When you think of the acronym ZPD, the first thing that comes to mind is probably…well, nothing. Or maybe the Zootopia Police Department. But in reality, the ZPD is an integral part of our psychological selves that determines what we can and cannot achieve.
Developed by Lev Vygotsky, the ZPD (zone of proximal development) refers to an area of potential that isn’t currently achieved but can be with effort and support. You can think of the ZPD as trying to reach for something on a high shelf. Everything from the ground to what you can reach with an outstretched hand is what you already know and have accomplished. Shelves within reach when using a stool or chair to lift yourself are considered your ZPD.
Just like the saying goes, it’s never black and white. The ZPD is that gray area between what you know and what you don’t. With the correct help from knowledgeable people, you can push your way into the unknown. As you work your way out of your comfort zone, your support system will aid you in expanding your potential every step of the way.
How to Recognize the Borders
You might be thinking: how can I figure out what I need to improve on to reach my ZPD?
Well, your limits aren’t clear-cut, and it can be difficult to pinpoint where you currently are. One method is trial and error. It might not be the quickest way to determine your boundaries, but it works without fail.
Start with solving problems you’re sure you can do. Then increase their difficulty bit by bit until you can’t solve them without help. Let’s say you’re trying to find where you are in math. You can start with some easy questions, like solving one-variable equations. Next, go on to systems of equations, then quadratics, and keep going until you can’t solve it or don’t know how to.
Building a Support System
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a support system is family and friends. However, there can be so many others who encourage you to improve and further yourself. Benevolent teachers, peers from extracurriculars and clubs, and anyone who genuinely believes in or cares for you can fall into this system. The important thing is that you trust them to help you grow.
Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance with anything. Without voicing your concern, others may not know that you’re struggling or need help which hurts your chances of expanding your ZPD. Your support system is there for a reason, so use it to your fullest advantage.
Engage and Challenge
Now that you’ve identified where you stand and established a group of people to back you up when needed, it’s time to grow. Start by determining if your schoolwork is at the right level for you. If it’s too easy, ask your teachers to give you some challenging worksheets or problems. You can even explore tougher concepts on your own time, researching answers or finding online resources as assistance. Beware of overestimating your boundaries, though. Without completing the first step of the process, it’s easy to bite off more than you can chew. Doing work that’s way too far past your ZPD can discourage you and make you feel incompetent.
Content can be too difficult, and the main reason for that is a lack of understanding of the subject. One simple way of deepening your understanding is to ask the question “why”. Let’s say you have a true or false question in your science homework, and you’re having trouble choosing the answer. Look it up and then try to find the reasoning for why it’s true or false. If you still don’t understand once you have figured that out, dig deeper.
Using chemistry as an example, let’s assume you’re not understanding why adding pressure to a reaction in equilibrium will cause it to shift the direction with fewer moles. Since that doesn’t make sense, then try to understand what equilibrium even is. If that’s also confusing, then go back to weak acids/bases and dissociation. Keep peeling away layers of the subject until you reach a question that you can answer without help. Then, work your way back to the original topic, taking the help of resources to solidify your understanding.
Pseudoscience or Not?
Despite many believing that the ZPD is just a way of giving hope to people who haven’t achieved much, it’s been scientifically proven to help children learn. Studies and research papers have repeatedly demonstrated that people expand their potential significantly more with assistance than without. As you learn more with others’ aid, you become familiarized with concepts you initially considered difficult. Just like in school, when you find a topic particularly troublesome, you ask for help from teachers and friends until you understand it. Unknowingly, you recognize and make use of the ZPD every day, further proving its essence in developing one’s capabilities.
tl;dr
The Zone of Proximal Development is an important part of us that we can utilize to accomplish even more. By determining your limits and identifying people and resources who can aid your growth, you have already done the preparation to expand your aptitude. Now, you just need to challenge yourself with difficult material and use your support system to achieve more than you thought you could. With each step you take, you push your ZPD further out, increasing your potential.