Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

This theory was proposed by Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky. This theory is based on interaction with people and collaboration in society. Sociocultural theory is a cognitive-developmental theory.

Vygotsky emphasized that children’s intellectual development is mostly dependent on culture. Children acquire knowledge through culture, values, and beliefs.

Culture is a primary source of knowledge and language. And it plays an important role in learning. Lev Vygotsky criticizes the cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget because cognitive development is not a universal phenomenon.

In Sociocultural theory, Level of Interaction

L. Vygotsky proposed four interrelated levels of interaction. They are- ontogenetic, microgenetic, Phylogenetic, and sociohistorical development.

Ontogenetic Development This development refers to the development of the individual lifetime.

Microgenetic Development  This development refers to changes that occur in a very brief period in seconds, minutes, and days.

Phylogenetic development In this development refers to changes that occur over very long periods in thousands and millions of years. Vygotsky believed that understanding the human species’ history can provide knowledge of insight. This knowledge of insight can help child development.

Sociohistorical Development 

This development refers to changes that occur in culture, values, norms, and technologies such as history has generated.

Tools of Intellectual Adaptation

L. Vygotsky explained that children have some innate patterns related to elementary mental functions. The functions are:- attention, sensation, perception, and memory.

He explained that early memories of children are limited by biological phenomena. And intellectual adaption refers to thinking and problem-solving strategies with the help of society. And intellectual capability is also dependent on culture.

Example of  Intellectual Capacity in Culture (Chinese and English number words)

In Chinese numbers are easily learned because 11 to 20 words are a combination of previously learned numbers than English words. English words are different phenomena 1 to 20. So, English words are more difficult than Chinese words.

And the conclusion of these examples shows that culture also plays an important role in cognitive development related to learning.

The main aspects of Sociocultural Theory

There are five main aspects. They are ZPD, Scaffolding,  guided participation, Cognitive self-guidance system, and Private speech.

1. ZPD

ZPD stands for zone of proximal development. According to ZPD, children are acquiring new knowledge and skills with the help of guidance. Guidance which provided by parents, teachers, peers, and other family members. And, ZPD is the distance between the level of actual development and the level of potential development.

In ZPD, the outer zone leads to learners cannot do. The middle zone leads to what learners can do with guidance, and the inner zone leads to what learners can do without help.

Example:-

In this example, children have the ability to English speaking with guidance provided by the English teacher. And the student won the first prize in the English-speaking competition. This process is done with the help of ZPD.

The theoretical knowledge of humans is unlimited but practical knowledge is dependent on social interactions, environmental factors, and guidance levels.

A difficult task is a most complex process in learning but with the help of guidance, a complex task will be an easy process.

2. Scaffolding 

Supportive activities and instructional scaffolding are also known as them. Scaffolding is a tool for the development of children in learning situations. This scaffolding is a feature of social collaboration. This process is that supports and increases children’s understanding of a problem. And scaffolding does not occur in formal educational settings but this process is also dependent on the guidance level provided by teachers, parents, and others.

In the scaffolding process, providing support, again and again, leads to the best learning. It is an instructional method. Teachers used this method to support students when needed.

It can reduce the stress and frustration level of the student because, in a complex process, the teacher provides the guidelines for a student. It is a dynamic process. Teachers, parents and other gives this process.

It leads to increasing the understanding of the learners. Guiding teachers divide the problem into small parts for the students as its solution proves to be challenging.

3. Guided Participation

This is a learning process. In many countries cultures, children do not learn by going to school. And children learn through guided participation. The informal phenomenon totally depends on guiding participation, not on the formal way. Children learn through their actual activities, experiences, and guidance provided by parents and other persons. This participation is an informal apprenticeship.

4. Private Speech 

The language plays an important role in cognitive development. He explained that children’s thoughts and language eventually merge. Preschool children lead to self-directed speech. This speech occurs in some specific situations. This speech is private speech.

And private speech is also known as “speech for self” and “self-talk”. This speech helps children with problem-solving strategies and regulates behavior. And this speech is not egocentric but this process is communicative.

It works as a cognitive self-guidance system and it can guide the thinking and behaviors of the children. At the age of 7-9, private speech never completely disappears. And it appears in toddler age ( 2 years).  Children can use private speech to solve problems and make strategies related to the problem. Private helps with the hypothesis of solving the problem.

Features of Private Speech 

• • Not egocentric
  • Hypothetical process
  • Help in regulating behavior
  • Provided self-guidance
  • Make the problem-solving strategies
  • Self-talking
• Cognitive Self Guidance System   Children use private speech to guide problem-solving behavior. According to Vygotsky, private speech does not completely disappear. Private speech helps children to the self-guidance system. The cognitive self-guidance system guided thinking and abstracting form without others’ help.

Criticism of Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Development Theory

• Sociocultural theory lacks empirical evidence.
• Does cognitive development depend on culture?
• Vygotsky did not explain what is the actual process of cognitive development.
• Heredity has a great influence on development. However, Vygotsky ignored the heredity factors.
• Vygotsky followed guided participation. But in each situation, guidance is not possible.

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory