Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development & Self Efficacy & Agency

Vygotsky defines the zone of proximal development as ‘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’. (https://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html)

As children grow they add more detail into their play. The next step is the ‘zone of proximal development’ which means the difference between problem solving a child can do independently and problem solving which the child is capable of doing with support. This defines how mature the child is and what level of development they are at. This help suggest a appropriate target for that individual. Each child has there zone of actual development this is the level they are already at but they all have a target to get them to the

Bandura focused on perceived self-efficacy, which he defines as a belief in one’s own capability to organize and execute the course of action required to attain a goal. (Bandura, 1977).

Three of which include, his or her cognition towards situations, his or her emotional status, and the decision-making process of that individual. Self-efficacy affects an individual’s cognition towards a situation due to the fact that a person’s view can greatly influence the outcome of that situation. Therefore, thinking in an optimistic manner can be beneficial, whereas thinking in a negative manner towards a circumstance can be detrimental. Self-efficacy can affect the emotional status of an individual, in that a resilient sense of self-efficacy enables an individual to recognize that it is normal for him or her to feel discouraged in certain situations, and this transpires in a determination to persevere and turn the outcomes of his or her circumstances into success. The manner in which self-efficacy affects an individual’s decision-making process is that it facilitates the individual to recognize that there is always a choice for choosing the way he or she will experience a certain situation or circumstance. In summation, the concept of self-efficacy pioneered by Albert Bandura elucidates that through an individual mastery of his or her thoughts emotions and decisions with the guidance of past circumstances he or she will be able to recognize the ability to shape the outcomes of his or her situations and circumstances. Therefore, the concept of self-efficacy has proven to be a paramount dynamic in the positive field of psychology regarding the prerequisite for behavior

Vygotsky’s approach is complex and difficult to condense. His key point ( the importance of culture in generating and shaping child development) is worth hanging on to (Maclean and Harrison, 2008, p.71). Vygotsky (1978) model (see appendix 1) sees the Zone of Proximal Development as the area where the most sensitive instruction or guidance should be given - allowing the child to develop skills they will then use on their own - developing higher mental functions (online) https//simplepsycologly.org (accessed 26th October 2017). When children with complex learning needs, need to work on tasks independently they, have to be supported though out the whole process with motivators to keep them on task.

The Zone of Proximal Development compares what a child can accomplish on their own and what a child can do with guidance by an adult. According to Vygotsky, children learn better, when they are taught using the zone of proximal development, because students will need assistance first, then they slowly become capable of doing a skill or task on their own. For example, a child tying their shoe would need an adult to first teach them, then do it with them a few time, and finally the child will eventually be able to tie their shoes without the help of an adult.

According to (Bandura, 1997), the concept of self-efficacy considerably improves the understanding of human behavior. The assessment of self efficacy is the assessment of what an individual is able to do, regardless of the actual abilities of the person, and there are two basic types of expectation in realization of behavior needed to achieve the wanted outcome: efficacy expectations and outcome expectations. Self-efficacy refers to individuals’ beliefs about their capabilities to carry out a particular course of action successfully.

Self-efficacy was previously defined by Bandura that we have the ability to execute a behavior or performance, depending on our belief. The American Psychology Association defines self-efficacy as it reflects of confidence when having control of their own motivation, behavior and social environment, in which you strive to achieve the given goal. But how does our own belief of self-efficacy reflect on our academic achievement? Being able to understand the factors that influence self-efficacy and how the level of one’s belief impact academics is important in order to understand the child’s academic achievement.

The Self-Efficacy theory was created in the 1970s by Albert Bandura. Behavior theories created earlier in time were based on psychological components and had 3 characteristics. The characteristics stated that behavior is psychically regulated by the sub-conscience, a behavior that is different from normal is a symptom of a disease or disorder, and a behavior is able to change with the help of a therapist. With more research, it was later decided that behavior results from a connection between personal, behavioral and environmental factors and that a behavior that is different than normal does not mean it is a symptom of a disease or disorder. Both the earlier and later theories worked, so Albert Bandura found the common thread between the two approaches and came up with the Self-Efficacy theory. This theory was created as a common ground between the early and later theories. It states that people will only do things that they believe they can achieve. If they do not think its achievable, they will not try it. This gives a reason as to why some people do not attempt certain tasks, while others do. Increasing one’s self-efficacy can help them be more productive and attempt more challenging things and when this is applied to health behavior, it can increase their health.

According to Vygotsky, zone of proximal development, or abbreviated as ZPD, is a learning concept that states a child cannot yet master alone even though they are close to having the necessary mental skills; they need guidance from a skilled partner to complete the task. This relates to his theory of general development because he believed social interaction plays an important role in the process of cognitive development and as stated above, ZPD requires human interaction to guide a child through what can be seen as a learning curve. With this project where a child has to do an easy puzzle (10 pieces or less) on their own versus a hard puzzle (50 pieces or more) with the help of an adult, Vygotsky would predict that the child will be able

Self Efficacy refers to an individual belief in their personal capability to accomplish a particular group of job (Bandura 1997). This particular description is associated with self-efficacy which came from a crucial idea within Albert Bandura’s interpersonal cognitive concept, and has already been used in a variety of mental hypotheses. In neuro-scientific mindset, self-efficacy are likely involved in several hypotheses associated with inspiration, believed designs, cognitive procedures, choices, long term alignment as well as daily conduct.

In chapter 9 of the textbook “Children” by John Santrock, Vygotsky’s theory of the zone of proximal development was discussed. The zone of proximal development is the space in which learning is accomplished. Within this zone, you are taking into account the skills that children can complete by themselves and also the skills that they would have the ability to complete with some help. With the zone of proximal development, you are looking at what a child can accomplish by them self, which is called the lower limit. Along with looking at those skills, you are looking at what the child can then accomplish with some help, which is called the upper limit. According to Vygotsky, the space between the lower limit and the upper limit is where the most beneficial learning for that child takes place. When the learning is occurring the lower and upper limits will move to allow for the newly learned material, this movement is called scaffolding.

According to Bandura self-efficacy is what protect people from psychological strains. Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief that they have

An individual’s self-efficacy is from his physiological state (such as emotional arousal, nervousness, or anxiety) while performing a behavior. As a result, from observing successes and failures of others, persuasion, history of achievement in a particular field, he develops self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977). Comparisons, particularly among peers and siblings, on one’s performances to the others’ performance also serve as a strong basis

According to Kelleher (2016), Bandura defines self-efficacy “as one’s belief in his or her ability to perform a given task” (p. 70). Learning is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities that an individual accumulates throughout their lifespan. Learning is established by a series of tasks, observations or modeling, and environmental factors. It can also be influenced by prior knowledge. It is strongly impacted by one’s culture, beliefs, values, and socioeconomical status. Part of the learning process is how information is encoded and stored in the brain as short-term or working memory, and the ability to recall information is vital to student success. From an educational standpoint, teachers are taught every student is unique with a learning style all their own.