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Lev Vygotsky's Cognitive Theory

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“A strong sense of attachment, bonding, and belonging, and a feeling of being cared about characterize adolescents’ positive relationships with their teachers and their school (APA, 2002). Students are more willing to engage and give their best attempts when they have a reason to - they feel like they matter and they understand that what they are learning is relative to their lives.
Math class has the opposite effect for Victoria. She recalled how from first grade her mathematical foundation was poorly established. She did not learn multiplication in her early grades of public school, she transferred to home schooling, and upon returning to public schools she felt like she was still catching up on the basics. For this reason she hated to do …show more content…

When asked who she looks up to she replied, “both parents, they have done well raising us, taught us about the world, they are not over controlling and let me learn from bad decisions” (Victoria 2018). In Lev Vygotsky’s cognitive theory he identifies an MKO (most knowledgeable other), a person with more knowledge than you in a particular area , as a key cultural influence (Triplett, as cited in Vygotsky, 2016c). For Victoria to have adults to look up to, be supported by, and feel acceptance from lends to positive development in her cognition, emotion, and intellect. This is very important as teenagers “are searching for adult identity and acceptance” (California, …show more content…

Vygotsky’s cognitive theory emphasizes “individual development could not be understood without reference to the social and cultural context within which the individual was embedded” (Triplett, 2016). Throughout the events recalled, it is evident that Victoria’s world is shaped by experience and influence. In general it is nearly impossible to fully understand a person, nonetheless one going through adolescence, without knowing where they are coming from socially, culturally, and developmentally. For those who work with or intend to work with adolescents it is imperative that you form a relationship first, one in which you take the time to show care and interest in what’s important to them so that they can reciprocate by wanting you to accept

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