Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Series Foreword
- Introduction: Sociocultural Theory and Education: Students, Teachers, and Knowledge
- PART I CONCEPTS AND PARADIGMS
- PART II DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING
- PART III SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY APPLICATION IN THE CLASSROOM
- 11 Cultural–Historical Theory and Mathematics Education
- 12 Sociocultural Theory and the Practice of Teaching Historical Concepts
- 13 Formation of Learning Activity and Theoretical Thinking in Science Teaching
- 14 How Literature Discussion Shapes Thinking
- 15 Beyond Cognition
- PART IV DIVERSE LEARNERS AND CONTEXTS OF EDUCATION
- Author Index
- Subject Index
- Titles in the series
- References
12 - Sociocultural Theory and the Practice of Teaching Historical Concepts
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Series Foreword
- Introduction: Sociocultural Theory and Education: Students, Teachers, and Knowledge
- PART I CONCEPTS AND PARADIGMS
- PART II DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING
- PART III SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY APPLICATION IN THE CLASSROOM
- 11 Cultural–Historical Theory and Mathematics Education
- 12 Sociocultural Theory and the Practice of Teaching Historical Concepts
- 13 Formation of Learning Activity and Theoretical Thinking in Science Teaching
- 14 How Literature Discussion Shapes Thinking
- 15 Beyond Cognition
- PART IV DIVERSE LEARNERS AND CONTEXTS OF EDUCATION
- Author Index
- Subject Index
- Titles in the series
- References
Summary
Learning awakens a variety of internal developmental processes that are able to operate only when the child is interacting with people in his environment and in cooperation with peers.
(Vygotsky, 1978, p. 90)In our teacher education courses, we discuss with the trainee teachers educationally relevant topics from the field of learning theory. One of these topics is the acquisition of historical concepts. Through practical experiences and classroom assignments, the trainee teachers become aware of some of the problems involved in the teaching of concepts. Often, they plan to teach concepts in a straightforward matter-of-fact manner using a transmission model of teaching. As teacher educators, we challenge this idea in order to replace this approach with more effective models. So, with our trainee teachers we discuss how secondary education students can achieve a deeper understanding of concepts. Two basic elements of helping trainee teachers teach for understanding are (1) methods to create powerful learning environments and (2) methods to present the historical subject matter in terms of a meaningful whole.
This approach is influenced by a Vygotskian sociocultural theory of teaching and learning. In this perspective the creation of a learning environment can be conceived of as a shared problem space, inviting the students to participate in a process of negotiation and co-construction of knowledge. Lev Vygotsky, the founder of the sociocultural theory, developed a new framework for conceptualizing these educational dialogues, through which students acquire new modes of handling knowledge and solving problems.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Vygotsky's Educational Theory in Cultural Context , pp. 246 - 266Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003
References
(1996). The past, the present and future of knowledge research: A reexamination of the role of knowledge in learning and instruction. Educational Psychologist, 31, 89–92CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, & (2000). The quality of cultural tools and cognitive development: Galperin's perspective and its implications. Human Development, 40, 69–92CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, & (1995). Furthering the internalization debate: Galperin's contribution. Human Development, 38, 113–126CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ausubel, D. P. (1968). Educational psychology: A cognitive vie. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston
Bloch, M. (1924/1983). Les rois thaumaturgues. Etude sur le caractère surnaturel attribué à la puissance royale, particulièrement en France et en Angleterre. Réédition. Paris: Gallimard
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.) (2000). How people learn. Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academic Press
Bruner, J., Goodnow, J., & Austin, G. (1956). A Study of Thinking. New York: John Wiley
(1994). Restructuring the classroom: Conditions for productive small groups. Review of Educational Research, 64, 1–35CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cole, M. (1996). Cultural psychology: A once and future discipline. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
(1995). The influence of L. S. Vygotsky on education theory, research, and practice. Educational Researcher, 24(3), 12–21CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fariñas León, G. (2001), Toward a hermeneutical reconstruction of Galperin's theory of learning. In S. Chaiklin (Ed.), The theory and practice of cultural-historical psychology (pp. 260–282). Aarhus: Aarhus University Press
Forman, E. A., Minick, N., & Stone, C. A. (Eds.) (1993). Contexts for learning: Sociocultural dynamics in children's development. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Galperin, P. I. (1969). Stages in the development of mental acts. In M. Cole & I. Maltzman (Eds.), A handbook of contemporary Soviet psychology (pp. 249–273). New York: Basic Books
Galperin, P. I. (1982). Intellectual capabilities among older preschool children: On the problem of training and development. In W. W. Hartup (Ed.), Review of child develoment research (Vol. 6, pp. 526–546). Chicago: University of Chicago Press
(1989). Organization of mental activity and the effectiveness of learning. Soviet Psychology, 27(2), 65–82Google Scholar
(1992). The problem of activity in Soviet psychology. Journal of Russian and East European Psychology, 30(4), 37–59CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geyl, P. C. A. (1955). Use and abuse in history. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press
Haenen, J. (1996). Piotr Galperin: Psychologist in Vygotsky's footsteps. Commack, NY: Nova Science Publishers
(2001). Outlining the teaching-learning process: Piotr Galperin's contribution. Learning and Instruction, 11, 157–160CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, & (2000). Suffrage, feudal, democracry, treaty … history's building blocks: learning to teach historical concepts. Teaching History, Issue, 98, February, 22–29Google Scholar
(1998). Personalization in historical descriptions and explanations. Learning and Instruction, 8, 131–139CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, , & (1999). Investigating a Grade 11 student's evolving conceptions of heat and temperature. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(1), 55–873.0.CO;2-P>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Husbands, C. (1996). What is history teaching? Language, ideas, and meaning in learning about the past.Buckingham, England: Open University Press
Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Showers, B. (2000). Models of teaching. Boston: Allyn & Bacon
, & (1998). Two ways to elaborate Vygotsky's concept of mediation: Implications for instruction. American Psychologist, 53(1), 27–36CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, & (1999). Linking theory and practice: Changing the pedagogy of teacher education. Educational Researcher, 28(4), 4–17CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kozulin, A. (1998). Psychological tools: A sociocultural approach to education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
(2001). On the cognitive conflict as an instructional strategy for conceptual change: A critical appraisal. Learning and Instruction, 11, 357–380CrossRefGoogle Scholar
(2001). Responses to anomalous data on controversial topics and theory change. Learning and Instruction, 11, 453–483CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mercer, N. (1995). The guided construction of knowledge: Talk amongst teachers and learners. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters
Pendry, A., Husbands, C., Arthur, J., & Davison, J. (1998). History teachers in the making: Professional learning. Buckingham, England: Open University Press
Rogoff, B. (1998). Cognition as a collaborative process. In D. Kuhn & R. S. Siegler (Eds.), Handbook of Child Development (5th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 679–744). New York: John Wiley & Sons
Salomon, G., & Perkins, D. N. (1998). Individual and social aspects of learning. In P. D. Pearson & A. Iran-Nejad (Eds.), Review of research in education (Vol. 23, pp. 1–24). Washington, DC: AERACrossRef
(2001). Wat weten ze nog van geschiedenis? [What do they still know about history?]Kleio, 42(6), 26–30Google Scholar
Stetsenko, A., & I. M. Arievitch (2002). Teaching, learning and development: Contributions from post-Vygotskian research. In G. Wells & G. Claxton (Eds.), Learning for life in the 21stcentury: Sociocultural perspectives on the future of education (pp. 84–96). London: Blackwell
van der Veer, R., & Valsiner, J. (1991). Understanding Vygotsky: A quest for synthesis. Oxford: Blackwell
, & (2003). Using concept mapping in history lessons. Teaching History. Issue 110, March 27–31Google Scholar
Vosniadou, S. (1999). Conceptual change research: state of the art and future directions. In W. Schnotz, S. Vosniadou, & M. Carretero (Eds.), New perspectives on conceptual change (pp. 3–13). Amsterdam: Pergamon
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Interaction between learning and development. In M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman (Eds.), Mind in society. The development of higher psychological processes(pp. 79–91). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Vygotsky, L. S. (1981). The genesis of higher mental functions. In J. V. Wertsch (Ed.), The concept of activity in Soviet psychology (pp. 144–188). Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe
Vygotsky, L. S. (1987). Thinking and speech. In R. W. Rieber & A. S. Carton (Eds.)., The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky. Vol. 1. Problems of general psychology (pp. 39–285). New York: Plenum Press
Vygotsky, L. S. (1994). The development of academic concepts in school aged children. In R. van der Veer & J. Valsiner (Eds.), The Vygotsky reader (pp. 355–370). Oxford: Blackwell
Wells, G. (1999). Dialogic inquiry: Towards a sociocultural practice and theory of education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Wertsch, J. V. (1991). Voices of the mind: A sociocultural approach to mediated action. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf
Wertsch, J. V. (1998). Mind as action. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Woolfolk, A. (2001). Educational psychology. Boston: Allyn & Bacon
- 13
- Cited by