Hall of Fame
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
Lev Vygotsky, the Russian psychologist has a psychology clearly
rooted in the dialectical historicism of Hegel and Marx. It was
his focus on the role of language, and the way it shapes our learning
and thought, that defined his social psychology and learning theory.
Behaviour is shaped by the context of a culture and schools reflect
that culture. He goes further, driving social influence right down
to the level of interpersonal interactions.
These interpersonal interactions mediate the development of children’s
higher mental functions, such as thinking, reasoning, problem solving,
memory, and language. He took larger dialectical themes and applied
them to interpersonal communication and learning.
Learning theory
Psychology becomes sociology as all psychological phenomena are
seen as social constructs. In this respect he reverses Piaget’s
position that development comes first and learning second. Vygotsky
puts learning before development.
Very specifically he prescribes a method of instruction that keeps
the learner in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). This is the
difference between what can be known on one’s own and what
can potentially be known. To progress, one must interact with peers
who are ahead of the game through social interaction, a dialectical
process between learner and peer.
Conclusion
The oft-quoted, rarely read Vygotsky appeals to those who see instruction
as a necessary condition for learning and sociologists who see culture
and learning as a hugely determinant factor in learning. As a pre-Chomskian
linguist, his theories of language are dated and still rooted in
now discredited dialectical materialism.
Bibliography
Vygotsky, L.S. (1962). Thought and Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT
Press.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press.
Wertsch, J.V. (1985). Cultural, Communication, and Cognition: Vygotskian
Perspectives. Cambridge University Press.
Van der Veer, R., & Valsiner, J. (1991). Understanding Vygotsky:
A Quest for Synthesis. Oxford: Blackwell.
http://www.marxists.org/archive/vygotsky/index.htm
Archive including downloadable translated texts.
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