Vygotsky (1978, p. 90) argues that “learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of development of culturally organized, specifically human, psychological functions. » This means that learning is the process that contributes to the development of higher order thinking. According to him, learning progresses from an initial state based on guided learning, to subsequent independent learning, passing through the zone of proximal development. He described this concept as “the distance between the two.” the level of actual development determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development determined by problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more competent peers” (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86). between what a child is capable of doing alone and what he could do under the guidance of an adult, he coined this term in the 20th century to describe the right place where teaching should take place. First, this essay will present a comprehensive description of the ZPD in order to understand Vygotsky's point of view. Second, it will explain its important role in cognitive development, analyzing scaffolding processes. Finally, a critical overview will be made in order to discuss the weaknesses of the ZPD. Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist interested in developmental psychology. According to his theory, social interactions play a key role in affecting cognitive development and providing models for problem solving. He found that children's interactions with significant adults profoundly influenced their cognitive abilities and interpretations of the world. First of all, to understand the concept of ZPD it is...... middle of paper ...... tion of new skills. The ZPD has been presented as a tool to explore the current state of development, but it is important to clarify that there are no particularly reliable methods for measuring it. Nevertheless, Vygotsky's work has a number of implications in the field of education and has been widely useful in understanding how learning should be shaped. An interesting and conclusive definition of ZPD written by Holzman (1996, p.71) states that "ZPD is a form of living in which people collectively and relationally create developmental learning that goes beyond what any individual in the group could learn about himself or herself.” his. Our effort is to create continually overlapping ZPDs, a particular relational activity that is and simultaneously makes possible the transformation of rigid behavior (life forms that have become alienated and fossilized) into a new form..”