Defectology studies by l. S. Vygotsky (1922–1935)

a theoretical-argumentative essay

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24933/horizontes.v45i2.2431

Keywords:

Vygotski, Defectology, Cultural-Historical Theory, Special Education, Pedology

Abstract

This study aims to provide a theoretical-epistemological exposition of the intellectual trajectory of Lev S. Vygotsky, as it is configured in his writings on defectology produced between 1922 and 1935. It is grounded in the thesis that the dialectical relationship between normality and pathology constitutes a privileged interpretative key for understanding human development. The objective is to present and conceptually explore the main defectological theses elaborated by the author, articulating them throughout the chronological development of his work and elucidating their connections with Cultural-Historical Theory. The analytical corpus consists of key texts from this period, including writings later compiled in collected editions, articulated with his pedological works. This study takes the form of a theoretical essay with a qualitative approach, based on the conceptual and interpretative analysis of classical texts, which are treated as central axes of investigation. The analysis prioritizes the identification of regularities, tensions, and conceptual shifts, aiming at deepening analytical categories and reconfiguring the theoretical framework. It is argued that, while the defectological texts display conceptual coherence, albeit marked by shifts and reformulations, their theses are deeply intertwined with the theoretical foundations of Vygotsky’s pedological studies and his general psychological framework, thus revealing the dynamic unity of his theoretical construction and its implications for a cultural-historical understanding of human development.

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Author Biographies

Daniele Nunes Henrique Silva, Instituto de Psicologia - Universidade de Brasília

Pedagogue (University of Campinas) and Psychologist (Mauá-DF/CRP-01/28310). She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and a Ph.D. in Education, both obtained from the University of Campinas (1998 and 2006). In 2015, she completed a postdoctoral internship in the Social Psychology Program at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo. She is an Associate Professor (Level 2) at the University of Brasília, a permanent faculty member of the Graduate Program in Human Development and School Psychology (PGPDE) at the Institute of Psychology, UNB, and a collaborating professor in the Graduate Program of the Faculty of Education at UNICAMP. Between 2019 and 2021, she served as a visiting professor at the University of Geneva (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences). She is a research fellow (PQ-2) funded by Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel. She leads GEPHISC (Research and Study Group in Cultural-Historical Psychology), is a member of the Thought and Language Research Group (GPPL/UNICAMP), and the Research Center on Dialectics of Social Exclusion/Inclusion (NEXIN/PUC-SP). She is also a member of the Working Group on Socio-Historical Psychology and Social Inequality in the Brazilian Context (ANPEPP) and Working Group 15 (Special Education/ANPED). Her research focuses on three main lines: 1. Foundations of Cultural-Historical Theory; 2. Difference, culture, and alterity: investigation of non-hegemonic developmental trajectories; 3. Art, imagination, and creative processes in human development.

Bernard schnewly, Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation - Université de Genève

Bernard Schneuwly — honorary professor at the University of Geneva — served as Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and Director of the University Institute for Teacher Education. He works on the teaching of oral and written genres, as well as on the development of instructional materials for French as a first language. His research focuses particularly on two main areas: the study of the relationship between teaching and learning from a cultural-historical perspective, and the history of didactics and educational sciences.

References

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Published

2026-11-11

How to Cite

Nunes Henrique Silva, D., & Bernard schnewly. (2026). Defectology studies by l. S. Vygotsky (1922–1935): a theoretical-argumentative essay. Horizontes, 45(2), e023324. https://doi.org/10.24933/horizontes.v45i2.2431

Issue

Vol. 45 No. 2 (2026): Desenvolvimento Humano em Vigotski: Defectologia, Pedologia e Contribuições para a Prática Educacional Contemporânea

Section

Seção Temática

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Daniele Nunes Henrique Silva, Bernard Schnewly

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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