Vygotsky

Question 1

Main aim of his studies

Answer 1

Focused on how children play and socialise as well as their language development in the context of their understanding of the world

Question 2

Main diversion from Piaget

Answer 2

Emphasising that children’s cognitive development cannot be fully understood without considering their social and cultural context
* knowledge is shared and acquired through imitation and collaborative learning
* unlike Piaget suggests that learning often leads to development rather than follows it

Question 3

3 key aspects of Vygotsky’s theory into development

Answer 3

• culture
• language
• social interactions

Question 4

Zone of Proximal Development

Answer 4

The difference between what a child can achieve independently and what a child can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a more knowledgeable other
* the MKO will employ scaffolding to help the learner achieve the task

Question 5

Scaffolding

Answer 5

To model, demonstrate or break down in steps how to solve a problem or task and then step back, offering support as needed

Question 6

How does a child develop knowledge through a “more knowledgeable other”?

Answer 6

• can be a parent, sibling teacher or peer who has a better understanding or higher ability level than the learner
• child seeks to understand the actions/instructions of the tutor and then internalizes the information

Question 7

Vygotsky’s four major stages of speech development

Answer 7

• preintellectual speech
• autonomous speech (12 months)
• naive psychology (begins at 18 to 24 months)
• communicative and egocentric speech (around 3 years old)

Question 8

Preintellectual Speech

Answer 8

Language as a social contact
* this includes crying, babbling, laughing and gesturing

Question 9

Autonomous speech (12 months)

Answer 9

The child begins to invent words for objects in an effort to communicate with adults

Question 10

Naïve psychology (begins at 18 to 24 months)

Answer 10

Child begins to use adult words
* begins to name things, connections develop between words and objects
* young child’s first expression is a simple word that conveys a greater meaning
* as the child’s thoughts become differentiated, he can formulate simple requests in the form of short and simple sentences

Question 11

Communicative and egocentric speech (around 3 yrs old)

Answer 11

The child’s speech splits into two types of speech: communicative and egocentric
* Communicative speech is used to convey meaning to others (e.g. “I want milk”)
* Egocentric speech is self-talk, that guides a child through a task with no intention of communicating with someone else

Question 12

Egocentric speech (more depth)

Answer 12

• From about the age of three to seven, there’s a lengthy period of the development of egocentric speech
  
  • often occurs in the presence of other children involved in the same activity - child’s talk is monologue not intended to be a communicative form of speech which helps guide a child through a task
• during preschool period, egocentric speech increasingly moves inward as inner speech - silent form of verbal thinking showing and advanced relationship between speech and thinking

Question 13

Strengths of Vygotsky’s theory (3)

Answer 13

• The theory has been successfully applied in teaching - eg. Scaffolding, cooperative learning
• Inner voice or self speech has been supported with studies
• Emphasizes the importance of social interaction

Question 14

Limitations of Vygotsky’s Theory (2)

Answer 14

• It is focused on language it may not be equally useful for all types of learning or all cultures
• Lack of empirical support

Question 15

Piaget vs Vygostky in sociocultural context

Answer 15

Piaget: little emphasis
Vygostky: strong emphasis

Question 16

Piaget vs Vygostky in constructivism

Answer 16

Piaget: cognitive constructivism
Vygostky: social constructivism

Question 17

Piaget vs Vygostky in stages

Answer 17

Piaget: strong emphasis of stages of development
Vygostky: no stages proposed

Question 18

Piaget vs Vygostky in key processes in development and learning

Answer 18

Piaget: equilibration, schema, adaptation, assimilation, accomodation
Vygostky: zone of proximal development, scaffolding, language/dialogue, tools of the culture

Question 19

Piaget vs Vygostky in role of language

Answer 19

Piaget: minimal (provides labels for experiences)
Vygostky: major (powerful role in shaping thought)

Question 20

Two similarities between Piaget and Vygostky

Answer 20

• Both theorists believed that young children are curious and actively involved in their own learning and the development of new schema
• Both theorists acknowledge the role of biological maturation in a child’s development