Lev Vygotsky, nyanzvi yezvepfungwa dzeRussia iyo basa rake raiva nharo mune izvo zvaive panguva iyo Soviet Union, yakauya nemafungiro emaganhu ekufambira mberi kwakanyanya kurondedzera nzvimbo yakakwana yekudzidza. Funga nezvazvo sechinhu chakafanana ne "Goldilocks Theory." Dzimwe nguva basa rinowanzo nyore. Dzimwe nguva basa rinooma zvikuru. Uye dzimwe nguva basa rinenge rakarurama. Apo basa racho rakarurama, rinoumba nzvimbo yakakwana yokudzidza.
Kana basa riri nyore, vadzidzi vanogona kuita basa pachavo pasina rubatsiro. Ndiyo "nzvimbo yavo yekunyaradza." Kana basa rese mudzidzi achikumbirwa kuti aite ndiro nguva dzose munharaunda yekunyaradza, hapana dzidzo ichaitika. Kutaura zvazviri, mudzidzi achazopedzisira arasikirwa nechido. Apo basa racho rakaoma zvikuru, kune rumwe rutivi, mudzidzi anovhiringidzika. Kunyangwe nerubatsiro, vadzidzi vari mu "kuora mwoyo" vangangosiya.
Nharaunda iri pakati penharaunda yekunyaradza uye kuora mwoyo nzvimbo ndiyo iyo kudzidza kuchaitika. iyo ZPD dzidziso inoratidza. Ndiyo nzvimbo iyo mudzidzi achada rubatsiro kana kuti achada kushanda nesimba kuti anzwisise pfungwa kana kupedzisa basa riripo. Iyi ndiyo nzvimbo yekusimudzira kufambira mberi. Mudzidzi haanetswi kana kuora mwoyo, asi zvakakodzera kupikiswa.
Vygotsky aivimbawo kuti kunyange vana vane ruzivo rwekuda kuziva havazofambi mberi kure pasina nzvimbo yakadzidza yekudzidza.
Akatsigira vadzidzisi kupa vadzidzi zvakaoma zvinhu kuti vadzidze, vachitenda kuti njere yevana yakagadzikana mumatambudziko ake ekugadzirisa matambudziko panzvimbo yehuwandu hwezvaanoziva. Akatenda kuti kukwanisa kuwana ruzivo rutsva kunobva pakuwanika uye hutano hwekudzidzisa mudzidzi akagashira, pamwe nekudzidza kwepakutanga kwevadzidzi.
Mutauro uye kukwanisa kukurukurirana zvaive zvikamu zvakakosha zveZPD sezvo vana vachikudziridza unyanzvi hwekuziva kubva kune vamwe kuburikidza nekukurukurirana, nharo dzakanaka.
Basa raVigotsky rakanga risingazivikanwi kunze kweSoviet Union munguva yeupenyu hwake. Zvinyorwa zvake hazvina kuzivikanwa munyika dzekuMadokero kusvika kuma1970. Basa rake rinonyatsozivikanwa pakati pevadzidzisi vekuchera vana, kunyange zvazvo vasingawanzogoni kubvumirana, uye vazhinji vakanatswa sezvo zvinyorwa zvake zvepakutanga zvakanyorwa.
Izvozvo zvinoshandiswa zvinosanganisira pfungwa ye "scaffolding," iyo inoreva kuchinja kubatsirana kwakadini kwemwana kunowanikwa mune imwe nzvimbo yekudzidza inobva pakugona kwake kudzidza nekugona. Kana mwana ari kutambura nechinangwa kana basa pane imwe nguva, iye anogamuchira mamwe rubatsiro. Asi sezvo mwana achisvika pakunzwisisa pfungwa, chiyero chekutungamira (kana kutengesa, iyo inotsigirwa kwenguva pfupi yegadziriro iri mukugadziriswa), inogadziriswa zvakakodzera. Kunyange zvazvo yaiva pfungwa yakagadzirwa kwenguva yakareba mushure mekunge Vygotsky afa, kudimbudzira kunoonekwa sekukosha kuti mwana arambe achifambira mberi muZPD.