The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is a concept I learnt about while studying to be a teacher. The ZPD describes the learning that a student needs to do to get from where they are now and what they know at present to where they can get to and what they will know with help. I found it an interesting concept and enjoyed learning about it and seeing it happening right in front of my eyes while at job placements.
The 'creator' of the concept, Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934), describes it much better than I do:
In my words, Vygotsky thought that children learn better when inspired / helped / assisted by adults or other (sometimes older) children. The amount of learning they could do or rather the process of increasing their knowledge and understanding with / through help is the Zone in which Proximal Development can happen. This assistance can be provided by a parent or teacher who gives the child the needed tools however can also come from learning with or copying an older sibling.
To make matters as clear as can be; Proximal and Development according to the World English Dictionary (the bold text and italics are all mine):
As Wikipedia will tell you, the ZPD "is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help." They provide an example of the Zone of Proximal Development 'as it happens'
Scaffolding
As the term suggests, scaffolding comes from "scaffold" which according to Dictionary.com refers to "a temporary structure for holding workers and materials during the erection, repair, or decoration of a building / any raised framework / a suspended platform that is used by painters, window washers, and others for working on a tall structure." Thus, scaffolds are temporary 'platforms' that teachers (or others) can put up or place for children to help them learn and grow on their journey of development and learning. No matter which professor happened to be talking about scaffolding, they always stressed the point that Vygotsky himself didn't actually coin the term scaffolding. It was introduced by Wood et al. (1976)* who offer the following definition of scaffolding:
The Zone of Proximal Development changes as a learner learns new things or masters new skills. The Zone always describes the entire learning curve from what a child knows or knew to what they will know, thus as a child gains new skills or knowledge, the 'starting point' of the Zone changes too. Scaffolds in Early Childhood and Developmental Theory are like training wheels on a bicycle. Scaffolding refers to the ways teachers or others can help children learn by giving them scaffolds or temporary platforms to stand on or hold on to while they learn. Eventually, the scaffolds won't be necessary any more as the child / learner will have mastered the skill or learnt the lesson. One last example for implementing scaffolding in the Zone of Proximal Development:
Background and Influences
When we learnt about the Zone of Proximal Development and Vygotsky's theories (which were very interesting to read!), I didn't think about Vygotsky's theories in a socio-political context at all. I simply thought them logical and sensible from experiences in my own life - people often learn better when they have others to help them learn, I saw that as simple fact.
Now, some years later, it strikes me that Vygotsky's ideas very much match those of the socio-political climate in which he lived. He lived in a Communist Soviet Empire which, no matter how it functioned in reality, was based on the concept of communism. From the World English Dictionary (the bold text and italics are all mine):
Lev Vygotsky lived in a communist society, which is a classless society, thus (ideally) one where all are equally entitled to knowledge and learning. In such a society, values like cooperation, sharing and equality are paramount.
Might this also mean that things which are 'common knowledge' to most or many are really seen as such - as knowledge that is the property of all and thus should, through help or assistance be (made) accessible to all to learn from, benefit from and grow through?
If so, that sounds like a very stimulating climate for any educator, developmental theorist or psychologist to live and work in, as well as a place I'd love to visit one day!
References and Sources (Footnotes)
* websites as named in the body of the text
* Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (p.78)
* Wood, D., Bruner, J., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Child Psychiatry, 17, 89−100.
The 'creator' of the concept, Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934), describes it much better than I do:
The zone of proximal development (ZPD) 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"Lev Vygotsky, 1978 *
In my words, Vygotsky thought that children learn better when inspired / helped / assisted by adults or other (sometimes older) children. The amount of learning they could do or rather the process of increasing their knowledge and understanding with / through help is the Zone in which Proximal Development can happen. This assistance can be provided by a parent or teacher who gives the child the needed tools however can also come from learning with or copying an older sibling.
To make matters as clear as can be; Proximal and Development according to the World English Dictionary (the bold text and italics are all mine):
proximate or proximal (ˈprɒksɪmɪt)Source : Dictionary.com
— adj
- next or nearest in space or time
- very near; close
- immediately preceding or following in a series
- a less common word for approximate
development (dɪˈvɛləpmənt)Source : Dictionary.com
— n
- the act or process of growing, progressing, or developing
- the product or result of developing
- a fact, event, or happening, esp one that changes a situation
- an area or tract of land that has been developed
- Also called: development section the section of a movement, usually in sonata form, in which the basic musical themes are developed
As Wikipedia will tell you, the ZPD "is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help." They provide an example of the Zone of Proximal Development 'as it happens'
"Vygotsky stated that a child follows an adult's example and gradually develops the ability to do certain tasks without help.
... Two 8 yr. old children may be able to complete a task that an average 8 yr. old can do. Next, more difficult tasks are presented with very little assistance from an adult. In the end, both children were able to complete the task. However, the styles methods they chose depended on how far they were willing to stretch their thinking process."Source : Zone of Proximal Development, Wikipedia
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| Source : Zone of Proximal Development at Innovative Learning |
Scaffolding
As the term suggests, scaffolding comes from "scaffold" which according to Dictionary.com refers to "a temporary structure for holding workers and materials during the erection, repair, or decoration of a building / any raised framework / a suspended platform that is used by painters, window washers, and others for working on a tall structure." Thus, scaffolds are temporary 'platforms' that teachers (or others) can put up or place for children to help them learn and grow on their journey of development and learning. No matter which professor happened to be talking about scaffolding, they always stressed the point that Vygotsky himself didn't actually coin the term scaffolding. It was introduced by Wood et al. (1976)* who offer the following definition of scaffolding:
"'Those elements of the task that are initially beyond the learner’s capacity, thus permitting him to concentrate upon and complete only those elements that are within his range of competence'.
It is important to note that the terms cooperative learning, scaffolding and guided learning all have the same meaning within the literature."Source : Zone of Proximal Development, Simply Psychology
"A teacher in an experimental psychology course might initially provide scaffolding for students by coaching them step-by-step through their experiments. Next, teacher might slowly remove the scaffolding by only providing outlines or brief descriptions of how to proceed. Finally, students would be expected to develop and carry out their experiments independently."Source : What is the Zone of Proximal Development?, About.com
Background and Influences
"At the core of Vygotsky’s theory ... is the idea that child development is the result of interactions between children and their social environment. These interactions involve people—parents and teachers, playmates and schoolmates, brothers and sisters. They also involve cultural artifacts, such as books or toys, as well as culturally specific practices in which a child engages in the classroom, at home, or on the playground. Children are active partners in all of these interactions, constructing knowledge, skills, and attitudes, not just mirroring the world around them."Source : The Vygotskian Approach, Tools of the Mind
When we learnt about the Zone of Proximal Development and Vygotsky's theories (which were very interesting to read!), I didn't think about Vygotsky's theories in a socio-political context at all. I simply thought them logical and sensible from experiences in my own life - people often learn better when they have others to help them learn, I saw that as simple fact.
Now, some years later, it strikes me that Vygotsky's ideas very much match those of the socio-political climate in which he lived. He lived in a Communist Soviet Empire which, no matter how it functioned in reality, was based on the concept of communism. From the World English Dictionary (the bold text and italics are all mine):
communism (ˈkɒmjʊˌnɪzəm)Source : Dictionary.com
— n
1. advocacy of a classless society in which private ownership has been abolished and the means of production and subsistence belong to the community2. any social, economic, or political movement or doctrine aimed at achieving such a society...
"Communism, as defined by Marx, is a mode of production in which the means of production, as well as virtually every other aspect of social life, are controlled by those who participate in them most directly. People's lives are organized less around greed, competition, and fear and more around satisfaction of genuine human needs, cooperation, and sharing. The material basis for communism is the ability to produce an abundance of goods. The social basis includes a general absence of private economic property, social class divisions, wealth and power inequalities, and oppressive institutions."Source : Sociology Definition of the Week: Communism, About.com
Lev Vygotsky lived in a communist society, which is a classless society, thus (ideally) one where all are equally entitled to knowledge and learning. In such a society, values like cooperation, sharing and equality are paramount.
Might this also mean that things which are 'common knowledge' to most or many are really seen as such - as knowledge that is the property of all and thus should, through help or assistance be (made) accessible to all to learn from, benefit from and grow through?
If so, that sounds like a very stimulating climate for any educator, developmental theorist or psychologist to live and work in, as well as a place I'd love to visit one day!
References and Sources (Footnotes)
* websites as named in the body of the text
* Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (p.78)
* Wood, D., Bruner, J., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Child Psychiatry, 17, 89−100.