Sam Tsai 蔡坤憲

Where is the mind? Constructivist and sociocultural perspectives on mathematical development (Cobb, 1994) Abstract with my notes & references Currently, considerable debate focuses on whether mind is located in the head or in the individual-in-social-action , and whether development is cognitive self-organisation or enculturation into established practice (for example, Fosnot, 1993; O'Loughlin, 1992; O'Loughlin, 1993). In this article, I question assumptions that initiate this apparent forced choice between constructivist and sociocultural perspectives. I content that the two perspectives are complementary (also, Sfard, 1998). and keep the essential tension (Feyerabend). Also, claims that either perspective captures the essence of people and communities should be rejected for pragmatic justifications that consider the contextual relevance and usefulness of a perspective. I argue that the sociocultural perspective informs theories of the conditions for the possibility of l...