Understanding the Constructivist Approach

Lev Vygotsky
(1896 - 1934)

 Vygotsky was born in a small Russian town called Orsche, and is known for his Sociocultural theory. He "focuses on the influences of sociocultural factors such as ethnic back-ground and sex on development" (Rathus & Rinaldi , 2009, p. 31).  Lev Vygotsky also strongly believes social interactions are vital in the cognitive development of young children. "Vygotsky sees the child's functioning as adaptive, and that the child adapts to his or her social and cultural interactions" (Rathus & Rinaldi , 2009, p. 28). Vygotsky is considered a major contributor to the constructivist approach because he believes children should be left alone to explore and adults are there to assist children when they need.

Jean Piaget
(1896-1980)

Jean Piaget was born in Neuchatel, Switzerland, and he is one of the first known psychologist who came up with the Cognitive Child Development Theory. The core concepts of his theory is "children adapt to the environment via processes of assimilation to existing mental structures (schemas) or by changing these structures (accommodation)" (Rathus & Rinaldi , 2009, p. 31). He strongly believes children think differently than adults and construct their own meaning. Piaget states "children are budding scientist who seek to understand and manipulate their own world" (Rathus & Rinaldi , 2009, p. 31). Piaget is considered an constructivist because he focuses on the way children adapt to their environment and how they perceive and interpret the world on their own.