A comparison of the zone of proximal development in Anglo and Hispanic learning disabled elementary pupils

Abstract

The primary purpose of this research was to examine the differences, if any, in the zone of proximal development of learning disabled Anglo and Hispanic pupils. The zone of proximal development is defined as the difference between a pupil's unaided performance and performance attainable with the assistance of an adult or more capable peer. Major questions of the study concerned the differential performance gain of Anglo and Hispanic learning disabled elementary pupils, following intervention, on component measures of popular intelligence tests, and the degree of transfer demonstrated by these pupils on conceptually similar tasks. The sample consisted of twenty-four dyads of fourth to sixth grade elementary school pupils identified as learning disabled matched in IQ, (within +/- 1 standard error of measurement) grade, gender, and initial performance on the criteria measures, selected from a small rural school district in the Southwest. Hispanic pupils included in this study were assessed as functional in English by performance on the Language Assessment Scale (LAS), using school district criteria and records. Results of this study indicate a significant difference in task performance on all tasks following training for both groups. Large zones of proximal development were demonstrated with the Hispanic sample for Digit Span and related tasks, but not for Block Design and related tasks. These results are discussed in light of other research findings indicating a difference in task difficulty for the two groups. Recommendations for future research are provided.