ABSTRACT
An important concept in his cultural-historical theory of learning and human development, Lev Vygotsky used the term ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD) to distinguish maturing (developing) cognitive processes from matured (developed) cognitive processes in children. When describing or assessing a child’s mental development, Vygotsky believed psychologists should take into account incipient higher-order thinking skills which, in his view, appropriate pedagogical practices could promote. The boundaries of ZPD were thus defined by a child’s zone of independent performance (developmental level) on one side, and her/his zone of assisted performance on the other.
