Comparison Between Piaget and Vygotsky

Vygotsky and Piaget were contemporaries with Watson and Skinner (behaviourists), Freud, (psychoanalysis) and Koffka (Gestalt psychology). (Bodrova & Leong, 1996:7) During the early part of the 20th century, the emerging field of psychology was linked to Darwinism and biological causes for behaviour. Eugenics (deliberate breeding of ‘superior’ humans) was actively promoted in many Western countries. It was thought that behavioural and physical characteristics could be bred into, and out of, populations.

Piaget’s theory reflects his training in biology and philosophy. The main questions to be answered by a biologist are, what enables an organism to adapt to its environment, and what is the most useful way to classify organisms.(Lefrancois, 1999:46)

Vygotsky was a Russian-Jew at the time of the Communist revolution. He died from tuberculosis in 1938. He was strongly influenced by behaviourism.

His theory reflects the influence of

Two forms of tools are developed, technical tools which change the external environment and psychological tools which change the internal environment.(Miller, 1993:387)

Socio-cultural theory notes that development is multidirectional. Psychological tools required, vary along socio-historical time lines. To illustrate this principle, as technology has moved forward, the technical and psychological tools needed to cope with social change have also changed. An older woman needs different schemata to cope with the changed demands of her life today than she did as a young adult fifty years ago. The schemata she would have noted in use by older adults at that time are no longer relevant to society. Tools she used in early adulthood atrophy due to lack of use. An example of this in New Zealand European subculture is the change from personal identification as having dependant children (being ‘Mum”) to a functioning adult with much to offer, but no-one to pass it on to. The mental tools required to cope are different in each situation.

Classroom practice adopts techniques from both of these viewpoints.

These two theories challenged behaviourism by allowing the possibility that people direct their own behaviour, either from internal drive (Piaget) or by shaping others mental processes (Vygotsky).

Piaget and Vygotsky are in agreement that children are active learners. They contribute to their own development. This means that children build ways of comprehending the world, (knowledge and understanding), through their activities. They differ in the approach that children take to forming these. Piaget states that it happens primarily through physical manipulation of objects around them. Vygotsky, that it is socially mediated.

The four stages are from birth to two years (sensorimotor stage), two to seven years (preoperational stage), seven to eleven or twelve years (concrete operational) and from eleven or twelve to around 15 years (formal operational). (Berk, 2000:21)

In common with Vygotsky, Piaget thought that learning opportunities need to be presented at the child’s current level of development. Piaget stated that development precedes learning. This means that a child’s current level of mental development should lead to the tasks requiring to be learnt next in order to proceed to the next level. eg, Piaget believed that the mind matures into being able reason with logic, and then the child will learn how to use this tool.

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