The zone of proximal development
- Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development focuses on the social world of the child with adults playing a key role in the process
- Where Piaget saw cognitive development as an innate maturation-based process Vygotsky placed social interaction at the centre of cognitive development
- One of the key features of Vygotsky’s theory is that of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), ‘proximal’ meaning ‘in the vicinity/region of'
- The ZPD conceptualises where a child currently stands in terms of their cognitive development and the ‘zones’ they must cross to reach the limits of their potential i.e. the ZPD presents an aspirational model of what a child could achieve given the right conditions
The zone of proximal development indicates what a child may be able to achieve with the guidance of a More Knowledgeable Other.
- Vygotsky argued that a child is only able to go beyond their current level of achievement with the help of a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) in the form of an adult (parent, teacher etc.) who can guide and assist them on their learning journey
- Vygotsky (unlike Piaget) believed that children cannot progress intellectually without the help of a MKO i.e. they need to harness more than just discovery learning in order to be able to progress and deepen their understanding
- The importance of social interaction and the guidance of a MKO led Vygotsky to claim that children are ‘little apprentices’ (as opposed to Piaget’s view, that they are ‘little scientists’)
Exam Tip
If you are writing about the differences between Piaget and Vygotsky make sure to acknowledge that their theories are not diametrically opposed: they both believed that children are active, motivated learners and that the presence of other people can stimulate that learning. Vygotsky, however, emphasised the importance of social interaction whereas Piaget placed emphasis much more on the individual child’s exploration of their world.