Lev Vygotsky's Education Revolution

According to Mary Helen Immordino-Yang (2001), an education revolution is forthcoming as scientists in current years have shown unparalleled progressive in their study of the brain and mind, and new knowledge about the brain is broadening the impact of cognitive neuroscience into teaching practices. One of the supportive evidence is that the Dynamic Systems Approach (DSA), which was put forward by Esther Thelen and Linda B. Smith (1994) has challenged the traditional theories which were presented by Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. This essay will explain why education revolution is considered to happen, introduce the roles of emotion and memory in learning which is evident by neuroscience and the reasons why teachers and parents should evaluate

Piaget’s cognitive theory has emphasised that children’s cognitive development is through identifiable linear phrases or stages, while Vygotsky maintained the crucial role of cultural mediation in children’s cognitive development (Kim & Sankey, 2010). From the generally cognitive psychology perspective, nature and nurture are two major causes of development and the developmental process has been perceived as being linear, progressive and incremental, guided by some inner mechanism of design; by schemas or genetic blueprints composing as programs in the mind emphasis (Kim & Sankey, 2010). Although these theories are able to offer some explanation to children’s development, they have constraints that prevent them survive from testing and they do not pay enough attention to the brains which is considered as pivotal to individual’s learning. The DSA is the recent theoretical approach which suggests that human development is the outcome of non-linear emergent self-organisation so that programs, blueprints and teleological design are not existing (Kim & Sankey, 2010). It can contain much past theory and it enables us to

The DSA do not admit that genes determine developmental result, and it would also guide educators to avoid believing genetic determinism (Kim & Sankey, 2010). Therefore, teachers are given more space and confidence about teaching since they realise that children could change dramatically and their intelligences can be cultivated through postnatal education, their work has become more meaningful and valuable. Furthermore, the DSA stresses that child development is depends on the human brain which perceiving, thinking and acting in response to, and inter-relationship with, the multiple complexities of the natural and social environments (Kim & Sankey, 2010). It encourages teachers and parents to view children as ever-changing, well-integrated organisms which are the functioning brains (Siegler, DeLoache, Eisenberg, & Saffran, 2014). When educators understand that brains are plastic and can change, they are more likely to be more compassionate and devote themselves to educate the children as they believe that their effort could make a significant difference. The idea that thinks children as functioning brains and educators are able to change their mind will