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What is the exact difference between these two terms? They both mean that gaining knowledge involves social aspects and observing and gaining experience in environment.
social constructivism vs social cognitive theory
- Thread starter akimhaneul
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In the simplest form, you can think about social constructivism (Piaget, Zygotsky) as "learning by doing" and social cognitive theory (Bandura) as "learning by observing." Let's use a classroom setting to explain the differences. Classroom A has students that are being taught via social constructivist theory, and classroom B has students that are being taught via social cognitive theory. The teacher in classroom A will act as a mediator, encouraging the students to create their own hypotheses and find the answers, while the teacher in classroom B will instead try to explain everything to the students. Students in classroom A will be encouraged to think critically more than they memorize. Make sense?
