ABSTRACT
This paper develops a common Soviet thesis that the intervention of a teacher working with a systematic plan of instruction based on psychological principles fundamentally changes the mental activity of the child. What seem the ‘natural’ methods and sequences of acquiring new modes of thinking are largely the result of unsystematic non-psychological methods of learning. It is interesting to contrast this view with the arguments of the more extreme supporters of discovery learning. A key aspect of the argument is an approach to instruction which follows Gal’perin’s stage theory (see page142 ff.). Other aspects are similar to Western views on the enhancing of concept formation by presenting a variety of exemplars. Also of great interest is the emphasis on providing the learner with help in his orientation to the learning task and with guidance on learning strategies (algorithms).
