Leonid Vladimirovich ZANKOV (1901-1977)

Born 10th (23rd) April 1901 in Warsaw, died 27th November 1977 in Moscow. In the late 1950s a team of researchers led by L.V. Zankov began a comprehensive study in an attempt to establish objective principles of education, and to further develop L.S. Vygotsky’s ideas and theories concerning the relationship between the learning process and students’ general psychological development. Zankov specialized in the psychology of memory, thought, and linguistic development in children.

  • 1916 Graduated high school in Moscow.
  • 1917 Caseworker for the board of directors of ‘Provodnik’ in Moscow.
  • 1918 Caseworker in the People’s Commisariat for Agriculture.
  • 1918-1919 Teacher in the village of Turdei in Jefremov municipality in the Tula county.
  • 1919-1920 Teacher and leader of childrens’ colony in Morshansk municipality in the Tambov governorate.
  • 1920-1922 Head of the children’s agricultural colony ‘Ostrovnya’ (Moscow).
  • 1922-1925 Student in the faculty of Social Sciences at Moscow University.
  • 1925-1929 Graduate student at the State Institute of Psychology.
  • 1925-1929 Inspector at the Russian People’s Commissariat for Education.
  • 1928-1932 Senior Researcher and Secretary in the Department of Therapeutic Pedagogy at the Institute of Scientific Pedagogy under IGU II.
  • 1929 – 1944 Researcher & Deputy Director, Institute for Special Education Research.
  • 1935 Cand. Ped.
  • 1937-1940 Researcher, State Institute for Psychology.
  • 1943 Dr. Ped.
  • 1943 Professor.
  • 1944-1947 Director, Scientific Institute for Therapeutic Pedagogy, under the Russian Academy of Education.
  • 1945 Corresponding Member, Russian Academy of Education.
  • 1947-1955 Leader, Department of Therapeutic Pedagogy at the Russian Academy of Education.
  • 1947-1951 Manager, Department for Special Needs Education at the Moscow Pedagogical Institute.
  • 1951-1955 Deputy Director, Research Department of the Scientific Institute for Pedagogical Theory and History at the Russian Academy of Education.
  • 1955 Permanent Member, Russian Academy of Education.
  • 1955-1960 Head of Laboratory of Experimental Didactics at the Scientific Institute for Pedagogical Theory and History under the Soviet Academy of Education.
  • 1968 Permanent Member, Soviet Academy of Education.
  • 1970-1972 Head of Laboratory of Education and Development of Junior and Middle School Children, under the Scientific Institute for General Pedagogy at the Soviet Academy of Education.
  • 1972-1977 Senior Researcher at the Laboratory for Teaching and Development at the Scientific Institute for General Pedagogy at the Soviet Academy of Education.