The concept of Scaffolding in education It allows students to take learning “leaps” and therefore has proven to be an interesting educational strategy. In this article we present what the scaffolding in education, how the process occurs at the brain level and what are the benefits of using this concept in education.
Scaffolding (scaffolding) in education is a teaching method that, through external assistance, enables students to solve problems, carry out a task or achieve a goal.
The idea is that students can progressively expand their learning limits and learn more than they would be capable of on their own..
This concept was first coined by researchers David Wood (Nottingham), Jerome S. Bruner (Oxford) and Gail Ross (Harvard) in their 1976 report, "The role of mentoring in problem solving".
However, it is closely related to Vygotsky's theory, mainly with the idea of zone of proximal development (ZPD), in such a way that this concept cannot be understood if we do not understand the latter.
Let's review these ideas for a better understanding.
The zone of proximal development refers to the distance of what one can do for himself and what he needs assistance to do it.
Lev vygotsky considers that interaction with peers or colleagues plays an effective role in the development of skills and strategies. Peer accompaniment also offers important emotional support to achieve strategies.
Vygotsky suggests that teachers can use cooperative learning exercises where less competent children can develop skills with the help of their more skilled peers, employing the concept of zone of proximal development.
This is exactly what the scaffolding: offer the child the necessary support to carry out a new activity, until it can be learned and then done independently. Providing a sense of confidence and minimizing the level of frustration.
By this means, education can be thought of as a relational process rather than an individual process. The possibilities may be much greater when it occurs in a relational context with a scaffolding adequate, allowing students to take “leaps” of meaningful learning.
Learning new skills is like riding a bicycle, it goes through two stages. While we are learning a new skill, we use upper parts of the brain such as: the prefrontal cortex, the parietal cortex, and the cerebellum, which requires more effort and awareness on our parts.
After the skill is learned, these three areas of the brain become less involved as the sensory-motor cortex takes over.. It's when the skill becomes automatic. We no longer need to think about all the steps to exercise it, we "simply" already have it.
This is a place where scaffolding instructional help. The teacher can provide temporary support to students as they use more space to learn something and remove that support when they have learned it.
This process is understood by the Hebb principle, "neurons that fire together, connect together" and is reflected in the automaticity theory. As these pathways are used with increasing efficiency, skills become more automatic, creating the necessary "thinking time" to form new connections..
In other words, as specific tasks become automatic, the work memory is available to create meaning.
That means the scaffolding It is only necessary when we are working with new or previously not associated information, but we do not need to provide scaffolding when students are working with known information.
Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development states that students will learn more when they receive guidance from someone with more skills in the subject, than they would if they approached the subject on their own.
The parallel support wheels that we put on children's bikes is a classic example of scaffolding according to Michael F. Graves, Bonnie Graves and Sheldon Braaten in their book description "Scaffolded Reading Experiences for Inclusive Classes": it is adjustable and temporary, providing the child who rides the bicycle with the support he or she needs, while learning to drive a two-wheeler.
Without such help, the complex task of learning to pedal, balance, and handle all at once would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for many young people. East scaffold (training wheels) allows the student to achieve a goal, ride a bike successfully and then happily pedal into a larger world.
In the same way applies the scaffolding in education. The idea is that new lessons and concepts can be more easily understood and understood if a child is supported as they learn. It can also involve teaching a child something new using things they already know or can do..
As in the example of the bicycle, the support of the extra wheels (external assistance), is then withdrawn (when it is no longer necessary), after having fulfilled the task of helping him in learning to handle the bicycle.
An adequate capacity to assist and a good accompaniment offered by the educator to the student are the pillars of a consistent learning, fundamental bases for the process of personal growth.
According to Juan Carlos Merino, psychotherapist and psychologist in Lima, “Education is a key element both for the growth process of the student and of every person ".
A harmonious pedagogy action focused on the acquisition of skills that stay motivated and provide the student with the support necessary to achieve their learning; Generates students with more self-esteem and motivation.
The teacher requires having a level of emotion and necessary skills. That is, to be trained to identify the ZPD of each student and give them individualized support (andamoo) that the student requires to achieve this growth and build their knowledge.
The construction of their knowledge will depend on how the adult transmits this learning, which will be transformed into a solid structure. As long as an adequate match is given to the specific needs of the child, the edifications of learning will be carried out with success..
Education is a tool that seeks to serve and teach the child, adolescent or student to achieve part of their human development. Successful learning is built from the relationship: Teacher and student emerge together and from the type of experience that one has, sets the pattern that both can have of this learning develops as best as possible.
Teacher and educator who responds with a good relationship tuned to the real levels of each child or student, will react successfully in each learning experience. If there is a synchronized relationship between the student and the educator where the limits of their current capacities are respected, structures or scaffolding solid for your next learning.
Establishing a good connection with the student favors developing contact skills, where they can respond, react and experience their own SELF with success in each learning experience.
Let us bear in mind that the mind is relational and placing emphasis on this relationship will encourage opening the channels of thought, better integrating the cerebral hemispheres, efficiently organizing learning and maturing cognitively and emotionally..
In addition, the student borrows the ability of the teacher through the scaffolding to build their own learning. Daniel Siegel, child psychiatrist, explains this interrelational process how the child's mind uses the adult's mind to develop.
Thus, an adequate capacity to assist and a good accompaniment offered by the educator to the student are the pillars of a solid emotional learning, fundamental bases for the process of personal and emotional growth..
Like any learning strategy, scaffolding in education presents challenges and benefits. The challenges focus on the ability of the educator to effectively judge the ZPD of his students, plus the time required to do so..
However, there are several benefits of using scaffolding in the educational process. Next we list the main ones:
References:
Instructional Scaffolding: A Definitive Guide
https://blog.prepscholar.com/vygotsky-scaffolding-zone-of-proximal-development
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/111017/chapters/[email protected]
https://www.verywellfamily.com/education-scaffolding-preschoolers-2764951
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