Scaffolding - What is it?

This week I'm posting an article a day about one of the most important things for all tutors to know.

SCAFFOLDING

Today I'm going to kick off with a little summary of scaffolding

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What is Scaffolding?

Much like the word indicates, scaffolding is the creation of temporary structures to support the students’ needs. The EEF (2022) describe it as ‘a metaphor for temporary support that is removed when it is no longer required’, which provides ‘enough support so that pupils can successfully complete tasks that they could not yet do independently’.

We know that students need at least some support and guidance during the learning process and that minimal guidance does not work (van de Pol et al, 2015): to support students you can use scaffolding to guide them whilst, reducing the support over time so that all your learners can become increasingly independent (Sealy, 2024, Van de Pol et al, 2015, Van de Pol et al. 2010).

‘A student’s learning journey can be significantly enhanced through scaffolding’? - Bradley Busch

This is where scaffolding is different from the more traditional differentiation model of providing different work to different students (think of the classic different coloured worksheets). Differentiation has become an increasingly unpopular term in teaching (EEF, 2022) with its effectiveness being unclear (Deunk et al, 2018).

What is different about scaffolding is the idea of temporary support for difficult tasks which can be ‘removed over time as learners become more competent’ (Rosenshine, 2010). This allows students to initially complete successfully tasks which they could not do independently and with a high rate of success (EEF, 2022). This is because, amongst other reasons, scaffolding can support the memory demands placed on the students by a difficult task, consequently allowing a variety of students to access the same content. Extending the scaffolding metaphor, it allows all students to climb to the same height, just with different footholds.

‘We need to balance challenge with accessibility’‘ - Megan Mansworth

‘Expert teachers’ have the long-term goal of creating subject agency for their students (Shires, 2021) and a key skill that all the ‘expert teachers’ felt that they had mastered was scaffolding (ibid). The most central characteristic of scaffolding is that of contingency, meaning the degree to which support is adapted to a student’s understanding (van de Pol et al, 2018). A systematic review of 56 studies (Belland et al, 2017) found that ‘scaffolding has a consistently strong effect across student populations’, noting a ‘very large effect size among students with additional learning needs’.

"The key skill that all the expert teachers felt that they had mastered was scaffolding" - Lorna Shires

Throughout this edition of NavigatEd Tutor you will find ideas, methods and systems to support your students’ understanding. However, always be mindful that these systems need to be adapted to each student, on that task, in that moment. You know your students best.

It is by the providing of temporary structures that can help your students reach levels of comprehension and understanding that they would not be able to achieve otherwise (Busch, 2019).?

Great teachers recognise that complex tasks often require scaffolding - Coe et al, Great Teaching Toolkit Evidence Review, 2020

In essence scaffolding allows you as tutors to maximise the learning opportunity for your students by allow them to access difficult questions, initially with your support, and then over time, after the gradual removing of support, independently. ?

Personal Reflections on Scaffolding

Scaffolding allows us to do so much as tutors to support our students to achieve. It allows us to really challenge them but in an accessible way. When you really start thinking about it, and building it into your tutoring, it will make a huge difference to your students. Saying that I’d really pay attention to the process of withdrawing the support and consider this as much as you think about what support to implement.

Scaffolding does not change the end goal; it just alters the route.

Tutoring Tip

Think of a student you supported last week and ask yourself, what is stopping them solving a harder problem than the one I gave them?

References

Belland, B. R., & Belland, B. R. (2017). Instructional scaffolding: foundations and evolving definition.?Instructional scaffolding in STEM education: Strategies and efficacy evidence, 17-53.

Busch, B. (2019a). How to use scaffolding in your lessons | Inner Drive. [online] Inner Drive. Available at: https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/blog/scaffolding-in-your-lessons/ [Accessed 13 Jun. 2024].

Coe,R Rauch, C.J, Kime, S, Singleton, D (2020) Great Teaching Toolkit Evidence Review (Online) Found at https://assets.website-files.com/5ee28729f7b4a5fa99bef2b3/5ee9f507021911ae35ac6c4d_EBE_GTT_EVIDENCE%20REVIEW_DIGITAL.pdf?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greatteaching.com%2F

Deunk, M.I., Smale-Jacobse, A.E., de Boer, H., Doolaard, S. and Bosker, R.J., 2018. Effective differentiation practices: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on the cognitive effects of differentiation practices in primary education.?Educational Research Review,?24, pp.31-54.

Mansworth, M. (2021). Teach to the Top Aiming High for Every Learner. Melton, Suffolk: John Catt Educational, Limited.

Shires, L. (2021). Scaffolding by novice and expert teachers: The difference. [online] My College. Available at: https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/scaffolding-by-novice-and-expert-teachers-the-difference/.

Van de Pol, J., Volman, M., & Beishuizen, J. (2010). Scaffolding in teacher-student interaction: A decade of research. Educational Psychology Review, 22, 271–297. doi:10.1007/s10648-010-9127-6

van de Pol, J., Volman, M., Oort, F.?et al.?The effects of scaffolding in the classroom: support contingency and student independent working time in relation to student achievement, task effort and appreciation of support.?Instr Sci?43, 615–641 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-015-9351-z

van de Pol, J., Volman, M., Oort, F.?et al.?The effects of scaffolding in the classroom: support contingency and student independent working time in relation to student achievement, task effort and appreciation of support.?Instr Sci?43, 615–641 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-015-9351-z