Important to teaching in the ZPD is the determination of what the student can manage on his own and to allow the student to do as much as possible without any assistance. It was Vygotsky’s belief that “good learning” occurs in the child’s zone of proximal development. The ZPD is always changing as the student expands and gains knowledge, so scaffolded instruction must constantly be individualized to address the changing ZPD of each student. Once the student has expanded his knowledge, the actual developmental level has been expanded and the ZPD has shifted. The ‘ more knowledgeable other’, or MKO, shares knowledge with the student to bridge the gap between what is known and what is not known. The zone of proximal development (ZPD) can also be described as the area between what a learner can do by himself and that which can be attained with the help of a ‘more knowledgeable other’ adult or peer. The zone of proximal development is “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers” (Vygotsky, 1978, p. Vygotsky suggests that there are two parts of a learner’s developmental level: the “actual developmental level” and the “potential developmental level”. Inherent in scaffolded instruction is Lev Vygotsky’s (1978) idea of the zone of proximal development. The teacher must ascertain what the student already knows so that it can be “hooked”, or connected to the new knowledge and made relevant to the learner’s life, thus increasing the motivation to learn. Teachers have to have open dialogue with the students to determine what and how they are thinking in order to clear up misconceptions and to individualize instruction.Ĭrucial to successful scaffolding is an understanding of the student’s prior knowledge and abilities. Skills, or tasks too far out of reach can lead a student to his frustration level, and tasks that are too simple can cause much the same effect.Įach facilitative method used is chosen as an individually tailored instructional tool. Teachers have to be mindful of keeping the learner in pursuit of the task while minimizing the learner’s stress level. Others might include the activation of background knowledge, giving tips, strategies, cues and procedures. Among them are: breaking the task into smaller, more manageable parts using ‘think aloud, or verbalizing thinking processes when completing a task cooperative learning, which promotes teamwork and dialogue among peers concrete prompts, questioning coaching cue cards or modeling. Many different facilitative tools can be utilized in scaffolding student learning. If scaffolding is properly administered, it will act as an enabler, not as a disabler” (Benson, 1997). “Scaffolding is actually a bridge used to build upon what students already know to arrive at something they do not know. When the student takes responsibility for or masters the task, the teacher begins the process of “fading”, or the gradual removal of the scaffolding, which allows the student to work independently. Student errors are expected, but, with teacher feedback and prompting, the student is able to achieve the task or goal. The teacher only attempts to help the student with tasks that are just beyond his current capability. Of great importance is allowing the student to complete as much of the task as possible, unassisted. The teacher offers assistance with only those skills that are beyond the student’s capability. In the process of scaffolding, the teacher helps the student master a task or concept that the student is initially unable to grasp independently. The term ‘scaffolding’ was developed as a metaphor to describe the type of assistance offered by a teacher or peer to support learning. This method helps promote the development and advancement of cognitive and psychomotor learning skills.The term ‘scaffolding’ comes from the works of Wood, Bruner and Ross (1976). Scaffolding in Education refers to an educational strategy that is tailored for each individual student and allows students to experience student-centered learning, which generally facilitates more efficient learning processes than teacher-centered learning. The supportive strategies are removed gradually over time when they are no longer needed and increasing responsibility over the learning process is shifted to the student. The educator provides the student with decreasing levels of support that aid students in achieving higher levels of comprehension and skill acquisition that they would not be able to reach without instructor assistance. Scaffolding in Education is an educational technique that uses progressive steps to move students towards greater understanding and increased independence in the learning process. Home > Glossary > S > Scaffolding in Education
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