The view that knowledge is not absorbed individually but built through social interaction, negotiation and shared activity, drawing centrally on Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural psychology. Where Jean Piaget emphasized a child constructing understanding through solitary interaction with the physical world, Vygotsky-influenced social constructivism emphasizes learning as inherently social, mediated by language, culture and more knowledgeable others.
Facts
Core ClaimKnowledge is constructed through social interaction and shared activity rather than absorbed by an individual learner acting alone, with language and culture mediating what and how a learner comes to understand. 1 Origin Year1978 is the year of the English-language publication Mind in Society; Vygotsky developed the underlying ideas in the 1920s and 1930s, before his 1934 death. Connections
Associated With
Developed By
In Approach
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationSocial constructivism, lead section
Social constructivism is a sociological theory of knowledge according to which human development is socially situated, and knowledge is constructed through interaction with others.
Associated With: Constructivist Teaching Methods, Social constructivism, Education section
Studies on increasing the use of student discussion in the classroom both support and are grounded in theories of social constructivism.
View the Source 2. Simply Psychology
Simply Psychologysimplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html, sociocultural theory sectionQuote, simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html, sociocultural theory section
Learning, in his view, is a shared activity.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.