Re: Activity and standards
Elena A Savina (esavina who-is-at usd.edu)
Wed, 24 Mar 1999 13:21:10 -0600 (CST)
Hi, Nate,
There are many meanings of term of activity in Russian. And Vygotsky used
this term in a very broad meaning (not only in psysiological meaning, as
Veresov supposes). In this quotation: "The unity of analysis, then, must
be the psychological activity in all its complexity, not in isolation" the
term of "activity" covers all psychical function (thinking, memory,
perception, emotions ect.). From my point of view it refers to the
Vygotskian idea of "psychological system". And, no doubt, it doesn't
connected with Rubinshtein's or Leont'ev's understanding of activity.
However, we may consider psychical functions as activities(In Leont'ev's
term). Then we have to talk about their structure (motives, goals, actions
and operations). For example, Leont'ev and Zaporogets studied such a
component of perceptual activity as a perceptional actions. Amoung them
are proper perceptional actions and actions of identification.
Venger's theory of sensory development was based on the idea that a
teacher organizes a child's perceptional activity aimed at study of
different aspects of object. So, he formed perceptional actions in a
child. Through the practical activity with objects
a child acquires sensory etalons. But first, he/she has his/her own
etalons - or "pre-etalons".The main focus of Venger's system is to teach a
child how to study an object. That is why a teacher plays a principal role
here.
Similar to the perceptional activity, the development of reading
activity in a child is aimed at formation of specific actions constituted
a reading activity.
All of these studies derive from Activity theory
and does not related to Vygotsky. Of course, a child is engaged in various
kinds of activity. Some of them play more principal role in child's
development because they are relevant to the development of new
psychological and personal foundations in a child. But really, I don't
understand the logical foundation to distinguish leading activities and
goal-directed activities.
Elena.