Construction of a Classroom ZPD Through “Graduated, Contingent, and Dialogic” Mediation at Three Strata of Classroom Discourse

The present study adopts an interactional ethnographic approach to trace the establishment of class Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) through a detailed examination of the distribution of mediational tools/moves, interactional modes, and the changing nature and functions of discursive events within three strata of the classroom space. Observation and coding of 70 hours of classroom footage, an in-depth study of the cadence of one full instructional unit, and microgentic analyses of key discursive events reveal how a teacher framed joint activities that advanced the class ZPD. The findings expand Newman, Griffin, and Cole's (1989) metaphor that described the classroom as ‘a construction zone with multiple concurrent work areas and spaces by documenting how work done in each space and the opportunities for learning created in each act of interaction or collaboration adds to the overall capital of the classroom, shaping the learning potential of the group.