Sociocultural Cognitive Development

Definition

This is an approach to understanding cognitive development that emphasizes how social interactions and culture guide cognitive development.

Analogy

Imagine you're playing a multiplayer video game. You start off not knowing much about it. But as you interact with other players online, join gaming communities, read forums - your skills improve. That's sociocultural cognitive development - learning through social interaction and cultural immersion.

Related terms

Cultural Transmission/Cultural Learning: The way a group of people within a society or culture tend to learn and pass on information.

Scaffolding in Education: A process where teachers model or demonstrate how to solve a problem, then step back, offering support as needed.

Collaborative Learning: An educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of learners working together to solve a problem or complete a task.