How ZPD helped me in improving the learning of my students?

I can really say that those who are in the teaching career, it must be their passion. When I was a teacher 6 months ago, I encountered a lot of challenges and difficulties. One of the challenges I encountered was assessing the learning of the students and how it can be improved. With the assistance of internet, I found a concept that can really help in my teaching career – the ZPD.

What is the Zone of Proximal Development?

ZPD is a concept developed by Lev Vygotsky. ZPD refers to the difference between what a learner can do alone, and what a learner can do together with peers. In the image below, the one in the second circle indicate the zone of proximal development. Vygotsky stated “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers”.

How ZPD helped me in improving the learning of my students?

There are two strategies in ZPD that I applied in my teaching before. The MKO, otherwise known as the knowledgeable others. This strategy where the learner was surrounded by more skilled or someone advance from the learner. When I taught Empowerment Technologies before one of the topics was Photography and there was symmetric and asymmetrical balance. Without further ado, I got students who were enrolled in summer classes in photography and was really good. What I did was I set the class in group and match members with those advance to those who have little experience. They did real – life activities, shot pictures following the symmetrical and asymmetrical laws. In this case those who have little experience learned more from the skilled ones (MKO’s).

Second, scaffolding. There were really rare instances in my teaching career that surrounded the learner by MKO’s (other advance students) would not be enough. This would turned out that my help, a more advance MKO was needed. I helped my students learn the concepts and gradually lessening my assistance as the learner progresses. For example, in my General Mathematics subject before, I made sure that they truly understood the concepts of one topic before advancing. I also did scaffolding process by creating an activity that would guide them about the lessons.

 

Reference:

McLeod, S. (2019). What is the Zone of Proximal Development. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from: https://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html

Innovative Learning. “Zone of Proximal Development”. Retrieved from: http://www.innovativelearning.com/educational_psychology/development/zone-of-proximal-development.html