The zone of proximal development is a theory developed by Lev Vygotsky that focuses on a student’s ability to learn with the help of a teacher. It divides knowledge into three areas, with the third being what a student can learn with the guidance of an experienced adult. This concept can be used by teachers to challenge students and provide appropriate support, with the goal of eventually allowing the student to complete tasks independently.
The zone of proximal development is an essential part of an educational theory that emphasizes the child’s learning process through the guidance of a teacher or other capable adult. This theory divides all knowledge into three simple areas: the information a student knows and the things he can already do himself, tasks and information that are far beyond the scope of what the student can do, and the things a student can do. or learn with the help of a teacher. The zone of proximal development is this third area, which consists of the information and tasks that a student can accomplish with the help of an experienced teacher or adult.
As an educational concept, the zone of proximal development was first conceived and defended by a Russian psychologist named Lev Vygotsky. He developed this concept in an effort to lessen the focus on standardized, goal-oriented tests in favor of tests that focus on problem solving that involve problems the student can complete alone and some that require the help of a teacher. The zone of proximal development can be used effectively in many different teaching styles and pedagogies. It typically has a teacher as a learning facilitator, who works with a student to develop understanding of increasingly complex tasks.
A simple example of the zone of proximal development in relation to how children learn would be the type of math problem a child could solve at a given level. If a student understands basic math functions like addition and multiplication, he can solve a simple problem using these functions without help from a teacher. Within the zone of proximal development, there may be problems involving these multi-step functions or a simple problem substituting numbers for variables. Beyond this zone, however, would be complex problems that use trigonometry and different mathematical concepts that the student has not yet begun to learn.
The zone of proximal development can be used by teachers to better understand how to challenge students and what types of help to offer. When a student solves enough problems with the help of a teacher, those types of problems should move into the domain of tasks that the student can complete without help. At that point, the zone of proximal development moves out and some of the previously inaccessible tasks or information becomes available to the student with the help of a teacher. This process of building learning for a student, withdrawing support for problems as they become easier and providing new support for more difficult problems, is commonly known as “scaffolding.
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