Inside the Zone of Proximal Development: Validating a Multifactor Model of Learning Potential with Gifted Students and their Peers

Abstract

Kanevsky (1995b) proposed a model of learning potential based on Vygotsky’s (1978) notions of "good learning" and the zone of proximal development. This study investigated the contributions of general knowledge, information processing efficiency, and metacognition to differences in the learning potential of 5 gifted and 15 nongifted students. Traditional intelligence and achievement tests assessed students’ knowledge; tests based on Luria’s (1966) information processing model measured cognitive and metacognitive capacities; and learning potential was measured via dynamic assessments of student–tutor interactions while completing number patterns. Although the sample was small, the data supported the positions of Vygotsky, Luria, and Kanevsky on the complexity of learning potential, as well as the salience of internal functions and the social context while learning.