Vygotsky and Piaget Pedagogy

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and Len Vygotsky’s sociocultural perspective have played critical roles in educational psychology. Both of these major frameworks will be analyzed and compared. From these two different standpoints, it will be illustated how a particular concept or cognitive skill can be taught. Russian psychologist Len Semenovich Vygotsky (1896-1934) was a fundamental figure in the exploration of “the sociocultural theory.” His ideas played crucial roles in the pedagogical framework of children and education. Thoroughly, he examined the sociocultural theory which emphasizes the role in development of cooperative dialogues between children and more knowledgeable members of society. Children learn their culture (ways of thinking and behaving) through these interactions (Berk & Winsler 19). Vygotsky believed that our mental structures and processes can be traced back to our interactions with others (Berk & Winsler 12-15). Social interactions not only have an influence on our cognitive development, they actually create our cognitive structures and thinking process (Woolfolk 39).
During shared activities between the child and another person, higher mental processes are first co-constructed. This is a social process in which people interact and negotiate (usually verbally) to create an understanding or solve a problem (Woolfolk 39). The processes are then internalized by the child and become part of the child’s cognitive development. The final product is shaped by all participants (Berk & Winsler 15). For example (Tharp & Gallimore 14):
A six-year-old has lost a toy and asks her father for help. The father asks her where she last saw the toy; the child says “I can’t remember.” He asks a series of questions- did you have it in your room? Outside? Next door? To each question, the child answers,