Social Constructivism
Social Constructivism
Sociostructural theory, or what is called social constructivism, is a theory which considers knowledge to be built socially and reciprocally, that is, through interaction with the social environment of the learner
According to the sociostructural theory, the method of building knowledge is by starting from the part to the whole, in contrast to the Gestalt theory which recognizes the necessity of moving from the whole to the part
Learning, knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences exist in the external environment and the learner has to interact with the environment in the framework of the classroom activities
The difference between constructivism and social constructivism is, constructivism considers that the learners construct their learning by relying on themselves and that it focuses on what's happening within the mind or brain of individuals, while social constructivism acknowledges that the learners build their learning socially, and do not develop their skills and competencies except by comparing themselves and what they have achieved with what their peers in their sociological surroundings have achieved, and then try to create an atmosphere of competition for self-affirmation in their social milieu
Pioneers of Social Constructivism
Lev Vygotsky
Clermont
Albert Bandura
But the most prominent of them was the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky who first criticized the constructivist theory and tried to develop it, stressing that the learners learn through interaction with others, thus declaring the emergence of a new theory from the heart of the constructivist theory, which is the sociocultural theory
Principles of Social Constructivism
Man is social by nature, and therefore learning within group is much better than individual learning
Learning is based on the cognitive conflict of the learner
Knowledge is built socially
Building knowledge is based on social interaction
The learner participates in building and constructing knowledge
The learner's learning takes place through communication with adults and advanced students
Key Concepts
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): is defined as the range of abilities that an individual can perform with help, but cannot yet do it independently. These skills are called proximal because individuals are close to mastering them, but need more guidance and practice in order to perform these actions independently
Scaffolding:
More Knowledgeable Other) is a peer or someone who possesses more knowledge, better understanding and higher cognitive capabilities than the learner
