Answer to Question #323448 in English for faro

Question

Explain the meaning of the concept “Zone of Proximal Development” as associated with child-centred learning.

Answer 1

The zone of proximal development (ZPD), also known as the zone of potential development, is a concept often used in classrooms to help students with skill development.

The core idea of the ZPD is that a more knowledgeable person can enhance a student’s learning by guiding them through a task slightly

As the student becomes more competent, the expert gradually stops helping until the student can perform the skill by themselves.

The idea of the ZPD came from a Russian psychologist named Lev Vygotsky in the early 1900s. Vygotsky believed that every person has two stages of skill development:

1. a level they can achieve by themselves
2. a level they can achieve with the help of an experienced mentor or teacher