Using the lens of Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory in the early childhood contexts for inclusion

Children’s developing awareness of diversity and inclusion in their early years helps them understand where they belong. Institutions in the early years play a prominent role in practising and promoting a culture of equity, tolerance, and diversity. Transformative inclusion refers to a holistic approach to understanding the inclusion of all children in their early years; the cultural-historical theory also considers children’s learning and development from a holistic perspective. This inclusion considers all aspects to ensure equity and social justice, adopting a more comprehensive approach to inclusion. For instance, Sustainable Development Goal 4, ‘Quality Education’, aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.  How can this inclusion be achieved based on a concrete theoretical foundation? Multiple theories exist in the child development arena to understand how children grow and learn. This study aims to apply the lens of cultural-historical theory to understand inclusion and its practices in the early years. Vygotsky believed that learning is a social process and that children learn best when interacting with others, highlighting the significance of social interactions in children's learning and development. Inclusion needs to be considered while we are in social situations and social interactions. Therefore, it seems that the cultural-historical theory can offer multidimensional insights into understanding inclusion as it emphasises the development of children as a whole. It emphasises the role of culture, environment, age, mediation, knowledgeable individuals, and social interaction in a child's learning and play, using culturally specific methods to cultivate the potential of the whole person. For instance, Cultural inclusion is one of the significant dimensions of transformative inclusion; Vygotsky's sociocultural theory highlights how culture mediates human experiences and transforms activities as it provides the means and meanings of every human activity within a particular social origin. A narrative review was conducted to explore inclusion through Vygotsky's theory.  After the review, a conceptual framework was developed mapping the relevant concepts of CHT including four components to achieve inclusion. Creating an inclusive learning environment during children's playtime ensures that the role of culture and social situations, mediators, Zone of proximal development and the process of Perezhivanie are interconnected to robust higher mental functions and ensure holistic inclusion through play. The findings and implications of this review can provide a better direction for future educators, researchers, policymakers, and professional practitioners to plan and implement inclusion for all to ensure equity and social justice in the early years.