Learning Processes in a Child

The sociocultural theory emphasizes the role of human connection in mental development. It indicates that human development is a social process, with our psychological capabilities increasing as a result of encounters with others who are also more knowledgeable. The notion of scaffolding is that if students receive assistance during learning, they will be more likely to absorb new teachings and concepts. Scaffolding may also refer to teaching a youngster something new and, at the same time, building on what they know (Mermelshtine, 2017). The zone of proximal development relates to the child’s capacity to execute things, getting results with the support of others who are proficient. As a result, it is often considered in connection to scaffolded or aided training.

The Sociocultural theory investigates not only how grownups and Peers significantly affect learning, but societal concepts and habits also determine how learning happens. It attempts to explain the function of social intervention in the development, reconstruction, and modification of historically and culturally placed meanings. As per Lev Vygotsky, social contact is a source of growth and learning that is not simply located in an individual’s head (Chirkov, 2020). Humans can only be studied or comprehended as society, culture, or history members. Following social context, people in our lives who act as mentors, and educators, for example, guide our psychological growth. At times, people build opinions and values via interactions and relationships in groupings or by engagement in cultural activities.

When a youngster is confronted with various activities that appear too difficult for him to learn/achieve on his own, he is in the zone of proximal development. Collaborative (directed) learning works best in this situation. In this case, a more skilled tutor assists the youngster in learning or acquiring new abilities through collaborative learning conversations. The youngster will attempt to comprehend the instructions first, absorb the knowledge, and then govern his performance. In certain cases, the tutor may tailor his instructions and assistance to the child’s needs based on his observations of the child’s growth. This assists the youngster in better grasping and understanding the situation. Scaffolding refers to the readiness to adjust teachings based on necessity (Mermelshtine, 2017). An example is when teaching a 4-year-old child to ride a bicycle. You must first explain the bicycle’s components before teaching them how to ride it. To participate in the demonstration, you may need to bring your bicycle.

There are several terminologies associated with the sociocultural theory. The word sociocultural is the study of how individuals interact with one another and with the surroundings around them (Chirkov, 2020). It is vital to understand that this would not only pertain to them with others but also with things like cultures, society, and the environment. “Socio” is derived from the Latin term socius, which implies “companion.” “Cultural” is derived from the Latin term culture, which signifies “to cultivate.” The term sociocultural refers to the culture and social traditions of a society. It is related to sociocultural theory, a school of thought that investigates the link between culture and society.

Different techniques are used for scaffolding children’s knowledge (Mermelshtine, 2017). Making Use of Prior Knowledge is one such technique. It involves looking at what the children know and coming up with concepts that will complement whatever you say next. This prepares the children for the upcoming task. Teachers or parents might serve as models. Modeling is a technique for demonstrating to a child what you mean. Showing the child how to go about it might give them the courage to be on their own. Guided practice is another scaffolding strategy to explore. The trainer might respond to questions for the children first, then the following question in groups or with the instructor, and ultimately the children attempt it on their own. Using Prompts is also used in scaffolding (Xi & Lantolf, 2021). Prompts provide children with information to help them get started. The teacher or parent may, for example, give visual guidance, step-by-step instructions, or a variety of replies. Making Suggestions is a strategy used in scaffolding. Hints might range from vocal gestures to visual or spoken information. A clue will keep the children thinking and will assist them in producing the correct response.

Training together within the Zone of Proximal Development is interesting because it includes the shift of accountability, or power, for learning from the instructor or another more capable individual to the learner or child (Xi & Lantolf, 2021). This switch is encouraging for the child because it recognizes their knowledge of the task and, as a result, increases effectiveness. Engagement inside the Proximal development is also keen to grab the learner’s passion for the job or knowledge area. They grow to esteem and appreciate knowledge appreciated by a valued, more competent person. Teachers should emphasize the linkages between the learner’s existing understanding of a task in everyday situations and the new activity or idea being acquired to focus on teaching to utilize the proximal development.

Scaffolding comes in different levels depending on the set goals. One level is sensory scaffolding. Images and diagrams are the correct way of sensory scaffolding for most students because pictures and expressions contain significance without relying on language. When real things and pictures are merged, they provide even more ways of accessing content. For example, an image of a bicycle will make sense to a child who has started learning how to ride a bicycle. Interactive scaffolding is a level in scaffolding. Humans are not just visual learners but also sociable learners (Panhwar et al., 2016). As a result, educators should incorporate socializing into lesson planning in addition to sensual and physical support. Scaffolding for Graphics is another level of scaffolding. Scaffolding using graphical supports includes instructing students to use charts, figures, and graphs that transform facts and figures into pictorial representations. Graphics scaffolds are very useful when teachers wish to express extremely abstract ideas or demonstrate the links between elements in phenomena. Scaffolding is a very effective method of engaging and teaching a child something new because it lets the trainer get involved in the activity. It also helps the youngster develop or think independently over time.

References

Chirkov, V. (2020). An introduction to the theory of sociocultural models. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 23(2), 143–162. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12381

Mermelshtine, R. (2017). Parent–child learning interactions: A review of the literature on scaffolding. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 87(2), 241–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12147

Panhwar, A. H., Ansari, S., & Ansari, K. (2016). Sociocultural Theory and its Role in the Development of Language Pedagogy. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 7(6), 183–188.

Xi, J., & Lantolf, J. P. (2021). Scaffolding and the zone of proximal development: A problematic relationship. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, 51(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.12260