Who is associated with the concept of students working collaboratively to learn?

The association of collaborative learning with Vygotsky is rooted in his emphasis on social interaction as a critical element of cognitive development. He proposed that knowledge is constructed through social processes and that students learn best when they engage with one another. This collaborative approach is strengthened by his concepts of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and scaffolding, where students can support each other’s learning by working together. Vygotsky believed that peer interactions provide opportunities for learners to develop higher-order thinking skills and deeper understanding, as they engage in dialogue, negotiate meanings, and problem-solve collaboratively.

This perspective supports the idea that learning is not merely an individual endeavor but rather a socially mediated process, thus highlighting the importance of collaborative learning environments in educational settings. In contrast, the other theorists mentioned focus on different aspects of learning and development, often emphasizing individual cognition or specific conceptual frameworks rather than the social context of learning.