Social constructivism is a learning theory that emphasizes the collaborative nature of much learning. It posits that individuals are active in constructing their own knowledge and that learning occurs through social interaction and the help of others, often in a group. Social constructivism was developed by post-revolutionary Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky, who argued that all cognitive functions originate in (and must therefore be explained as products of) social interactions. According to Vygotsky, human cognitive structures are essentially socially constructed, and knowledge is not simply constructed, it is co-constructed.

Social constructivism extends constructivism by incorporating the role of other actors and culture in development. It focuses on the artifacts (constructs) that are created through social interactions, while social constructionism focuses on social constructions as active processes, rather than outcomes. Social constructivism has been studied by many educational psychologists, who are concerned with its implications for teaching and learning.

In summary, social constructivism is a learning theory that emphasizes the collaborative nature of learning and posits that individuals are active in constructing their own knowledge through social interaction and the help of others. It was developed by Lev Vygotsky and extends constructivism by incorporating the role of other actors and culture in development.