Vygotsky, an eminent theorist, compiled numerous researches which concerned education, but the principal notion of his work was that social interaction is fundamental to cognitive development. He argued that if language and interaction are absent from classrooms, then learning may not occur.
His idea was that close interaction between teacher and student would result in cognitive enhancement of the student and that the effect of this would be exacerbated if pupils were in smaller groups. This coincides with some current views on class size. An authoritative report conducted by DfE (2011), which disseminated class sizes in the UK, found that in smaller classes pupils did better (typically those at private schools), due to the more individual attention dedicated to them by the teacher. This infers that social interaction is conducive to learning, although the report cited other factors such as socio-economic background and culture as influencing educational attainment.
This seems to be a criticism of Vygotsky’s work in its relevance with the contemporary education system, that it concentrates too heavily on the social aspect of learning and disregards other factors. There may be other things which contribute to academic attainment which Vygotsky disregards. However, one key facet of his work: scaffolding, where the teacher or another adult provides support to a child to complete a task, seems to be fairly relevant to the current UK education system. Vygotsky (1978) thought that the support would be more effective if it coincided with the learning style of the child, which seems to concur with the multi-sensory approaches which exist presently in some subjects in the UK curriculum.
Table of Contents
- To what extent is Vygotsky's theory of education still relevant to the UK contemporary education system?
- Vygotsky's theory of scaffolding
- Scaffolding in the current UK education system
- Scaffolding and social groups
- The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
- Co-operative learning structures
- Benefits of collaborative activities
- Dale's Cone of Learning
- Vygotsky's theory of education: A contemporary perspective
- Relevance of Vygotsky's work
- Updating and elaborating Vygotsky's ideas
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay explores the relevance of Vygotsky's theory of education to the contemporary UK education system. It examines how Vygotsky's key concepts, such as scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development, have been adapted and integrated into modern educational practice.
- The enduring relevance of Vygotsky's theory of education in the UK.
- The role of social interaction in cognitive development.
- The impact of scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development on learning.
- The influence of Vygotsky's ideas on contemporary educational approaches like co-operative learning and multi-sensory learning.
- The limitations and potential challenges in applying Vygotsky's theories in the current educational context.
Chapter Summaries
The essay begins by examining the core principles of Vygotsky's theory of education, particularly his emphasis on social interaction and its crucial role in cognitive development. It then delves into the concept of scaffolding, highlighting its potential relevance to the UK education system, particularly within schemes like the Pupil Premium Catch Up Fund.
Next, the essay explores Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and its connection to collaborative learning structures. It discusses research findings from the University of York that highlight the effectiveness of collaborative activities in mathematics learning, particularly when more capable peers work with less cognitively able peers.
The essay concludes by emphasizing the enduring relevance of Vygotsky's ideas in contemporary education, while acknowledging their evolution and adaptation. It highlights how concepts like scaffolding have been integrated into modern educational practices, often in conjunction with other pedagogical techniques such as peer-to-peer teaching and multi-sensory approaches.
Keywords
Vygotsky's theory of education, scaffolding, Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), social interaction, cognitive development, co-operative learning, multi-sensory learning, UK education system, contemporary educational practice.
- Citation du texte
- Secondary Mathematics Teaching Sam Curran (Auteur), 2013, To what extent is Vygotsky's theory of education relevant to the UK contemporary education system?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/451612
