Jean Vygotsky Analysis

EPSY Human Development in Education Apply & Evaluate Essay by Elissha Young Dedicated educators have been studying cognitive development and curriculum instruction concurrently ever since the relationship between the two was recognized. In recent years, the design and implementation of instruction to grade level children have transformed. Teaching modalities are typically established on preset norms in relation to the child’s mind. Educators understand that children learn through cognitive and metacognitive processes (Miller, P., 2011). Accordingly, the vast of educators who encompass the theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky into their learning environments fundamentally raise the bar for social and academic achievement, and therefore

Students are provided with adequate tools for learning (student analog clocks, white boards to transfer understood information), and peer or group activities to support the language in Vygotsky’s description of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The lesson will consist of the same learning outcome, the same anticipatory set, including the questioning as it practices Vygotsky’s theory of language development. To better align the anticipatory set to Vygotsky’s theory of language development, the teacher may expand on the questions so that students have an opportunity to explain their answers, i.e. “What helps you know and understand the differences between these objects?” and “Why is telling time important to you?” The plan would mimic the same modeling, and guided practice (including book “The Grouchy Ladybug” by Eric Carle read aloud). The use of literature models after Vygotsky’s principle of reciprocal teaching, as students will learn and practice from text. The plan for independent practice will differ in that extra time will be dedicated for more discussion in pairs or groups (added language development). Instead of completing a worksheet over what was just taught, each group of students will orally present a summary of what was learned in the lesson, as well as a brief explanation of how the learning can be applied outside of school. Vygotsky theorized

Both have contributed to education on grand scales by clarifying cognitive development and learning styles. Although both theorists were constructivists, Piaget centered on constructive processes in the child’s mind, while Vygotsky centered on the socially constructed nature of cognitive development. Incorporating these theories in the classroom environment will capitalize on the child’s natural curiosity. Another difference between the two included Piaget’s focus on individual functioning, and Vygotsky’s emphasis on the connection between the child’s cognitive development and the influence from the child’s sociocultural environment. Piaget did, however, consider some social environment viewpoints, such as peer communication, just not as comprehensive as Vygotsky. These differences might draw an educator to model strategies after one theorist, over another. While Piaget and Vygotsky may differ on how they view cognitive development in children, both offer educators phenomenal suggestions on how to approach delivering lessons in an applicable method (Siegler et. al.,