Discusses L. S. Vygotsky's theories and explores why these theories can affect the improvement and reform of contemporary education and research, both in Russia and in the United States. The author also examines the main theses behind Vygotsky's cultural historical theory of the psychological development of personality and how these theses are…

Presents chapter one of V. V. Davydov's 1986 monograph, "Problems of Developmental Teaching." Examines the dialectical-materialist sources of the psychological concept of activity; and activity, the mind, and consciousness. Building from Lev S. Vygotsky's work and within a Marxist-Leninist framework, explores relationships among…

Discusses the experiences and ideas of Anton S. Makarenko, an early influential Soviet educator known for his children's labor collective school that operated in the 1920s near Poltava. Examines Makarenko's legacy for the current educational reform movement, which emphasizes methods that combine instruction with social production and seeks ways to…

Concludes the excerpts from Ele Monoszon's "The Establishment and Development of Soviet Pedagogy." Notes research done in the Soviet Union on preschool instruction, special education, adult, vocational, and technical education, and briefly mentions comparative research on modern foreign pedagogy. (CH)

Reports on ideas discussed at the second meeting of experimental teachers held in the Soviet Union in 1987. Considers teaching innovations that promote student development and seek cooperative teacher-student relationships, while serving social production needs. Emphasizes student creativity and personal responsibility. Builds from earlier work on…