What Is the Zone of Proximal Development?
The zone of proximal development (ZPD), or zone of potential development, refers to the range of abilities an individual can perform with the guidance of an expert, but cannot yet perform on their own.
Developed by psychologist Lev Vygotsky, this learning theory may be observed in a classroom setting or anywhere else where an individual has the opportunity to develop new skills.
Stages of ZPD
There are three distinct categories where a learner may fall in terms of their skill set. For learning to take place, it's critical that the expert understands the learner's specific ZPD stage.
Task a Learner Cannot Accomplish With Assistance
Tasks that are outside of the learner's ZPD are those that are unable to be completed even with the help of an expert.
If the task isn't within the learner's ZPD, the expert may look to decrease the level of difficulty and find tasks that are more appropriate given the learner's skill level.
Tasks a Learner Can Accomplish With Assistance
When a learner is close to mastering a skill set required to complete a task, but still needs the guidance of an expert to do so, they are considered to be in their zone of proximal development.
In this situation, an expert may use various techniques to help the learner better understand the concepts and skills required to perform a task on their own.
Tasks a Learner Can Accomplish Without Assistance
In this phase, the learner is able to complete tasks independently and has mastered the skill set required to do so. The learner does not need the help of an expert.
When a learner has reached this stage, the expert may increase the task difficulty level in order to find the learner's next ZPD and encourage further learning.
Key Factors
There are several core concepts developed by Vygotsky and expanded upon by others following him that have helped round out this learning theory.
The success of this learning process involves:
- The presence of someone with the knowledge and skills to guide the learner
- Supportive activities, known as scaffolding, provided by the expert that help guide the learner
- Social interactions that allow the learner to work on their skills and abilities
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The "More Knowledgeable Other"
The "more knowledgeable other" is someone who has a higher level of knowledge than the learner and is able to provide them with instruction during their learning process.
While a child might not yet be capable of doing something on their own, they are able to perform the task with the assistance of a skilled instructor, which may include a parent, a teacher, another adult, or a peer.
Scaffolding Theory
When a child is in their ZPD, an expert will provide them with appropriate assistance to help them accomplish a new task or skill. Activities, instructions, tools, and resources that are used to aid in this learning process are known as scaffolding.
Examples of scaffolding that educators may use include:
- Asking a student what they think should be done next, what their thought process was, or if there are other ways the problem can be solved
- Modeling how to solve a similar problem or complete a similar task
- Putting students in small groups and having them discuss a new concept before engaging in it
- Using visual aids to help students conceptualize a task prior to engaging in it
- Asking students to use prior knowledge to better understand more complex topics
- Using meta-cognitive online tools such as self-assessment of material and self-correcting to help students learn concepts
Eventually, scaffolding can be removed and the student will be able to complete the task independently.
While scaffolding is most often associated with the zone of proximal development, it is not a concept that was initially introduced by Vygotsky. Instead, this term has been put forth by other researchers who have expanded on his original theories.
Social Interaction
For learning to take place, Vygotsky believed that social interaction between a more knowledgeable other and the learner was critical. While the expert may be an adult, Vygotsky also emphasized the power of peer learning.
For instance, when kids are learning a new concept, social interaction between the adult expert and all of the children is initially crucial. But, if some children grasp the concept, while others are still in their ZPD, peer interaction may create the most conducive environment for learning.
ZPD Applications in the Classroom
The zone of proximal development is a moving target. By giving children tasks that they cannot quite do easily on their own and providing the guidance they need to accomplish them, educators can progressively advance the learning process.
Some examples of ZPD applications in the classroom:
- A teacher in an experimental psychology course might initially provide scaffolding for students by coaching them through their experiments. Next, theteacher slowly removes the scaffolding by only providing brief descriptions of how to proceed. Finally, students would be expected to develop and carry out their experiments independently.
- A teacher may provide traceable worksheets to students learning how to write the alphabet. The teacher may also use a whiteboard to model the steps it takes to write letters. If some students get stuck, the teacher may have them practice on the whiteboard together until the skill is mastered.
- For children learning another language, a teacher may write a sentence on the board, read it aloud, then encourage the students to take turns reading it aloud themselves. The teacher may then split the children into groups to practice reading together before assigning reading homework to do independently.
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Potential Challenges of Scaffolding
While scaffolding can be incredibly helpful for students learning a new concept or skill, if the teacher is unaware of each student's unique ZPD, these learning techniques may not be effective.
According to research, other difficulties educators may encounter include:
- Not having enough time and/or resources to understand each student's ZPD
- Having too many students to properly understand each one's ever-changing ZPD
- Not fully understanding the concept of ZPD and/or scaffolding
- Struggling to maintain enough cognitive flexibility to carry out scaffolding
- Not being organized enough to follow through with scaffolding
A Word From Verywell
The zone of proximal development is an important concept in the fields of both education and psychology. By understanding how the ZPD works, educators and experts can be better prepared to create instruction and learning programs that maximize the tools and resources available to students.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Eun B. The zone of proximal development as an overarching concept: A framework for synthesizing Vygotsky’s theories. Educational Philosophy and Theory. 2017;51(1):18-30. doi:10.1080/00131857.2017.1421941
Lake R. Vygotsky on Education Primer. Peter Lang; 2012.
Abtahi Y. Pupils, tools and the Zone of Proximal Development. Research in Mathematics Education. 2017;20(1):1-13. doi:10.1080/14794802.2017.1390691
Doo MY, Bonk C, Heo H. A meta-analysis of scaffolding effects in online learning in higher education.IRRODL. 2020;21(3). doi:10.19173/irrodl.v21i3.4638
(Video) Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal DevelopmentShvarts A, Bakker A. The early history of the scaffolding metaphor: Bernstein, Luria, Vygotsky, and before. Mind Cult Act. 2019;26(1):4-23. doi:10.1080/10749039.2019.1574306
Petosa RL, Smith LH. Peer mentoring for health behavior change: A systematic review. American Journal of Health Education. 2014;45(6):351-357. doi:10.1080/19325037.2014.945670
Bardack S, Obradović J. Observing teachers’ displays and scaffolding of executive functioning in the classroom context.J Appl Dev Psychol. 2019;62:205-219. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2018.12.004
Additional Reading
Crain W. Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. 6th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited; 2014.
Vygotsky, L.S. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press; 1978.
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By Kendra Cherry
Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology.
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FAQs
What is zone of proximal development? ›
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) was a key construct in Lev Vygotsky's theory of learning and development. The Zone of Proximal Development is defined as the space between what a learner can do without assistance and what a learner can do with adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.
What is the zone of proximal development and why is it important? ›The main idea of the Zone of proximal development is that a person with more knowledge can enhance a student's learning by guiding them through a task slightly above their aptitude. As the learner gains more competence, the expert steadily stops guidance until the learner becomes able to do the task by themselves.
What is the zone of proximal development simply psychology? ›What Is the Zone of Proximal Development? The zone of proximal development refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner. Thus, the term “proximal” refers to those skills that the learner is “close” to mastering.
What are the key components in Vygotsky's zone of proximal development? ›The zone of proximal development consists of two important components: the student's potential development and the role of interaction with others. Learning occurs in the zone of proximal development after the identification of current knowledge.
What is zone of proximal development give example? ›For example, imagine a student has just mastered basic addition. At this point, basic subtraction may enter their zone of proximal development, meaning that they have the ability to learn subtraction and will likely be able to master it with guidance and support.
How do teachers use the zone of proximal development? ›To find the zone of proximal development, parents and teachers have to ask questions and observe a child's skills. This will help them understand the skills that a child already knows, and based on this information, teachers can create a curriculum to advance those skills.
How is zone of proximal development acquire to a child? ›The zone of proximal development (ZPD or Zoped) is defined as the difference between a child's “actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving” and the child's “potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers” ( ...
What is ZPD and scaffolding? ›In summary, the zone of proximal development allows instructors to assess the range of tasks that a child can perform independently and with the help of an advanced other. Scaffolding is a process that supports students as they learn to perform a task independently.
What is zone of proximal development and scaffolding? ›To take directly from the term, “proximal”, the ZPD envelopes those skills that the child is “close” to mastering. Scaffolding is a term that sprung out of the concept of the ZPD. It refers to the help or guidance from an adult or more competent peer to allow the child to work within the ZPD.
What are the 4 stages of Vygotsky cognitive development? ›He is most famous for creating the four stages of cognitive development, which include the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operation stage.
When was the zone of proximal development created? ›
The concept of zone of proximal development (ZPD) was developed by Lev Semenovich Vygotsky during the late 1920s and elaborated progressively until his death in 1934.
What is the impact of ZPD and scaffolding to teaching? ›Children whose mothers gave them guidance were significantly more successful than those who completed the task on their own. A study published in 2000 that focused on a teacher using ZPD and scaffolding to teach a Farsi speaker English found that these methods can be an effective way to teach someone a new language.
What is the main focus of Vygotsky's theory of development? ›Vygotsky's theory revolves around the idea that social interaction is central to learning. This means the assumption must be made that all societies are the same, which is incorrect. Vygotsky emphasized the concept of instructional scaffolding, which allows the learned to build connections based on social interactions.
What are the educational implications of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development? ›One major aspect of Vygotsky's theory is the idea that the potential for cognitive development depends upon the "zone of proximal development" (ZPD): a level of development attained when children engage in social behavior. Full development of the ZPD depends upon full social interaction.
What are some examples of scaffolding? ›What is an example of scaffolding? An example of scaffolding is when the teacher begins by showing students how new information can be used. Then the teacher guides the students as they use the new information. Then the teacher has students use the new information independently.
What is an example of Vygotsky's theory? ›A simple and concrete example of this is when we help children learn to ride a bicycle - first with training wheels, then as we hold the bicycle steady for them (with some verbal coaching as well), and finally without any help, as children ride independently.
What does the ZPD say about assessment? ›When assessment takes place in the zone of proximal development, its object is not learner progression as such but rather learner responsiveness to different forms of scaffolding (Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976) or, in other words, the interdependence of learning and teaching processes.
What is zone of proximal development PDF? ›It is the distance between the actual. developmental level as determined by independent. problem solving and the level of potential development. as determined through problem solving under adult. guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers”
How can the zone of proximal development be improved? ›To apply the concept of the zone of proximal development, teachers instruct in small steps according to the tasks a child is already able to do independently. This strategy is referred to as scaffolding. The teacher should also support and assist the child until he or she can complete all of the steps independently.
What is the zone of proximal development and scaffolding? ›In summary, the zone of proximal development allows instructors to assess the range of tasks that a child can perform independently and with the help of an advanced other. Scaffolding is a process that supports students as they learn to perform a task independently.
What are the 4 stages of Vygotsky cognitive development? ›
He is most famous for creating the four stages of cognitive development, which include the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operation stage.
What is Vygotsky's theory of development? ›Vygotsky's Cognitive Development Theory argues that cognitive abilities are socially guided and constructed. As such, culture serves as a mediator for the formation and development of specific abilities, such as learning, memory, attention, and problem solving.
What does the ZPD say about assessment? ›When assessment takes place in the zone of proximal development, its object is not learner progression as such but rather learner responsiveness to different forms of scaffolding (Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976) or, in other words, the interdependence of learning and teaching processes.
What is an example of scaffolding in child development? ›In early childhood education, scaffolding can be implemented in many ways. For example, once a child recognizes a specific letter, you can teach the sound that it makes, Next, you can move on to words that start with that sound.
What are the educational implications of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development? ›One major aspect of Vygotsky's theory is the idea that the potential for cognitive development depends upon the "zone of proximal development" (ZPD): a level of development attained when children engage in social behavior. Full development of the ZPD depends upon full social interaction.
When was the zone of proximal development created? ›The concept of zone of proximal development (ZPD) was developed by Lev Semenovich Vygotsky during the late 1920s and elaborated progressively until his death in 1934.
What are Piaget's 4 stages of cognitive development? ›Sensorimotor stage (0–2 years old) Preoperational stage (2–7 years old) Concrete operational stage (7–11 years old) Formal operational stage (11 years old through adulthood)
What is Vygotsky theory examples? ›Vygotsky's theory was an attempt to explain consciousness as the end product of socialization. For example, in the learning of language, our first utterances with peers or adults are for the purpose of communication but once mastered they become internalized and allow “inner speech”.
What are the main principles of Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development? ›As such, Vygotsky outlined three main concepts related to cognitive development: (i) culture is significant in learning, (ii) language is the root of culture, and (iii) individuals learn and develop within their role in the community.
What are the 3 forms of language according to Vygotsky? ›Vygotsky (1987) differentiates between three forms of language: social speech which is external communication used to talk to others (typical from the age of two); private speech (typical from the age of three) which is directed to the self and serves an intellectual function; and finally private speech goes ...
What is Vygotsky's concept of scaffolding? ›
Vygotsky coined a definition of instructional scaffolding that focused on teacher practices. He defined this as, 'the role of teachers and others in supporting the learner's development and providing support structures to get to that next stage or level' (Raymond, 2000).
How do you use Vygotsky's theory in the classroom? ›- Know Each Student's ZPD. In order to use ZPD and scaffolding techniques successfully, it's critical to know your students' current level of knowledge. ...
- Encourage Group Work. ...
- Don't Offer Too Much Help. ...
- Have Students Think Aloud.
The zone of proximal development (ZPD or Zoped) is defined as the difference between a child's “actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving” and the child's “potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers” ( ...
What are some examples of scaffolding? ›What is an example of scaffolding? An example of scaffolding is when the teacher begins by showing students how new information can be used. Then the teacher guides the students as they use the new information. Then the teacher has students use the new information independently.
What learning theory is scaffolding? ›Scaffolding refers to a method where teachers offer a particular kind of support to students as they learn and develop a new concept or skill. In the instructional scaffolding model, a teacher may share new information or demonstrate how to solve a problem.