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Abstract
Early Childhood Education theories provide a framework for understanding the nature, abilities, and how to create learning environments that enhance children's overall development. This article presents an overview of two theoretical perspectives of Lev Vygotsky and Howard Gardner. Through this overview, four essentials underlying Vgotsky and Gardner's ideas were identified and connected to the major tenets of the Human Factor (HF) perspective defined by Senyo Adjibolosoo. The essentials include the child, multiple abilities, learning environment, and teachers. Connecting Constructivists and Human Factor perspectives accentuates the importance of creating space to educate both the "head and the heart" of young children.
Children develop an understanding of the social world through a long slow process of construction. They use what they see in their lives as a basis for constructing an understanding of how people treat each other. Carlsson-Paige and Lantieri
Introduction
This special edition of the HF is focused on Early Childhood Education - where it all begins. This article provides an overview of Constructivist theories, and relevant Developmentally -Appropriate Practices (DAP) that have guided early childhood programs. Further, the chapter examines the connections between the Constructivists and Human Factor proposed by Dr. Senyo Adjibolosoo. Adjibolosoo defined Human Factor (HF) as "the spectrum of personality characteristics and other dimensions of human performance that enable social, economic and political institutions to function and remain functional, over time" (2005, p.45).
For the purpose of this introduction, I focus on the work of two theorists - Lev Vygostky and Howard Gardner. Vygotsky has emphasized that knowledge is socially mediated; a framework that considers the significance of apprenticeship thinking or/and shared learning. Vygotsky's ideas provide a different view from the largely Westernized perspective that has emphasized the "individual exploration and discovery" as posited by Piaget. For Vygotsky, the adage of "it takes a village to raise a child" is central to growth and development. He implies the cultivation of a learning environment that fosters growth through joint participation, conversations, dialogues, interactions and apprenticeship - working with others who are more knowledgeable be it adult or peer.
Howard Gardner has also provided further insight related to child development through his emphasis on the different modes of learning that each child brings into the classroom. Contrary to the single quantitative...