Lev Vygotsky

The major theme of Vygotsky's theoretical framework is that social interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition. A second aspect of Vygotsky's theory is the idea that the potential for cognitive development depends upon the "zone of proximal development" (ZPD): a level of development attained when children engage in social behavior. Full development of the ZPD depends upon full social interaction. The range of skill that can be developed with adult guidance or peer collaboration exceeds what can be attained alone. Vygotsky's theory was an attempt to explain consciousness as the end product of socialization. For example, in the learning of language, our first utterances with peers or adults are for the purpose of communication, but once mastered they become internalized and allow "inner speech". Because Vygotsky's focus was on cognitive development, it is interesting to compare his views with those of Bruner and Piaget.