelligence and consciousness.

Summary

· Children develop more sophisticated ways of thinking as they grow older as a result of maturation, and learning and understanding is mainly concerned with concepts that each individual hold and what effort they put towards developing it.Vygotsky’s approach gives out only a general outline of cognitive development in that it only put its emphasis on the social and cultural aspects of learning and cognition.

· Internalising monologues and therefore becoming a verbal thinker is a stepping stone to higher levels of thinking.

· There is a close link between the acquisition of language and the development of thinking.

https://www.knowswhy.com/similarities-between-vygotsky-and-piaget-theories/

Comparison between Piaget & Vygotsky
	Similarities Children learn increasingly complex information and skills as they get older Emphasis on both nature and nurture - Both recognise the role of heredity and maturation of the brain and body=nature. Piaget recognises how children meet the demands of their environment Children's cognitive abilities develop in a sequence and particular abilities develop at certain stages	Differences Piaget said that cognitive development is driven by a child's inbuilt tendency to adapt to new experiences whereas Vygotsky said that cognitive development is driven by social interaction Piaget stated children learn through active self-discovery; Vygotsky said children learn through instruction and guidance Piaget believed cognitive development is the same universally whereas Vygotsky said that it differs across cultures and time Piaget believed children will only learn when they are ready, whereas Vygotsky believed that development could be accelerated to an extend, with correct scaffolding and within the ZPD Piaget believed that language is a result of cognitive developement; Vygotsky said that language is key to cognitive development
	Overall comparison The key difference between Piaget and Vygotsky is that Piaget believed that self-discovery is crucial, whereas Vygotsky stated that learning is done through being taught by a More Knowledgeable Other.

https://getrevising.co.uk/grids/comparison-between-piaget-and-vygotsky

Piaget VS Vygotsky

Although never in direct competition with each other, the theories developed by Piaget and Vygotsky are often used in contrast with one another for many educational learning books. This is because they have two learning theories with a lot of differences, but still impacting on understanding the cognitive development of early learners.

When one compares and contrasts Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories of learning, it is easy to see why they are both so crucial in modern understanding of cognitive development. They have both been used to inform pedagogical methods that are regularly used in early childhood learning.

The ultimate difference that underlines the theories is that Piaget believes self-discovery and active learning is essential while Vygotsky felt that learning should be directed by a teacher, mentor, or space to guide the learning. These methods can be seen in different pedagogical scopes, either letting children learn through inquiry or directing them with specific tools of learning.

When both theories are used in conjunction with one another, there is endless scope to help children develop critical thinking skills and cognitive awareness for a well-rounded way to learn. Neither theory is actively correct, but both are highly important to be aware of when education early learners.

Piaget	Vygotsky
Cognitive development is already formed and driven by the way children adapt to new experiences.	Cognitive development is driven by social interaction and experiences.
Children learn through active self-discovery and awareness.	Children need constructed guidance to learn and develop.
Cognitive development is universally similar for all children.	Cognitive development varies and differs depending on culture and time.
Children will only learn when they are ready.	Children can learn at any point by having the ZPD scaffolded and shaped.
Language is the result of cognitive development.	Language is the key to unlocking cognitive development.

https://educationlearningtoys.com/knowledge-base/piaget-vs-vygotsky/

Vigotsky & Piaget's View

Both Piaget and Vygotsky provided highly influential theories which had impact on the way children are taught. However, as with every theory and study, there are pro’s and con’s to be highlighted. I will first evaluate Jean Piaget’s theory, followed by Lev Vygotsky. I will then compare and contrast the two with each other, showing the main similarities and differences between the two.

Negative evaluations are in red.
Positive evaluations in green.

Evaluation of Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.

· Piaget’s theory is based on a number of rigid, defined stages. In real life, how likely is it that cognitive development occurs as mechanically as his theory suggests? When a child acquires all they need to move onto the next stage, a ‘switch’ doesn’t just flick whereby they move into another stage. Cognitive development is much more ‘messy’ and fluid.

· There is much contrary evidence (see the Jean Piaget post) that suggests some details of his study are inaccurate.

· Further evidence suggests Piaget underestimated the ability of infants and children.

· No way to account for individual differences; some children will naturally be very intelligent and storm through the stages much earlier than Piaget suggests. This links in with the problem of a stage theory.

· The methodology used to develop his theory has been heavily criticised. Is it that children are incapable of certain cognitive functioning, or just that his methods were too complicated for a child to understand? (McGarrigle and Donaldson’s ‘Naughty Teddy’ experiment, for example).

· There is little/no explanation for emotional/social development or developmental problems.

· Piaget’s theory has had a huge impact on teaching methods over the world, and remains one of the most important cognitive development theories in education to date.

· His theory provides a framework for understanding what might be happening when children acquire certain cognitive functions.

· There is evidence suggesting certain parts of his theory do hold true (see Jean Piaget post).

Evaluation of Lev Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development

· There is little scientific evidence to support or contradict the concepts described in Vygotsky’s theory (Thomas, 2000)

· There is so much emphasis on social interaction and culture that many other aspects for development are missed (such as emotional aspects) (Feldman & Fowler, 1997)

· As with Piaget, there is no full explanation for developmental problems and individual differences.

· There is a large educational implication; it shows how adults and MKO’s can actively engage in helping others reach their full potential.

· Studies have shown that children who work in pairs do actually produce better, more complex ideas than when alone (Tan-Niam et al., 1998)

· Studies also show that children with parents that engage in scaffolding with them in early development achieve higher grades when in higher schools than those with parents who don’t (Neitzel & Stright, 2003)

· Group learning is incorporated into the theory, as well as looking at individual cognitive development.

https://psychohawks.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/evaluating-and-comparing-two-theories-of-cognitive-development/

NOTE: *MKO (More knowledgeable others)

https://infograph.venngage.com/p/125146/vygotskys-theory-of-cognitive-development

Lev Vygotsky

The work of Lev Vygotsky (1934) has become the foundation of much research and theory in cognitive development over the past several decades, particularly of what has become known as Social Development Theory. Vygotsky's theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition (Vygotsky, 1978), as he believed strongly that community plays a central role in the process of "making meaning." Unlike Piaget's notion that childrens' development must necessarily precede their learning, Vygotsky argued, "learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function" (1978, p. 90). In other words, social learning tends to precede (i.e., come before) development. Vygotsky has developed a sociocultural approach to cognitive development. He developed his theories at around the same time as Jean Piaget was starting to develop his ideas (1920's and 30's), but he died at the age of 38, and so his theories are incomplete - although some of his writings are still being translated from Russian. No single principle (such as Piaget's equilibration) can account for development. Individual development cannot be understood without reference to the social and cultural context within which it is embedded. Higher mental processes in the individual have their origin in social processes.