Vygotsky's sociocultural theory: How do we apply it in class?

Who is Lev Vygotsky?

Vygotsky was one of the great educational theorists of the 20th century. His contributions have had an impact on our current educational models, and from his theories multiple conceptions applied to today's pedagogy have emerged.

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory seeks to establish the foundations of how young children's learning is gradually built during the early years, with the help of social context.

What is Vygotsky's sociocultural theory?

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory shows us how learning and cognitive development are gradually constructed during the early years with the help of the child's social and cultural context. Lev Vygotsky maintained that children gradually develop their learning through social interaction (also including the logical process of immersion in routine and family life), through which they acquire new and improved skills.

Likewise, this sociocultural theory of cognitive development focuses not only on how adults and peers influence individual learning (through collaborative work), but also on how cultural beliefs and attitudes impact the way instruction and learning are carried out.

According to Vygotsky, children still have a long period of brain development ahead of them. Furthermore, each culture provides what he called tools of intellectual adaptation. These tools allow children to use their basic mental abilities in ways that are sensitive to the culture in which they grow up.

Two students writing in a marker board. Image from Freepik.

What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?

Vygotsky created three zones of children's development. These are:

• Zone of actual development, which represents the student's current abilities (what they can do alone).

• Zone of proximal development, where students are in the process of learning, a bridge between the other two zones.

• Zone of potential development, which would be the level that the child can reach with the help of another person.

The zone of proximal development refers to the space that exists between the subject's current psychological development, that is, the skills the child already possesses, and their potential development (what they can learn through guidance). For this reason, it is a concept of utmost importance for education at all teaching levels.

In other words, according to Vygotsky, the role of adults or more advanced peers is to support, direct and organize the child's learning, in the stage before they can master those aspects, having internalized the behavioral and cognitive structures that the activity requires.

This guidance is most effective in providing help to children to cross the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which we could understand as the gap between what they are already able to do and what they still cannot achieve on their own.

Scaffolding consists of temporary supports that are progressively removed as students gain autonomy and can do more things independently. Some examples of scaffolding are explanations, guides, the use of examples, feedback…

How can we apply Vygotsky's sociocultural theory in class?

Vygotsky believed that children learn more efficiently in a social environment. That's why applying social development theory in your classes can help your students understand ideas more quickly.

For Lev Vygotsky, social interaction plays an integral role in learning and promotes a reciprocal teaching style. This is why today we want to give you some tips to be able to apply this theory in class and enhance your students' cognitive development.

Our main advice is to let students be the protagonists of their own learning, that is, design activities in which you are not at the front of the class all the time, in other words, ask more questions than you give answers!

In practice:

• Establish activities and games that stimulate students' zone of proximal development.

• Structure activities by levels of difficulty during the learning process.

• Opt for collaborative work rather than individual work.

• Implement playful activities that facilitate social interaction.

Remember that, according to this theory, the teacher is a mediator of learning, not just a transmitter of information. They offer guidance that allows students to gradually consolidate their learning, until they are sufficiently independent to carry out activities on their own.