Education and the social brain: linking language, thinking, teaching and learning

Abstract

The concept of the ‘social brain’ was introduced by the evolutionary anthropologist Dunbar (1998). Essentially, it represents the view that human intelligence is intrinsically social: that evolution has given us with the capacity to operate effectively in complex social networks. Such a social perspective on cognition has relevance for the study of the nature and functions of classroom education, as I will explain. However, I will also argue that some of the most interesting and important implications for understanding how people think, and learn to do so, have not been fully recognized by those who have developed the concept. In particular, I suggest that more account should be taken of the functional connections between collective and individual thinking activities, and of the role of language in those activities. I will present the findings of empirical and theoretical research in support of this argument