Cultural-historical Concept Research Articles

‘I Try to Remember That This Is Temporary’: Continuous Balancing in Remote Students’ Everyday Life

This paper focuses on the process of development in remote and hybrid learning contexts in university students’ everyday life. Development is seen as a change in the person-environment relationship and indicates the development of the whole system. To understand development, we need to look at everyday life and participants’ grounds for action in everyday practices. The process of development is explored from the systemic person-environment perspective using cultural-historical concepts. Our understanding of students’ everyday life and empirical research processes has been strongly inspired by the subject-scientific approach. The research material consists of descriptions from 39 university students’ descriptions about their everyday lives while studying at home. The students observed and wrote about the conduct of everyday life as part of their studies. In a student’s everyday life, development occurs in relation to multiple conditions and meaning structures, which—from the standpoint of the subject—are seen as possibilities for action and experience. The results reveal four general ways of relating to the surrounding conditions and possibilities. Further, the results highlight the role of open spaces and structures in development. Remote students’ four ways of relating to possibilities for action are (1) balancing, (2) floating, (3) paralysing and (4) redefining. The study brings critical insights into continuous balancing and regulating of the demands between different life scenes and highlights the crucial elements of technology-mediated remote life in general: participations, transitions and the paradox of flexibility.

Collective play: the new conditions for children’s development in an institutional care setting

ABSTRACT Although abundant evidence demonstrates that play is the source of development for preschool-aged children in various cultures, few studies have investigated the role of adult-children collective play in supporting the development of children in institutional care settings. This study examined whether and how a play-based programme created developmental opportunities for children in an orphanage in China. The focus child, Shanshan (pseudonym), three years and seven months old, was observed in the natural setting of an orphanage. Relevant to this paper, digital video observations and fieldnotes were used for data collection. The cultural-historical concepts of play and the social situation of child development were used to analyse how Shanshan changed through a ten-week intervention. Findings suggest that even within a short period of time, the implementation of collective play changed the social situation for the child in institutional care, and had considerable impact on the child’s play development and engagement. This study contributes to understanding how collective play can act as an effective intervention strategy for children in institutional care.

Strengthening the Call for Intentional Intergenerational Programmes towards Sustainable Futures for Children and Families

As a response to the call for reimagining early childhood education for social sustainability in the future, this conceptual paper aims to suggest revisiting and strengthening the case to include intentional intergenerational engagements and programmes in kindergartens as approaches towards sustainable futures for children. In this paper, we argue that we must talk about intergenerational solidarity on all levels, including in early childhood education and care settings, and that it must be deliberate and by design. Learning from cultural–historical concepts and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, intergenerational programmes in early years settings are to be presented as intentional initiatives and opportunities for interrelated and collaborating actors and institutions to bring younger children and older adults together. We present a conceptual framework that features conflicts and opportunities within overlapping and congruent spaces to understand conditions for various intergenerational practices and activities in different places, and to promote intergenerational dialogues, collaborations and shared knowledge, contributing to a relational and socially sustainable future for which we aim.

The social and cultural genesis of collective imagination during infancy

A cultural-historical conception of children's development foregrounds imagination as the key psychological function. Yet, few empirical studies have explored the genesis and motivating conditions for the development of imagination. This paper explores the development of imagination as an inter-psychological activity in infants’ group settings and the early development of imagination as an intra-psychological function. Qualitative data were generated through an educational experiment that drew on a Conceptual PlayWorld: a collective model of practice for the development of play and imagination. Thirteen infants participated in the study. Visual methods were used for digital data collection and analysis. Diverse forms of imagining were mapped. Being in the imaginary situation as a play partner, the teacher introduced an advanced form of imagining into infants’ environment and invited infants to join collective forms of imagining. Infants recognized and responded to the invitations coming from the teacher and their peers and developed a motive orientation to collective imagining. Infants’ collective imagining with the adult was enriched and extended as well as developed in dialectic interrelations generating transformation of the group relations. The outcomes of the study advance theory about the early development of imagination and inform practice about the critical role of imagination in early years.

Young children’s mathematical problem solving and thinking in a playworld

In the literature in recent years, a number of developmental studies have demonstrated the importance of children entering the school environment with a solid foundation of mathematical content knowledge and argued that problem solving, as an important mathematical process, should be acknowledged in early childhood mathematical education. However, there is less research on how children process mathematics information through problem solving in play-based early childhood education settings. This paper draws upon a cultural-historical concept of play, motives and pedagogical process of a playworld approach to investigate how Mathematical Playworld creates the motivating conditions for young children to achieve a meaningful learning experience about repeating patterns? We argue that Mathematical Playworld, as a new pedagogical approach within the worlds of imaginary situations, should be promoted, as it builds the motivating conditions that support meaningful learning of mathematical concepts in the double sense created in children. This study also contributes to understanding young children’s mathematical problem-solving processes in the collective imaginary situation, considering how learning processes become personally meaningful for children and capturing teachers’ role in play for supporting children’s mathematisation.

The unity between intellect, affect, and action in a child's learning and development in science

The discussion on the intellectual-cognitive aspect of a child's learning and development in science has a long history. However, less is known about the interrelation between the intellectual, affective, and enactive aspect of young children's learning and development in science, how these aspects intertwine in praxis, and how can be empirically documented. The present study seeks to capture and explore the dialectic interrelations between intellect, affect, and action during science experiences within early childhood educational settings. The initial sample of the study involved one hundred and thirteen (113) kindergarten students, within the age range of 4.5 to 6.5 years old. Empirical data were collected during joint science-oriented activities centered on the natural phenomenon of clouds. Indicative case examples are presented. The cultural-historical concept of perezhivanie was used as the main analytical tool. The findings made visible the processes through which children make sense and shape their understandings of the natural phenomenon through cognitive, emotional as well as physically and bodily charged situations during everyday educational reality. The qualities and the nature of science learning in the early years are unpacked. The paper concludes with insights into how the findings address ongoing methodological challenges in the field and inform pedagogical practice.

Semantic Continuumof Myth

Language, the first cultural phenomenon, received textual expression in myths, of which the oldest tell of the mystical relationship of the tribe with the animal. Consideration of the concepts that arose on this basis, and then of “conceptual myths” (OM Freidenberg) about the totem-ancestor makes it possible to analyze their semantic-semantic fields. Moreover, we relied on the cultural-historical concept of G.G. Shpet, which allowed us to trace the evolution and subsequent transformation of the semantic-semantic fields of myth and thus reveal the algorithm for the formation of the mythopoetic tradition, its fading and eternal return. In the center of this work is semantic-semantic fields of myths about the Heavenly deer / moose cow, the cult which stretched over the more than six millennia. Observing the astral objects that served as a spatial-temporal reference point in the hunting and reindeer herding, primitive tribes felt their unity with the star ancestors. For example, two constellations of seven stars, which served the primitive hunters and reindeer breeders as a guide on the way, began to be identified in the russian North with the horned Reindeer Mother / moose cow and her daughter, from which the well-being of people depends. The attempt of comparative-historical reconstruction of semantic-semantic fields in article based on the material of myths about totems-forefathers made it possible to distinguish three main layers. These are 1) the energetically “charged” field of the myth of the shaman visiting the fantastic deer in labor, in which the religious and mythological consciousness received expression; 2) a semantic-semantic field of myths that belong to the artistic and heroic consciousness and narrate about a cultural hero who is ready for a feat for his family-tribal community; 3) the semantic-semantic field of the myth of the Horned mother-deer in the story of Ch. T. Aitmatova’s “White Steamboat (After the Tale)”, the rescue of orphans who became the ancestors of the Bugu tribe (‘deer’), and contains deep thoughts of the author, the bearer of cultural-historical and philosophicalcultural consciousness. As for the semantic-semantic fields, specific to the various interpretations of plots about a moose cow and a calf, close to a household fairy tale, a hunting story and a joke, so they correspond to the scientific and technical type of consciousness that has lost its connection with myth.

Working Relationally with Networks of Support Within Schools: Supporting Teachers in their Work with Shy Students

Childhood shyness and associated psychosocial difficulties can place pupils at risk of underperforming cognitively. Yet shyness is not regarded as a special need demanding a response from education professionals. In this article, drawing on data from a national study of how teachers support shy children, we trace how teachers negotiate this support from the networks of teachers and carers that are available to them. Data comprised post-observation recall interviews, individual interviews and focus groups with teachers, all of whom had successful experiences with shy students. Qualitative responses from a national teacher survey were also analyzed. Analyses were guided by three cultural-historical concepts which explain professional relationships. Four networks were identified: teacher teams; school resource teams; school leadership teams and families. With peers the negotiation was horizontal, drawing on shared concerns with children as learners; with resource teams teachers negotiated upwards by recognizing and addressing the priorities of the resource teams; with leadership teams the school Principals worked relationally and pedagogically with teachers to enable their agentic responses to challenges; while with families teachers worked sensitively to elicit the what mattered for the families and encourage relational collaborations with school professionals. The implications for professional learning and school leadership are discussed.

DEVIANT ONLINE BEHAVIOR IN ADOLESCENT AND YOUTH CIRCLES: IN SEARCH OF A RISK ASSESSMENT MODEL

The authors made an attempt to describe the problem of developing the concept of risk assessment of deviant online behavior of minors and young adults in social networks. The article looks into the psychological consequences of banalizing of the internet, analysis possibilities for offline and online behavior. Approaches for risk factors assessment of deviant behavior in real life are described: the qualitative (clinical), statistical (actuarial) and structured. The article systemizes the studies of risk factors, vulnerability, and deviant patterns in the context of phenomena such as aggressive, asocial, auto-aggressive, self-mutilating, suicidal, risk-taking and victim online behavior. Approaches and models of online deviant behavior are discussed; an attempt is made to build a structured model of risk assessment of deviant patterns of online behavior in the context of the cultural historical concept. On the basis of theoretical analysis, a hypothetical set of group, interindividual and intraindividual constructs is formulated, the combination of online and offline risk factors produces a model for risk assessment of deviant behavior. The article is written as part of the research project “Developing the profiling model of online behavior of minors and young adults in social networks” which was initiated by the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education.

Инклюзивная технология взаимодействия специалистов ДОУ «За рамками кабинета» как эффективная форма психолого-педагогического сопровождения детей с ООП

The article proposes practice-oriented innovative approaches to teaching children with special educational needs. The author describes the problems due to which the process of increasing the availability of quality education for these children is greatly complicated. He also offers a technology to solve these problems. It's essence is in the introduction of effective forms of work to prevent the "social exclusion" of these children. The proposed inclusive technology “Outside the Office” is part of the technological complex “Park of Inclusive Technologies: From Loneliness to People”, which became the winner of the “All-Russian Competition of the best psychological and pedagogical programs and technologies in the educational environment — 2019”. The testing of the inclusive technology “Outside the Office” was carried out for 4 years on the basis of the Kindergarten No. 13 of Tomsk. Methods were developed and put into practice for including children with special educational needs among their peers, as well as effective methods and techniques for working with narrow specialists and additional education teachers. The article claims that the basis of the inclusive technology “Outside the Office” is the cultural-historical concept of the development of mental functions of L.S. Vygotsky. The tasks, the participants of the inclusive process, the basic technological principles and the content of the inclusive technology “Outside the Office” are described.

The legacy of González Rey’s concept of subjectivity continues to inform and inspire: a study of imagination in STEM and imagination in play (El legado del concepto de subjetividad de González Rey continúa informando e inspirando: un estudio de imaginación en STEM y de imaginación en los juegos)

The study reported in this paper was concerned with how imagination in play and imagination in STEM create conditions for preschool children’s development. Drawing on cultural-historical concepts, notably Fernando González Rey’s concept of subjectivity, the study examined how children experienced contradiction during moments of play and learning in a common PlayWorld. Affectively charged dramatic moments appeared to support collective play and STEM engagement, thus leading to the proposition that affect and intellect act in unity during the process of imagining. The individual-collective dialectic of imagining concepts within collective play situations became the basis of the subjectively configured exchanges that created the dynamic conditions for the development of the children, who became increasingly oriented to learning within imaginary situations.

История личности и личность в истории. К 20-летию выхода в свет монографии А.В. Толстых «Опыт конкретно-исторической психологии личности»

The article presents the main provisions of the original concept of personality development by A.V. Tolstykh, relatively little known today due to the early death of this prominent representative of the cultural-historical tradition in psychology. It is shown that within the framework of A.V. Tolstykh, the process of personality development is a three-phase dynamic structure aimed at integrating the individual with the mankind as a full-fledged subject of ancestral life — “historical, cultural, social”. The article describes the methodology based on a polydisciplinary approach to the study of psychological phenomena used by A.V. Tolstykh which allowed him to successfully solve a number of fundamental problems associated with the study of the phenomenology of personality and, thereby, make a real contribution to the development of cultural-historical psychology. We argue that the monograph by A.V. Tolstykh is an essential and even unique textbook for an in-depth study of personality development, both within the framework of the cultural-historical concept itself, and in a wide personal and socio-psychological context.

Методологические проблемы изучения детского развития в «живой» лаборатории на примере Лаборатории понятийной игры

Digital technologies have created possibilities in research unavailable when Vygotsky first introduced his cultural-historical approach for studying children’s development. More needs to be known about the relations between methodology and method when using digital tools in the early developmental period (1-5 years). In this paper we introduce the concept of a living laboratory to capture the research dynamics of this cultural age period in family homes and preschool settings under conditions of an educational experiment. We discuss Vygotsky’s theoretical concepts as foundational for theorising the use of digital tools for researching in a living laboratory. Central for a living laboratory are: (1) capturing development in motion, (2) including the past in the present research context, (3) designing studies in ways that go beyond fossilised complete forms of development, and (4) creating study conditions for condensed and amplified forms of development. To bring these conditions into the research contexts where a condensed form of development emerges opens up a dynamic yet dialectical way of studying early development. We showcase digital tools, such as VR and digital data collection, as part of (1) undertaking an educational experiment of a Conceptual PlayWorld, and (2) a cultural-historical conception of longitudinal research for studying the conceptual development of infants, toddlers and preschoolers within a living laboratory.

Studying the relations between motives and motivation – How young children develop a motive orientation for collective engineering play

Abstract This paper reports on the results of a study that investigated how teachers and young children engage in engineering practices in an early childhood classroom. As an educational experiment (Hedegaard, 2008), the study followed two teachers and two classes over one year as they designed motivating conditions for children's engineering play through storying (Robin Hood) and imaginary PlayWorlds (Fleer, 2018). How children (5 were aged 5.9 years; 5.5–6.4 years and 8 were aged 5.1 years; 4.7–5.5 years) were oriented to engineering practices and developed a motive orientation to engineering was studied and analysed using the cultural-historical concept of motives (Hedegaard, 2014). The findings show that teachers orient children to engineering thinking through creating motivating conditions. As children's engineering competence develop, the themes of child initiated play changes and ‘as if’ imaginary narratives become more complex with ‘as if’ engineering solutions. Free play becomes collective, play narratives align as children orient to each other in the common imaginary engineering play, and children appear to actively draw upon engineering concepts to deepen their play.

Learning and expertise in support for parents of children at risk: a cultural-historical analysis of partnership practices

ABSTRACTRelationships young children have with caring adults are important in mitigating the effects of adversity in early childhood. Facilitating parents’ learning is central to support that helps parents cope with difficult circumstances. Within this, a focus on parent–child relationships is crucial. This presents significant challenges to professionals, who must use their expertise effectively without leaving parents feeling judged and that their knowledge does not count. Professional–client partnership has been proposed as a means to tackle these issues, but remains inadequately conceptualised in terms of connections between professional expertise and parents’ learning. Home visits by nurses in Sydney were analysed, drawing on cultural-historical concepts that trace dialectic relations between expertise, practice, and parents’ learning. Partnership was accomplished through six practices: making observations, specific modes of questioning, reinterpreting, reframing, orienting to the future, and offering metacommentary. These are discussed in terms of recontextualisation, working in a space of reasons, and practices of categorising. This novel conceptualisation reveals how professionals can use their expertise to address parent–child relationships.

Инклюзивная технология взаимодействия специалистов ДОУ «За рамками кабинета» как эффективная форма психолого-педагогического сопровождения детей с ООП

The article proposes practice-oriented innovative approaches to teaching children with special educational needs. The author describes the problems due to which the process of increasing the availability of quality education for these children is greatly complicated. He also offers a technology to solve these problems. It's essence is in the introduction of effective forms of work to prevent the "social exclusion" of these children. The proposed inclusive technology “Outside the Office” is part of the technological complex “Park of Inclusive Technologies: From Loneliness to People”, which became the winner of the “All-Russian Competition of the best psychological and pedagogical programs and technologies in the educational environment — 2019”. The testing of the inclusive technology “Outside the Office” was carried out for 4 years on the basis of the Kindergarten No. 13 of Tomsk. Methods were developed and put into practice for including children with special educational needs among their peers, as well as effective methods and techniques for working with narrow specialists and additional education teachers. The article claims that the basis of the inclusive technology “Outside the Office” is the cultural-historical concept of the development of mental functions of L.S. Vygotsky. The tasks, the participants of the inclusive process, the basic technological principles and the content of the inclusive technology “Outside the Office” are described.

Вопросы возрастной и педагогической психологии: Л.С. Выготский и Д.Н. Узнадзе

The article analyzes the interrelation between L.S. Vygotsky’s and Uznadze’s views on some important issues of developmental and pedagogical psychology. This, in particular, refers to the problem of concept formation, periodisation of child development, relation between development and teaching, motive forces of development. Special attention is paid to “coincidence theory” and the principle of solving “empirical postulate” which is a methodological basis for the whole system of D.N. Uznadze’s psychological conception including issues of development and education. It is pointed out that in spite of not being very well acquainted with each other’s works, the difference between viewpoints of L.S. Vygotsky and D.N. Uznadze is considerably less than the things they have in common. As for the principal questions, their approaches are often consistent and, in some cases, identical. Also, a lot of interesting outcomes can be expected from a deeper analysis of the general psychological views of the author of the cultural-historical concept and the author of the theory of set.

К вопросу о юстификации фашизма

Fascism is one of the topical themes of modern social studies. Recently, there have been processes aimed at justifying fascism, developing mainly in the post-Soviet space. The article is devoted to the study of its new manifestations, unexpected forms of its existence in modern socio-cultural circumstances. It is a systemic, almost official fascization of society, when circumstances and facts of the revision of the historical process in favor of national defense doctrines often lead to the justification of national fascist movements, their glorification, and their partial revival. The authors suggest studying an idea of official fascism or retro-fascism, replicating the cultural-historical concept proposed by Hitler’s propaganda about the so-called cultural mission of Europe. The authors identify main characteristics of this phenomenon.

Цифровые технологии как новое средство опосредования (Часть первая)

The article begins the cycle “Digital media as a new means of mediation”. “Digitalization” is interpreted as a challenge to contemporary psychology in general and cultural-historical theory in particular. The results of a theoretical and methodological analysis of the possibilities of regarding digital media as a new phenomenon, combining components of a sign and of a tool, are presented. Possible directions of research on various aspects of applying digital media in the framework of the cultural-historical concept are discussed. It is argued, that perceiving digital media as a new means of mediation opens a wide range of possibilities for investigating development of higher mental functions in digital society. One of the further steps of research consists in demonstrating, how traditional types of activity (e.g. reading, writing, play and communication) are transformed in digital contexts and what effects it can have on such functions as attention, memory, will and thinking.

Trends and Prospects in Educational Modernisation: A Hermeneutic Approach

Introduction. For over two decades, Russian education has been in a state of permanent reform. Due to the long and unproductive nature of the modernisation process, researchers are paying special attention to systemic factors, noting that system optimisation processes are structured primarily around organisational and technological models derived from industry. The prevalence of the technological component over the axiological results in the consolidation of a pragmatic, narrowly functional, technocratic vector of education development. To overcome this situation and to break this deadlock, a profound reconsideration of the values underlying mechanisms of reform is required, taking into account multifaceted personal, social, national and universal relations, as well as unity of content, forms and means of education.The aims of the research were identified as follows: to analyse the current trends of modernisation in comprehensive schools and higher educational establishments; to justify humanistic mechanisms for improving the modernisation in the context of language education, which performs personally developing and socialising functions under ideological pluralism and opposition of value systems.Methodology and research methods. The research was conducted taking a person-activity-based approach, referring to cultural-historical concepts, ideas of philosophical hermeneutics and traditional principles of pedagogical methodology. The theoretical framework was based on the publications and philosophical foundations of Russian and foreign scholars, who define the key role of humanistic principles and value orientations in education. The following standard research methods were used: comparison, induction, deduction, abstraction, synthesis, specification, structural and logical modelling, content analysis of documents and scientific publications on the stated problem, observation, questioning, peer review and experiment. In addition, non-standard methods and research techniques such as metaphorical modelling, biographical method and interpretational techniques were used.Results and scientific novelty. Modernisation processes in Russian education were considered: regulatory base, purposes, priorities, problems and prospects. The following thesis was proposed: at the new stage of socio-historical transformation, it is necessary to overcome the negative effects of long-term practice in the reform of the national educational system through developing established traditions as well as updating the humanistic potential of education and ensuring its axiological enrichment. The authors consider pedagogical hermeneutics as a potentially productive means and methodological tool. Pedagogical hermeneutics implies a heuristic and poly-variable apperception of reality through education in order to understand and interpret different genres of cultural texts, providing simultaneous support both to the general public and to the individual, on the basis of rational and emotionally intelligent experience accumulated in science, religion, art, language and national traditions – i.e. culture as a whole. It was shown that language education based on principles of pedagogical hermeneutics is capable of establishing humanistic mechanisms of personactivity-based social norms and cultural models. The authors presented a number of modelling options for the realisation of the proposed hermeneutical approach: various experimentally-validated techniques, educational approaches and procedures designed by teacher-researchers were briefly described, focusing on the achievement of qualitative conformance of educational results to the humanistic appeals and urgent needs of society.Practical significance. The use of hermeneutical techniques as educational tools and procedures allows us to decode semiotic information of curricula subjects; in addition, when using meta-language, it is possible to expand the content by adding personal value-sense and dialogical subjectivity, as well as to transform it into a personal sign-symbol or behavioural template. The acquisition of language experience in the process of humanistic-centred education increases the immunity of a student to various manifestations of character defectivity, strengthening identity and resistance to manipulation of consciousness in political and ideological processes and mass media. Moreover, language experience resists the deformation of the communicative sphere and verbal-cognitive processes, encouraging personal self-realisation.