In our class this week, we discussed different theories of Cognitivism. Cognitivism is an overarching theory of learning that explains learning as a process that is done through changes in thought. There are many different schools under this wing. Some include Information Processing Theory, Cognitivism, Constructionism, and Sociocultural Theory. Today I am going to break down some aspects of Sociocultural Theory.
Sociocultural Theory specifically looks at how learning is done by interactions with people who are more knowledgeable than a student and attempts to teach them a new skill. These new skills are obtained by using scaffolding to help expand the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) for the learner. Once the learner is able to do the task on their own through enough support, their ZPD is expanded. I tried to capture this idea in a poem that I wrote for another assignment for the class. I think that it is important to bring focus to this idea of expanding our limits to provide us with new skills and knowledge.
An example of this theory in action would be a story that my wife told me about her childhood. My wife has been an avid reader for a long time, this is because she began reading at 3 years old. Her parents used to read to her every night and not long after she started talking, they began working with her on creating the sounds and teaching her how to read. While my wife may not have been at the correct maturity level to obtain this skill, she still obtained it because of the mentorship by the More Knowledgeable Others (MKO), her parents, who helped her through scaffolding. I think this is a great example of how you truly can learn anything at anytime if you have the right support.
This theory is not foolproof though. It still has its limitations. The biggest limitations occur when dealing with larger groups with a wide range of ZPD's. While you can effectively teach one child a skill like reading through a lot of work and practice, doing that with 30 kids with a wide range of ZPD's can be much tougher. That in my opinion is the biggest limitation that this theory presents.
References:
Cherry, K. (2022, November 8). Sociocultural theory of development. verywell mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sociocultural-theory-2795088
Sprouts. (2020, February 28). Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development in social relationships [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I2hrSRbmHE
The included image is my own personal image.
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