The Vygotsky on Education Primer serves as an introduction to the life and work of the Russian
psychologist Lev Vygotsky. Even though he died almost eighty years ago his life's work remains
both relevant and significant to the field of education today. This book examines Vygotsky's
emphasis on the role of cultural and historical context in learning while challenging theories
that emphasize a universalistic view of learning through fixed biologically determined stages
of development. Given our current preoccupation with standardized outcomes and the
corporatization of schooling Vygotsky's most important ideas about education need to be
reconsidered. The primer provides an overview of his two best-known ideas: the zone of proximal
development and the development of thinking and speech as a means of empowerment and discusses
Vygotsky's views of the roles of critical and creative imagination in the formation of personal
agency and in creative collaboration. Applications to current practices from a wide range of
sources clarify and promote relevance to diverse audiences. This primer presents the essence of
Vygotsky's work in language that is accessible to all students of education.
