This is a concept introduced by Lev Vygotsky. According to this concept, a learner can perform more tasks with the help of a more knowledgeable or learned person such as a teacher, mentor or an experienced peer.
ZPD refers to the gap between what a learner can do on their own and what they can achieve with the support or guidance given from an experienced person. As far as teachers are concerned , knowing students Zone of Proximal Development can be highly advantageous in the teaching- learning process. As a teacher , I will be able to provide effective instructions for my students.
- To provide more effective learning instruction- As I know the learning gaps of my students, I can provide them with personalised instructions. When we know the challenging tasks of our students and by providing them with proper guidance, it helps students gaining meaningful learning experience.
- Scaffolding-As a teacher I can guide them to reach their potential levels gradually. Most of the time, in the real classroom setting, teachers ‘s instructions become meaningless as they fail to attend individual learning gaps.However through this theory, we can learn that, every student has his/her unique level of reaching their growth and support them for meaningful learning.
- Assessment and feedback- As a teacher, by knowing my students ZPD is vital for me to build up proper assessment tools.Thus I will be able to combine better assessment tools to measure students abilities correctly. Not only that, students can provide constructive feedback on areas where they are more capable of.
- Can set meaningful learning goals- By knowing students ZPD , as a teacher,I can set more realistic and achievable learning goals. At the same time, it will be easy for me to conduct the lesson smoothly .
- Can build strong teacher- student relationship- Most of the time, teacher- student relationships become negative when teachers fail to understand the level of our students. I believe ZPD based instructions involve a deeper understanding each and every student’s learning needs and capabilities. This understanding builds healthy relationships and meaningful communications between teachers and students.