Created by Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky
Refers to the optimum state of learning for an individual
The state between what a students has mastered/known (too easy) and what the student will learn/unknown (too hard)
Many factors are involved to assist a student in making the leap between the known and unknown
teacher created scaffolding
social interaction
small groups
teacher interaction
Teacher and/or student modelling behaviors
Equation for student learning success:
ZPD + scaffolding + group interactions (projects discussions) = student learning
References
Rodriguez, M. (Narrator). (2015). Zone of Proximal Development [Online video]. YouTube.com. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du6vqSOj7UU