Psychological tools : a sociocultural approach to education

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

Psychological tools : a sociocultural approach to education

Alex Kozulin

Harvard University Press, 1998

  • : pbk

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-175) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

: pbk ISBN 9780674007086

Description

The concept of "psychological tools" is a cornerstone of L. S. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of cognitive development. Psychological tools are the symbolic cultural artifacts--signs, symbols, texts, formulae, and most fundamentally, language--that enable us to master psychological functions like memory, perception, and attention in ways appropriate to our cultures. In this lucid book, Alex Kozulin argues that the concept offers a useful way to analyze cross-cultural differences in thought and to develop practical strategies for educating immigrant children from widely different cultures. Kozulin begins by offering an overview of Vygotsky's theory, which argues that consciousness arises from communication as civilization transforms "natural" psychological functions into "cultural" ones. He also compares sociocultural theory to other innovative approaches to learning, cognitive education in particular. And in a vivid case study, the author describes his work with recent Ethiopian immigrants to Israel, whose traditional modes of learning were oral and imitative, and who consequently proved to be quick at learning conversational Hebrew, but who struggled with the reading, writing, and formal problem solving required by a Western classroom. Last, Kozulin develops Vygotsky's concept of psychological tools to promote literature as a useful tool in cognitive development. With its explication of Vygotsky's theory, its case study of sociocultural pedagogy, and its suggested use of literary text for cognitive development, Psychological Tools will be of considerable interest to research psychologists and educators alike.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction The Concept of Psychological Activity Piaget, Vygotsky, and the Cognitive Revolution The Mediated Learning Experience and Psychological Tools Cognitive Education Cognitive Skills in Immigrant and Ethnic Minority Students Literature as a Psychological Tool The Challenges of Prospective Education References Acknowledgments Index
Volume

ISBN 9780674721418

Description

The concept of "psychological tools" is a cornerstone of L.S. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of cognitive development. Psychological tools are the symbolic cultural artifacts - signs, symbols, text, formulae and language - that enables people to master psychological functions such as memory, perception, and attention. This text argues that the concept offers a way to analyze cross-cultural differences in thought and to develop practical strategies for educating immigrant children from widely different cultures. Alex Kozulin offers an overview of Vygotsky's theory, which argues that conciousness arises from communication as civilization transforms "natural" psychological functions into "cultural" ones. He compares sociocultural theory to other innovative approaches to learning.

Table of Contents

  • The concept of psychological activity
  • Piaget, Vygotsky and the cognitive revolution
  • the mediated learning experience and psychological tools
  • cognitive education
  • cognitive skills in immigrant and ethnic minority students
  • literature as a psychological tool
  • the challenges of prospective education.

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