Lev Vygotsky Biography

Lev Vygotsky was a Soviet developmental psychologist, a brilliant man known for developing several major theories including Zone of Proximal Development and Sociocultural Theory. He was of the view that children need social interaction with people of different age groups in order to advance their psychological development. He emphasized that dynamic interactions between children and parents and teachers was vital as children learn gradually and continuously from the ones they interact with. However, his theories were met with much skepticism in the early 20th century when he first propounded them; it would be decades after his death that his works would find acclaim in the Western world. Lev Vygotsky was brilliant from a young age and proved to be an excellent student. Though he initially studied medicine, he switched to law and also developed an interest in psychology. He eventually became famous as an educational psychologist. He was a pioneering psychologist who specialized in the fields of developmental psychology, child development, and education. He aimed to use Marxist methodology to re-formulate psychological theories in accordance with Marxist thinking. His theories were considered controversial during his lifetime though they became much popular decades after his untimely death at the age of 37.