Vygotsky's Theory

A competent and effective math teacher is not only a knowledgeable individual who strives to constantly improve teaching techniques by employing a wide variety of psychological techniques, but is someone who finds passion in helping others achieve success. Regardless of the size or location, within any classroom there exists a diverse student population with a variety of needs, abilities, and learning styles. Eliminating the traditional inflexible style of teaching enables teachers to adopt the behavioral, cognitive, and constructive methods which have been scientifically proven to create and maintain a superior learning community. However, classrooms are unlike scientific laboratories consisting only of controlled, independent, and dependent …show more content…
His theory allows for students to consistently increase their understanding of a subject, regardless of their Intelligence Quotient or specialties on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory. Although students vary in their analytical intelligence level, applying Vygotsky’s methods of scaffolding and zone of proximal development maximizes success for all students. In this approach, a teacher must first use the scaffolding and zone of proximal development to assess every student’s current level understanding of the subject. The careful evaluation of homework and tests throughout the year enables a teacher to successfully gauge each student’s comprehension of a concept. Once the level of mastery of the material is known, Vygotsky’s theory dictates that the teacher “provide a particular student with the support (scaffolding) where concepts are within the student’s zone of proximal development (slightly above the students understanding), and then slowly removing this teacher provided support as the student increases his or her level of understanding” (Santrock 50). As soon as the student has obtained this higher understanding of a subject, the scaffolding is reapplied to a new zone of proximal development, thereby allowing the student to continue to reach higher levels of …show more content…
While reinforcing positive behavior can optimize classroom behavior, it does not assist students in developing a higher level of subject comprehension. Instead, it is the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Vygotsky’s scaffolding which successfully help students to obtain a higher understanding and make the concepts learned in schools applicable to life. Thus, combining these various teaching techniques enables a teacher to create an effective, ideal learning environment for all