A healthy, one-on-one relationship with a more skilled adult or peer is the most optimal learning arrangement for most students.
Learning in the context of a one-on-one relationship tends to be the fastest and most efficient way to help students learn skills and grasp concepts. This learning dynamic is often referred to as the zone of proximal development.
Introduced by psychologist Lev Vygotsky, the zone of proximal development (ZPD) refers to the gap between what a student is actually capable of doing independently and what he or she could potentially do with the help of an adult or more advanced peer.
A central feature of ZPD is the recognition that students model the problem-solving skills of the people from whom they learn. The concept of ZPD stresses that a healthy one-on-one learning relationship with a more advanced person is crucial in order for students to reach their maximum potential. Collaborative learning and ZPD are guiding principles of the Academic Management work we do at Austin Tutor.