The Teaching/Learning Relationship in the First Years of School: Some Revolutionary Implications of Vygotskya's Theory

During the last twenty years, Vygotsky's theory has increasingly been cited when considering aspects of early education. Most commonly, however, a single concept (the zone of proximal development) has been used to represent the theory, and treated as synonymous with the view that a teacher's job is to scaffold the children's learning. By contrast, in this paper we stress the fact that Vygotsky's theory is one that requires attending to what individuals bring to interactions, what goes on during those interactions, and the cultural contexts (as they have developed over historical time) of the individuals involved. Equally important, we stress that Vygotsky's view of interactions between teachers and children involves the concept of obuchenie, a Russian term meaning both teaching and learning, rather than scaffolded instruction. To take this position seriously involves making dramatic changes in the process of education as typically practiced. For this reason Vygotsky's theory has revolutionary implications, examples of which we discuss in the final section.     

The Body and the Place of Physical Activity in Education: Some classical perspectives

Abstract

The place of physical education has been contested in recent times and it has been argued that its justification as part of school curricula seems to be marginal at best. Such justifications as have been offered, propose that physical education is justified because of its contribution to moral development or because it is capable of being studied as a theoretical subject. Other justifications have centred on the embodied nature of the human being. In this article we draw on some classical thinkers, Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Augustine and Benedict, to argue for a strong, integrated view of the human person. From this it is concluded that physical education is a necessary component of education and that a complete education therefore involves physical education. Physical education is understood in a broad sense as a family resemblance concept which incorporates a wide variety of physical activities. Disciplined physical activity which enables individuals to gain those physical skills required for learning, it is proposed, is essential for intellectual development. Benedictine education, which involves hard physical work, reading, prayer and reflection, illustrates how the physical and mental aspects of a person are to be integrated in order to attain the ends of the committed Benedictine monk.     

The learning society as itself: lifelong learning,individualization of learning,and beyond education

This paper considers the bottom-up vision of the learning society. Unlike the top-down approach, the bottom-up approach does not start by specifying the purposes of learning which should direct the development of the learning society, but from observing interactions among learning individuals as agents. While in the relevant literature and policies much attention has been devoted to certain positions on how one's learning should respond to current change, this paper proposes that when considering the establishment and development of the learning society we should not dismiss the understanding of how individuals, concrete beings, act as they learn, since how they do so has an impact on the way in which learning is structured. This bottom-up approach has to be taken into account, for it helps us to come near to what is embedded in learning practices, and to react pertinently when we need to come to terms with substantive issues for the development of the learning society. Three aspects—lifelong learning, the individualization of learning, and learning beyond education—serve as the context for understanding what characterize the practices of the learning society.     

“最近发展区”理论:基于文本的探究、阐释与启示

“最近发展区”理论是维果茨基关于儿童发展与教学的理论,也是国内教育领域研究和介绍比较多的显学,但综观这些研究,立足原著对“最近发展区”理论开展文本研究的并不多见.本文就是采用文本研究和阐释学的方法,试图通过对原著的深度挖掘、澄清、指认和阐释,力求全面准确地把握维果茨基教育理论的精神实质,并从中寻得对我国当下课程改革、教学改革的若干新解和启示.     

卢梭与"现代教育"意象

“现代教育”概念直接与卢梭的教育理论联系了起来。人们常常认为,是卢梭“创立”了现代教育,或至少是其最具影响力的前辈。本文认为,“现代学术”或“实验教育”是在17世纪晚期的“古今之争”中加以讨论的。这场历史性的重要争论过后, 教育和学术便与现代科学的开放经验联系了起来。与这种传统相对照,卢梭并不是一位现代作家。将他的教育概念作为19世纪末所谓“现代教育”或“进步教育”的基础, 这实在是太矛盾了。进步教育的意象被儿童心理学、尤其是被认知发展理论所强化。卢梭克己自制的“消极教育”概念在很多方面与这些观点相对立。     

建构主义理论及其对中学历史教学的启示

建构主义被心理学家们称为＂当代教育心理学中的一场革命＂,其所蕴涵的教育、教学思想主要反映在知识观、学习观、学生观、师生角色的定位及其作用、学习环境等方面。作为对传统认识论、教育论的一场革命性的挑战,建构主义促使我们对传统的中学历史教学进行反思,并为这种反思提供了全新的教育心理学视角。     

当代西方建构主义学习观述评及启示

建构主义是当代心理学理论申行为主义发展到认知主义以后的进一步发展,被喻为是“当代教育心理学中的一场革命”。在了解建构主义学习观的基础上,作了一些简要的评述,以期进一步明确建构主义学习观在教育教学中给我们带来的启示。     

In search of a consistency model for evaluation of student performance in nontraditional education

In nontraditional education we believe that learning how to learn should be the major objective. Helping students learn how to learn should be a major teaching objective and a major teaching skill. This skill involves helping a student recognize that learning involves personal change and that no one is so knowledgeable and so skilled that he or she need not learn. One of the major problems in learning how to learn for educators is being able to play a concurrent role—that of an evaluator and that of an academic advisor. Inherent in this double role is the concept that an evaluator should provide a learning experience that is planned as an integral and continuous part of a student's education. Evaluation processes, both in planning and implementation, should be consistent with knowledge, values, and goals of nontraditional education. Their basis should be a theory of adult learning.     

维果茨基的儿童科学概念及其教学启示——基于对《思维与语言》的解读

基于维果茨基的经典著作《思维与语言》,深入梳理其关于科学概念的论述,逐一讨论科学概念的本质、形成过程以及发展规律,探讨维果茨基对科学概念发展的研究为教学带来的启示。维果茨基对科学概念和日常概念作出区分,开创性地指出二者是同一概念形成过程的两个方面。他结合儿童思维发展的特点,重点分析了科学概念的发展方式,指出儿童智力发展与学校教学之间的紧密联系,认为教学先于发展。教师教授科学概念时,儿童的高级心理机能尚未成熟,而是在互动教学中通过与所学概念不断建立内在联系而逐渐发展的。在这个过程中,儿童的主动性、教师的积极性和他们所处的社会环境共同构建了概念的发展,而这些教学概念和方法同时也为科学概念在儿童内部心理机能中的发展提供了有效的路径,不断深化人们对掌握概念和学科知识规律的认识。维果茨基对儿童科学概念的研究为教学研究注入了新的动力、开拓了新的角度,推动了社会建构主义理论的发展。     

Concepts and practices of education and adult education: obstacles to lifelong education and lifelong learning?

Over the last half century, in varying degrees and under various names, there has been much interest in learning throughout life for everybody. Although what has been written has stressed its necessity and feasibility, little has been achieved. As is common to all things educational, it has lagged behind the times. Little considered and highly resistant among the obstacles to it are the current concepts, institutions and practices of education. The widespread, systematic study of education in the 19th century grew out of the need to train teachers required by the introduction of universal primary schooling. Concentration by teacher trainers on this task, and their struggle to establish their subject as a coherent discipline to be taught in institutions of higher education was such that the prevailing view of education came to be restricted not merely mainly, as hitherto, but only, to the upbringing of children and young people. Rejecting this view of necessity, adult educationalists have sought for their own field academic recognition as a discipline, emphasizing their differences from initial education. Study of current educational writings from many countries shows that the reconciliation of these two positions, necessary to lifelong education, has not gone very far. Consideration of what might be done to create a process and a habit of lifelong learning for all on the basis of current practice and theory of initial education and adult education, of which lifelong education can only be a contributory element, will require fundamental changes in both. There are few signs so far of the political will and the sense of urgency that will apparently be required.     

Rethinking reflective practice in professional lifelong learning using learning metaphors

Studies relating to reflection and reflective practice in learning, specifically workplace learning, have gradually emerged from within the professional education literature. Evidence has seen a shift from an individualistic to a more collective approach to reflection, in an attempt to move away from viewing learning as an individual action. Simultaneously attention has been given to socio-cultural theories which view learning as social practice inherent in our everyday lives, including work. This paper aims to engage in the current debate regarding the polarised conceptualisations of reflective practice within the context of professional learning. Drawing on this debate, as well as on learning metaphors, this paper proposes that professionals should engage in collective reflective practice for both individual and organisational development within workplaces; locations which could be seen as increasingly ambiguous and unpredictable throughout individuals’ working lives. Hence, we need to rehabilitate and extend some of the key aspects of the traditional concept of reflective practice to accommodate the changing terrain of professional practice within an individual professional's lifelong learning.     

扩展我们的教育质量观：重新发现教育目的

高等教育机构对质量保证日益增加的重视以及初等和中等教育中评估学习成就的重要机构的出现,是教育领域中具有重要发展意义的代表性现象。全民教育(EFA)这一全球性运动表明,人们不仅意识到了世界各地的人们都有受教育的权利,而且承诺将教育扩展到世界各地。本文表明的是,尽管我们取得了重大进展,不容忽视的是挑战依然存在。笔者认为,目前在世界各地兴起的质量保证制度中关于质量构成的理解嵌入了个人主义概念。据此,笔者指出这是远远不够的,其他能够阐释我们作为个体、作为民族以及作为国家身份的更具概括性的概念需要被引入,这样才能获得关于质量的更广泛的观点。     

Play as the Leading Activity of the Preschool Period: Insights from Vygotsky, Leont'ev, and Bakhtin

Cultural-historical psychology identifies play as the leading activity in preschool development. Vygotsky's (1967, 1978) seminal work outlined two categories of leading influences: play makes a foundational contribution to the development of semiotic mediation, and it involves active appropriation of social roles and rules and other integral aspects of social organization. Leont'ev's (1981) concept of appropriation and Bakhtin's (1981) concepts of heteroglossia and ideological becoming are used to elaborate and extend Vygotsky's original work, particularly with regard to creativity in preschool play. The paper concludes with a consideration of the pedagogical implications of the cultural-historical view on play, including the use of play to cultivate understanding of the arbitrary nature of signs and the appropriation of the social roles and organizational patterns of society.     

维果茨基缺陷学思想解析及其当代启示

维果茨基的缺陷学思想是其文化历史理论体系中极为重要的一部分,是在教育研究的框架内展开的有关缺陷与补偿的讨论,通过对缺陷个体社会行为与行为结构的分析,揭示了缺陷儿童异常发展的规律。维果茨基缺陷学思想强调了社会文化环境对缺陷儿童的作用,在分析缺陷复杂结构的基础上,科学地阐明了缺陷与补偿的关系,注重集体和动态评估在缺陷个体发展中的重要作用。维果茨基缺陷学思想为当代特殊教育提供了多方面的启示。     

从“脚手架”理论看母语在大学英语课堂中的作用

阐述维果茨基的"脚手架"理论和二语习得有着密切的关系。基于维果茨基的"脚手架"理论,分别从学生的角度以及教师的角度来分析母语作为"脚手架"的作用,最后对母语的使用度作初步探讨,建议教师在大学英语教学中要把握好母语的使用度。     

Experiential learning in youth work in the UK: a return to Dewey

Experiential learning has explicitly, since the publication of the Kolb ‘treatise’ been a cornerstone of youth work practice in the UK. It is the contention of this paper that there is a significant misinterpretation of Kolb’s theory by those who have applied his theory to youth work. Not least that experience is framed as: ‘concrete experience’ and therefore something ‘other’ or additional to the life experience of those being educated. This concrete experience is interpreted in youth work as the undertaking of discrete activities upon which, via subsequent reflection, learning is elicited. What is argued in this paper is that what is required is a return to the formulation of experiential education conceived of by Dewey which locates ‘lived experience’ at the heart of the educational process. For Dewey experience involves a dual process of understanding and influencing the world around us, as well as being influenced and changed ourselves by that experience, what Dewey referred to as ‘trying’ and ‘undergoing’. This important aspect of experiential learning is omitted from the interpretation of Kolb as a simplistic four‐stage learning cycle, though not ironically from his own theory. Finally learning by experience is according to Dewey necessarily concerned with growth and therefore lifelong education—in addition a commitment to Dewey implies rather than denies a curriculum in youth work, a point that those who advocate experiential learning tend to deny.     

“最近发展区”的多重解读及其教育蕴涵

“最近发展区”是维果茨基社会-文化-历史理论的一个标志性概念,也是我们解决教学与发展问题的重要理论基础。对“最近发展区”概念从“认知”、“文化”、“社会”、“教育”和“人学”等角度进行多维透视,不难获得“脚手架”隐喻、情境认知、实践参与、好的教学、人的生成等多方面的启示。它为我们解决教学的准备性与发展性问题指明了具体的思路,也为我们开展有效教学找到了具体的切入点。     

Rousseau and the image of 'modern education'

The concept of 'modern education' is directly connected with Rousseau's theory of education. It is often said that Rousseau 'founded' modern education, or at least was its most influential predecessor. The paper argues that 'modern learning' or 'experimental education' was discussed within the late-17 th century 'quarrel of the ancients and moderns'. After this historically important debate, education and learning could be connected with the open experience of modern science. When compared to this tradition, Rousseau was not a modern writer. His concept of education has been far too paradoxical to serve as a groundwork for what was considered to be 'modern' or 'progressive education' at the end of the 19 th century. The image of progressive education was strengthened by child psychology, especially by theories of learning and development. Rousseau's stoic concept of 'negative education' is in many respects the opposite to such a viewpoint.     

Personalisation: the nostalgic revival of child‐centred education?

Personalisation is an emerging ‘movement’ within education. Its roots reside in marketing theory, not in educational theory. As a concept it admits a good deal of confusion. It can refer either to a new mode of governance for the public services, or it qualifies the noun ‘learning’, as in ‘personalised learning’. The concern here is with its intellectual affinity to child‐centred education, one which the government in England has strongly denied. On balance, the government’s view of personalisation is not of a piece with what may commonly be regarded as child‐centred education. But the strong semantic accord between the terms ‘personalisation’ and ‘child‐centred education’ provokes a question: why does the government not provide a term which unequivocally distinguishes its current ‘vision’ for education from child‐centred education? By retaining the term personalisation, the government purports to do two things: first, because of its focus on personalised ‘tailored’ needs and co‐produced solutions, it adapts education even further to a consumerist society; and second, because the term personalisation strikes a chord with the discourse of child‐centred education, it blurs the fact that little to do with pedagogy or with curriculum has in fact been changed. The term personalisation generates a nostalgic appeal to better times long gone.     

Lifelong learning in South Africa: dreams and delusions

The new South Africa has formally embraced the concept of ‘lifelong learning’ in its education and training policies. But what is the concept of ‘lifelong learning’ that has informed these policies and what progress has there been in implementing them? Have these new policies brought significant changes to education and training for adults?