ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces one of the most well-known Vygotskian concepts—Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)—and discusses the applications of this concept in education research and in the classroom. The chapter begins with a definition of the ZPD and contrasts the Vygotskian view of child development as being determined by the child’s interactions with others with a more traditional Western view of child development as this child’s individual trajectory. The chapter then examines the main areas where early childhood educators may find the concept of ZPD useful: assessing children, assisting children, and determining what is developmentally appropriate for an individual child as well as for a group of children. Finally, the chapter provides several examples of educational research where contemporary scholars further elaborated on the concept of ZPD in the context of children’s learning and development.
