Contemporary principles to lead understandings of children’s learning: synthesizing Vygotsky, Rogoff, Wells and Lindfors

ABSTRACT

Many scholars are influenced by the theoretical contributions of Lev Vygotsky. Significant post-Vygotskian scholarly writing highlights sociocultural perspectives of understanding everyday, informal learning as an important phenomenon. Ideas of participatory learning, and knowledge building through participation and inquiry, are included in the work of Barbara Rogoff, Gordon Wells and Judith Lindfors. Synthesizing their work contributes to potential shifts in understanding the ways children learn that, in turn, might influence early childhood education policies, practices and outcomes. This paper, therefore, proposes contemporary principles reflecting current ways to understand and value young children’s learning, illustrated through the concept of ‘working theories’. A recent construct in scholarship on children’s learning, working theories recognize the fluid and changing trajectories of learning that children engage in to understand, and participate more effectively in, their lives. In this way, shifts from traditional views of young children’s learning to contemporary and nuanced understandings become possible.

KEYWORDS:

• sociocultural theory
• young children
• informal learning
• inquiry
• working theories
• early childhood education

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the work of, and conversations with, two research assistants, Sarah Jones and Amanda White, who have contributed to the ideas posed in this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Helen Hedges

Helen Hedges is professor of early childhood education at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her research has centred on children's interests, inquiries and working theories.