Context and relevance. Mobile device use in school-aged children is understudied, especially in relation to family factors, despite Vygotskian perspectives emphasizing social and cultural mediation in development. Objective. To examine how parental demographics, attitudes, and behaviors are associated with children’s mobile device use during middle childhood. Hypothesis. Parents’ own device use, beliefs about mobile apps, parental norms, and household structure were hypothesized to be associated with children’s mobile use. Methods and Materials. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 969 Italian parents of children aged 6–10. Measures included sociodemographics, parents’ and children’s device use, and parental screen norms. Multiple regression analyses were applied. Results. Children’s use was significantly associated with parents’ own device use, parent gender, the presence of older siblings, and parental norms. Parents’ positive attitudes were associated specifically with children’s smartphone use, whereas parental concerns were weakly negatively associated with smartphone use. Parental norms emerged as the strongest and most consistent correlate across all device types. Lower parental education was associated with greater use of smartphones, tablets, and video game consoles, and lower subjective socioeconomic status was linked to higher tablet use. At the child level, older age was associated with greater smartphone, tablet, and laptop use, whereas boys reported higher use of laptops and video game consoles, and girls higher use of tablets. Conclusions. Consistent with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, children’s digital routines appear closely intertwined with individual characteristics, parental beliefs and modeling, and household structures.
Context and relevance. For children in the first months of life, the basis of the social situation of development (SSD) is their involvement in the mother–child relationship. Conception and pregnancy achieved through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) often result in a chronic stressful situation for the woman, which can negatively affect the development of her maternal attitude. Communication with a close adult is the leading activity of a child in the first six months of life, and its disruption affects the overall development of children from these dyads. Objective. To compare the indicators of motor and emotional development in three-month-old children conceived with and without the use of reproductive technologies. Hypothesis. The social situation of development (SSD) in children born to mothers who used assisted reproductive technologies (ART) differs significantly from that in children born to mothers who did not, which is reflected in indicators of motor and emotional development as early as three months of age. Methods and materials. The study included 83 mother–child dyads with infants aged 3 to 3,8 months. In 20,5% of cases, the children were conceived using assisted reproductive technologies (ART). The research methods employed were clinical, experimental-psychological, and statistical. Results. The hypothesis was confirmed: children born with the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) differed from their peers with statistical significance in the level of motor skills development, despite approximately comparable indicators of physical health. Conclusions. The conditions of conception, pregnancy, and the postpartum period create a high risk of emotional disturbances and a shift in priorities in interaction with children for women who conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART). The social situation of development (SSD) for children is determined by these factors and may, in some cases, be considered emotionally deficient. Minimal differences in the level of physical health indicate that features of social interaction are the primary causes of delays in motor skills.
Context and relevance. The study of indicators of general well-being and drivers of activity among students is particularly relevant in the context of modern challenges in the educational environment. Student life is a critical stage of personal and professional development, accompanied by high academic loads, the need to adapt to sociocultural changes, and the formation of life goals and social connections. In this context, the ability to effectively manage one's own time, goals, and relationships, which are the drivers of activity, becomes a key factor in successful adaptation and psychological comfort. Objective. To study the indicators of general well-being among students in the higher education system and their relationship with the level of activity. Hypothesis. The level of activity is interrelated with indicators of general well-being among students: as activity increases, well-being also increases. Methods and materials. The study involved 297 undergraduate students of a humanitarian university (M = 21,1, SD = 4,0, 84% female). Indicators of general well-being were assessed using a battery of questionnaires (Spielberger-Khanin self-assessment scale of anxiety level, V. Zung's method of differential diagnosis of depressive states (adapted by T.I. Balashova), N.P. Fetiskin's scale of subjective well-being, N. Hall's method for assessing emotional intelligence, etc.), and the level of activity was determined using E.B. Bashkin's "Drivers of student learning activity" method. Results. The results showed that all the studied indicators of general well-being differed among students with different levels of activity. Conclusions. It has been shown that the ability to effectively manage goals, time, and relationships, on the one hand, contributes to a decrease in personal anxiety and depression, an increase in emotional intelligence, but on the other hand, it leads to an increase in situational anxiety and a decrease in subjective well-being.
Context and relevance. Cultural-historical psychology makes it possible to describe the phenomenon of irony and the specific features of its comprehension in terms of social and cultural norms. In recent years, the search for effective tools of children’s socialization has increasingly turned to the study of how children understand irony, particularly irony used as an indirect evaluation of a child’s behavior. The regulation of preschoolers’ behavior is associated with rules transmitted by adults in social developmental situations, which determine children’s cultural congruence. It is assumed that the understanding of irony is related to theory of mind, which makes it relevant to study behavioral regulation both in the context of irony comprehension and in connection with theory of mind. Objective. To identify the relationship between irony comprehension, the level of behavioral regulation in children expressed as cultural congruence, and indicators of their theory of mind development. Hypothesis. Children’s understanding of irony is related to their cultural congruence as well as to their theory of mind. Methods and Materials. The study involved 75 preschoolers from Kazan (M = 59,02; SD = 3,1; 35 boys). Cultural congruence was assessed using the Cultural Congruence Questionnaire; irony comprehension was measured with tasks translated and adapted for this study; theory of mind was assessed using the respective subtest from the NEPSY-II battery. To identify the nature of the relationships, Spearman’s correlation analysis was applied. Results. The findings show that five-year-old children’s understanding of irony is associated with their parents’ assessments of the cultural congruence factors “obedience” and “safety”. The level of theory of mind development demonstrated a significant correlation with the cultural congruence factor “self-control”. Conclusions. Preschool children’s comprehension of irony opens new avenues for studying the metacognitive, communicative, and emotional domains of personality. The revealed interconnections among irony comprehension, cultural congruence, and theory of mind provide a foundation for developing new approaches to the practice of supporting behavioral regulation in preschool children.
Context and relevance. The pervasive engagement of modern preschoolers with the digital environment calls for a nuanced understanding of how family practices mediate its impact on child development. Objective. Moving beyond simplistic measures of screen time, this study analyzes the relationship between child-reported parental digital mediation and the annual growth in emotion comprehension during the preschool years. Hypothesis. Child-reported parental digital mediation (i.e., time limits, content restrictions, and rules governing the conditions of digital activity) serves as a significant predictor of the annual increase in emotion comprehension in preschoolers. Methods and materials. The sample included 1512 children (M = 5,7 years; SD = 4,11 months) assessed at the first time point in senior kindergarten groups, with a follow-up assessment of 1339 children (M = 6,6 years; SD = 4,5 months) one year later in preparatory groups. At both stages, children's emotion comprehension was assessed. Children also reported on family digital rules (time limits, content restrictions, and rules-conditions), while parents reported on their child's screen time. Results. No significant associations were found between any type of digital rule and the gain in emotion comprehension. This pattern was identical for boys and girls, despite boys demonstrating significantly higher screen time. Screen time itself also did not predict growth in emotion comprehension. Conclusions. The mere presence of digital rules, even when reported by the child, does not predict emotional development in preschool age. From the perspective of cultural-historical psychology, a formal rule not accompanied by emotional interaction with an adult is not internalized and remains an external constraint. The study highlights the need to shift the research focus from the existence of rules to the quality of their internalization within joint adult-child activity.
Context and relevance. Constructing developmental education requires an understanding of the patterns of child development and an analysis of those childhood activities that constitute the intrinsic value of childhood and enable children to solve age-related problems. This article analyzes the phenomenon of children's storytelling—the creation of stories by preschoolers within the framework of educational practices, in which adults write down stories created according to the child's idea and then act them out or listen to them together with other children. Objective. To determine how storytelling relates to the key activities of preschool age. Research questions. How are play and storytelling related? How are experimentation and storytelling related? What is the uniqueness of storytelling as a childhood activity of intrinsic value? Methods and materials. Theoretical analysis of Russian and international sources and its correlation with examples of children's storytelling. Results. The analysis revealed similarities between storytelling, play, and experimentation in terms of supporting children's ideas and initiative, as well as the opportunity to experiment in a safe space. At the same time, storytelling creates unique opportunities for the transformation of experiences and for the construction of the child's identity as a subject of action through experimentation with narrative structures: the "landscape of consciousness" and the "landscape of action". Conclusions. Children's storytelling, which includes play and experimentation with speech but is not reducible to them, unfolds within the child's zone of proximal development. The narrative form becomes a unique cultural tool for transforming experiences and constructing one's identity as a subject of action. Storytelling creates conditions for the emergence of prerequisites for artistic creativity, allowing the child to simultaneously master cultural norms and create something new.
Context and relevance. Academic motivation is considered one of the key predictors of learning success, persistence in educational activity, and students’ psychological well-being. Within self-determination theory, motivation is understood as a multidimensional system of regulatory processes developing through the internalization of social values. Particular interest is given to parental respect motivation, reflecting students’ striving to meet parental expectations and maintain positive relationships with significant others. From the perspective of cultural-historical psychology, this type of motivation may be interpreted as a result of the transformation of social interaction into internal mechanisms of self-regulation (Vygotsky, 1983). Objective. To examine the role of parental respect motivation in the structure of academic motivation among adolescents and to identify its associations with intrinsic motivation, achievement motivation, self-worth motivation, and introjected regulation across different cultural contexts. Hypothesis. It was assumed that parental respect motivation would demonstrate stronger associations with introjected regulation and self-worth motivation than with intrinsic motivation. Cultural differences between Russian adolescents and Arab adolescents living in Israel were also expected, as well as age-related differences in the strength of these relationships. Methods and materials. The study involved adolescents aged 13–16 from educational institutions in the Russian Federation and Israel. The younger age group included students aged 13–14 (N = 333), and the older group included students aged 15–16 (N = 383). Academic motivation was assessed using the Academic Motivation Scales for School Students (AMS-S) (Gordeeva, Sychev, Gizhitsky, Gavrichenkova, 2017). Group differences were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, and relationships between variables were examined using Spearman correlation analysis. Results. Arab adolescents demonstrated higher levels of achievement motivation, self-development motivation, self-worth motivation, introjected regulation, and parental respect motivation compared to Russian adolescents in the younger age group (13–14 years). In the older age group (15–16 years), group differences remained significant mainly for introjected regulation and parental respect motivation. Parental respect motivation showed consistent associations with introjected regulation (r = 0,309–0,550) and self-worth motivation (r = 0,357–0,595), while its association with intrinsic motivation was weak (r = 0,039–0,358). Conclusions. Parental respect motivation may be considered a culturally mediated mechanism of internalization of educational values associated with controlled forms of academic self-regulation. The findings contribute to a more precise understanding of the structure of academic motivation in adolescence and highlight the role of family context in motivational development.
Context and relevance. The issue of personality changes has become a significant trend in personality research over the past decade. Traditional approaches to assessing the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic work are based on comparing measurement results before and after intervention. Objective. To test the visual “Trajectory” method for assessing the perceived trajectory of individual development and to verify its convergent validity. Methods and materials. The study involved 231 participants of the summer school of the magazine Russky Reporter (M = 20,2, SD = 2,96, 85,9% women). The following methods were used: “Trajectory” method, “Big Five” (BFQ-2), Satisfaction with Life Scale, Brief Differential Perfectionism Inventory, Differential Test of Reflexivity, Differential Loneliness Experience Questionnaire, Purpose-in-Life Test. Results. Significant differences were found between groups of respondents who chose different types of trajectories on the indicators of extraversion, emotional stability, life satisfaction, meaningfulness of life, normal perfectionism, and general experience of loneliness. Conclusions. The “Trajectory” method demonstrates convergent validity and can be used to assess the subjective picture of life path in addition to traditional questionnaires.
Context and relevance. Improvisation is becoming increasingly popular among artists, as well as psychologists and educators who incorporate it into their methods of art therapy. While there are few works aimed at understanding the psychological aspects of improvisation, it is important to study the experiences associated with it.This study focuses on the psychological effects of improvisation on individuals through the lens of motor improvisation within a music movement studio. The aim is to describe and analyze these effects based on the experiences of participants. Objective. To study the states that occur during improvisation and the corresponding inner experience of the participants. Hypothesis. There is a connection between the characteristics of participants' experienced states and the quality of improvisation. Methods and materials. The study involved 25 women (M = 37,1, SD = 10,7). The material for the analysis was 50 transcripts of semi-structured interviews devoted to the experience of successful and unsuccessful musical and motor improvisations. The quality of improvisation was assessed by the teacher based on the selected criteria. A thematic analysis of the received texts was carried out. Results. The features that characterize the experience of successful and unsuccessful improvisations are revealed. Conclusions. It has been shown that the inner experience of participants in musical and motor improvisations varies depending on the quality of improvisation. Successful improvisation experiences include a description of a specific state that combines full conscious awareness and spontaneous movement. Post-spontaneous mediated behavior is realized. Common to all successful, fully developed improvisations, regardless of the context, is the experience of flow and the ability to overcome fear, internal resistance, and focus on the content of the improvisation. The improvisational experience in the context of musical movement focuses on musical content and can contribute to the development of self-transcendental abilities.
Context and relevance. The article presents an analysis of the 1948 study by N.G. Morozova, a disciple of L.S. Vygotsky and a colleague of A.N. Leontiev at the Department of Child Psychology at the Psychological Institute. The study focused on the examination and formation of motivation in children to understand adult verbal instructions. The relevance of revisiting this material is driven by contemporary debates on possible approaches to "working with the psyche", one of which is exemplified in the analyzed study. Objective. To identify the origins and specific characteristics of activity-oriented psychotechnical methods. Hypothesis. Activity-based psychotechnics cannot be reduced to either manipulation or maieutics. Instead, it represents a form of “life-enhancement” (zhiznetvorchestvo), which involves transforming or forming a subject’s meaningful activity, with the psyche serving as a specific function of that activity. Methods and materials. The study employs a historical-methodological analysis of research conducted within the framework of A.N. Leontiev’s school of activity psychology and published in the 1940s, as well as a relevant archival document. Results. The study demonstrates that the psychotechnical methods used by N.G. Morozova aimed at the sequential formation of children’s motivation to comprehend verbal instructions in full detail (through the organization of joint activity with adults that is meaningful to them). This process first focuses on what the adult proposes to do, and subsequently on how to do it. It is argued that this work contributes to the study of the structuring function of the motive and to the long-standing debate regarding the relationship between the motivational and operational components of activity. Conclusions. N.G. Morozova’s research, along with other works from A.N. Leontiev’s school in the 1940s, is of more than just historical interest. Their analysis should be continued within the context of contemporary discussions on human freedom and the relationship between word and deed.
Relevance. Cultural influences are not only an important factor in the genesis of mental disorders, but also significant in the development of any psychotherapeutic models and technologies. However, the dependence of the latter on cultural influences is poorly taken into account during their implementation and dissemination. The request from routine narcological practice and somatic medicine for motivational psychotherapy targeting patients who use psychoactive substances (PAS) determines the practical significance of the problem. The aim of the authors of the article was to substantiate the need to modify motivational psychotherapy proposed for patients with alcohol dependence, taking into account cultural influences that are significant when it is carried out in modern Russia. Hypothesis. It was assumed that through a structured survey of expert narcologists, it would be possible to identify aspects of the stated problem that are significant for further study and practical use: the presence of cultural influences that are observed during motivational psychotherapy for a patient with alcohol dependence syndrome. The material for the pilot study was data from a survey of 20 Russian expert narcologists, conducted using authors’ questionnaires described in the text of the article. Results. A survey of addiction experts identified anti-therapeutic attitudes and beliefs frequently observed in patients with alcohol dependence. These beliefs reflect the patient's view of alcohol usage as a primary form of recreation, a means of relaxation and pastime, and the conviction that external circumstances are the cause of alcoholism. A lack of understanding of chemical dependence as a serious disorder was identified, along with a negative attitude toward addiction treatment and addiction specialists. A belief that others will not accept the patient if they choose a sober lifestyle is present. These attitudes hinder motivation and subsequent treatment. Conclusions. The research perspective is to study the cultural aspects of the use of motivational psychotherapy for people with substances dependence in modern Russia for the subsequent improvement of its technologies.
The article describes major milestones in teacher thinking research over the last 50 years, including the results of teacher decision studies and teacher professional knowledge, as well as the development of a theory of teaching. Two promising lines of research by Russian scholars are also analyzed: the conception of teacher thinking and studies of practical thinking. The author's vision of teacher thinking from the point of view of CHAT is presented in the conclusion, along with the formulation of main research questions for further studies.
This is the first publication of the transcript of Lev Vygotsky's speech during the debate on American psychophysiologist Karl Lashley's report. After outlining the key innovations in Lashley's theory concerning the localisation of psychological functions and the relationship between brain mechanisms and intelligence, Vygotsky proceeds to challenge the conventional view of the brain as a telephone switching station. An alternative to this view is the hypothesis of the "dynamic-structural nature" of the brain's work. At the end, Vygotsky presented his long-standing idea of "psychological physiology" for the first time: the study of the brain should "proceed directly from data discovered in psychology".
Relevance. Today, the question of whether the concept of "reflection" is incorporated into the conceptual apparatus of L.S. Vygotsky's cultural-historical psychology (CHP) remains quite debateable. There are differing viewpoints, including diametrically opposite: from opinions that L.S. Vygotsky did not consider reflection a problem, to assumptions that this concept fits quite organically into CHP, and that the founder of CHP was one of the first domestic psychologists to begin developing the issue of reflection. Aim of the article. The authors aim to demonstrate that L.S. Vygotsky seriously posed the problem of reflection, considered it in connection with human development, but was forced to abandon it due to "cultural-historical circumstances," events that took place at the turn of 1931–1932 in our country and abroad. They also seek to show what significance the concept of "reflection" has, using examples of modern psychological practices developed within CHP. Results. An analysis is provided of Vygotsky's understanding of reflection and the importance he attributed to it as a crucial new formation during adolescence (based on the works of A. Buzeman). Arguments are presented to support the idea that the rejection of the concept was forced and determined by historical circumstances. The shift in psychology at the end of the 20th century toward psychological practices allowed the heuristic potential of CHP to be harnessed for practical application (Vygotsky himself saw the mission of psychology in transforming into practice). Reflection is regarded by the authors as a central mechanism of self-development and self-regulation, which has fundamental significance for educational practice, psychosocial rehabilitation, and psychotherapy.
Context and relevance. This article presents the results of mastering the Practicum by students enrolled in the Master's program "Cultural-Historical Psychology and Activity-Based Approach in Education." Four sessions of the Practicum are held at Moscow Experimental School No. 91, where the educational process is organized in accordance with the principles of D. B. Elkonin and V. V. Davydov's theory of developmental learning. Immersion in the educational environment of a school of developmental learning creates a unique opportunity to master the principles of the theory of learning activity and practical methods of its organization. Objective. The article aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Practicum training system for mastering the methods of designing joint educational activities for schoolchildren. Hypothesis. The Practicum training system ensures mastery of the basic concepts of cultural-historical psychology and the principles of organizing learning activity; this is manifested in the students' productive work— drafting of scenarios for a lesson implemented as a joint solution of a learning problem. Methods and materials. The study included a content analysis of texts (100 reports on Practicum 1 and 100 reports on Practicum 2), as well as an expert analysis of 30 lesson scenarios. The sample included master's degree students from the UNESCO Department «Cultural and Historical Psychology» (2017—2025 intakes). Results. It was shown that immersion of master's degree students in the educational environment of a developmental education school, which ensures practical mastery of the theoretical concepts of cultural-historical psychology and activity theory, allows future specialists to formulate and productively solve the problems of constructing lessons in the form of joint learning activity of schoolchildren. Conclusions. The development and description of lesson scenarios, including the organization of joint work of schoolchildren in the process of setting and solving learning problems, the subsequent implementation of these scenarios in the real educational process based on reflection, analysis, and evaluation of results contribute to the development of master's degree students' ability to design and implement productive forms of organizing joint educational activities.
Context and relevance. The modern educational process actively integrates digital technologies; however, the didactic principles of their implementation, especially in the context of organizing collaborative research activities for adolescents, have not been sufficiently explored. Studying the role of video fragments of activity as a tool mediating group interaction appears important for developing effective educational methods in secondary school. Objective. To study the role of a new digital tool (video fragments of activity, VFA) as an instrument mediating group interaction among adolescents in the process of solving experimental research tasks. Hypothesis. The role of VFA in the process of collaborative problem-solving is determined by the function (meaning) that this tool begins to perform in joint activity. Methods and materials. V.V. Rubtsov's social-genetic method was applied. Based on its main principle regarding the mediation of task content through the methods of organizing participants' joint activity, the authors developed an original method called "Sticks." The main stage involved 60 students from grades 6-8. Results. The effectiveness of VFA as a mediating tool is determined by the transition from the function of passive "representation" to the function of active "model example" of joint activity. Such a transition, leading to substantive reflection and qualitative changes in the level of concept generalization and mode of interaction, is possible only with structured assistance from a teacher who organizes reflective analysis. Conclusions. Using video fragments of one's own activity represents the introduction of a new sign-symbolic tool which, when integrated into joint activity with pedagogical support, becomes an instrument for awareness and regulation of collaborative actions, promoting the development of theoretical thinking.
This article is a continuation of the author's previously published work "L.S. Vygotsky: Reading Anew. Part 1", which analyzed the early period of L.S. Vygotsky's scholarly work preceding the formulation of his cultural-historical approach. The author examines in detail Vygotsky's report at the 2nd Psychoneurological Congress in 1924 and a number of related works, including the manuscript "The Historical Meaning of the Crisis in Psychology". The article attempts to demonstrate that one of the reasons for Vygotsky's transition to developing cultural-historical theory — the seeds of which were already evident in his candidate dissertation on the mechanisms of aesthetic reaction — was his understanding of the importance of a methodological analysis of the relationship between the category of "appearance" (representing so-called "psychical" phenomena, following K. Stumpf) and the category of "reality", which Vygotsky considered as the "essence" of these phenomena. The results of the analysis of the category of the "ideal" conducted by E.V. Ilyenkov are introduced into the context of similar ideas formulated within the framework of the activity approach of A.N. Leontiev and the theory of stage-by-stage formation of P.Ya. Galperin.
Context and relevance. This reflective paper explores the significance of personal academic experience in advancing understanding of Cultural-Historical Theory (CHT) and Activity Theory (AT). Objective. Drawing on Rolfe’s (2001) reflective framework of What? So What? Now What? the paper situates the ten authors' participation in the Summer University and a visit to Lev Vygotsky’s grave as moments of both intellectual and affective engagement with the cultural-historical tradition. Hypothesis. Engaging in structured reflection through Rolfe’s (2001) framework enables participants to connect their personal experiences with broader cultural-historical concepts, thereby deepening their understanding of Vygotsky’s legacy and identifying pathways for future research and practice. Methods and materials. The section What? provides a descriptive account of lectures, discussions, and embodied encounters with the historical legacy of Vygotsky. The section So What? analyses the meaning of these experiences for deepening conceptual awareness of key CHT/AT principles, including the concepts of zone of proximal development, contradiction, perezhivanie, and mediation, while highlighting the inseparability of theory, history, and lived experience. The section Now What? considers implications for future research and teaching, particularly the methodological potential of reflective practice in the study of contradictions within activity systems. Results. The results demonstrated that participants’ reflections clustered into four themes learning CHT and AT concepts, visiting and participating in events, reflecting on the Summer University experience, and envisioning future research and applications. Conclusions. The paper concludes by proposing reflection as a valuable scholarly practice for linking history, and theory, thereby enriching cultural-historical psychology, as well as educational research based on it, and sustaining Vygotsky’s intellectual legacy in contemporary contexts. Our findings suggest that future Summer Universities may benefit from adopting a reflective approach to support both the structuring of the educational process and the development of its reflective dimension.
I was recently at a conference when a question from the floor regarding the challenges of teaching in our overcrowded classrooms in South Africa elicited the passionate response that we should teach reading “by using mediation, like scaffolding tasks”. Which is of course, fine, provided, though, that we know what we mean by mediation and scaffolding. And here is the crux of the matter: the popularity of these terms has led to them losing coherence and becoming basically rhetorically hollow. What often follows some of the better definitions of scaffolding is a list of ‘how to’ that teachers draw on to ‘scaffold’. Not unlike a recipe, except one crucial element seems to be missing from many accounts of scaffolding and this is: what exactly is being ‘cooked up’ when scaffolding is being used and is scaffolding synonymous with mediation? The notion of mediation commonly used in education and psychology comes to us from the Russian psychologist Vygotsky. Scaffolding, conversely, comes from the work of Wood, Bruner and Ross (1976). An investigation of these terms, used so frequently as synonyms, underpins this paper and its focus on recovering the work of Vygotsky as he intended it, showing how concepts such as mediation in the zone of proximal development have become disembedded from their epistemological foundations, enabling them to be used as de-historicized surgically enhanced tools to solve current educational ills. Hence the commitment in this paper is to trace the theoretical roots of the terms: scaffolding, mediation, spontaneous and scientific concepts, and the zone of proximal development, ultimately situating these terms within their epistemological bases. In doing this I hope to show how these concepts have come to be situated within a radical constructivist epistemology and how this has effectively stripped them of their meaning. While predominantly a theoretical paper, the paper draws on data from 39 in-service teachers registered for an Honours degree in education and their perceptions of what effective teaching/learning is. Findings from this data illustrate a trend towards a domesticated view of Vygotsky’s work, distilled into simplistic steps for teaching well. This paper represents an attempt to reclaim the legacy of Vygotsky.
The article provides an overview and analysis of the outcomes of the international Symposium on Development Pathways for Special Education, carried out by the College of Special Education at Beijing Union University in October 2025. The Symposium, which brought together specialists from China, Russia, and several other countries, focused on discussing cultural and historical guidelines alongside innovative approaches to special education. Particular attention was paid to interdisciplinary support strategies, the development of intelligent assistive technologies, and issues related to the educational and social adaptation of students with disabilities. Based on the analysis of the reports and discussions, key challenges and objectives for modern special pedagogy and psychology were formulated, including the integration of theory and practice, the acquisition of cultural tools in case of dysontogenesis, the interdisciplinary approach to organizing the learning process, and the development of dynamic assessment systems and individualized educational programs.
