Roberto Valdés Puentes

The present paper is relevant because it addresses, for the first time, the conceptual, methodological and typological aspects of the main developmental alternative didactic systems that emerged in the former Soviet Union from the 1950s onwards. Its main purposes are to analyze the concepts of didactic system, alternative didactic system and Soviet developmental alternative didactic systems, as well as identifying and classifying the most prominent among the last mentioned.

The research methodology is based on systemic thinking, as well as on the historical-logical and constructive-interpretative methods. The Zankovian, Galperin-Talizina and Elkonin-Davidov-Repkin systems were studied as the main developmental alternative systems.

The analysis points to the conclusion that a developmental alternative didactic system is any didactic and psychological system that opposes the official or traditional ones established or imposed by the State, and that aims to create the appropriate conditions in which learning will lead to the psychological development of students.