What is Sociocultural Theory?

The sociocultural theory is a sociological and psychological theory that deals with the importance of culture and society in developing and shaping individuals. It demonstrates how friends, parents, and others in society develop people’s cognitive, learning, and sociocultural functions.

This fundamental idea from developmental psychology also emphasizes the importance of sociocultural beliefs and values in performing these functions. This theory looks at society’s contributions toward the developmental processes of individuals. In the 1990s, the sociocultural theory gained even more prominence and was applied in social and educational settings as well as in play.

The soviet Psychologist Lev Vygotsky proposed that peers, caregivers, parents, and the culture are responsible for developing the higher-order functions of the brain. Lev Vygotsky believed that human development depends on social interaction and can significantly differ between cultures.

The sociocultural theory emphasizes the impact of social interaction on individuals’ mental development. The sociocultural theory proposes that human learning is predominantly a social process and that people’s cognitive functions depend upon their interactions with others around them, particularly those who are "more skilled" than themselves.

According to the sociocultural theory, people’s psychological development is partially guided by those having roles of mentors in their lives, such as carers and educators. Also, participating in social and cultural events leads to the individual development of people's beliefs and values. Thus, this theory highlights how peers and mentors influence personal learning. Also, it emphasizes how people’s attitudes and cultural beliefs affect their learning processes.

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History of Sociocultural Theory

Sociocultural theory is based on the work of soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky, who thought that peers, caregivers, parents, and the culture are predominantly responsible for building higher-order functions. Lev Vygotsky proposed that learning is based on interacting with other individuals. After interacting with others, the learning is integrated at the personal level.

According to Lev Vygotsky individuals are born with biological limitations in their minds. But, every culture has its tools of intellectual development that enable children to use their abilities to adapt to their local culture.

For instance, one culture could focus more on memory strategies like note-taking. In contrast, others may focus more on tools like rote memorization (the technique of repeating the information) or reminders. These minor or major differences affect how a student learns, involving the "tools" that are used in a specific culture.

Lev Vygotsky was born in 1896. Although he was relatively more contemporary than several other well-known psychologists like Piaget, Skinner, and Freud, he died at the early age of 37 which led to the suppression of his contributions in Stalinist Russia and his psychological theories formerly left less well-known. After his work became more widely published, his ideas gained more popularity in areas such as education, cognitive psychology, and child development.

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The Zone of Proximal Development

This is an essential concept in sociocultural theory. Vygotsky believed that The Zone of Proximal Development is "the distance from the real level of development (of the student) as identified by the potential development level and independent problem solving as identified under adult guidance through problem-solving, or by collaborating with more competent peers."

It considers all of the abilities and knowledge that someone can only perform or understand under guidance. Children may stretch their psychological developmental level and skills, primarily by observing slightly more advanced learners than themselves. Therefore, they may progressively expand this Zone.

Several other theorists have supported the Zone of proximal development validity. For example, research showed that a student’s mental processes and level of test anxiety are influenced by whether or not he has someone available to offer guidance if needed.

When a student is in the zone of proximal development, their mental processes are crucial to their progress. They can grasp new concepts with the help of guidance from someone more knowledgeable, but they must also be motivated to learn and put forth effort on their own.

In fact, sociocultural theory suggests that learning does not occur solely through individual mental processes, but is also heavily influenced by social and cultural factors. These factors shape how individuals learn, what they prioritize as important information, and how they apply that knowledge in different contexts.

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Critical Differences Between Theories of Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget

The genetic epidemiologist and educational psychology expert Jean Piaget proposed cognitive development theory with the 4 steps of learning. Since Jean Piaget and L. S. Vygotsky were both theorists of education, their theories are frequently compared and contrasted.

According to Piaget's theory of child development, children’s story is mostly universal, psychological tools such as childhood explorations and interactions influence cognitive processes and child development. On the other hand, Lev Vygotsky believed that different cultures might differ dramatically. Hence, child development is not universal because it may vary between cultures.

Also, child development is primarily influenced by social factors. For example, the child development system in Asian culture would be different from that in European culture. Hence, according to Lev Vygotsky both content and course of children’s intellectual development are not universal, unlike what Piaget believed.

According to some critics, these human development theories differ in social contexts such as both L.S. Vygotsky and Jean Piaget had different psychological levels and ways of upbringing. Also, Jean Piaget had a lonely childhood, whereas, Lev Vygotsky demonstrated solid cultural ties.

This contrast between Vygotsky's and Piaget's upbringings plays a significant role in the differences between their theories. From a sociocultural perspective, Vygotsky's upbringing within a culturally rich environment likely influenced his emphasis on the importance of social interaction and cultural context in cognitive development.

On the other hand, Piaget's more isolated upbringing may explain his focus on individual exploration and reasoning in cognitive development. Understanding these divergent backgrounds is critical to fully comprehending the contrasting theories put forth by Vygotsky and Piaget.

Application of Lev Vygotsky's Theory in the Classroom

It is helpful for teachers to use the Zone of proximal development in the educational practice of the classroom. Teachers can first use the Zone of proximal development to check students’ cognitive development and skill levels. Then they may offer instruction while stretching each child's abilities' individual level and boundaries.

Initially, the pupil may need the supervision of a more knowledgeable peer or an adult. Afterwards, the pupil’s Zone of proximal development will stretch. Teachers may help stimulate the expansion of a student's current level through the following:

1. Organizing and planning lessons and classroom instruction. For instance, the educator might divide the students, so that empowered learners or higher-skilled pupils are paired with those with a lower basic skill level.
2. Using prompts, clues, as well as a direct instruction to assist children in increasing their ability levels.
3. Teachers must understand the critical role played by Scaffolding. They may use specific prompts to help a child progress to achieve a goal.

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Application of Lev Vygotsky's Theory in Play and Socialization

Lev Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory emphasizes the importance of play in education. According to Lev Vygotsky, imagining and playing help children further enhance their knowledge of the world and conceptual abilities.

Parents and teachers may use Lev Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory while offering children play experiences and plenty of opportunities. Some examples of play that can enhance psychological processes and social skills include a reenactment of original events, role-playing as well as imaginary play. These activities and playing opportunities help support the growth of abstract thinking.

Although sociocultural theory by Lev Vygotsky only gained popularity after Vygotsky’s death, his research has influenced how people perceive child development. The three main concepts of the Sociocultural Theory include:

1) The importance of Social Interaction in a person’s Cognitive Development

2) The More Knowledgeable Other, and

3) The Zone of Proximal Development.

Vygotsky proposed that children learn from several influences, and adapt to their present situations. This theory also states that children have a "zone of proximal development" starting from what children already know, and stretching to what children may learn in the presence of guidance.

The sociocultural theory states that the relationship between students and teachers in the classroom helps students to enhance their mental abilities and learning. Their relationship allows active participation and social interaction in the learning tasks.

Students learn while they are talking, listening, and observing their tasks. Although not everyone agrees with the sociocultural theory of development, such as Jean Piaget, the sociocultural perspectives do help to understand the process of human development. The sociocultural theory has also influenced other contemporary development theories, like the ones related to education and cognitive growth.

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