ULev Vygotsky, isazi sezengqondo saseRussia owayenomphikisana kulokho okwakuyiSoviet Union, wavela nomqondo wendawo yokuthuthukiswa okuqhubekayo ukuchaza imvelo yokufunda efanele. Cabanga ngakho njengento ethi "i-Goldilocks Theory." Ngezinye izikhathi umsebenzi ulula kakhulu. Ngezinye izikhathi umsebenzi unzima kakhulu. Futhi ngezinye izikhathi umsebenzi ulungile. Lapho umsebenzi ulungile, kudala imvelo yokufunda efanele.
Lapho umsebenzi kulula, abafundi bangakwazi ukwenza lo msebenzi ngaphandle kosizo. Yona "indawo yabo yokududuza." Uma wonke umsebenzi umfundi eceliwe ukuba akwenze uhlale endaweni yokududuza, akukho ukufunda okuyokwenzeka. Empeleni, umfundi uzogcina elahlekelwa inzalo. Ngesikhathi umsebenzi unzima kakhulu, ngakolunye uhlangothi, umfundi uyazikhungatheka. Ngisho nangesizo, abafundi "endaweni yokukhungatheka" kungenzeka bayeke.
Indawo ephakathi kwendawo yokududuza kanye nendawo yokukhungatheka yilapho ukufunda kuzokwenzeka khona. inkolelo yeZPD iphakamisa. Yindawo lapho umfundi eyodingwa khona usizo noma kuzodingeka asebenze kanzima ukuqonda umqondo noma ukuqedela umsebenzi owenziwayo. Lena yindawo yokuthuthukiswa okungekho emthethweni. Umfundi akadabuki noma akhungathekile, kodwa unengqinamba efanele.
UVigotsky wayekholelwa nokuthi izingane ezingenasikhathi esiyinqaba ngeke ziqhubekele kude ngaphandle kwemvelo ehlelekile yokufunda.
Ukhuthaze othisha ukuba anike abafundi abafundi izinto ezilukhuni ukuze bafunde, becabanga ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kwengane kuhlale emandleni akhe okuxazulula izinkinga kunokuba umthamo walokho akwaziyo. Wayekholelwa ukuthi ikhono lokuthola ulwazi olusha lusekelwe ekutholakaleni nasezingeni eliphezulu lemfundo umfundi owamukelweyo, kanye nokufunda kwangaphambilini komfundi.
Ulimi kanye nokukwazi ukuxhumana kwakuyizingxenye eziyinhloko ze-ZPD kusukela izingane zithuthukisa amakhono okuqonda okuvela kwabanye ngokusebenzisa inkhulumomphendvulwano, imibono yezinkolelo.
Umsebenzi kaVigotsky wawungaziwa kancane ngaphandle kweSoviet Union ngesikhathi esaphila. Izinkolelo zakhe azizange ziyaziwa emazweni aseNtshonalanga kuze kube ngawo-1970. Umsebenzi wakhe waziwa kakhulu ochwepheshe bezokuthuthukiswa kwengane, nakuba kungavumelani ngaso sonke isikhathi isivumelwano, futhi iningi liye lahlanjululwa njengoba izinkulumo zakhe zokuqala zabhalwa.
Lokho kulungiswa kufaka phakathi umqondo wokuthi "ukuhlanza," okubhekisela ekushintsheni ukuthi ingane iyakweseka kangakanani endaweni yokufunda esekelwe amandla akhe okufunda nokukwazi. Uma ingane ibhekene nomqondo othize noma umsebenzi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uthola ukwesekwa okwengeziwe. Kodwa njengoba ingane ifika ekuqondeni umqondo, inani lemikhombandlela (noma ukukhipha, okwesekwa okwesikhashana kwesakhiwo esimweni sokwakhiwa), kulungiswa ngendlela efanele. Ngisho noma kwakungumqondo owasungulwa isikhathi eside ngemuva kokuthi uVigotsky esefile, ukubhekwa kwesibhakabhaka kubonakala kuyadingeka ukugcina intuthuko yengane iqhubekela phambili kuZPD.