Exploring Student Engagement Through Teacher's Scaffolding Practices in Mathematics
Introduction
I carried out an action research project at State School, involving four of Year 5 students. The primary purpose of my research was to see whether teacher scaffolding practices support students’ Mathematics learning. The target group for this research was Year 5 weaker students in Mathematics. This research took place during Mathematics problem-solving group activity.
The notion of scaffolding, which is a means of coaching students to the extent that they can perform intellectual tasks on their own proposed by Wood, Bruner, and Ross (1976, as cited in Anghileri, 2006) has a profound effect on children’s learning. Wood, Bruner and Ross (1976, as cited in Paul & Hwa, 2001) in their article ‘The Role of Tutoring in Problem Solving’ believe that scaffolding is needed in order to enable a child to solve a problem which is beyond their unassisted effort. This view is also supported by Vygotsky 's (1978, as cited in Sukor, Aris & Ali, 2003) socio-cultural approach where child’s interactions with adult or more capable peers is required as an assistance in their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), the area between what children can do independently and what they can do with assistance, to help the child grow intellectually by providing information and support. Proven instructional techniques for teaching Mathematics in the elementary school suggested by Baker, Gersten and Lee (2003, as cited in Bradley, Notar, Herring & Eady, 2008) also includes offering scaffolding to support students’ Mathematics learning. Therefore, it was expected that scaffolding practices would contribute to student development in Mathematics learning.
Summary of planned action
In the context of this research, scaffolding practices refer to the strategies used by teacher to support students’ Mathematics learning. There were four scaffolding practices involved in this research: modelling, collaborating, guiding and convince me. Modelling is demonstrating and explaining to students
I carried out an action research project at State School, involving four of Year 5 students. The primary purpose of my research was to see whether teacher scaffolding practices support students’ Mathematics learning. The target group for this research was Year 5 weaker students in Mathematics. This research took place during Mathematics problem-solving group activity.
The notion of scaffolding, which is a means of coaching students to the extent that they can perform intellectual tasks on their own proposed by Wood, Bruner, and Ross (1976, as cited in Anghileri, 2006) has a profound effect on children’s learning. Wood, Bruner and Ross (1976, as cited in Paul & Hwa, 2001) in their article ‘The Role of Tutoring in Problem Solving’ believe that scaffolding is needed in order to enable a child to solve a problem which is beyond their unassisted effort. This view is also supported by Vygotsky 's (1978, as cited in Sukor, Aris & Ali, 2003) socio-cultural approach where child’s interactions with adult or more capable peers is required as an assistance in their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), the area between what children can do independently and what they can do with assistance, to help the child grow intellectually by providing information and support. Proven instructional techniques for teaching Mathematics in the elementary school suggested by Baker, Gersten and Lee (2003, as cited in Bradley, Notar, Herring & Eady, 2008) also includes offering scaffolding to support students’ Mathematics learning. Therefore, it was expected that scaffolding practices would contribute to student development in Mathematics learning.
Summary of planned action
In the context of this research, scaffolding practices refer to the strategies used by teacher to support students’ Mathematics learning. There were four scaffolding practices involved in this research: modelling, collaborating, guiding and convince me. Modelling is demonstrating and explaining to students
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