Concentrating on the role of a single adult in direct interaction with children, as in the preceding two chapters, is useful for fine-grained analysis of the processes of assistance, but it does not fully represent the social realities of human life. It is a rare circumstance when only one person influences a learner. In the community and in schools, all teaching – including the teacher/child dyad – is embedded in complex organizations. This point is fundamental in neo-Vygotskian theory:

Therefore, we cannot concentrate solely on psychological aspects of adult–child interaction. We must also consider the social context of the interaction (Rogoff, 1982); for specific examples, see Donaldson (1978).

Taking context seriously means treating the ZPD as more than a psychological phenomenon. For a ZPD to be created, there must be a joint activity that creates a context for teacher and student interaction. Once the zone is open, the “expert” can use any of the means of performance assistance described in Chapter 3.