What is guided participation Rogoff?

Building on Vygotsky’s Sociocultural theories is Barbara Rogoff. Rogoff’s theory focuses on the relationship between the child and society. Rogoff's ideas did not focus on the child and their individual processes but on the child's cognitive skills which derive from engagement in sociocultural activities. The theory does not focus on a child's own innate ability, but rather indicates that skills are developed in specific contexts and learned through specific cultural activities. Her research findings are based on children and families in Mexican and Indigenous cultures. Additionally, Rogoff’s theory highlights the interaction of nature vs nurture as discussed earlier in this chapter. She suggests biology and culture work in concert with each other. For example, breastfeeding is biologically based but there are different ways breast feeding is practiced based within cultural societal norms and standards.

Rogoff developed the theory of guided participation, adding to Vygotsky's theory of the Zone of Proximal Development. Consider a time when you learned something new in a relationship between yourself and an adult or caregiver, such as making tortillas with your grandfather or learning how to change a tire of a car. This is the collaborative transfer of knowledge between a guide and apprentice. The idea that children on their developmental path use cultural tools with skilled mentors shape their development (Rogoff, 2003). As highlighted in the video below, the theory involves people bridging meaning and interactions with learners in a synchronous way. Children and mentors (e.g. caregivers and more skilled peers) structure learning opportunities through choice, observation, and listening while participating in the activities and share understanding both verbally and non- verbally. 

Learning opportunities can occur through choice, observation, and listening while participating in these activities and everyday routines. For example, caregivers who engage in game playing and singing during diapering are actually helping children learn to cooperate with the routine. These skills and interactions become more complex as children learn other self-help adaptive skills such as eating with a fork and spoon and learning how to help with clean up.   

Dr. Barbara Rogoff highlights the following ideas: 

• Collaboration- Notice how the children are collaborating with each other.  Children should be encouraged to collaborate with with each other, adults, caregivers and communities. 
• Learning through Observation- Notice how the children are observing each other and making meaning to guide their own engagement. 
• Prioritize Children's Interest- Notice how knowledge is accrued while engaging in a task in which that child has genuine interest. The activity is engaging and fueled by curiosity and enjoyment.
• Role of Adults- The caregivers and adults are needed in many tasks. Caregivers and adults should be available for collaborative support based on the needs of the child. 

The process of bridging sharply differentiates guided participation from giving information as the approach to teaching and learning. The intention of bridging is to support a learner in making connections between what is known or unknown or misconstrued and in need of revision or reconstruction (Rogoff, 1990). Bridging is a function of experience, recalled, simulated, or relived, similar to watching a video playback of the interaction with the child. Bridging supports learners in reflecting on how things were, are now, or could be with new ways of thinking and behaving. Wondering with the learner is a strategy teachers may use to facilitate reflection and make connections; for example, wondering with a parent what her child was saying when he behaved, the way he was observed behaving, or what she might have been feeling when her child behaved that way (Slade, 2005).

Rogoff's theories have particular considerations for children with special needs. This theory can be particularly impactful considering the growing number of children with special needs in the U.S. who may be experiencing a phenomena called learned helplessness, which is discussed later in the book. Learned helplessness may occur when a child impacted by a diverse ability is either personally or socially not able to join in typical guided participation experiences which may cause them to begin to withdraw or lose motivation to change circumstances (2015). Think about children who are unable to engage in eye contact or social reference caregivers- social referencing is when children look to others to give information and meaning in a social situation. A child may begin to withdraw from a rich and beneficial relationship and thus will suffer the loss of growth that takes place within these participatory experiences. This can cause many parents and teachers to feel helpless, not knowing how to support the child with special needs, and leading them to reciprocally disengage in the relationship as well.  

In a 2015 study, Hobson et al. observed that when a caregiver who supported a neuro-atypical child were asked to focus on the guided participation relationship, noticed a reduction in the severity of symptoms of the the child. When caregivers focused on having high quality guided relationships with children, the children were able to regulate and learn critical developmental skills (Hobson et al., 2015). 

Hobson, J. A., Tarver, L., Beurkens, N., & Hobson, R. P. (2015). The Relation between Severity of Autism and Caregiver-Child Interaction: a Study in the Context of Relationship Development Intervention. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 1-11

Rogoff, B. (1990). Apprenticeship in thinking: Cognitive development in social context. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Rogoff, B. (2003). The Cultural Nature of Human Development. Oxford University Press. 

Slade, A. (2005). Parental reflective functioning: An introduction. Attachment & Human Development. 7, 269–281.

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Building on Vygotsky’s Sociocultural theories is Barbara Rogoff. Rogoff’s theory focuses on the relationship between the child and society. Rogoff's ideas did not focus on the child and their individual processes but on the child's cognitive skills which derive from engagement in sociocultural activities. The theory does not focus on a child's own innate ability, but rather indicates that skills are developed in specific contexts and learned through specific cultural activities. Her research findings are based on children and families in Mexican and Indigenous cultures. Additionally, Rogoff’s theory highlights the interaction of nature vs nurture as discussed earlier in this chapter. She suggests biology and culture work in concert with each other. For example, breastfeeding is biologically based but there are different ways breast feeding is practiced based within cultural societal norms and standards.

Rogoff developed the theory of guided participation, adding to Vygotsky's theory of the Zone of Proximal Development. Consider a time when you learned something new in a relationship between yourself and an adult or caregiver, such as making tortillas with your grandfather or learning how to change a tire of a car. This is the collaborative transfer of knowledge between a guide and apprentice. The idea that children on their developmental path use cultural tools with skilled mentors shape their development (Rogoff, 2003). As highlighted in the video below, the theory involves people bridging meaning and interactions with learners in a synchronous way. Children and mentors (e.g. caregivers and more skilled peers) structure learning opportunities through choice, observation, and listening while participating in the activities and share understanding both verbally and non- verbally. 

Learning opportunities can occur through choice, observation, and listening while participating in these activities and everyday routines. For example, caregivers who engage in game playing and singing during diapering are actually helping children learn to cooperate with the routine. These skills and interactions become more complex as children learn other self-help adaptive skills such as eating with a fork and spoon and learning how to help with clean up.   

Dr. Barbara Rogoff highlights the following ideas: 

• Collaboration- Notice how the children are collaborating with each other.  Children should be encouraged to collaborate with with each other, adults, caregivers and communities. 
• Learning through Observation- Notice how the children are observing each other and making meaning to guide their own engagement. 
• Prioritize Children's Interest- Notice how knowledge is accrued while engaging in a task in which that child has genuine interest. The activity is engaging and fueled by curiosity and enjoyment.
• Role of Adults- The caregivers and adults are needed in many tasks. Caregivers and adults should be available for collaborative support based on the needs of the child. 

The process of bridging sharply differentiates guided participation from giving information as the approach to teaching and learning. The intention of bridging is to support a learner in making connections between what is known or unknown or misconstrued and in need of revision or reconstruction (Rogoff, 1990). Bridging is a function of experience, recalled, simulated, or relived, similar to watching a video playback of the interaction with the child. Bridging supports learners in reflecting on how things were, are now, or could be with new ways of thinking and behaving. Wondering with the learner is a strategy teachers may use to facilitate reflection and make connections; for example, wondering with a parent what her child was saying when he behaved, the way he was observed behaving, or what she might have been feeling when her child behaved that way (Slade, 2005).

Rogoff's theories have particular considerations for children with special needs. This theory can be particularly impactful considering the growing number of children with special needs in the U.S. who may be experiencing a phenomena called learned helplessness, which is discussed later in the book. Learned helplessness may occur when a child impacted by a diverse ability is either personally or socially not able to join in typical guided participation experiences which may cause them to begin to withdraw or lose motivation to change circumstances (2015). Think about children who are unable to engage in eye contact or social reference caregivers- social referencing is when children look to others to give information and meaning in a social situation. A child may begin to withdraw from a rich and beneficial relationship and thus will suffer the loss of growth that takes place within these participatory experiences. This can cause many parents and teachers to feel helpless, not knowing how to support the child with special needs, and leading them to reciprocally disengage in the relationship as well.  

In a 2015 study, Hobson et al. observed that when a caregiver who supported a neuro-atypical child were asked to focus on the guided participation relationship, noticed a reduction in the severity of symptoms of the the child. When caregivers focused on having high quality guided relationships with children, the children were able to regulate and learn critical developmental skills (Hobson et al., 2015). 

Hobson, J. A., Tarver, L., Beurkens, N., & Hobson, R. P. (2015). The Relation between Severity of Autism and Caregiver-Child Interaction: a Study in the Context of Relationship Development Intervention. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 1-11

Rogoff, B. (1990). Apprenticeship in thinking: Cognitive development in social context. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Rogoff, B. (2003). The Cultural Nature of Human Development. Oxford University Press. 

Slade, A. (2005). Parental reflective functioning: An introduction. Attachment & Human Development. 7, 269–281.