Introduction to Sociocultural Learning Theory

Video Transcription

Hi. My name is Ashley. And today's lesson is titled Introduction to Sociocultural Learning Theory. In today's lesson, we will discuss the sociocultural learning theory. Then we will identify how Vygotsky's and Piaget's theories differ. We will discover how the socioculture theory can be used in the classroom and how the theory supports coaching.

What is the sociocultural learning theory? The sociocultural learning theory was discovered by Lev Vygotsky. This theory is also known as a social development theory. There are three main areas of focus of this theory. Social interaction is the key for learning. Vygotsky believed that social interactions which have strong ties to culture help develop cognition. Vygotsky found that language was developed from social interactions. Parents communicate through language to their children. Therefore language is the main component of intellectual adaptation.

The next area of focus is the presence of a more knowledgeable person. The more knowledgeable person has more skills and knowledge than the target learner. This person acts as a model of desired behavior and supports the learner. More knowledgeable others are vital to learning.

The final focus area of this theory is learning, which occurs in the zone of proximal development. This zone is the difference between the student completing the task with assistance from the more knowledgeable other and the student completing it independently. Language and learning occurs in this zone and should be a target area for instruction.

How do Vygotsky's and Piaget's theories differ? Piaget believed that children should not be given knowledge but instead they should be able to construct knowledge through their own experiences. This knowledge can be constructed through two processes, accommodation and assimilation. With accommodation, a child learns something new through experience and it does not fit into an existing schema. A schema is like a mental category in one's brain. If the information that was learned does not fit an existing schema, the child must adapt information to make it fit into an existing schema or create a new one for this new information.

With assimilation, the new information that was learned does fit into an existing schema. Both processes result in learning. Now let's take a look at Vygotsky and his beliefs. Vygotsky was a firm believer that individuals' culture and social interactions help them build their cognitive development. It was Vygotsky who believed that social interaction preceded cognitive development, which is very different from Piaget's theory.

Like we mentioned earlier in this tutorial, Vygotsky believed language played a major role in cognitive development. As a result of using and understanding language, cognitive development is formed. Furthermore, Vygotsky identified language and learning as two separate processes that merge in young children at the age of three.

How is the sociocultural theory used in classrooms? Teachers provide reciprocal teaching by asking students to summarize, explain, predict, and question what has been learned. The teacher first models these strategies and then gradually releases support, allowing the students to perform skills independently. This involves the sociocultural theory by using collaboration. Learning is a social experience where students collaborate using reciprocal teaching. Also stated before, language plays a part in learning. And the discussion that occurs allows understanding to take place.

Scaffolding is another technique used by teachers to give support to novice learners. Activities are developed with enough support to allow the learner to complete it successfully. This may be with the assistance of a more knowledgeable person or even a computer that has more understanding and can assist the learner to eventually be able to complete the learning task independently.

How does the sociocultural theory support coaching? It supports coaching in three main ways. It involves a more knowledgeable other. The coach possesses more knowledge and skills in order to help the teacher become more proficient in certain areas.

We discussed today how Vygotsky believed that social interaction is such a big part of cognitive development. Coaching is a very collaborative process. And it involves social interactions. Coaches and teachers are in constant communication and work closely to discuss instructional concerns and solutions.

Lastly, coaching provides a language rich environment. It is through the language of the coach and the teacher where learning is developed. The coach encourages discussion of reflection through questioning. And as a result, learning takes place.

Let's recap what we have discussed in today's lesson. We looked at three main focus areas of the sociocultural learning theory developed by Vygotsky. Those main areas are social interaction is the key for learning. More knowledgeable others are vital to learning. And learning occurs in the zone of proximal development.

Vygotsky's and Piaget's views differ. Piaget believed that cognitive development came before social interactions. And Vygotsky believed the opposite. Vygotsky believed that culture and social interactions built development and also language played a major role. Reciprocal teaching and scaffolding are examples of how the sociocultural theory is used in the classroom. Lastly, the sociocultural theory supports coaching in that it involves a more knowledgeable other, which is the coach, it's a very collaborative process, and the language that is constantly going on between the coach and the teacher promote learning.

Wow. We sure did go over a lot of information today. I encourage you to review this information presented here and identify the components of Vygotsky's sociocultural learning theory and the benefits for the classroom and coaching. To dive a little deeper and learn how to apply this information, be sure to check out the additional resources section associated with this video. This is where you'll find links targeted toward helping you discover more ways to apply this course material.