Vygotsky's philosophy: Constructivism and its criticisms examined

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dc.contributor.authorLiu, H.
dc.contributor.authorMatthews, R.
dc.date.issued2005
dc.description© 2005 Shannon Research Press.
dc.description.abstractCriticisms have recently been voiced of constructivism, the leading metaphor of human learning since the 1970s. Inspired by inconsistencies in interpretations of constructivism in current literature, we examine the underlying epistemological beliefs of popular constructivist theories and their criticisms. We find that popular constructivist claims and criticisms, instead of being based on contrasting philosophical ideas, are similarly grounded on the dualist separatism of the human mind and the external world. We then present our interpretation of Vygotsky's historical-dialectical-monist philosophy, through discussions of Vygotskyan concepts including social environment of learning, the role of language, and individual consciousness. The paper concludes that confusions about Vygotsky's theory often arise from concepts taken literally and from the lack of appreciation of the general philosophical orientation underpinning his works.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityLiu, C.H. and Matthews, R
dc.identifier.citationInternational Education Journal: Comparative Perspective, 2005; 6(3):386-399
dc.identifier.issn1443-1475
dc.identifier.orcidMatthews, R. [0000-0001-8654-177X]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/16896
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherShannon Research Press
dc.source.urihttp://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/mainframe.htm
dc.subjectConstructivism
dc.subjectcriticisms
dc.subjectVygotsky's philosophy
dc.subjecthistorical-dialectical-monism
dc.subjectparadigmatic philosophy
dc.titleVygotsky's philosophy: Constructivism and its criticisms examined
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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