ULev Vygotsky, isazi sengqondo seRussia esasiphikisana nomsebenzi kwi-Soviet Union, saza sakhula ngengcamango yendawo yophuhliso oluxhasayo ukuchaza indawo efanelekileyo yokufunda. Cinga nje ngento efana ne "Goldilocks Theory." Maxa wambi umsebenzi ulula kakhulu. Ngamanye amaxesha umsebenzi unzima kakhulu. Kwaye ngamanye amaxesha umsebenzi ulungile. Xa umsebenzi ulungile, udala indawo yokufunda eyiyo.
Xa umsebenzi ulula, abafundi banokwenza umsebenzi ngokwabo ngaphandle koncedo. Yona "yindawo yokuthuthuzela." Ukuba yonke umsebenzi umfundi abuzwa ukuba ayenze uhlala kwindawo yokuthuthuzela, akukho kufunda kuya kwenzeka. Enyanisweni, umfundi uya kuphelelwa ngumdla. Xa umsebenzi unzima kakhulu, ngakolunye uhlangothi, umfundi uyaxhalaka. Nangona ngoncedo, abafundi "kwindawo yokukhungatheka" banokuyeka.
Ummandla ophakathi kwendawo yokhuseleko kunye nommandla okhungathekileyo yilapho apho kufundwa khona ukufunda. i-ZPD iingcebiso. Yindawo apho umfundi uya kufuna khona uncedo okanye kufuneka asebenze kanzima ukuze aqonde umxholo okanye agqibe umsebenzi owenzileyo. Lo ngumda wophuhliso oluxhasayo. Umfundi akabuhlungu okanye adidekile, kodwa umceli ofanelekileyo.
UVigotsky wayekholelwa ukuba nabantwana abanomdla ongeyomdla babengeke baqhube phambili ngaphandle kokufunda imvelo.
Wakhuthaza ootitshala ukuba banike abafundi izinto ezilukhuni ukufunda, bekholelwa ukuba ingqondo yengane yahlala kwiimeko zakhe zokuxazulula iingxaki kunokuba umthamo wento awaziyo. Wayekholelwa ukuba ukwazi ukufumana ulwazi olutsha kuxhomekeke ekufumanekeni kunye nomgangatho wemfundo umfundi owamkelayo, kunye nokufunda kwangaphambili kwabafundi.
Ulwimi kunye nolwazi lokunxibelelana luyinxalenye eyintloko ye-ZPD kuba abantwana bahlakulela izakhono zokuqonda ezivela kwabanye ngokusebenzisa intetho yeengxoxo, iingcamango zengqondo.
Umsebenzi kaVygotsky wawungaziwa ngaphandle kweSoviet Union ngexesha lokuphila kwakhe. Iingcamango zakhe azizange ziyaziwa kumazwe aseNtshona ukuya kwee-1970. Umsebenzi wakhe uyaziwa kakhulu kwiingcali zentuthuko yabantwana, nangona ingahlali idibene nesivumelwano, kwaye uninzi luye lwacocwa njengoko iincwadi zakhe zokuqala zabhalwa.
Ezi zinto zihlaziywe zibandakanya umxholo othi "ukutshabalalisa," okubhekiselele ekutshintsheni indlela inkxaso enokufumana ngayo umntwana kwindawo yokufunda esekelwe kumandla akhe okufunda nokuba nakho. Ukuba umntwana unenkxalabo ethile okanye umsebenzi ngexesha elide, ufumana inkxaso engaphezulu. Kodwa njengoko umntwana eza kuqonda ingcamango, isixa sokhokelo (okanye ukutshatyalaliswa, okona inkxaso yesikhashana kwenkqubo yokwakhiwa), ilungiswa ngokufanelekileyo. Nangona bekuyiyo ingcamango eyenziwe emva kokuba uVigotsky efile, ukubonakala kwezinto ezibonakalayo kubonakala kuyimfuneko ukugcina inkqubela yomntwana iqhubela phambili kwi-ZPD.