Teaching Clicks
Posts
Scaffolding: The Teaching Ladder That Empowers Learners

Scaffolding: The Teaching Ladder That Empowers Learners

Giving learners tools to succeed from the start

Sarah Filipiak
March 14, 2024

Photo by Edu Lauton on Unsplash

Have you ever thought about how a learner moves from acquiring knowledge to using the knowledge in real life? Whether you want your help students develop competence or avoid frustration, scaffolding is an essential teaching technique. Let's explore this empowering strategy in-depth, discussing how to use scaffolding effectively, providing examples of educational scaffolding across various subjects, and highlighting the long-term benefits of scaffolding.

Understanding Scaffolding in Education

Definition and origin of scaffolding

Scaffolding is an approach to teaching that provides learners with the support they need to reach the next level of understanding. Derived from the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky, scaffolding involves providing learners with the guidance they need to incrementally grow in their abilities, before gradually removing support once they gain competence.

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is a concept developed by Vygotsky. It refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner.

In 1976, researchers David Wood, Gail Ross, and Jerome Bruner brought back Vygotsky's ideas and came up with the term "scaffolding." They determined that when students are encouraged to push themselves and learn new things within their ZPD, they succeed in learning.

Comparison with traditional teaching methods

Unlike traditional teaching or coaching methods, which can be leader-centric, educational scaffolding places the focus on the learner and their specific needs at each stage of the learning process. This individual approach allows for more flexible and effective learning experiences that cater to the strengths and weaknesses of each learner.

Scaffolding vs. differentiation

Scaffolding a lesson and differentiating instruction are two different teaching strategies.

Scaffolding is naming each step in the learning process and providing support at that step until the learner is confident at that level.

The key characteristic of scaffolding is its temporary nature; as students become more proficient, the support is gradually withdrawn. This approach is often visualized as building a scaffold around a new concept or skill. It's about giving students the tools, information, and guidance they need to grasp something new, then removing these supports as they become more independent. Scaffolding is particularly effective for teaching complex skills or concepts that build on prior knowledge.

Differentiation, on the other hand, involves tailoring instruction to meet the individual needs, preferences, and strengths of each learner. Differentiation can involve adapting the content (what students learn), the process (how students learn), the product (how students demonstrate their learning), and the learning environment. Unlike scaffolding, which is a gradual release of support, differentiation is an ongoing practice that may not necessarily change as student competence increases.

While both scaffolding and differentiating instruction help learners, they do so in different ways. Scaffolding is about building understanding step-by-step and then removing support structures, whereas differentiation is about providing varied learning paths and methods to meet students’ needs throughout their education.

Photo by Samantha Borges on Unsplash

How to Use Scaffolding in Teaching

Implementing scaffolding can seem daunting, but following these steps can help you incorporate it into your teaching methods with ease:

Determine the learning objectives and break them down into smaller tasks.
Assess the learners' current knowledge and skills.
Develop a plan to provide assistance and support for each learning task.
Monitor progress and adapt your support as needed.

Scaffolding is a powerful technique for teaching specialized areas such as math, reading, athletics, and learning how to learn. Scaffolding can be applied to virtually any subject. For instance, in teaching writing, educators might start by providing sentence starters and gradually remove them as students' proficiency grows. In science, teachers may guide learners through the scientific method using templates initially, later allowing them to independently design experiments.

Adapting scaffolding to various learning environments

Understanding your learners' unique contexts is crucial for effective application of educational scaffolding. For instance, you may need to adapt your scaffolding approach for learners with special needs or those in online learning environments.

Let’s drill down on steps 1-4, above, with an example of teaching a straightforward physical activity like mounting a horse.

Step 1: Learning objectives and task list

Learning objectives: The student will lead the horse to the mounting block and mount from the horse’s left side, with both feet in the stirrups and the rider’s weight distributed equally on each side.
Task breakdown: The student will lead the horse to the mounting block, check tack and equipment for safety and readiness, move to the left side of the horse and walk up on the mounting block, gather the reins in the left hand, place the left hand on the front of the saddle and the right hand on the back of the saddle, slide the left foot into the left stirrup, step up and raise the right leg over the horse’s back, sit gently onto the saddle and adjust their right foot into the right stirrup.

Step 2: Assessing where the learner is now

How might a riding instructor go about assessing the learners' current knowledge or skill level? First, they might ask the student questions about whether they have tacked up or mounted a horse before, with or without assistance. To assess the rider's physical capabilities, the instructor could have the student walk with the horse on the ground, turn it in circles, and stop. From there, they can observe the student's level of balance, coordination, and confidence.

Step 3: Lend a helping hand

Provide assistance and support: Based on their assessment, the riding instructor may start by providing verbal instructions or demonstrations for each step of the mounting process. They may also physically guide the student's movements, hold the horse's reins themselves to give the rider one less task, or ask an assistant to stand on the other side of the horse and receive the rider until they gain confidence and are able to mount smoothly.

Step 4: Send the learner on their way

Monitor progress and adapt support: As the student gains proficiency, the instructor can gradually remove support, such as providing fewer verbal instructions or physical guidance. They can also introduce new challenges, such as having the student mount without using the mounting block.

Scaffolding in group or community settings

Another example of scaffolding In a community garden, a group of neighborhood residents might be led by a seasoned gardener, to learn about sustainable gardening. Initially, the leader provides detailed instructions and demonstrations. Over time, she encourages the group members to take on more responsibilities, like planning the garden layout and choosing plants and planting times. The group members who have more experience are then able to help those who are newer to the group. This approach allows learners to gain hands-on experience while having an expert to turn to, highlighting scaffolding in a communal learning environment.

How Scaffolding Supports Learner Autonomy

By providing the necessary support for learners to succeed at each stage, scaffolding ultimately promotes independence and autonomy. As learners gain confidence and competence, they become more self-directed in their learning. By carefully defining each step of the learning process and working with learners to identify where support is needed, we create an environment where participation and choice are encouraged. This kind of autonomy supports critical thinking and decision-making skills, which are terrific tools for lifelong learning.

Encourage your learners to reflect on their learning process and set meaningful goals. By involving them in the goal-setting process, you are helping them take ownership of their progress and fostering a growth mindset.