Editing Observational learning (section)

===Indigenous communities of the Americas===

[[File:Poblado-maya-1.jpg|thumb|Mayan villagers]]
Children from [[indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous heritage communities]] of the Americas often [[Learning by Observing and Pitching In|learn through observation]], a strategy that can carry over into adulthood. The heightened value towards observation allows children to [[Attention#Cultural variation|multi-task and actively engage in simultaneous activities]]. The exposure to an uncensored adult lifestyle allows children to [[Informal learning#American indigenous perspective|observe and learn]] the skills and practices that are valued in their communities.<ref name="Hughes 2011"/> Children observe elders, parents, and siblings complete tasks and learn to participate in them. They are seen as contributors and learn to observe multiple tasks being completed at once and can learn to complete a task while still engaging with other community members without being distracted.

Indigenous communities provide more [[Learning by Observing and Pitching In|opportunities]] to incorporate [[Child Integration|children]] in everyday life.<ref name="Barbara Rogoff">{{cite journal|last=Rogoff|first=Barbara|author2=Paradise, R. |author3=Arauz, R. |author4=Correa-Chavez, M. |title=Firsthand learning through intent participation|journal=[[Annual Review of Psychology]]|year=2003|volume=54|pages=175–203|doi=10.1146/annurev.psych.54.101601.145118 |pmid=12499516|hdl=10400.12/5953|url=http://www.scielo.mec.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0870-82312004000100003|hdl-access=free}}</ref> This can be seen in some [[Maya peoples|Mayan]] communities where children are given full access to community events, which allows observational learning to occur more often.<ref name="Barbara Rogoff"/> Other children in [[Mazahua people|Mazahua, Mexico]] are known to observe ongoing activities intensely .<ref name="Barbara Rogoff"/> In native northern Canadian and indigenous Mayan communities, children often learn as third-party observers from [[Storytelling|stories]] and conversations by others.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Rogoff|first1=Barbara|last2=Paradise|first2=Ruth|last3=Correa-Chavez|first3=M|last4=Arauz|first4=R|title=Firsthand Learning through Intent Participation|journal=[[Annual Review of Psychology]]|date=2003|volume=54|pages=175–203|doi=10.1146/annurev.psych.54.101601.145118|pmid=12499516|hdl=10400.12/5953|url=http://www.scielo.mec.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0870-82312004000100003|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Most young Mayan children are carried on their mother's back, allowing them to observe their mother's work and see the world as their mother sees it.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Modiano|first1=Nancy|title=Indian education in the Chiapas Highlands|date=1973|publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston|location=New York|isbn=978-0030842375|pages=33–40}}</ref> Often, children in Indigenous American communities assume the majority of the responsibility for their learning. Additionally, children find their own approaches to learning.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Paradise|first1=Ruth|last2=Rogoff|first2=Rogoff|date=2009|title=Side By Side: Learning By Observing and Pitching In|url=https://people.ucsc.edu/~brogoff/Scanned-articles/scanned%2012-2008/Side%20by%20Side.pdf|journal=Ethos|volume=37|issue=1|pages=102–138|doi=10.1111/j.1548-1352.2009.01033.x}}</ref> Children are often allowed to learn without restrictions and with minimal guidance. They are encouraged to participate in the community even if they do not know how to do the work. They are self-motivated to learn and finish their chores.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gaskins|first1=Suzanne|s2cid=144751184|title=Children's Daily Activities in a Mayan Village: A Culturally Grounded Description|journal=Cross-Cultural Research|date=Nov 1, 2000|volume=34|issue=4|pages=375–389|doi=10.1177/106939710003400405}}</ref> These children act as a second set of eyes and ears for their parents, updating them about the community.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Rogoff|first1=Barbara|last2=Mosier|first2=Christine|last3=Misty|first3=Jayanthi|last4=Göncü|first4=Artin|title=Toddlers' Guided Participation in Cultural Activity|journal=Cultural Dynamics|date=Jan 1, 1989|volume=2|issue=2 |pages=209–237|doi=10.1177/092137408900200205|s2cid=143971081 }}</ref>

Children aged 6 to 8 in an indigenous heritage community in [[Guadalajara|Guadalajara, Mexico]] participated in hard work, such as cooking or running errands, thus benefiting the whole family, while those in the city of Guadalajara rarely did so. These children participated more in adult regulated activities and had little time to play, while those from the indigenous-heritage community had more time to play and initiate in their after-school activities and had a higher sense of belonging to their community.<ref>Children's Initiative in Contributions to Family Work in Indigenous-Heritage and Cosmopolitan Communities in Mexico. (2014). 57(2-3).</ref> Children from formerly indigenous communities are more likely to show these aspects than children from cosmopolitan communities are, even after leaving their childhood community<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Rogoff|first1=Barbara|last2=Najafi|first2=Behnosh|last3=Mejía-Arauz|first3=Rebeca|s2cid=144340470|date=2014|title=Constellations of Cultural Practices across Generations: Indigenous American Heritage and Learning by Observing and Pitching In|url=https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/356761|journal=Human Development|language=en|volume=57|issue=2–3|pages=82–95|doi=10.1159/000356761|issn=0018-716X}}</ref>

Within certain indigenous communities, people do not typically seek out explanations beyond basic observation. This is because they are competent in learning through astute observation and often nonverbally encourage to do so.  In a Guatemalan footloom factory, amateur adult weavers observed skilled weavers over the course of weeks without questioning or being given explanations; the amateur weaver moved at their own pace and began when they felt confident.<ref name="Barbara Rogoff"/> The framework of learning how to weave through observation can serve as a model that groups within a society use as a reference to guide their actions in particular domains of life.<ref name="J. Gee">{{cite journal|last=Gee|first=J.|author2=Green, J|title=Discourse analysis, learning and social practice: A methodological study|journal=Review of Research in Education|year=1998}}</ref> Communities that participate in observational learning promote tolerance and mutual understand of those coming from different cultural backgrounds.<ref>Often, children in Indigenous American communities find their own approach to learning and assume most of the responsibility for their learning.</ref>