Vygotsky's Cultural-historical Theory Research Articles

Idealism, materialism, and Vygotsky's cultural historical theory.

Vygotsky straddled the period of the Russian Revolution and found himself facing the Marxist materialist ideology of the Soviet Union with the need for a new method of psychology. Ironically, the Soviet Union's need for a Marxist based method of psychology coincided with Vygotsky's prior research on methods of interpretation which were inspired by Hegel and primarily based on the role of consciousness and culture. As a result of Vygotsky's pre-revolutionary work and inspiration from Hegel clashing with the post-revolutionary need for a new methodology for psychology, Vygotsky developed his Cultural Historical Theory. In presenting his new theory, Vygotsky attempted to resolve a fundamental ideological conflict between idealism and materialism. Furthermore, Vygotsky worked to create an effective new research method by drawing inspiration from Gestalt psychology, Hegel, Marx, and Engels. The result of Vygotsky's efforts was a theory based on psychology of consciousness and mind rather than a biology-based psychology focused entirely on analysis of stimuli and responses. In analyzing Vygotsky's theory, it is useful to draw inspiration from Vygotsky's criticism of pure empiricism, and to be inspired by Vygotsky's demonstration on how deeply rooted differences between societies may be bridged by finding unexpected commonalities within opposing ideologies.

«Мосты или стены»: к вопросу о переводе на иностранные языки понятий культурно-исторической теории

Background. The problem of translating scientific articles into other languages affects not only translators but also psychologists, since the accuracy of translation determines the adequacy of understanding and transferring of scientific concepts. Objectives. The article focuses on the critical discussion of different variants in translating some concepts of L.S. Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory into Portuguese. Study Materials. This article discusses the concepts of the “zone of proximal development”, “learning”, and “speech”. Results. The paper considers variations in the translations of L.S. Vygotsky's concept of the cultural-historical theory into Portuguese. Insufficient attention of translators to the theoretical and methodological foundations of the original scientific text, which generates substantive errors in translation and distorts (simplifies) the content of the original approach, is critically discussed. Conclusions. Both literary and scientific translation should be understood as an unfinished process that requires constant revision and improvement. The philosophical, ethical and historical ideas of the translated author should be the basis for this. Only in this case will translation contribute to the communication and connection of people speaking different languages.

TEORIA DA ATIVIDADE DE ESTUDO E EDUCAÇÃO MATEMÁTICA REALÍSTICA: ARTICULAÇÃO E POSSIBILIDADES

ABSTRACT: This paper is the result of a bibliographic review, whose research is of a qualitative nature and aims to verify the limits and possibilities of a theoretical articulation between the Study Activity Theory (SAT) and the didactic current of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME). The Theory of Study Activity has its origins in Vygotsky's Cultural-Historical Theory, while Realistic Mathematics Education is a proposal by the mathematician educator Freudenthal. The theory about the activity of study relies on the foundation of researchers such as Davidov, Elkonin, Luria, Leontiev, and Repkin, among others, developed in Russian schools in the 1960s. In a short period, Freudenthal's approach appeared to be applied in Dutch schools. Both groups of researchers (Vygotsky and Freudenthal) were concerned with understanding the teaching and learning process: the Russians were focused on the development of the human psyche, specifically, of the child, while the Dutch educators were focused on the teaching of Mathematics in elementary schools. The research results indicate that there is a possibility of articulation between these approaches, especially in the teaching of Mathematics, since the SAT highlights human activity as a source for the development of humanity and that the teaching and learning process needs to consider the historical subject's culture; Freudenthal considers mathematics as a human activity and emphasizes the need to adopt practices that value the “rediscovery” of mathematical concepts through historical and cultural recovery.

Evaluation of Teacher's Classroom Practices in the Context of Vygotsky's Cultural-Historical Theory

The effective continuation of the learning process depends on the teacher's interaction with children. Teachers must be facilitative in this interaction process while guiding children's learning. This study focuses on determining how teachers' classroom practices are reflected in the learning environment in the context of Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory. The study was designed as a case study from qualitative research models. All six teachers who constituted the study's data set worked in the same preschool education institution. Each teacher was observed for five days during the half-day period at the school using the non-participant observer technique. The observations were followed according to the "Teacher Observation Form" prepared by the researchers. This form included five headings: "Use of Language", "Use of Mediators," "Shared Activity," "Zone of the Proximal Development," and "Play." Content analysis was used to analyze the observations. As a result, it was concluded that teachers need to be informed about Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory in terms of theory and practice and that they need to share practices in the theory infrastructure.

Contributions of Vygotsky's cultural historical theory to thinking about aging

Contributions of Vygotsky's cultural historical theory to thinking about aging

Efektivno podučavanje u zoni narednog razvoja učenika - uloga emocija

According to Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory, mastering a new form of thinking or skill requires interaction with a more competent partner, with the task being in the zone of proximal development of the student. Both partners should be active during the task, with established inter-subjectivity, and the teacher providing sensitive scaffolding in the jointly formed work strategy. Although the zone of proximal development is often considered solely as an intervention in the cognitive domain, it cannot be fully understood without considering the affective side of learning. This paper analyzes the importance of affective interaction in the zone of proximal development in the cultural-historical approach to learning, and connects and supports it with contemporary findings, which suggest that the emotions of students and teachers, and their mutual affective relationship play a crucial role in all aspects of knowledge co-construction. Based on these considerations, pedagogical implications are derived. cultural-historical theory, zone of proximal development, preconditions of effective teaching, emotions and learning. Abstract Keywords

The Nature of stage Transformation as a Problem (L.S. Vygotsky's virtual dialogue with a modern theater psychologist)

The article raises the question of the nature of stage transformation. The psychological concept of N.V. Rozhdestvenskaya's explanation of reincarnation is analyzed, which distinguishes in this phenomenon as an ideal object of science: a) acceptance and emotional assimilation of motives that are dictated by the stage role, b) formation of an attitude to an imaginary situation that allows the artist to act and live in "given circumstances", c) restructuring and functioning of the personality already during the performance in these given circumstances. For comparison, the author analyzes I.I. Silantieva's art criticism concept, in which reincarnation is explained within the framework of the new humanitarian discipline "virtualistics", as well as the explanation of this phenomenon proposed by the author within the framework of the concept of "artistic reality". The similarity of the main differences in all three interpretations of reincarnation is fixed. Then the place is given to L.S. Vygotsky, who sharply objected to the analysis of scenic phenomena in logic that does not take into account their historical development and social nature. The author notes that although psychologists are well acquainted with Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory, they, nevertheless, realizing the view of psychology as an exact science, analyze the psyche, ignoring the cultural-historical approach. He undertakes to fill this gap in relation to reincarnation, showing that this concept was formed quite late, is not characteristic of the director's theater, but in theoretical terms is associated with a certain interpretation of the subject and personality.

Guided reading – Working within a child's zone of proximal development

Research has shown that exposing children to rich literacy practices gives children a strong start that will influence lifelong success in learning, wellbeing and participation in civic life. Yet there is a lack of theoretical rigor in the vociferous debate about how best to teach reading. In this paper we address this issue as we explore how teachers can reconceptualize the practice of guided reading by drawing on the principles of development of Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory. We discuss how literacy and reading are described in Australian policy documents, and how the practice of guided reading is described in literature. We use Vygotsky's theoretical concepts, in particular the Zone of Proximal Development, to suggest how teachers can reimagine guided reading, and use this metacognitive framework when evaluating teacher practice. Data drawn from a questionnaire, completed by 30 Australian teachers, was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to advance this discussion. In so doing, we highlight the need for teachers to move beyond a conceptualization of guided reading as ‘a social situation’ in-and-of-itself, cautioning that not every social situation will necessarily lead to child development. Rather, we underscore the necessity that teachers understand guided reading to function as ‘a social situation of development’.

Modern state and prospects for the education of children with mental development delay: View from the perspective of Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory

The tendencies in development of a special education system in Russia are being analyzed. Contemporary approaches to education of children with mental development delay are being discussed together with questions connected with their realization under the conditions of inclusive and special education. An approach to the choice of an educational strategy is being analyzed together with components of an educational process (according to the position of Vygotsky's school). The necessity of preparation of new generation's teachers, capable to solve the problems of educational practices' development providing solutions based on the ideas and terms of cultural-historical theory, is being proved.

Роль идей Л.С. Выготского для становления парадигмы социального познания в современной психологии: обзор зарубежных исследований и обсуждение перспектив

The author reflects on the reasons for the increased interest of modern foreign social cognition researchers in L.S. Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory in the light of the existing methodological contradictions and recent empirical data. The paper analyzes the main ideas and concepts of cultural-historical theory that were incorporated in research by Vygotsky's foreign followers, including such prominent experts in the field of social cognition as M. Tomasello and Ch. Fernyhough. It describes the conceptual apparatus and models of development of social cognition in phylo-, anthropo- and ontogenesis proposed by these researchers basing on the ideas of cultural-historical approach. The author especially stresses the importance of the idea of the dialogical nature of human thinking as the foundation for social cognition development in ontogenesis. Also reviewed are the mechanisms underlying the emergence of dialogical thinking from egocentric speech that are described in Ch. Fernyhough's model of social cognition development in ontogenesis. The paper concludes with an analysis of the concepts of cultural-historical theory and its current developments by Russian researchers that are of high heuristic potential for the future development of the paradigm of social cognition.

Developing the understanding of the role of interpersonal interaction in early literacy development: A case study of a Thai public preschool

THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON THE role of interpersonal interaction in early literacy development in one public preschool school in Bangkok, Thailand. Specifically, it explores and analyses the nature of interpersonal interaction and collaborative activities the teachers employ in teaching literacy to children. The study involves observation of 82 children in literacy activities and interviews with three teachers. Framed and analysed in Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory, the results show interpersonal activities to be related to collaborative writing, collaborative story-reading, collaborative dialogic inquiry, collaborative meaning-making and child–child partnerships. The paper concludes that raising professional knowledge of the significance of interpersonal interaction, and focused professional development which builds and maintains teacher awareness of their teaching of literacy, would enhance children's literacy development in Thailand.

Analyzing Children's Learning and Development in Everyday Settings from a Cultural-Historical Wholeness Approach

The main point in this article is to conceptualise how demands connected to children's life conditions influence both children and caregivers. To pursue this aim I advocate an extension of Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory of children's learning and development. Vygotsky pursued a wholeness approach to children's development with his concept of “the child's social situation of development” as the child's dialectic experiential and motivational relation with his or her surrounding. This conception I extend with the concepts of institutional practice and activity setting. The conditions for children's activities are the institutional practice and its activity settings. But a child's activities in these settings also has to be seen from the child's perspective, that is, his or her motive orientation. To focus on the child's motive within an activity setting—requires the researcher to focus on the child's social situation of development to discern how the dialectic between the child's orientation within an activity setting and the demands from the setting and other persons influence the child's activities within the child's zone of proximal development.

Hiding in Plain Sight: The Stages of Mastery/Self-Regulation in Vygotsky's Cultural-Historical Theory

During the late 1970s and 1980s, as interest in Lev Vygotsky's work was growing rapidly, most of his writings were unavailable in English. Translations of Vygotsky's work that reflect the breadth and depth of his thinking became available in the mid-to late 1990s. However, this work has yet to become an integral part of educational psychology. This article first presents Vygotsky's unique view of cognitive development, followed by the central framework of his theory—the stages of sign use/concept development. These stages are also the stages of self-regulation/mastery of one's thinking and they culminate in the development of higher mental functions. Also discussed are current conceptions of self-regulation, a comparison with Vygotsky's view, and the implications of Vygotsky's thinking for curriculum and instruction.

A Concept Becomes a Passion

The questions of resilience and discontinuity in the affective development of survivors of child abuse are explored from the viewpoint of Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory and current social constructivist theories. Moral tools, commitments and higher-order skills play a crucial part in the development of agency, personal empowerment and discontinuity. The recurrence of affective problems in survivors may be connected to moral confusion and insoluble moral dilemmas. This is seldom acknowledged in theoretical discourse, for example in cognitive therapeutic theories. Consequences for the treatment of survivors of abuse are discussed.

The concept of activity in Soviet psychology: Vygotsky, his disciples and critics.

The concept of activity is deeply ingrained in Soviet psychological theory, and exactly for that reason contemporary Soviet psychologists have found it extremely difficult to define it clearly. This concept was first suggested by Lev Vygotsky as a theoretical remedy for psychological systems that tautologically explained phenomena of consciousness through the concept of consciousness. Vy- gotsky' s disciples, notably Alexei Leontiev, departed from the original concept of their teacher. The demarcation line separating Vygotsky's theory from that of Leontiev oc- curred in the evaluation of the relative importance of se- miotic mediation and practical actions for the development of intelligence. Currently there is a revival of interest in the problem of activity both in the Soviet Union and in the United States. The concept of activity plays as important and ambiguous a role in Soviet psychology as did the concept of behavior in American studies circa 1920 to 1950 and the concept of consciousness in European psychology of the late 19th century. Activity has been the chief category of psycho- logical research in contemporary Soviet psychology since the beginning; and exactly for that reason, the concept of activity has been extremely difficult for Soviet psy- chologists to define clearly. Since the time of its inception in the 1920s, this category has undergone a metamor- phosis and has been the subject of so many disputes that it cannot be adequately comprehended out of the context of its history. The goal of this article is to provide a historical- theoretical analysis of the evolution of the concept of ac- tivity in Soviet psychology. The origin of this concept can be found in the early writings of Lev Vygotsky (1896- 1934), who suggested that socially meaningful activity (Tdtigkeit) may serve as an explanatory principle in re- gard to, and be considered as a generator of, human con- sciousness. Further, I review the process of incorporating the concept of activity into Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory of higher mental functions and discuss its relevance for Vygotsky's studies in the development of language and concept formation. The most dramatic event in the history of the concept of activity occurred in the mid- 1930s when a group of Vygotsky's disciples came up with a version of activity theory that put practical (material) actions at the forefront while simultaneously playing down the role of signs as mediators of human activity. This revisionist position was elaborated theoret- ically by Alexei Leontiev, who subsequently gained the status of official interpreter of Vygotsky's ideas. Thus the myth of succession between Vygotsky's and Leontiev's schools of psychology was born. Only in the late 1970s has this myth been subjected to a critical scrutiny, and Vygotsky's genuine views have attracted a renewed in- terest. For a long period of time, the concept of activity has remained a local affair of Soviet psychology. In his clas- sical book The New Man in Soviet Psychology, Raymond Bauer (1952) neglected entirely the concept of activity. More recent studies, such as those of Ted Payne (1968), Levy Rahmani (1973), and Luciano Mecacci (1979), mentioned this problem but hardly made it a center of their work. The major breakthrough occurred when a volume of translations, The Concept of Activity in Soviet Psychology, edited by James Wertsch, appeared in 1981. Since then, there has been a growing interest among American psychologists in the problem of activity. To comprehend this problem properly, one should, however, be cognizant of its complex history and the current re- evaluation of it by the younger generation of Soviet psy- chologists. Activity as a n Explanatory Principle