Zone of proximal development - wikipedia Zone of proximal development In the middle circle, representing the zone of proximal development, students can not complete tasks unaided, but can complete them with guidance. The zone of proximal development, often abbreviated as ZPD, is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can not do. The concept was introduced, but not fully developed, by psychologist Lev Vygotsky ( 1896 -- 1934 ) during the last ten years of his life. Vygotsky stated that a child follows an adult 's example and gradually develops the ability to do certain tasks without help. Vygotsky and some other educators believe that the role of education is to give children experiences that are within their zones of proximal development, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning such as skills and strategies. Contents 1 Origins 2 Definition 3 Scaffolding 4 Implications for educators 5 See also 6 References Origins Lev Vygotsky 1896 - 1934 The concept of the zone of proximal development was originally developed by Vygotsky to argue against the use of academic, knowledge - based tests as a means to gauge students ' intelligence. He also created ZPD to further develop Jean Piaget 's theory of children being lone learners. Vygotsky spent a lot of time studying the impact of school instruction on children and noted that children grasp language concepts quite naturally, but that maths and writing do n't come naturally, that these are concepts taught in schools and tend to come along with some difficulty, while Piaget believed that there was a clear distinction between development and teaching. He said that development is a spontaneous process that is initiated and completed by the children, stemming from their own efforts. Piaget was a proponent of independent thinking and critical of the standard teacher - led instruction that was common practice in schools. Alternatively, Vygotsky saw natural, spontaneous development as important, but not all - important. He believed that children would not advance very far if they were left to discover everything on their own. It 's crucial for a child 's development that they are able to interact with more knowledgeable others. They would not be able to expand on what they know if this was n't possible. He noted cultural experiences where children are greatly helped by knowledge and tools handed down from previous generations. Vygotsky noted that good teachers should n't present material that is too difficult and `` pull the students along. '' Vygotsky argued that, rather than examining what a student knows to determine intelligence, it is better to examine his or her ability to solve problems independently and his or her ability to solve problems with an adult 's help. He proposed a question : `` if two children perform the same on a test, are their levels of development the same ? '' He concluded that they were not. However, Vygotsky 's untimely death interrupted his work on the zone of proximal development, and it remained mostly incomplete. Definition Since Vygotsky 's original conception, the definition for the zone of proximal development has been expanded and modified. The zone of proximal development is an area of learning that occurs when a person is assisted by a teacher or peer with a skill set higher than that of the subject. The person learning the skill set can not complete it without the assistance of the teacher or peer. The teacher then helps the student attain the skill the student is trying to master, in hopes that the teacher will no longer be needed for that task. Any function within the zone of proximal development matures within a particular internal context that includes not only the function 's actual level but also how susceptible the child is to types of help, the sequence in which these types of help are offered, the flexibility or rigidity of previously formed stereotypes, how willing the child is to collaborate, along with other factors. This context can impact the diagnosis of a function 's potential level of development. Vygotsky stated that we ca n't just look at what students are capable of doing on their own ; we have to look at what they are capable of doing in a social setting. In many cases students are able to complete a task within a group before they are able to complete it on their own. He notes that the teacher 's job is to move the child 's mind forward step - by - step ( after all, teachers ca n't teach complex chemical equations to first - graders ). At the same time, teachers ca n't teach all children equally ; they must determine which students are ready for which lessons. An example is the often - used accelerated reading program in schools. Students are assessed and given a reading level and a range. Books rated below their level are easy to read, while books above their level will challenge the student. Sometimes students are not even allowed to check out books from the school library that are outside of their range. Vygotsky argued that a major shortcoming of standardized tests is that they only measure what students are capable of on their own, not in a group setting where their minds are being pushed by other students. In the context of second language learning, the ZPD can be useful to many adult users. Prompted by this fact as well as the finding that adult peers need not necessarily be more capable in order to provide assistance in the ZPD, Vygotsky 's definition has been adapted to better suit the adult L2 developmental context Scaffolding The concept of the ZPD is widely used to study children 's mental development as it relates to education. The ZPD concept is seen as a scaffolding, a structure of `` support points '' for performing an action. This refers to the help or guidance received from an adult or more competent peer to permit the child to work within the ZPD. Although Vygotsky himself never mentioned the term, scaffolding was first developed by Jerome Bruner, David Wood, and Gail Ross, while applying Vygotsky 's concept of ZPD to various educational contexts. According to Wass and Golding, giving students the hardest tasks they can do with scaffolding will lead to the greatest learning gains. Scaffolding is a process through which a teacher or a more competent peer helps the student in his or her ZPD as necessary and tapers off this aid as it becomes unnecessary, much as a scaffold is removed from a building after construction is completed. `` Scaffolding ( is ) the way the adult guides the child 's learning via focused questions and positive interactions. '' This concept has been further developed by Mercedes Chaves Jaime, Ann Brown, among others. Several instructional programs were developed based on this interpretation of the ZPD, including reciprocal teaching and dynamic assessment. In order for scaffolding to work and have an effect, one must start at the child 's level of knowledge and build from there. One example of children using ZPD is when they are learning to speak. As their speech develops, it influences the way the child thinks, which in turn also influences the child 's manner of speaking. This process opens more doors for the child to expand their vocabulary - as they learn to convey their thoughts in a more effective way, they will receive ore sophisticated feedback, therefore increasing their vocabulary and their speaking skills. Wells gives the example of dancing : when a person is learning how to dance, they look to others around them on the dance floor and imitate their moves. A person does not copy the dance moves exactly, but takes what they can and adds their own personality to it. In mathematics, proximal development uses mathematical exercises for which students have seen one or more worked examples. In secondary school some scaffolding is provided, and generally much less at the tertiary level. Ultimately students must find library resources or a tutor when presented with challenges beyond the zone. Another example of scaffolding is learning to drive. Parents and driving instructors guide driving students along the way by showing them the mechanics of how the car operates, the correct hand positions on the steering wheel, the technique of scanning the roadway, etc. As the student progresses, less and less instruction is needed, until they are ready to drive on their own. The concept of scaffolding can be observed in various life situations and arguably in the basis of how everyone learns. One does not ( normally ) begin knowing everything that there is to know about a subject. The basics must be learned first in order for one to build upon prior knowledge up until mastery of a particular subject or skill. Implications for educators Various investigations, using different approaches and research frameworks have proved collaborative learning to be effective in many kinds of settings and contexts. Teachers should assign tasks that students can not do on their own, but which they can do with assistance ; they should provide just enough assistance so that students learn to complete the tasks independently and then provide an environment that enables students to do harder tasks than would otherwise be possible. Teachers can also allow students with more knowledge to assist students who need more assistance. Especially in the context of collaborative learning, group members who have higher levels of understanding can help the less advanced members learn within their zone of proximal development. In the context of adults, peers should challenge each other in order to support collaboration and success. See also Constructivism ( learning theory ) Cultural - Historical Activity Theory ( CHAT ) Educational psychology Social constructivism ( learning theory ) Sociocultural theory References Library resources about Zone of proximal development Resources in your library Resources in other libraries ^ Jump up to : Zone of proximal development. ( 2009 ). In Penguin dictionary of psychology. Retrieved from Credo Reference database Jump up ^ Stanlaw, J. ( 2005 ). Vygotsky, lev semenovich ( 1896 -- 1934 ). In Encyclopedia of anthropology. Retrieved from Credo Reference Database Jump up ^ L.S. Vygotsky : Mind in Society : Development of Higher Psychological Processes, p. 86 Jump up ^ Berk, L & Winsler, A. ( 1995 ). Vygotsky also felt that social interaction was very important when it came to learning. `` Vygotsky : His life and works '' and `` Vygotsky 's approach to development ''. In Scaffolding children 's learning : Vygotsky and early childhood learning. Natl. Assoc for Educ. Of Young Children. p. 24 ^ Jump up to : Zone of Proximal Development and Cultural Tools Scaffolding, Guided Participation, 2006. In Key concepts in developmental psychology. Retrieved from Credo Reference Database ^ Jump up to : Crain, W. ( 2010 ). Theories of development : Concepts and applications, 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ : Prentice Hall. Jump up ^ Berk, L & Winsler, A. ( 1995 ). `` Vygotsky : His life and works '' and `` Vygotsky 's approach to development ''. In Scaffolding children 's learning : Vygotsky and early childhood learning. Natl. Assoc for Educ. of Young Children. pp. 25 -- 34 ^ Jump up to : Stages of development. ( 2010 ). In Curriculum connections psychology : Cognitive development. Retrieved from Credo Reference Database ^ Jump up to : Zaretskii, V.K. ( November -- December 2009 ). `` The Zone of Proximal Development What Vygotsky Did Not Have Time to Write ''. Journal of Russian and East European Psychology. 47 ( 1061 -- 0405 / 2010 $9.50 + 0.00. ) : 70 -- 93. doi : 10.2753 / RPO1061 - 0405470604. Retrieved 21 November 2011. Jump up ^ Burkitt, E. ( 2006 ). Zone of proximal development. In Encyclopaedic dictionary of psychology. Retrieved from Credo Reference database Jump up ^ Bozhovich, E.D. ( 2009 ). Zone of Proximal Development : The Diagnostic Capabilities and Limitations of Indirect Collaboration. Journal of Russian & East European Psychology, 47 ( 6 ), 48 - 69. Retrieved from EBSCOHost Database Jump up ^ Fani, Tayebeh & Ghaemi, Farid. ( 2011 ). Implications of Vygotsky 's Zone of Proximal Development ( ZPD ) in Teacher Education : ZPTD and Self - scaffolding. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 29. 1549 - 1554. 10.1016 / j. sbspro. 2011.11. 396. Jump up ^ Obukhova, L.F., & Korepanova, I.A. ( 2009 ). The Zone of Proximal Development : A Spatiotemporal Model. Journal of Russian & East European Psychology, 47 ( 6 ), 25 - 47. doi : 10.2753 / RPO1061 - 0405470602 ^ Jump up to : Morgan, A. ( 2009, July 28 ). What is `` Scaffolding '' and the `` ZPD '' ? Retrieved October 13, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Wass, R., & Golding, C. ( 2014 ). Sharpening a tool for teaching : the zone of proximal development. Teaching in Higher Education, 19 ( 6 ), 671 - 684. Jump up ^ Balaban, Nancy. ( 1995 ). `` Seeing the Child, Knowing the Person. '' In Ayers, W. To Become a Teacher. Teachers College Press. p. 52 Jump up ^ Wells, G. ( 1999 ). Dialogic Inquiries in education : Building on the legacy of Vygotsky. Cambridge University Press. p. 57 Jump up ^ Grossman, P., Wineburg, S., & Woolworth, S. ( 2001 ). Toward a theory of teacher community. Teachers College Record, 103 ( 6 ), 942 - 1012. Jump up ^ McLeod, S.A. ( 2012 ). Zone of proximal development. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html Jump up ^ Kuusisaari, H. ( 2014 ). Teachers at the zone of proximal development : Collaboration promoting or hindering the development process. Teaching and Teacher Education, 43, 46 - 57. Chaiklin, S. ( 2003 ). `` The Zone of Proximal Development in Vygotsky 's analysis of learning and instruction. '' In Kozulin, A., Gindis, B., Ageyev, V. & Miller, S. ( Eds. ) Vygotsky 's educational theory and practice in cultural context. 39 - 64. Cambridge : Cambridge University. Mayer, R.E. ( 2008 ). Learning and instruction. ( 2nd ed., pp. 462 -- 463 ). Upper Saddle River, NJ : Pearson Education. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zone_of_proximal_development&oldid=815063596 '' Categories : Human development Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Čeština Ελληνικά Español Français Galego 한국어 Íslenska Italiano മലയാളം Nederlands Occitan Português Русский Slovenčina Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 12 December 2017, at 15 : 06. 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Question: the interaction between teacher and students creates a zone of proximal
Answer: development