Vygotsky´s Social Constructionism Essay - 898 Words

Social constructivism was developed by Vygotsky. His theory of learning highlights the role which social and cultural interactions play in the learning process. Vygotsky states that learning is co-constructed and that individuals learn from each other. He rejected the assumption made by Piaget that it was possible to separate learning from its social context. He believed that constructivists such as Piaget had overlooked the essentially social nature of language and consequently failed to understand that learning is a collaborative process. Piaget’s theory specifies that development precedes learning, whilst Vygotsky felt social learning precedes development, stating â€Å"Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first,†¦show more content†¦The more knowledgeable peer might use different language then I did as a teacher. The students phrasing might make more sense to the other student. The more knowledgeable student also learnt somethi ng, a deeper understanding of the concept, a new way to explain the concept which they had not previously considered and also possible extensions to the concept, for example, some of these more knowledgeable students did not only test the impact of hand size on number of cubes they could grab but also how the range of techniques used impacted the number of blocks grabbed, essentially using social constructivism to extend and challenge their own learning. Vygotsky has also developed the theory behind the role of the teacher in the learning environment, unlike in behaviourism, where a teacher was the only knowledgeable source of information, Vygotsky talks about the more knowledgeable other (MKO), who according to the Social Constructivist theory, may not be the teacher or older adult but may also be peers, a younger person or even computers. Also Vygotsky and some educators believe a teacher’s role is to give children experiences that were within their zones of proximal development, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning. This is similar to that of a constructivist belief, where the teacher is a facilitator of learning by providing experiences. Another part ofShow MoreRelatedSocial Construction of Childhood Essay1286 Words   |  6 Pages1. Introduction Social constructionism gives meaning to phenomenon in social context and connections between culture and society build up realities in their circumstances. The studies of this idea have been conducted more than thirty years by a number of North American, British and continental writers (Burr, 1995). However, in childhood studies this notion appears later on. It is mostly held universally, childhood is a stage that biologically existing in human life in early years. It should be consideredRead MoreSociocultural Theory And The Cultural Construction1486 Words   |  6 PagesSociocultural theory, education is a process of social integration of the individual, which it means that during this process the individuals receiving and accepting the norm of society which is part of the cultural construction, according to Lev Vygotsky. As sociocultural theory is a theory that human learning and cognitive development is a social process possibly by social interaction with culture and society. It has been highlighted in the news article â€Å"China’s WW2 Remembrance: ‘Patriotic Education’Read MoreEssay on Jean Piaget vs. Levy Vygotsky586 Words   |  3 PagesPiaget and Lev Vygotsky both have very different yet similar views about the child and tenets within their theoretical perspectives. 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