The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Here is Vygotsky's grandly-named 'general genetic law of cultural development':

Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological), and then inside the child (intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relations between human individuals.
(Vygotsky, 1978: 57)

I believe that social interaction enhances the mind but it is not the be all and end all. There are other factors involved in cognitive development, these could involve the child’s self esteem, hobbies, interests, behavior and how a child is nurtured and the home environment.

Vygotsky explains how children internalise collective, shared experience through his famous concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (the ZPD). 'Proximal' means 'next to'. Some Vygotskian scholars believe that this Russian phrase should have been translated as the 'Zone of Potential Development'.

I believe potential would be a better translation because it gives more he ZPD is ahead of what a child can already achieve unaided.flexibility and allows for the factors I mentioned above.

I taught a lesson recently on ‘using critical thinking when evaluating the reliability of sources’. Students were able to practice deconstruction skills, understand how claims should be supported by evidence, evaluate evidence and see how it is used in an argument. Most students were able to follow instructions and follow the critical path unaided, occasionally asking questions to clarify their own thinking;; the task challenged them and was within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and the pupils showed signs of being ‘ripe’ to learn. 3 other students needed guidance and help, they asked me probing questions and needed occasional help on a couple of occasions, they asked their class mates later on, with this guidance they were developing problem solving skills and understood what was expected, their conceptual learning was being developed within the ZPD in collaboration with an adult and peers; when given the same style or similar task in a future lesson these students will be able to do it confidently with no guidance needed. As a conceptual tool for teachers the ZPD is helpful when assessing what year group a student should go into or when developing a curriculum that will challenge pupils and enable them to enquire, it also brings to light scope for effective pupil grouping so weaker students can learn from peers.