Lev Vygotsky Essay - 1668 Words

The psychology theorists of the past have shaped the classrooms of the present. There are many theorists that have affected the teaching styles of today and a theorist that has had a major impact is Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky’s work interests me much because his concepts and ideas encompass many of the ways in which teachers teach in today’s classrooms. The ideas he presented have contoured the strategies of teachers. It is interesting to look into the reasons why teachers have adopted some of the strategies they use and many of those reasons are formed from the original ideas of Vygotsky. Vygotsky was born in Russia in 1896 into a middle class family (Gallagher 1999). Vygotsky studied law at Moscow University and he did not have any†¦show more content†¦According to Gallaway (2001), an MKO â€Å"refers to someone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept.† Vygotsky’s concepts of zone of proximal development and the more knowledgeable other person has led to the idea of scaffolding. Scaffolding, which encompasses both ZPD and MKO, is seen in almost all classrooms in today’s society. Scaffolding is a temporary support mechanism that aids students when they need it and then relinquishes control when the assistance is no longer needed. According to Lipscomb, Swanson and West (2004), scaffolding is used in classrooms by the â€Å"development of instructional plans to lead the students from what they already know to a deep understanding of new material,† and â€Å"execution of the plans, wherein the instructor provides support to the students at every step of the learning process.† Scaffolding encompasses the role of the teacher. The teacher acts as the most knowledgeable other to the student and then assesses the current knowledge of the students. The teacher decides which knowledge level the students shoul d be performing at, and that gap between current knowledge and abilities and their potential is the zone of proximal development. In order forShow MoreRelatedTheories Of Lev Vygotsky1383 Words   |  6 PagesLev Vygotsky was a psychologist that emphasized that children learn through interactions with their surroundings. He was often referred to as the psychology of superman. Most of his work was in developmental psychology and he emphasized that interpersonal connections and the social environment had a lot to development. He had different theories on how biosocial development is an important aspect of a child’s development. Vygotsky felt that language and play had a lot to do with childrensRead MoreLev Vygotsky And The Zone Of Proximal Development1522 Words   |  7 PagesLev Vygotsky and the Zone of Proximal Development Under normal circumstances, a child will physically develop without outside assistance. While there can be variations by way of culture, class, and ability, it is difficult to contest that human nature is the driving force behind the bodily changes that take place from birth until adulthood. In contrast, when it comes to determining the ways in which a child thinks and learns, there are numerous theories on what primarily influences cognitive growthRead MoreLev Vygotsky, A Russian Developmental Psychologist1223 Words   |  5 PagesLev Vygotsky, a Russian developmental psychologist, was born in Orsha, Belarus on November 17, 1896. His primary education was provided at home by his mother and he then entered public school for his secondary education and graduated at seventeen followed by attendance at the University of Moscow. He originally chose medicine as his course of study, but switched to law. During this time he also studied humanities and psychology at Shanyavsky University.3 Upon graduating from college in 1917 he beganRead MoreLev Vygotsky s Influence On Development920 Words   |  4 PagesLev Vygotsky Introduction Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist during the Soviet Union. He was the founder of cultural-history psychology. His work concentrated on development psychology with children from an early age. He came from a Jewish family and attended Moscow State University for medical school. After time, he transferred to Law school and got interested in arts to become a literary critic. Then, he became a psychology instructor at a University as his theories came into place. Lev workedRead MoreEssay Sociocultural Theory: Lev Vygotsky1112 Words   |  5 PagesLev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist, born November 17, 1896, who had a wide range of interests that included the cognitive and language development of children. Vygotsky’s theories are somewhat incomplete due to his death at the young age of 38 from tuberculosis. Vygotsky faced many struggles in life that he was able to overcome, such as being a young Jewish boy who grew up in a time where the Russian District limited the numbe r of Jews who were allowed to be educated at a University levelRead MoreEssay on Lev Vygotsky and Social Development Theory1038 Words   |  5 PagesExplain Lev Vygotsky(1896-1934) was a Russian psychologist who created the Social Development Theory/ Sociocultural Theory. Vygotsky believed that childrens mental, language, and social development is supported and enhanced through social interaction. Vygotsky also believed that beginning at birth, children seek out adults for social interactions and that development occurs through these interactions. The belief that social development sets a precedent for development(appeals to the nurture sideRead MoreLev Vygotsky s Theory Of Cultural Development Essay1399 Words   |  6 PagesBackground of Theory Born in 1986, Lev Vygotsky took up a passion for philosophy, literature and culture throughout his adolescence. Although intelligent and filled with brilliant ideas, he was unfortunately very limited due to the fact that he was a Jew in anti-Semitic czarist Russia (Newman, 1993). Despite all of this, as well as contracting tuberculosis at the age of 24, he managed to overcome these difficulties and compile a long list of accomplishments in his short 37 years of life. These accomplishmentsRead MoreJean Piaget And Lev Vygotsky848 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many theorists who have discovered different things about child development. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two of those many theorists. Both of these theorists have their own beliefs on how children develop. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky differ in their developmental theories, how their theories help the intellectual development in children and the similarities in their theories. A developmental theory is a theory that a scientist has proven to be true for a child’s development. AccordingRead MoreJean Piaget And Lev Vygotsky817 Words   |  4 Pagesconcepts learned the next day. It is still very much a progressive action in many districts. Several theorists have studied teaching strategies and documented how they feel children learn best. Two very prominent theorists are Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Jean Piaget had a very long career that included many ideas on how to teach children effectively and how children learn. One of his very popular theories was peer learning. Piaget believed that students should be a part of the learning processRead MoreJean Piaget And Lev Vygotsky1800 Words   |  8 PagesTheorists Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two of the most recognized cognitive psychologists. They developed theories that addressed cognitive development and learning among children. Jean Piaget Jean Piaget was born on August 9th, 1896, in Switzerland. Piaget’s father demonstrated the importance of being dedicated to his studies and work from a very young age. As a child, this was very influential to him. Piaget’s friends and family were aware of his intelligence from a very young age. Piaget