Recently, when redecorating our office, I came under some intense diplomatic pressure (from my more than adequate wife, Gill) to rationalise my collection of books. Whilst looking through my (in my view) modest collection, I came across the book ‘Apprenticeship in Thinking: Cognitive Development in Social Context’ by educational theorist Dr Barbara Rogoff (now Professor of Psychology at the University of California). And flicking through it, I found it fascinating and, I think, really significant theoretically from an Intensive Interaction perspective. Bear with me …
From Rogoff’s point of view, a child’s individual cognitive development is ‘embedded in the practical and routine activities of daily life‘, i.e. the child’s development is the result of their immersion in a supportive and expanding ‘social world‘. In this book, Rogoff sets out her ‘socio-cultural view’ about how learning and/or development naturalistically occurs when a child becomes socially embedded ‘in a system of interrelations with other people‘; without there necessarily being any ‘explicit focus on instruction or guidance‘.
Yes, of course they do!
Rogoff’s view on human development is that it is ‘… a process in which caregivers’ and children’s roles are entwined, with tacit as well as explicit learning opportunities in the routine arrangements and interactions between caregivers and children.’
Yes, No Sh*t Sherlock, of course it is!
So below I will set out some quotes expanding on Rogoff’s views on the contextualised and socially situated nature of learning, which I think is relevant to us as Intensive Interaction practitioners – although for those working with or caring for adults, where it says ‘children’, I think we can justifiably substitute ‘learner of any age’.
‘Children’s cognitive development has until recently been considered a solitary endeavour, with little examination of the contexts in which and about which children learn … the roles of the individual and the social world are mutual and not separable …’
‘ … children’s thinking and development are supported and stretched in the immediate social contexts in which [they] are involved.’
‘Children’s cognitive development is an apprenticeship – it occurs through guided participation in social activity with companions who support and stretch children’s understanding of and skill in using the tools of culture.’
In this book, Rogoff also shares her view of communication, which she sees as being ‘by its nature … an intersubjective process of shared understandings’ … ‘based on a common focus of attention and some shared presuppositions that form the grounds for communication.’
Yes, again, of course it is – but interestingly, that also sounds to me like a good description of the underlying principles of Intensive Interaction!
Also, Rogoff concludes that what is seen as the development of ‘individual activity‘ is something that is actually built on the foundation of shared, social participation and developed understandings: ‘Under conditions of cooperation, an activity that is initially shared by those participating in it emerges as an original and fundamental foundation for the development of individual activity.‘
Finally, Rogoff sees the individual and social worlds as educationally inseparable; any such learning only being achievable within a socially interactive process, carried out ‘in collaboration with others’. Perhaps most importantly of all, Rogoff points out that ‘knowledge itself originates within an interactive process…’. Hmmm, some food for thought there!
So, re-reading Rogoff, the vital nature of shared participation and sociability becomes abundantly clear. We should therefore understand that anyone, child or adult, who misses out on socially inclusive, shared interactions, is going to be denied access to the most formative, most socially and psychologically important learning opportunities that all human beings ever have. Unless, of course, we use Intensive Interaction with them!
P.S. The office looks much better now with a new coat of Misty Lagoon silk emulsion!
Ref: Rogoff, B. (1990) ‘Apprenticeship in Thinking: Cognitive Development in Social Context’: OUP, Oxford.
Connecting with Intensive Interaction 