Instructional Scaffolding

To appreciate the need for scaffolding we must be aware of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal

Development (ZPD). Put simply, between the spheres of what the learner can do by himself and

what he can’t yet do lies the region that defines what the learner can do with assistance from a

more knowledgeable or skilled guide or peer.

Figure 1 Zone of Proximal Development

As the learner gains knowledge and skills, the inner spheres expand. The learner becomes

capable of independently doing what previously he could only do with guidance. The ZPD shifts

and learner continues to deepen and expand his knowledge and skills as sufficient guidance is

provided.

Instructional scaffolding may be seen as the levels of support that are provided to learners

to help them achieve their learning goals. Scaffolding is intended to facilitate a deeper level of

learning. As the learner’s knowledge and skills expand and deepen, they rely less on expert

guidance. They eventually achieve independence in the learning process.

Scaffolding may be viewed as a four-stage method:

1. Explain and motivate

2. Demonstrate
 3. Practice

4. Transfer in reality and evaluate.

During the first stage, the teacher attempts to link the topic to be taught with previous

knowledge. Explanation is facilitated in this process and motivation is achieved be providing

relevance. The new knowledge and skill build upon current knowledge and skill.

Through short demonstrations where complex tasks are broken into smaller tasks,

students are afforded the opportunity to learn in stages. Good demonstrations allow time for

students to recap the stages of the short tasks before other tasks are attempted.

Practice naturally follows the demonstration. Students are afforded the opportunity to

perform short tasks with the assistance of the teacher. As the student's competency level

increases gradually teacher assistance is withdrawn and the complexity of the tasks are increased.

After sufficient practice, the students would have internalized the knowledge and skills

and would be ready to be evaluated.

Consider the scaffolded approach to teaching the topic of transformer ratios as depicted in

the flowchart that follows.

Figure 2 Flowchart depicting scaffolding in teaching transformer ratios
 The lesson begins with the teacher sharing definitions. Also, in this stage, motivation is

given and explanations and links to previous knowledge (construction and operation of a

transformer) are included.

By demonstrating worked examples in stages, the teacher allows for students to follow

the steps in solving simple transformer ratio problems. During the demonstration session, the

teacher interacts with the students to determine if they are ready to try some problems.

Students eventually move on to collaboratively solve problems. As the teacher monitors

the students' work, he provides assistance as needed or increases the complexity of the problems.

In the subsequent stage students solves problems independently. The teacher still

monitors so that guidance may be offered if needed or complexity may be increased.

In the process depicted the demonstration and practice stages are repeated for a tangible

task where the students can directly experience the link between turns and voltage by

experiment. This reinforcement helps cater to those who learn best through action.