Introduction to the Theorists
Vygotsky developed the theories of child development and learning which has been the basis of many discussions on cognitive development (Kozulin, 2003). His theory of social-cultural learning has been used widely in understanding how children (and people in general) learn from the social set-up they are nurtured. The theories stress that social interaction has a critical role in shaping the cognitive development of a child. Therefore, according to Vygotsky, a community in which the child develops plays an important role towards making meaning in a child.
On the other hand, Piaget’s theory of constructivism reasons that children develop knowledge and meaning from experiences (Akhtar, 2014). Accommodation, as well as assimilation, plays an important role in helping children learn at the tender age. The child, through assimilation, was said to adopt new experiences to the already stored old experiences. The recreation of new experiences and lessons learned to fit into what is already learned explains the accommodation.
Comparison and Transcript Reviews
1st Transcript (Leen and Mother)
The first transcript shows a repeat of events. In the first instance, Leen is in the wrong and her mother interjected a question. Lean learned how the mother approached the mistake and when the mother took her pen and notebook to use while answering a phone, and then Leen perceives it as a mistake and approaches the mother in the manner learned. Besides, Leen masters the way the mother reacted and could even repeat it when the mother brought her cookies.
To understand the learning process illustrated by Leen, the paper consults two theorists who are Vygotsky and Piaget. If Vygotsky were to interpret the transcript, then the social-cultural theory could have been associated with the manner Leen learned from the mother when addressing the issues, whenever wronged, or even when asking for assistance. Accordingly, he would reason that Leen could not have learned the art if she was not with the mother. On the other hand, Piaget could have reasoned that Leen learned the art of responding to such situations as illustrated through the transcript by assimilating and accommodating the new lessons learned. First, Leen had learned how to respond, but after the mother responded differently when she hid the notebook, Leen assimilates the new approach and after accommodating it, then she could use it in latter events.
2nd Transcript (Leen drawing)
The second transcript illustrates the effects of commendation and appraisal in the learning process. While Leen was not perfect at drawing, the mother asked her to make a drawing on the I-pad, she went ahead to draw the basic components of her environment which was herself, her mother, her grandmother, and a house. The compliments that she received from her mother who was impressed worked to motivate her more, and she felt proud.
From the socio-cultural perspective developed by Vygotsky, one could interpret the motivation of Leen into drawing as having come from the mother alone. Vygotsky would then reason that Leen could not have made the drawing were it not for the instruction of the mother. Besides, the compliment that she received from the mother after the drawing encouraged her by boosting her ego and morale into perfecting the art. The social environment was the immediate influence Leen had. However, Piaget through the theory of constructivism would challenge Vygotsky to explain how Leen could have drawn the images on the I-pad if she had not learned how to use the gadget. From constructivism, Piaget could argue that Leen must have had some knowledge in using the I-pad for drawing through assimilation. After assimilating the knowledge, then she could have accommodated the new skill into making the perfect drawing that she made at the request of the mother.
3rd Transcript (Leen speaking two languages)
When Leen was taken to school, the parents were not aware that she was likely to learn English as she had already become fluent in the use of Arabic as the first language. The discovery that Leen could sing the butterfly song fluently and confidently in another language was impressing to the parents and shocking. The discovery made the parents understand that Leen had already mastered two languages.
While interpreting the process of Leen’s learning of two languages, Vygotsky and Piaget could offer contradictory opinions, but which could be satisfactory, though. First, Vygotsky could explain that the social context at home taught Leen the first language while the class environment taught her the second language as used in the song. Accordingly, the theorists could argue that Leen could only learn either of the languages in a social context and never in isolation. However, Piaget would interpret the process differently and hence question why the parents would be shocked. Through his theory of constructivism, the child could learn a new language, but not forget the former. Therefore, Piaget could reason that through assimilation, Leen learned the new language and through accommodation, and she could be able to store it in mind, thus use either whenever required to.
4th Transcript (sandcastle experience)
The fourth lesson that Leen learned was the essence of collaborating with others and working as a team. Although Leen could have known how to build a sandcastle and that she already had an idea of what it was, she could not build it alone and required the assistance of others. How she understood that collaborative efforts could be relied on for accomplishing tasks could be the issue of interpretation by the theorists.
Both of the theorists could have explained the phenomena satisfactorily. First, Vygotsky could have argued that the society always taught the child. As such, she must have observed people working together and the effect of making work easier and faster. Therefore, he could argue that other people’s interactions must have taught Leen. On Piaget’s side, Leen must have had some idea of what a sand castle was and how when people worked together for common goals. Therefore, Leen had some assimilated and accommodated knowledge of the construction of a sandcastle and effects of working as a team.
Article Review
Article 1:
Butler, J. (2010). Does temperament influence the parent-child attachment relationship? Retrieved September 19, 2015. <http://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/1225/ButlerJ.pdf?sequence=3>
Butler studied the influence of temperament on the attachment between a child and the parent. First, the study affirmed that both the parent and the child are equal participants in the relationship under study. Therefore, each of these two parties contributes towards the nature of the relationship. Through a qualitative and deductive study design, the study evaluated the findings of various other studies. While other studies had investigated the phenomena by studying the different construct individually, Butler identified that most of the studies confirmed that temperament influenced how the parent and a child interacted. The paper recommended that the mother or any parent must observe own temperaments while interacting with a child as that was likely to influence how she attended to the emotional needs of the infant.
The study used the methodology of a systematic literature review to analyze the effects of parental temperament towards the relationship between the parent and the respective child. The relationship was assumed paramount in the learning process of the child, especially through the interaction with the parent. Deductions were therefore made and the conclusion that the temperament is critical to a child’s learning from the interrelationship established.
The choice of the article was informed by the need to understand the explanation of why Leen could learn to respond to her mother through such words as “excuse me” when in the wrong or while asking for a favor. The learning process could, therefore, be understood from the point of interactions between Leen and the mother. While the study failed to address directly the process of learning, the article could be inferred to understand the socio-cultural theory of learning developed by Vygotsky. However, Butler consulted the Glaeco-Latin medicine theorem that was effective in explaining temperament. According to the theory, the temperament could be better explained by four body fluids that include the blood, black bile, yellow bile as well as phlegm.
Article 2:
Dunphy, E. (2008). Supporting early learning and development through formative assessment. Retrieved September 19, 2015. < http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Early_Childhood_and_Primary_Education/Early_Childhood_Education/How_Aistear_was_developed/Research_Papers/Formative_assessment_full_paper.pdf>
Dunphy conducted a study on the role of collaborative assessment towards child early learning as well development. The research was focused on understanding how children learn and the nature of learning they appreciate as established by studying the effects of assessment. The paper, therefore, focused on such indicators as well-being, identity, belonging, and communication as well as creativity and thinking. From the study, it was established that effective learning at all levels of child development is facilitated through assessment. However, the frequency and nature of the assessment is dependent on collaboration or mutual appreciation.
Primary methods of data collection through observation were used in the study. The primary data collected was then subjected to qualitative analysis against findings from other studies as reviewed from the literature. Therefore, the study embraced a mixed method approach while conducting the research. From the analysis, the deductions made supported the hypothesis that collaborative assessment affected how the children learn.
The choice of the article was informed by the second construct, which had Leen’s mother test her drawing skilled by the I-pad. While the parent was aware of what she was doing, Leen could not have perceived as an assessment but had a positive reaction towards it. The results of the drawing exercise had the mother congratulate her, and that boosted her morale and she felt proud of herself. The socio-cultural theory advanced by Vygotsky was consulted in understanding how the assessment influenced learning. Vygotsky’s theory, therefore, became the reference point of the study, and the findings confirmed the theorist’s opinion.
Article 3:
Aschermann, J. (2001). Children teaching and learning in peer collaborative interactions. Retrieved September 19, 2015. < http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04252001-140637/unrestricted/Thesis.pdf>
Aschermann undertook a study on children learning and teaching within an environment that encouraged peer interactions and collaboration. The study was informed by the need to investigate the supposed significance of interactions of children while in a classroom as they study. Many other studies could be shown to theorize that the peer interactions in a classroom environment influenced the cognitive as well as physical development of the children. As postulated by the hypothesis, the study identified that learning and teaching in a classroom setup depended on peer interactions. The interactions enabled the teachers to design better delivery mechanisms while teaching. In addition, the students could learn from each other the best ways of understanding the concepts. Besides, the interaction created a healthy environment where everyone felt comfortable with each other.
The exploratory study presented embraced the method of observation as the primary tool for collecting data. The analysis was to follow by comparing the observations with the findings of similar studies that were used as the background guides to the study. Some pre-school children were involved in the study in a university-based school. The theory of Vygotsky guided the study as it argued in support of effects of interactions within a class set-up.
The choice of the study was informed by the third transcript, which had Leen’s parent amazed to learn that Leen had a good command of English as a second language. The Vygotsky theory explained the process by which Leen learned the new language without being hampered by the primary language. However, the findings could not contradict the constructivism theory developed by Piaget and which reasoned that the child could also learn another lesson without being affected by the previous one. However, having been based on Vygotsky’s theory, it had more relevance when interpreted from the socio-cultural perspective.
Article 4:
Smith, P. (2010). The role of peers in children’s learning. Retrieved September 19, 2015. < http://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10179/2217/02_whole.pdf?sequence=1>
In 2010, Smith undertook a study he explored the effects of peers in children’s. The study focused on two set-ups where children worked collaboratively and had each learn from the other. The post-positivist paradigm was adopted for the study, and qualitative tools were used. Primary data collection was done through observation and semi-structured interviews. Besides, the study embraced comparative analysis with some previous studies, which explained how the findings of the study were established. From the study, Smith established that the effect of peer interactions in the learning process of the children could not be ignored. In fact, the study established that most of the activities that the children did were done in a collaboration that then enabled one to learn from another, and together they accomplished great tasks.
The choice of the study was influenced by the fourth transcript, which saw Leen ask the other children to assist her while building the sand castle. Just as the transcript showed success realized by the children while creating the castle, so was the finding and the implications for the study towards the process of learning. Peer collaboration becomes a critical element of children learning, not only in the classroom environment but also outside classroom. However, the analysis shows that Smith had no theoretical background while conducting the study. However, the findings supported the reasoning of Vygotsky in socio-cultural theory where the interactions in an environment influence the learning process of the children.
Personal Reflection
I must admit that studying a child is not among the easiest tasks one can think about. For unbiased study outcomes, one is required to make the observation as natural as possible. However, one could ask how possible it is to follow a child from the classroom to the living room and outside while playing without raising her curiosity. However, to establish qualitative findings and contribute towards improving the understanding of learning processes involving the children, I had to commit my time and intellect towards the course. Various factors among which were her age and my relationship with her parents informed my choice for Leen as my study subject. It was, therefore, easy for me to mount a camera in her living room and have it operate at particular times of the day. Besides, I could spend time with her while she played and sometimes as her mother fetched her from school. Through the relationship that I had already developed with her, she could hardly perceive my constant presence, which would be irritating.
However, in some instances, her moods could worsen, especially when angry and at such times, collecting data could not be very easy. Nevertheless, the mother played a critical role in helping me collect the information without raising any suspicion during the recording process. She could record her responses when they engaged in specific talks, and some instances could have the camera in the sitting room when Leen was alone. The process would take as long as three months, but I could always have a preview of the recordings and analyze them in stages. Therefore, the fact that the child did not realize that she was being observed in the study helped the data collection process remain unbiased. The data could be effective if used for such study to establish the factors that affect the process of learning. However, the data collected could only be used in such setups where the students had opportunities to spend with parents, teachers in the classroom set-up, when interacting with peers, and both in class and outside the class setup.
The experience I have had in the study has enabled me understand that while studying the learning process of children, every small bit in movements, actions as well as attitude could have an implication on the outcome of the study. It is worth noting that studying a child could be biased if the subject notes that it is being observed and followed. Therefore, such a study requires one to keep the process as natural as possible. Other lessons learned through the process were that children are naturally eager to learn. Any opportunity that comes the way of children is often interpreted as learning opportunity. However, the environment within which a child affects the manner he/she reacts influences the learning process. Besides, for one to study a child, one must be ready to take long, commit energy and resources as well as be patient with the child.
Finally, the opportunity that I had to spend with the children exposed me to the better understanding of the behavior of children as explained by developmental and learning theories. I had an opportunity to interact with many other children besides Leen as I collected the data, and I could relate more to my subject from an objective perspective. Therefore, I must appreciate the exposure that the current study gave me in understanding factors affecting the learning process of children
References
Akhtar, M. (2014). Critical analysis of Vygotsky and Piagets theory of language learning. S.l.: Grin Verlag Gmbh.
Aschermann, J. (2001). Children teaching and learning in peer collaborative interactions. Retrieved September 19, 2015. < http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04252001-140637/unrestricted/Thesis.pdf>
Butler, J. (2010). Does temperament influence the parent-child attachment relationship? Retrieved September 19, 2015. < http://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/1225/ButlerJ.pdf?sequence=3>
Dunphy, E. (2008). Supporting early learning and development through formative assessment. Retrieved September 19, 2015. < http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Early_Childhood_and_Primary_Education/Early_Childhood_Education/How_Aistear_was_developed/Research_Papers/Formative_assessment_full_paper.pdf>
Kozulin, A. (2003). Vygotsky’s educational theory in cultural context. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Smith, P. (2010). The role of peers in children’s learning. Retrieved September 19, 2015. < http://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10179/2217/02_whole.pdf?sequence=1>
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