Vygotsky's "theory of the zone of proximal development" holds that the development of students has two levels: one is the current level of students, which refers to the level of problem-solving that can be achieved when they are independent; The other is the possible development level of students, that is, the potential gained through teaching. The difference between them is the nearest development zone.

Teaching should focus on students' recent development zone, provide students with difficult contents, arouse students' enthusiasm, give full play to their potential, surpass their recent development zone and reach the level of the next development stage, and then carry out the development of the next development zone on this basis.

Educational significance:

The current teaching reform in our country is based on quality education, and advocates the modern developmental teaching concept of facing all students and making them develop in an all-round way. This view holds that the essence of teaching is to stimulate students' enthusiasm for learning and help them develop in an all-round way. The teaching view advocated by Vygotsky's theory of the zone of proximal development coincides with it.

Vygotsky's theory of proximal development zone holds that learning and development are social and cooperative activities, and they can never be taught to someone. Suitable for students to construct their own understanding in their own minds. It is in this process that teachers play the role of promoters and helpers, guiding, motivating and helping students to develop in an all-round way.

Historical development:

Vygotsky is interested in the potential of children's development, not the level of children's development at a certain point, so he put forward the concept of "zone of proximal development". He defined the "zone of proximal development" as the zone between "the current level of children's independent problem solving" and "the potential development level that can be achieved with the help of adults or more experienced peers".

The definition of this "region" is the difference (expressed in time) between the performance of a child and that of the same child in activities with adults or with the help of adults or more experienced peers.

For example, two children were tested with the psychometric standard of 8-year-old children. With the help of standardization, the first child reached the level of 9-year-old children and the second child reached the level of 12-year-old children. Then the nearest zone of the first child is 1 year, and the nearest zone of the second child is 4 years.