The Vygotskian Approach: Natural Phenomenon Narrations by Adolescents with Mild Intellectual Disability

Abstract

Story narration, often referred to as storytelling, is traditionally used by educators to effectively convey knowledge across various domains, including academic, social, and moral concepts. Rooted in Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), this qualitative study explored the impact of graduated prompting as a form of dynamic assessment within the framework of story narration on the understanding of natural phenomena in science by Kuwaiti students with mild intellectual disability (ID). Findings revealed that the application of the Vygotskian approach enhanced the comprehension of weather-related concepts among Kuwaiti students with mild ID. Following instruction, participants could narrate the story about the weather and link these scientific concepts to changes in the local climate. Recommendations and implications for future research and practice are provided.