SECTION B : INSTRUCTIONAL SCAFFOLDING Question 2 (c)

 Instructional scaffolding is a teaching strategy meant to assist students during the learning process. It breaks down a lesson into smaller manageable steps and provides teaching aids for each step to ensure that students thoroughly comprehend all aspects of the lesson. In my opinion, instructional scaffolding allows me to achieve my unit goals by offering   the opportunity to ensure that my instructional objectives and teaching strategies are appropriately aligned.

 

Instructional Scaffolding defined.

Generally the term scaffold refers to a temporary structure constructed to support workers operating on the outside of buildings at high altitudes. Similar to this, in an educational context, instructional scaffolding performs the same duties by providing temporary support for students. Instructional scaffolding is a theory derived from Lev Vygotsky’s socio-cultural learning theory.

This theory suggested the idea of ‘zone of proximal development’ or ZPD which is the difference between students ability to learn independently and their ability to learn with assistance. Essentially, Instructional scaffolding provides students with sequential levels of temporary aid intended to assist them in better understanding a lessons or acquiring a skill that would have been difficult for them comprehend on their own.

Instructional Scaffolding components.

Components of instructional scaffolding are:-

·         Intention – Each Tasks have clear objective which aims towards achieving the main lesson concept.

·         Appropriateness- Tasks are achievable with assistance.

·         Modeling and questioning – Tasks are structured around strategies which promote sequential thought.

·         Collaboration – Teaches contribution to students work modifies it diminishing students’ sense of accomplishment.

·         Internalization – Scaffolding is gradually withdrawn as student become acclimated with main task.

Instructional Scaffolding flowchart.

The flowchart depicting in the Figure. 02 displays instructional scaffolding methods which would be used for sample lesson #4. The following are the learning objectives to be achieved through scaffolding and scaffolding methods used.

Lesson	Learning Objectives	Instructional Scaffolding Techniques
Lesson 4: Waxing and dye application	Transferring design to fabric.	Tap into prior knowledge
	Waxing fabric	Show and tell
	Applying dye	Pause, ask questions, pause , review

 

Figure 2