The Effect of Scaffolding Method on Self-Regulation, Retention, and Comprehension of Sixth-Grade Science
Keywords:
scaffolding method, self-regulation, comprehensionAbstract
Human life is fundamentally grounded in educational processes, and transformations in learning are inseparably linked to individuals’ social, cultural, and occupational advancement. Therefore, the application of the scaffolding method in teaching and learning can serve as an influential factor in learners’ educational outcomes. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of instructional scaffolding, compared with traditional teaching, on self-regulation, retention, and comprehension in the subject of experimental sciences. This research employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest and both experimental and control groups. The participants were assigned to two groups (the experimental group receiving instructional scaffolding and the control group). They were evaluated using the Self-Regulation Questionnaire developed by Bouffard (1995) and teacher-made tests of retention and comprehension administered before and after the intervention. The experimental group received eight sessions of instruction through educational packages designed and optimized by a university lecturer specializing in educational psychology and instructional design, whereas the control group received traditional teaching. The traditional teaching consisted of instruction delivered by the classroom teacher without any research intervention, specific strategies, or educational packages. The statistical population consisted of sixth-grade female students in Marand city, and the sampling method was convenience sampling. The results of covariance analysis indicated that scaffolding-based instruction had a significant effect on students’ self-regulation, retention, and comprehension. These findings suggest that scaffolding as an instructional method can be effectively employed to improve self-regulation, retention, and comprehension among students.
Downloads
References
1. Seif AA. Modern Educational Psychology: Learning and Teaching Psychology. Tehran: Doran Publishing; 2024.
2. Hossein-Khani Hazaveh N. The effect of teaching English using multimedia educational materials based on Vygotsky's scaffolding concept on learning outcomes, achievement motivation, and self-regulation of ninth-grade female students in Arak during the academic year 2017-18 [Master's thesis]: Arak University, Faculty of Literature and Humanities; 2018.
3. Seif AA. Measurement, Evaluation, and Educational Assessment. Tehran: Doran Publishing; 2023.
4. Sadeghi F. The effect of metacognitive scaffolding and monitoring instruction interacting with reading motivation and adjustment on reading skills and learning of elementary female students [PhD dissertation in Educational Psychology]: University of Tabriz; 2018.
5. Delen E, Liew J. The effects of scaffolding on self-regulated learning in computer-based environments: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review. 2018;30(2):459-93. doi: 10.1007/s10648-017-9411-7.
6. Shao J, Chen Y, Wei X, Li X, Li Y. Effects of regulated learning scaffolding on regulation strategies and academic performance: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. 2023;14:1110086. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1110086.
7. Sharma K, Nguyen A. Self‐regulation and shared regulation in collaborative learning in adaptive digital learning environments: A systematic review. 2024. doi: 10.1155/2024/3543828.
8. Theobald M. Self-regulated learning training programs enhance university students' academic performance, self-regulated learning strategies, and motivation: A meta-analysis. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 2021;66:101976. doi: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2021.101976.
9. Adebisi OAW. Effects of scaffolding teaching strategy on students' academic performance in secondary school physics inekiti state for creativity and economic development. IPHO-Journal of Advance Research in Education & Literature. 2024;2(02):08-20.
10. Putri A, Prastiwi AE, Hidayani S. The effectiveness of Jerome Bruner's scaffolding method in improving speaking skills in primary education. Journal of Education. 2024;4(3):463-73.
11. Gahihite M. Scaffolding: A Keystone in Teaching Chemistry for Grade 8 Students. International Journal of Research Publications. 2023;102(1):598-608. doi: 10.47119/IJRP1001021620223279.
12. Thuratham W. Enhancing English conditional sentences among FL undergraduates through scaffolding techniques. 2024. doi: 10.33736/ils.5712.
13. Ilves K, Leinonen J, Hellas A, editors. Supporting self-regulated learning with visualizations in online learning environments. Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education; 2018: ACM.
14. Mezek S, Berggren J, McGrath L, Negretti R. Scaffolding L2 Academic Reading and Self-Regulation Through Task and Feedback. Journal of English for Academic Purposes. 2021. doi: 10.1002/tesq.3018.
15. Sun L, Ruokamo H, Siklander P, Li B, Devlin K. Primary school students' perceptions of scaffolding in digital gamebased learning in mathematics. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction. 2021;28:100457. doi: 10.1016/j.lcsi.2020.100457.
16. Zabolotna K, Malmberg J, Järvenoja H. Examining the interplay of knowledge construction and group-level regulation in a computer-supported collaborative learning physics task. Computers in Human Behavior. 2023;138:107494. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107494.
17. Behrad Z. Examining the effectiveness of concept map-based instruction in sixth-grade science on the entangled learning of curricular content in female students of Shahreza city [Master's thesis in Educational Sciences, Curriculum Planning]: Safahan Institute of Higher Education; 2023.
18. Masr-Abadi J, Alilu A. The effectiveness of concept mapping on retention, comprehension, and application of scientific concepts. Educational Psychology Quarterly. 2016;12(40):151-71.
19. Mansouri Talebi M. The effectiveness of concept map-based teaching method on students' intellectual beliefs and self-regulated learning in secondary school Persian language courses [Master's thesis]: Payame Noor University of Isfahan Province, Natanz Center; 2020.
20. Arefi M, Khazaei S, Khazaei A. Utilization of educational scaffolding strategies and their effectiveness on learning and achievement motivation of students with mathematical learning disabilities. Educational Research Journal, University of Kurdistan. 2020.
21. Babayi A. The effectiveness of educational scaffolding strategies on satisfaction and academic motivation of students with intellectual disabilities in science lessons [Master's thesis]: Arak University; 2023.
22. Bahrami Khamsalouei O. Comparing the effectiveness of inquiry-based teaching and scope teaching methods on motivation, self-regulation, and academic performance of students [Master's thesis]: Payame Noor University of Isfahan Province, Golpayegan Center; 2024.
23. Bakhshi M. The impact of interactive teacher scaffolding and collaborative peer scaffolding on reading comprehension skills in face-to-face and blended classrooms [Master's thesis]: Ershad Damavand Institute of Higher Education; 2023.
24. Yang R. An empirical study on the scaffolding Chinese university students' English argumentative writing based on Toulmin model. Heliyon. 2022;8(12):e12199. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12199.
25. Murphy L, Greenleaf C, Schoenbach R, Friedrich L, Hogan N. Reading for understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship improves disciplinary learning in secondary and college classrooms (3rd ed.): Wiley; 2023.
26. Souri M, Mojtabizadeh M, Davoodi R. Designing a qualitative model of educational scaffolding for secondary school students. Quarterly Journal of Management and Planning in Education. 2023;16(2):1-24.
27. Zhang SX. Unprecedented disruption of lives and work: Health, distress and life satisfaction of working adults in China one month into the COVID-19 outbreak. Psychiatry Research. 2020;288:112958. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112958.
28. Heydari Moghaddam S, Behjati Ardakani F, Nazemi Ardakani B, editors. An analysis of sixth-grade science textbooks based on Bloom's cognitive domain content analysis method. Proceedings of the First National Conference on Innovations in Education in the Iranian Educational System; 2016; Tehran.
29. Maysara W, Marhadi M, Dahlan, Haetami A, Esnawi. Application of the discovery learning model using student worksheets based on scaffolding on stoichiometric materials to improve learning outcomes. International Journal of Educational Technology and Learning. 2024;16(1):1-7. doi: 10.55217/101.v16i1.744.
30. Hattan C, Alexander PA. Scaffolding Reading Comprehension for Competent Readers. Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice. 2018;67:296-309. doi: 10.1177/2381336918786885.
31. Setari Maleki E. A meta-analytic study of scaffolding in language learning in foreign and second language classrooms [Master's thesis]: Mohaghegh Ardabili University; 2021.
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Robab Mirasi (Author); Javad Mesrabadi; Ali Naghi Aghdasi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
