Positives and Negatives of Scaffolding:
Scaffolding has been proven to improve metacognitive activities, in all forms of said activities with small groups of students, not just in full classes. Scaffolding helps develop a higher order of thinking on an intrapersonal level for students in small groups. (Boxtel, Moenaar, Sleeger 2010). Scaffolding in small groups can keep students task-oriented, not only in his/her group, but individually as well. Structured scaffolding (modeling and question-based scaffolding) can lessen the gap between social classes in the classroom by building on prior knowledge each student in the group may have, this leads to meaningful discussion of each topic.
Another benefit of scaffolding is scaffolding can be used by every student, if implemented right. ELL students, “privileged” students, and students in the general classroom can all benefit from scaffolding in a multitude of ways. According to Beers, Gritter, and Knaus (2013), students in an Advanced Placement History classroom that was studied struggled with Academic language (page 2). With meaningful scaffolding by the teacher, the students at the end of the year were not only able to comprehend academic language, but use academic language in their writing.
Scaffolding, in its most important reason, helps bring students from a level of frustration to a level of understanding. Under Vygotsky’s idea that with “fading” students will become independent and self-regulated learners (As cited by Lipscomb, 2013, pg.1). With scaffolding, teachers instruct in the idea of gradual release, meaning the teacher models what is to be done, the teachers and students work together. This leads to an end product of student independence and self-efficacy.
Another benefit of scaffolding is scaffolding can be used by every student, if implemented right. ELL students, “privileged” students, and students in the general classroom can all benefit from scaffolding in a multitude of ways. According to Beers, Gritter, and Knaus (2013), students in an Advanced Placement History classroom that was studied struggled with Academic language (page 2). With meaningful scaffolding by the teacher, the students at the end of the year were not only able to comprehend academic language, but use academic language in their writing.
Scaffolding, in its most important reason, helps bring students from a level of frustration to a level of understanding. Under Vygotsky’s idea that with “fading” students will become independent and self-regulated learners (As cited by Lipscomb, 2013, pg.1). With scaffolding, teachers instruct in the idea of gradual release, meaning the teacher models what is to be done, the teachers and students work together. This leads to an end product of student independence and self-efficacy.