Social development theory Social development theory for cognitive development

1. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
THEORY
PRESENTED BY HINA JALAL
PHD SCHOLAR GCUF.

2. Introduction
 Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of human learning describes learning
as a social process and the origination of human intelligence in
society or culture. The major theme of Vygotsky’s theoretical
framework is that social interaction plays a fundamental role in the
development of cognition. Social Development Theory argues that
social interaction precedes development; consciousness and
cognition are the end product of socialization and social behaviour.
 CONTRIBUTORS
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)

3. KEY CONCEPTS
 Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory is the work of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896-
1934). Vygotsky’s work was largely unknown to the West until it was published in 1962.
 Vygotsky’s theory is one of the foundations of constructivism. It asserts three major themes
regarding social interaction, the more knowledgeable other, and the zone of proximal
development.
 Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development. In contrast
to Jean Piaget’s understanding of child development (in which development necessarily
precedes learning), Vygotsky felt social learning precedes development. He states: “Every
function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on
the individual level; first, between people (inter-psychological) and then inside the child (intra-
psychological)”.

4. THE ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT (ZPD)
 The ZPD is the distance between a student’s ability to perform
a task under adult guidance and/or with peer collaboration
and the student’s ability solving the problem independently.
According to Vygotsky, learning occurred in this zone.
 Vygotsky focused on the connections between people and the
sociocultural context in which they act and interact in shared
experiences. According to Vygotsky, humans use tools that
develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to
mediate their social environments. Initially children develop
these tools to serve solely as social functions, ways to
communicate needs. Vygotsky believed that the
internalization of these tools led to higher thinking skills.

5. THE ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT
(ZPD)
 Vygotsky (1978) sees the Zone of Proximal
Development as the area where the most sensitive
instruction or guidance should be given - allowing the
child to develop skills they will then use on their own -
developing higher mental functions.
 Vygotsky also views interaction with peers as an
effective way of developing skills and strategies. He
suggests that teachers use cooperative learning
exercises where less competent children develop with
help from more skilful peers - within the zone of
proximal development.

6. More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)
 According to Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development,
children learn through social interaction that include
collaborative and cooperative dialogue with someone who
is more skilled in tasks they’re trying to learn. Vygotsky
called these people with higher skill level the More
Knowledgeable Other (MKO). They could be teachers,
parents, tutors and even peers.

7. Scaffolding
Vygotsky’s concept of scaffolding is closely
related to the concept of the Zone of Proximal
Development. Scaffolding refers to the
temporary support given to a child by a More
Knowledgeable Other that enables the child to
perform a task until such time that the child
can perform this task independently.
Scaffolding entails changing the quality and
quantity of support provided to a child in the
course of a teaching session. The MKO adjusts
the level of guidance in order to fit the
student’s current level of performance.

8.  REFERENCES
 Vygotsky, L. S. (1980). Mind in society: The development of higher
psychological processes. Harvard university press.
 Vygotsky, L. (1978). Interaction between learning and development.
Readings on the development of children, 23(3), 34-41.