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Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory strengths
Essays on vygotsky sociocultural theory as a language learning theory
Concept of child development
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Valuable Perspective The one scholar’s position that stands out as offering the most valuable perspective on contemporary instructional leadership is Lev Semenovich Vygotsky. Vyotsky’s position on thought and language, children development, and scaffolding has a predominate position on instructional leadership in the world of education. As the education arena evolves, so does the demands for ensuring that students are learning and mastering the curriculum. The role of the principal has become dramatically more complex, overloaded, and unclear over the past decade. Indeed, the role of the principal has been in a state of transition, progressing from the principal to the need of instructional leader. The instructional leader is the pivotal …show more content…
According to Bigge and Shermis, Vygotsky wrote prolifically on the relationship of children’s social experiences and learning (2004). The overall goal of education according to Vygotsky is to "generate and lead development which is the result of social learning through internalization of culture and social relationships” (Dahms, M., et al., 2007). Vygotsky repeatedly stressed the importance of experiences and prior knowledge in making sense of new situations or present experiences. Therefore, according to Vygotsky all new knowledge and newly introduced skills are greatly influenced by each student 's culture, especially their family and their environment. This concept is exercised when academic instructions are developed for students to learn. In today’s educational setting students social, cultural, and social relationship is considered. Instructions are delivery in multiple forms. The most popular is differentiated instructions. Research has identified “early support for differentiated instruction in the conceptual framework of Vygotsky (1986) sociocultural theory of learning (Lynch, 2008, p.11). “Building on what the student knows while encouraging the student to extend beyond his or her current level” will allow teachers to utilize “a variety of [differentiated instructions [that will] reach each learner and create opportunities for students to make intelligent choices regarding the learning process (Loseser, 2008,
This reading reminded me about how Vygotsky’s theory is mostly based on the interactions and influences help children to learn. I really do believe this theory is very accurate, because students can learn from each other. If a teacher is having trouble explaining a complex topic to a student, another student can explain it in more relatable way. Also, I was fascinated when I read about what cultural tools, were and how they related to Vygotsky’s beliefs. Learning about what cultural tools were, helped me to broaden my understanding of how crucial cultural tools are to student’s learning process. Also, the chapter did a great job of elaborating on how these tools can help to advance and grow in the understanding of student’s thinking process. Another aspect of this reading that interested me was the elaboration on private speech and the Zone of Proximal Development. Each of the definitions displayed help me to advance my own thinking on what it was and how it is used in regards to the education of students. The description of what private speech and how it is basically the inner narration of their thinking process helped me to understand how this aspect can help with students learning. Also, the Zone of Proximal Development helped me to make a connection to both what is and how it relates to private speech as well. The Zone of proximal development plays a crucial role in the
Lev Vygotsky’s theory of learning begins with the idea that cognitive development occurs from sociocultural origins, that through social interaction children learn how to think (Duchesne, McMaugh, Bochner & Krause pp. 84) and how to use and access language and communication skills specifically as members of their culture and society.
Sociocultural theory was introduced by the psychologist Lev Vygotsky, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud and B.F. Skinner. Vygotsky believed that parents, caregivers and the culture at large were responsible for a child's cognitive development, especially in regards to the development of higher order functions. From this perspective, when children are participating in an activity with a peer, caregiver or parent, their actions are based upon the environment in which they learned to navigate social relationships. As children age, their personalities and capacities are further developed by their interactions in a particular society, determined by cultural and historical events. A sociocultural perspective would be utilized in a situation in which
A contemporary of Piaget from the 1930’s, Lev Vygotsky ( a Russian psychologist and philosopher) was generally connected with the social constructivist theory. He underscores the impact of cultural and social settings in learning and supports a discovery model of learning. This kind of model places the educator in a dynamic role while the students' mental capacities naturally develop through multiple paths of discovery (Lev Vytgosky, n.d.).
Tomlinson, C. & Jarvis, J. (2006). Teaching beyond the book. Educational Leadership, ASCD Publication. p 16-21.
It is paramount that educators continue to learn and keep abreast of advances and issues in education. Instructional leaders play an essential role, as they can either stifle or enhance professional development of staff members. Leaders enhance professional growth of staff members by building a culture and climate of collaboration and learning, promoting attendance at workshops or conferences, and providing resources and in-services that cultivate teacher innovation. Providing praise and feedback to staff members about
Students in American public schools represent an increasingly diverse population in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other characterizations. Students come from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and home environments. More specifically, culture includes shared traditions, symbols, language, behaviors, and what is considered normal and abnormal for a group of people. Vygotsky (1978) explained that students come to school with experiences that impact how they assimilate new information. Humans learn through interaction with others and interpretation of information is based upon past experiences and current perceptions. Based on this thinking, educators must develop cultural competence
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was his main focus and it helped him make sense of a person’s cognitive development through the way they interaced with others and emphasised on one’s social interaction (blabla). Vygotsky focused on how learning consisted of gathering knowledge and skills from the social community and the different attractions a person observes (v2); a process known as internationalization. His theory was based on two key concepts, first that knowledge can be developed through the experiences a child lives (v1), and an example would be a child seeing his parents arguing over their beliefs; he’d learn how he should have his own belief...
Psychology is one of the newest sciences. Because it is the science of the mind and behavior, it is also less concrete than some of the other sciences. Over the years, social scientists have developed theories or perspectives based off of their observations, research, and the perspectives of other scientists. Although there is some overlap, each of the major perspectives of psychology is unique. As a result, they each have strengths and weaknesses and explain psychology in a different way. One theory, the sociocultural perspective, is exactly what its name suggests. It’s the idea that the society and groups that an individual belongs to are what influences development, thoughts, and behavior. The sociocultural perspective was pioneered by a Russian psychologist, Lev Vygotsky, in the 1920’s (John-Steiner, 1998). Vygotsky stressed the idea that children learn through what he called guided participation (Sigelman, 2009). His theory was that children develop through interactions with parents, teachers, and other knowledgeable members of the culture and are given tools to adopt the group’s way of thinking.
Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2010). SuperVision and instructional leadership (9th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN-13: 9780132852135
For Vygotsky, children are seen as active beings on their development through social interactions with parents, teachers, and other adults, as well as by participating in their cultural activities. The interactions they have with other individuals and their culture opens their minds to new information and helps develop skills not previously attained. To further understand cognitive development in Piaget and Vygotsky’s theory, we must first look at the processes involved.
n the world of Vygotsky, a child was not a product of the environment, instead the child interacts with the environment by making choices, which moderates or influences the effect of the environment on the child. Lev Vygotsky stages of development were not defined by age or biology, the basis behind his theory was unerstanding social and cultural experiences of a child, and how they affect the the child's development. A philosophy of Vygotsky’s theory was the zone of proximal development (ZPD), this is the difference between what a child is able to solve on its own based on the stage of cognitive development, and what a child can learn with the help or experience of another person. Vygotsky believes the skill of knowledge comes from mastering new social situations where learning is shared with others. He also believed that experiences should be shared in social settings, and placed a large emphasis on the quality of group work within the cognitive development process. Within group work, children's language is encouraged to develop, through conversation, questioning and sharing cognitive content with their peers. Vygotsky believed that "social interaction enables the child to develop the intellectual skills needed for logical reasoning and thought." (Grossman, S. 2008) Through language and communication, children learn to evaluate the world and change their actions accordingly.
What does leadership mean in the context of educational leadership? Many definitions of leadership in education co-exist, attesting to the complexity and multi-faceted phenomena of the concept (Elwell & Elikofer, 2013). Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood organizational and psychological areas of study. Despite volumes of research and numerous theories, no one theory of leadership emerged as the sole predictor of the success of educational leaders. The current body of knowledge about leadership consists of narrow definitions of leader effectiveness that are disconnected from their context (Latham, 2014). Educational leadership influences and affects every dimension of the educational process from the
York-Barr, J. & K. Duke (2004) what do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of educational research 74(3), 255-316.
Education is a very important aspect in the life of a child. The level of success a student has in the classroom is greatly influenced by their teachers. Students, as well as their parents, depend on the teachers to guide them through their education. But who guides a teacher to perform successfully in the classroom? Principals and teachers play an important role in schools. A good relationship among school leaders and teachers is necessary and play an important role in making improvements in the school. Leadership refers to the “process in which one person successfully exerts influence over others to reach desired objectives”. (Okoji, 2015) Good leadership involves honesty, vision, confidence and commitment. It is the ability to inspire a