The work of Vygotsky is widely used in teacher education and other education-related literature, in discussion of sociocultural perspectives, and in relation to themes such as second language acquisition, the teaching of mathematics, and approaches to teaching and learning. Much of this work gives the impression that Vygotsky's work is…

This study guided by Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) theory explored the perception of pre-service teachers about the application of the ZPD in the classroom. Five participants, all junior students, were purposefully selected from a university in the southern region of the United States to participate in the study. Open-ended…

Although pronunciation instruction (PI) has started to gain prominence in second language teacher professional development (PD) research (e.g. Nguyen & Newton, 2021), relatively less attention has been given to PD programs in an online format. Adopting a Sociocultural Theoretical (SCT) perspective, this dissertation explored the role of an…

A Vygotskian approach to assessment is proposed by invoking the distinction between the development of lower and higher psychological functions. Higher psychological functions are specifically human and develop with the use of cultural tools via mediation. Accordingly, a distinction is made between tests that are based on association, which have…

This article introduces the new translation by Stanley Mitchell of a very well-known Vygotskyan text, which has become the locus classicus for Vygotsky's concept of the "zone of proximal development" (ZPD). It outlines the history of Vygotsky's text and compares Mitchell's new translation with the version found in Chapter 6 of "Mind…

This book provides a wide-ranging and in-depth theoretical perspective on dialogue in teaching. It explores the philosophy of dialogism as a social theory of language and explains its importance in teaching and learning. Departing from the more traditional teacher-led mode of teacher-student communication, the dialogic approach is more egalitarian…

The number of students who are English language learners (ELL) is increasing significantly across the United States. As this number increases, so does the number of students who are ELL and being identified as having disabilities. The intersection of English language instruction and special education is an emerging field of scholarship, and it is…

Determining the capability of Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory to fulfill key functions of educational theory (such as revealing the complexity of apparently simple events) has been hindered primarily by the following factors: (a) inaccurate information about a minor discussion, the zone of proximal development (ZPD), attracted attention…

Theories of human development and learning provide an essential framework in which to understand the mechanisms involved in the process of formal instruction as a specific form of teaching and learning in the school setting. The sociocultural theory of development, founded on the works of Lev Vygotsky, espouses the view that social interaction…

In this article we examine a teacher-authored narrative in which Steve Mann (2002), an English as a second language teacher, critically reflects on how his teaching beliefs were transformed as a result of participating in "cooperative development" (Edge, 1992, 2002). Cooperative development is an inquiry-based approach to professional development…

The aim of this article is to present findings from a study (Alexandersson, 2007) about how one student--called Sofia--with intellectual disability interacts and communicates with her classmates and her teachers in an inclusive setting. Furthermore, the aim is also to analyse in what way the interaction contributes to Sofia's social participation…

This article explores the nature of developmental and cognitive constructivism as it has historically been related to the early childhood curriculum. The author reflects upon her personal experience in moving from a developmental to a socio-cultural theoretical perspective as an informant to her understanding regarding the education of young…

Bilingualism, to be cognitively and academically beneficial, must be based on adequately developed first language skills. Two hypotheses, developmental interdependence and threshold, are integrated into a bilingual education model which treats background, child input, and educational treatment to explain educational outcomes. (Author/MH)

Research in Mexican and British schools provides an empirical basis for arguing that, by the use of certain kinds of interactional strategies, teachers can enable children to become more able in managing individual and joint reasoning and learning activities in the classroom. The research described is based on a sociocultural conception and…

In this article, we draw from research on cognitive development, sociocultural learning, and organizational development to examine the key factors in teachers' professional learning. Our review of this literature suggests that looking at teachers' prior knowledge, the nature of their interactions, the representations they produce and use, and the…