A Mediational Approach to Cognitive Development

In earlier years, the role of the educator was mainly that of a conveyor of knowledge where learners passively took in information and later on reproduced that exact information in the form of tests and examinations. Because of its ineffectiveness, in recent years this traditional role of the educator has changed (Fraser, 2006:1, Kozulin et al., 2003:16). Piagetians and supporters of discovery learning wanted children to be more involved in their own learning. Educationalists argued that a child proved to be more than a passive recipient of information, but they were also concerned that independent exploration often leads to acquiring immature concepts and neglect of important school skills (Kozulin, 2003:16). The need for an alternative teaching and learning approach, which included concepts such as mediation, scaffolding, apprenticeship and organisation of learning activities, became evident (Kozulin, 2003:16).