This document contrasts the theories of Lev Vygotsky and Eleanor Gibson on child development. Vygotsky's socio-cultural approach views development as social in nature, influenced by cultural tools and interactions within the zone of proximal development. Gibson's ecological theory sees development as the process by which children differentiate their perceptions to extract meaningful information from the environment through their senses. Both theories offer insights for education, such as assessing children's developmental levels and designing learning experiences that incorporate social interactions, hands-on exploration, and making meaning from the environment.

1. Vygotsky vs. Gibson Pro/Contra PresentationAssignment 3 Advanced Motivation and Developmental TheoryDr. M. Gail DerrickGroup 4Geertina Ellis, Jacqueline Higgins, Margaret Gibson-Gutierrez, Harriet Watkins

2. A Contrast in Theories …Welcome to our presentation. In the following slides, we present two starkly different theories of development. Eleanor Gibson’s theory of perceptual development and Lev Vygotsky’ssocio cultural approach. We hope to demonstrate the pros and cons of each theory and synthesize the works applying them to the K-12 school environment Short example of Gibson’s theory

3. CONTRASTOF THEORIESPro

4. Lev SemyonovichVygotsky(1896-1934)A socio-cultural approach:The child-in-cultural context

5. Vygotsky’s ViewsChildren ‘s quantitative and qualitative developmental patterns of behavior vary across cultures, subcultures and/or historical time. This is the worldview to which Vygotsky’s socio-cultural approach ascribes (Miller, 2002).

6. Socio-cultural ApproachAssumptionsChild – in Activity – in Cultural-Context: the unit of study

7. The Zone of Proximal Development

8. The Socio-cultural Origins of Mental Functioning

9. Cultural Tools Mediate Intellectual Functioning

10. Socio-cultural MethodologyChild-in-Activity-in Cultural ContextZone of Proximal DevelopmentThe “zone”: child’s actual development level based on independent problem solving vs. their potential development level with help Immature functions that are in the process of maturation state are defined Learning and internal development “awaken” with implicit and explicit interaction with peers and others through inter-subjectivity or common goals Interaction affects behavior between children and adults through collaboration Focus is on the child-in-context or the child and his/her activities in the larger and sub-culture

11. The child, other people and the cultural setting collectively impact each other and shape experiences

12. The communication of feelings and desires are the essence of cognition and part of everyday life

13. Emphasis is on how children manipulate organized cultural opportunities and activities such as family structures, rituals and narrativesThe Sociological Origins of Individual Mental Functioning:Intermental (between minds)Intramental (within minds)Internalized in child’s mindInteraction between a child, adult or older childisbecomesEXTERNALINTERACTIONINTERNAL INTERACTIONMovement from intermentalto intramental explains Why child-in-activity—in context is smallest unit to study; intermental/intramental activity between child and adult can’t be separated Children internalize problem solving mode that was supported socially

14. Learning to converse with others leads to ability to problem solve within one’s self Cultural Tools that Mediate Intellectual FunctioningINTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONINGPSYCHOLOGICAL TOOLSCounting systems

15. Writing

16. Diagrams, maps, conventional signs Works of art

17. Strategies for learning, attending or memorizing Language systems: most important (Miller, 2002, p. 383) Improve spatial skills

18. Control thought or behavior

19. Transforms elementary mental function into higher mental functions (e.g. attention & logical and abstract thinking)

20. Utilization of cultural system of meaning

21. Connects children

22. Directs thinking (Miller, 2002, p. 384)Impact on Different cultures emphasize different tools

23. Tools mediate between the child and environmentPoints to Consider