0.3 Theories/approaches to learning  (Page 10/12)

For more about Rogers and his work, see:

An overview of Carl Rogers' life and philosophy

Carl Rogers on education

Rogers and psychological theory

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Overview of Carl Rogers' life and philosophy

Rogers on Education

Rogers and Psychological Theory

Vygotsky and social cognition

The social cognition learning model asserts that culture is the prime determinant of individual development. Humans are theonly species to have created culture, and every human child develops in the context of a culture. Therefore, a child's learning development isaffected in ways large and small by the culture (including the culture of the family environment) in which he or she is enmeshed.

Discussion

Culture makes two sorts of contributions to a child's intellectual development. First, through culture, children acquire muchof the content of their thinking, that is, their knowledge. Second, the surrounding culture provides a child with the processes or means of theirthinking, what Vygotskians call the tools of "intellectual adaptation." In short, according to the social cognition learning model, cultureteaches children both what to think and how to think.

Cognitive development results from a dialectical process whereby a child learns through problem-solving experiences shared with someone else, usually a parent or teacher, but sometimes asibling or peer. Initially, the person interacting with the child assumes most of the responsibility for guiding the problem solving, but graduallythis responsibility transfers to the child. Language is a primary form of interaction through which adults transmit to the child the rich body ofknowledge that exists in the culture. As learning progresses, the child's own language comes to serve as her primary tool of intellectual adaptation.Eventually, children can use internal language to direct their own behavior. Internalization refers to the process of learning - and therebyinternalizing - a rich body of knowledge and tools of thought that first exist outside the child. This happens primarily through language.

A difference exists between what the child can do on her own and what the child can do with help. Vygotskians call this difference the"zone of proximal development."

Since much of what a child learns comes from the culture around her and much of the child's problem solving is mediated through anadult's help, it is wrong to focus on a child in isolation. Such focus does not reveal the processes by which children acquire new skills. Interactionswith surrounding culture and social agents, such as parents and more competent peers, contribute significantly to a child's intellectualdevelopment.

How Vygotsky Impacts Learning

Curriculum - Since children learn much through interaction, curricula should be designed to emphasize interactionbetween learners and learning tasks.

Instruction - With appropriate adult help, children can often perform tasks that they are incapable of completing ontheir own. With this in mind, scaffolding - where the adult continually adjusts the level of his or her help in response to the child's level ofperformance - is an effective form of teaching. Scaffolding not only produces immediate results, but also instills the skills necessary forindependent problem solving in the future.