Scaffolding tools

A topic in teaching science

Scaffolding is a process of guiding a learner during a substantive learning experience. According to a widely influential idea of Vygotsky, learners show development when

  • they are given learning activities which are challenging enough for the learner to be unlikely to initially succeed unsupported (this relates to the concept of the ZPD or zone of proximal development),
  • but they are offered structured support from a more advanced learner to allow successful engagement,
  • and the support is 'faded' as it is no longer needed

(Read about 'Scaffolding learning')

(Read about the 'Zone of proximal development')

Scaffolds

Ideally scaffolding involves the learner working with the teacher or another person who has already mastered what is to be learned. That may work in tutoring, but cannot be a frequent option when a teacher is working with a large class.

Teachers can also employ tools, which may be used by students working alone or in pairs or small groups, to support their learning. Sometimes any kind of guidance to structure learning is called a scaffold: strictly scaffolding allows students to succeed on challenging tasks where they would not have succeeded with the initial support of the scaffold:

1. They must ask the learner to undertake an activity/task which is beyond their present ability if unsupported;

2. They must provide a framework of support within which the learner can be successful by relying on the structured support;

3. They must provide reduced support as the learner becomes familiar with the area, and is able to cope with increased demands; […and]

4. They must result in the learner being able to undertake (unsupported) the activity/task which was previously beyond them.

Taber, 2002, p. 74

Scaffolding metaphor – after Taber, 2002, Figure 5.2

Two types of scaffolding tool

It might be useful to distinguish two types of scaffolding tool that have been labelled as [scaffolding PLANKs and POLES

Two types of scaffolding tool

Scaffolding PLANKs

Teachers "can identify the necessary prerequisite knowledge, and not only be sure that students have covered the material, but that these ideas are marked out as relevant at the start of the new teaching episode. It may also be possible to organise the ideas for the students, into a form which will best facilitate the new learning…PLANKs are PLAtforms for New Knowledge. Scaffolding PLANKs are presentations of ideas that are already available to students, but arranged in a form which aids the student in reorganising their knowledge to build up new ideas" (Taber, 2002, pp. 73-74).

Prerequisite learning for understanding the mass spectrometer

As an example: consider a teacher who was due to introduce students to the principles of mass spectrometry for a chemistry course. Understanding how the spectrometer works requires applying some basic physics which students should have learned in earlier science classes. However students may have gaps in knowledge, or be vague about certain ideas they have not used for some time, and may even have alternative conceptions (misconceptions) of key notions. Moreover, even though the relevant prior leaning is obvious to the teacher, learners come to class not aware what previous learning will be relevant to a new lesson. Students also often fail to transfer knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, so not seeing the relevance of physics learning in chemistry for example (Taber, 1998 [Download the paper]).

The teacher might undertake a conceptual analysis of the topic to be taught, and realise that she will be applying some basic ideas about accelerating charges that students may not readily bring to mind, she could design a simple scaffolding tool such as an incomplete concept-map relating basic ideas that learners are asked to complete as a starter activity.

Incomplete concept map to act as a scaffolding PlaNK for learning about mass spectroscopy
Incomplete concept map to act as a scaffolding PlaNK for learning about mass spectroscopy

The PlaNK acts as a diagnostic assessment to check prior understanding is in place, as well as (hopefully) activating relevant ideas from learners' memories that will be relevant to lesson. (This type of activity can also be consider a 'DART' a directed activity related to text.)

Read about DARTs

Read about concept mapping

The Critical Reading of Empirical Studies Tool

The Critical Reading of Empirical Studies Tool could be considered to be a scaffolding tool of this type. The tool is intended to support learners when reading research studies to think about the logical nature of the argument the authors are making to support their conclusions. The tool does not provide the user new knowledge about research, but rather acts as an aide-mémoire to help structure the reading activity, reminding them of some of the key features to consider. The tool is about structuring an activity that relies on applying existing knowledge and understanding of research methods, and breaking the activity into manageable parts.

CREST form (numerical scale)
CREST form (verbal scale)
The Critical Reading of Empirical Studies Tool

Scaffolding POLES

Then "the teacher can provide some form of partially constructed outline for the new knowledge, and make this available to the students as a guide for the new learning… POLES are Provided Outlines LEnding Support [or Provided Outlines Lending Epistemological Support]. Scaffolding POLES are provided by the teacher, and give a framework (outline) for exploring and succeeding in a concept area, that allows the learner to come to know about the topic. They lend support, because they are only to be relied upon whilst the learner is developing understanding and confidence in a topic" (Taber, 2002, pp. 73-74).

Scaffolding learning about circular motion

A pair of simple tools (PLANK and POLES) has been developed to support learning about circular (or orbital) motion (Taber & Brock, 2018 Download the chapter).

(Read about 'Scaffolding learning of circular motion')

Sources cited:

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