A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VYGOTSKY'S CONCEPT OF ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRADITIONAL METHOD FOR TEACHING MATHEMATICS AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL

Abstract

Earlier, only one study analyzed ZPD in graduate teacher training programmes ofAllama Iqbal Open University. In contrast, present study was a classroom experiment;the purpose was to investigate the comparative effectiveness of Vygotsky's Concept ofZone of Proximal Development and Traditional Method for teaching Mathematics atElementary Level. The design of the study was pertest-posttest control group designand the sample of 48 students equated on their prior ability in maths into 24-studentsexperimental and control group each. The measuring instrument of the research was aself-prepared achievement test of 40 multiple-choice items in the subject ofmathematics for 8th grade level. The treatment span was for six weeks, forty minuteseach day. After collecting data, it was analyzed through mean, standard deviation,coefficient of variability and t- test.Findings of the study show that the students who were taught mathematics throughVygotskyian method of Zone of Proximal Development complemented by scaffoldingdid better in mathematics achievement than the students taught through theconventional method.Hence, Vygotskian model of teaching was perhaps a better substitute of traditionalmode of teaching mathematics to elementary students.