VYGOTSKYThe Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Lev Vygotsky

Vygotsky was a cognitive psychologist whose interests

included: • the fields of child development• developmental psychology • education.

Major theories include: • ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development)• MKO (More Knowledgeable Other)

“Learning is more than the acquisition of the ability to think; it is the acquisition of many specialised abilities for thinking about a variety of things.” 1978

ZPD – Definition:

“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" (Vygotsky, 1978, p86).

To illustrate this…

Beyond Reach at Present

Potential

DevelopmentCurrent Development.

Applications:

• Reciprocal teaching – used to improve students ability to learn from text.

• Feed into collaborative learning – group members should have different levels of ability.

Scaffolding

When a child is at their ZPD for a task then with the correct assistance (Scaffolding) this will give the child the ability to be able to complete the task.

Scaffolding – a structure of ‘support points’ to help a child complete a task.

The term scaffolding was not actually used by Vygotsky and was later coined by Bruner.

The Woods and Middelton(1975) – Pyramid Puzzle

Explored the correct level of scaffolding when teaching a learner; studying the influence of instruction.

The experiment- they provided 3-4 year olds with a puzzle beyond their comprehension on their own. (the mother then provided different levels of assistance)

• L1 – General verbal instruction (“Very good! Now try that again.”)

• L2 – Specific verbal instruction (“Get four big blocks”)

• L3 – Mother indicates material (“You need this block here”)

• L4 – Mother provides material and prepares it for assembly

• L5 – Mother demonstrates the operation

In Summary

• Emphasised the role of a teacher in cognitive development, and the need to have support from a More Knowledgable Other, or MKO.

• The zone of proximal development, or ZPD, differentiates between a learner’s current development and their potential development when being taught from a MKO.

• Scaffolding provides an effective way to reach potential levels of development, but only when different levels of assistance are given when required.

• Social and cultural tools are an important means of gaining intelligence.

• There is a close link between the acquisition of language and the development of thinking.

• Internalising monologues, and therefore becoming a verbal thinker, is a stepping stone to higher levels of thinking.

References:

• http://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html

• McLeod, S. A. (2007). Vygotsky - Social Development Theory. Retrieved fromhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html

• http://psychohawks.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/theories-of-cognitive-development-lev-vygotsky/

• http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/5075

• http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/english/literacy/concepts/2L3_ZPD.htm