Culture, Cognition, and Pedagogy

Abstract

This chapter begins with identification of paradigmatic shifts in the discourse of cognitive psychology. A ‘person-in-context’ approach is advanced which assumes that culture is a constituent of mind and asserts that knowledge is constructed by the knower. These constructions begin as personal or idiosyncratic. As learners are social beings these constructions are socially shared. In the process, the diversity and incongruence between constructions and the pluralistic nature of knowledge are recognized. People function as a community and move towards a shared understanding. This is a significant ontogenetic process in the life of any learner. Therefore, this ontogeny needs to be reflected in the approaches to pedagogy. The chapter critically analyses current research in the field of cognition and pedagogy and highlights the future directions of research. Also, the implications of this research for the future of education are indicated.