Learning as a social process

Learning as a social process



Learning as a social process

Thesis statement

Learning is a social process that would be incomplete and ineffective without the social environment. The individual would fail to utilize all his necessary skills such as speech and problem solving abilities if learning ceases to be a social process. Vygotsky's theory is central in understanding and justifying the importance of social process on learning.

Introduction

The learning by individuals occurs in a social context. Since birth, an individual's understanding of the world takes place amidst interactions. The process of learning in the social context is continuous process. Children learn from their parents, they learn when they play with other children and they also learn when they are assisted by their teachers in learning. Every social process and interaction involves learning. Take for example the case of reading a novel. When a person reads a novel, he or she interacts with the writer of the novel, and the social and cultural context that the novel carries. Learning is a process that occurs through interactions with others. It also occurs through communications with others. So interaction and communication are the basis through which learning takes place and these occur in a social context. Therefore, learning is very much a social process.

A Russian psychologist named Lev Vygotsky forwarded his theory of learning which very much explained the process of learning in a social context. By underlying how various social environment influences the way in which an individual learns, Vygotsky explained the importance of social process to learning.

Everything that the individual learns from language to thinking to the ability to solve problems is acquired in a social context. The series of different social processes and the social environment to which the individual is exposed to plays the most significant role in the learning process of an individual. Without the social processes, the individual would not be able to learn anything.

Discussion

Many theories have been forwarded with regards to development and learning of an individual. One of the most important theories was proposed by Vygotsky. This theory helps in understanding to the extent that the social processes play their part in learning by an individual. Vygotsky explained that the learning by children involves their interactions with other children, adults and teachers. All these social interactions enabled the language to be developed which in turn supported thinking. These interactions are responsible for providing the feedback and assistance that supports the ongoing process of learning. The basis of understandings reached through the various social interactions becomes internalized in a person, and this is achieved through a social process.

Knowledge that an individual learns undergoes construction under the interactions that he has with others. This shapes the skills and capabilities of the individual in his particular culture. Culture too plays an important part in the process of learning. Language which is leant through interactions with others promotes thinking. It is also responsible for developing reasoning apart from supporting their cultural activities like writing and ...