3.4 Scaffolding the instruction
3.4.2 The different levels of scaffolding
The three levels of scaffolding were introduced by Anghileri (2006), and constitute a variety of useful instructional strategies that may be obvious in the classroom. These instructional strategies are discussed in more detail in the subsections that follow.
55 3.4.2.1 Level 1: Exploring the learning environment
Figure 3: Instructional strategies for scaffolding in the classroom at level 1 (adapted from Anghileri, 2006, p. 39).
Level 1 includes environment stipulation. Prior to teaching learners, teachers scaffold the instruction by the surroundings and impressions they create in the classroom. Environmental requirements include the preparation and encouragement presented in the classroom situation (Siemon & Virgona, 2003 and Naidoo, 2011). Level 1 scaffolding speaks about the style, relating to the way the teacher arranges his/her mathematics classroom. The arrangement may include colourful charts and pictures displayed on the walls. The reflective teacher uses displays in his/her classroom, to encourage active learning (Preen, 2007). This was observed in all the participating schools, although the teachers did not refer to the wall displays when teaching data handling.
Moreover, the teacher may also arrange learners to sit according to their level of capabilities in groups to encourage peer collaboration. This is what the social constructivist approach also encourages. To encourage peer cooperation learners might be given an opportunity to work on engaging data handling tasks, which also encourages critical thinking. This cooperation, when joint with efficient progression and timing, is of assistance in the teaching and learning of data
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handling. Progression and timing relate to the way in which the teacher progresses from one notion to the subsequent one during the data handling lesson. Basically the teacher times instruction to make the utmost use of teaching time.
In addition, the teacher needs to encourage emotive feedback (Naidoo, 2011). Emotive feedback includes the support and reinforcement the teacher gives to learners while they are actively involved in activities. Constructive and motivating responses create a suitable environment for successful teaching and learning. Different types of prearranged activities also positively influence the classroom environment. Prearranged activities could refer to worksheets or classroom tasks. While doing these tasks the learner is given guidance and the teacher’s assistance through the lesson or the tasks. During environmental manipulation the participants formed an appealing and encouraging atmosphere inside the classroom. For example, as learners were working in groups the teachers gave them different activities to do, and also gave them assistance when they needed it.
3.4.2.2 Level 2: Exploring the teacher-learner interaction
Figure 4: Instructional strategies for scaffolding in the classroom at level 2 (adapted from Anghileri, 2006, p. 39).
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Interaction between teachers and learners is necessary and cooperation is a necessity among all members in the learning .environment. Level 2 scaffolding incorporates various levels of contact between the teacher and the learner. This kind of contact depends on teachers’ reviewing and reorganising what is experienced in the classroom.
Throughout the period of reviewing, learners have to be motivated to communicate what they notice and think. There is a need for learners to be encouraged to explain and confirm their performance and remarks. Through understanding learners’ remarks, planning and asking enquiring questions, teachers may recognise if the learner has misunderstood some of the data handling concepts. This may lead to equivalent modelling, whereby the teacher plans and solves problems in collaboration with the learners and also solves the problems related to the learners’
identified problem based on their misconceptions.
In the restructuring of tasks the teacher rephrases the learners’ remarks, seeking to negotiate meanings and create more understanding. Important contexts are formed to make abstract situations more accessible to the learners. All participants in the study incorporated level 2 scaffolding to different levels. The interactions between the participants and learners were based on particular tasks. Rather than convincing learners to be engaged in data handling tasks individually, the teachers recognised and discussed different methods for solving problems and motivated their learners to interact and communicate in the classroom. The participants used probes by questioning learners, and in that way they were encouraging learners to present their significant explanations (McCosker & Diezmann, 2009 and Naidoo, 2011). The above mentioned strategies have the features of level 2 scaffolding.
Brown, et al., (1989) asserted that learning using real-life situations can be seen from social constructivism’s view; this can take place when learners are involved in practical activities within their real life and with reference to their cultural background related to the real environment. Scaffolding is not limited to contact among people – artefacts, material resources, and social context are also employed as scaffolds (Puntambekar & Hubscher, 2005; Naidoo, 2011). The concept of scaffolding is related to Vygotsky’s (1978) work; he pointed out that learning first takes place at the social stage and emphasised that social interaction plays a significant role in cognitive growth. Scaffolding instruction incorporates planning and arranging
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concrete and social constructions for interaction, giving problems to be solved and providing assistance and developing critical reasoning (Anghileri, 2006).
Thus, whilst the teachers were facilitating teaching and learning progression as occurs in traditional approaches, they also engaged their learners in the argument. They reviewed and restructured activities taking into consideration their learners’ requirements. Demonstration, support and interactive sense making (Siemon & Virgona, 2003) were ensured. This by implication means that teachers used both traditional and social constructivist instructional strategies when teaching data handling.
3.4.2.3 Level 3: Using representational tools Level 3
Developing conceptual reasoning
Figure 5: Instructional strategies for scaffolding in the classroom at level 3 (adapted from Anghileri, 2006, p. 39).
In level 3 scaffolding the use of symbolic tools is emphasised so that conceptual arguments will be produced within the learner (Verenikina & Chinnappan, 2006). The participants employed scaffolding to formulate connections between the learners’ prior knowledge and the information that needed to be incorporated.
Making
Connections Developing
representational tools
Generating
conceptual discourse
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The teachers used concrete materials to make abstract data handling concepts more understandable to learners. The participants’ concrete materials included graphs, coloured chalk, bottles to demonstrate measurement and diagrams. Thus, although scaffolding has turned out to be valuable to teachers (Holton & Clarke, 2006), the intention of scaffolding is to ensure that learners have a teacher to assist them in their learning process. This means that when learners have observed and heard the teacher demonstrating a particular data handling concept, learners are then expected to carry out the task without the assistance. Therefore, when the ‘building’ is complete, the scaffolding is taken away (Frederick, et al., 2014).
Therefore there is a link between social constructivism and scaffolding, because for social constructivists knowledge is socially constructed. Since scaffolding is the assistance offered by the teacher to learners while they are working collaboratively, scaffolding therefore works hand in hand with social constructivism. Knowledge is constructed while there is interaction between learners and the teacher. The teacher supports and guides learners during the learning process, and that is referred to as scaffolding. Scaffolding is also one of the instructional strategies that teachers may use to teach data handling. Thus social constructivism is an appropriate framework for the study since it focuses on foundation phase teachers’ use of instructional strategies to teach data handling. Moreover scaffolding is also relevant to this study since the notion of scaffolding instruction is related to Vygotsky’s theory of social constructivism (Pritchard, 2007). The theory of social constructivism will assist this study to understand how teachers use instructional strategies to assist learners to construct knowledge.