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The zone of proximal development (зона ближайшего развития), often abbreviated ZPD, is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help. It is a concept developed by the Russian psychologist and social constructivist Lev Vygotsky (1896 - 1934).
Vygotsky stated that a child follows an adult's example and gradually develops the ability to do certain tasks without help or assistance. Vygotsky's often-quoted definition of zone of proximal development presents it as
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 peers1
Vygotsky among other educational professionals believe the role of education to be to provide children with experiences which are in their ZPD, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning. (Berk & Winsler, p. 24)
Contents |
Origins
The concept of the zone of proximal development was originally developed by Vygotsky to argue against the use of standardized tests as a means to gauge students' intelligence. Vygotsky argued that rather than examining what a student knows to determine intelligence, it is better to examine their ability to solve problems independently and their ability to solve problems with the assistance of an adult. (Berk & Winsler, pg. 25-34)
Development
The concept of ZPD has been expanded, modified, and changed into new concepts since Vygotsky's original conception.
The concept of scaffolding is closely related to the ZPD, although Vygotsky himself never mentioned the term; instead, scaffolding was developed by other sociocultural theorists applying Vygotsky's ZPD to educational contexts. Scaffolding is a process through which a teacher or more competent peer gives aid to the student in her/his ZPD as necessary, and tapers off this aid as it becomes unnecessary, much as a scaffold is removed from a building during construction. According to education expert Nancy Balaban, "Scaffolding refers to the way the adult guides the child's learning via focused questions and positive interactions." (Balaban, p. 52) This concept has been further developed by Ann Brown, among others. Several instructional programs were developed on the basis of the notion of ZPD interpreted this way, including reciprocal teaching and dynamic assessment.
ZPD has been implemented as a measurable concept in the reading software Accelerated Reader. The developers of Accelerated Reader describe it as "the level of difficulty [of a book] that is neither too hard nor too easy, and is the level at which optimal learning takes place" (Renaissance Learning, 2007). The STAR Reading software suggests a ZPD level, or it can be determined from other standardized tests. The company claims that students need to read books that are not too easy, so as to avoid boredom, and not too hard, so as to avoid frustration. This range of book difficulty, so claimed, helps to improve vocabulary and other reading skills.
While the ideas of Vygotsky's ZPD originally were used strictly for one's ability to solve problems, Tharp and Gallimore point out that it can be expanded to examining other domains of competence and skills. These specialized zones of development include cultural zones, individual zones, and skill-oriented zones. Of these skill-oriented zones, it is commonly believed among early childhood development researchers that young children learn their native language and motor skills in general by being placed in the zone of proximal development (Wells pg. 57).
References
- ^ L.S. Vygotsky: Mind in Society: Development of Higher Psychological Processes, p. 86
- Balaban, Nancy. (1995) "Seeing the Child, Knowing the Person." In Ayers, W. "To Become a Teacher," Teachers College Press.
- 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.
- 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. Cambridge: Cambridge University Presents
- Renaissance Learning. (2007). Getting results with Accelerated Reader. Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Author.
- Tharp, R & Gallimore, R. (1988) "Rousing Minds to Life." Cambridge University Press.
- Wells, G. "Dialogic inquiries in education: Building on the legacy of Vygotsky." Cambridge University Press.
- Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
See also
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- This page was last modified on 3 December 2008, at 12:51.
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