... teacher being a facilitator. There are many different theories of how people learn, however, the two that are to be discussed are closely related to how my students learn and how these have affected the planning of my teaching. Cognitivists have an alternative view and instead of placing their focus on the task, they place their focus on the learners and how they gain and organise their knowledge (Reece and Walker 2003). The basis of this is that learners do not merely receive information, but actively think about what it means to them, learning (Reece and Walker 2003). The first of the theorists that will be explored, is that of Vygotsky. He asserted that social interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition. Vygotsky (1978) states: "Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and ...

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