3 Learning communities

The first theory we are asking you to think about is one put forward by Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934), who was working in the former Soviet Union.

Figure 1 Lev Vygotsky

In a book published in English in 1978, Vygotsky suggested that learning occurs when people take part in specific activities that are provided by the society in which they live. As a result, learning depends on the nature of the society in which that learning occurs. Although, in his book, Vygotsky focused on what children need to learn as they grow up, his ideas can easily be applied to adult learners too.