Lev vygotsky sociocultural theory of cognitive development

Lev Vygotsky () was a Russian psychologist who argued that culture has a major impact on a child’s cognitive development.

Piaget and Gesell believed development stemmed directly from the child, and although Vygotsky acknowledged intrinsic development, he argued that it is the language, writings, and concepts arising from the culture that elicit the highest level of cognitive thinking (Crain, ).

He believed that the social interactions with adults and more learned peers can facilitate a child’s potential for learning.

Lev vygotsky biography

Without this interpersonal instruction, he believed children’s minds would not advance very far as their knowledge would be based only on their own discoveries. Let’s review some of Vygotsky’s key concepts.

Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding: Vygotsky’s best known concept is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).

Vygotsky stated that children should be taught in the ZPD, which occur