Karl Hadrian Manuel Theories of Learning
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SCAFFOLDING BY LEV VYGOTSKY
The psychologist Lev Vygotsky developed a theory of cognitive development that
focused on the role of culture in the development of higher mental functions. Several concepts
arose from the said theory which contributes to the learning of a person. Vygotsky’s Theory will
focus on two concepts: Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding.
Since Scaffolding Theory is a theory of cognitive development, what do we mean by the
term cognitive? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, cognitive is originally term
borrowed from Medieval Latin cognitivus which means “concerning with knowing”. The term
cognitive is relating to or being conscious intellectual such as thinking, reasoning, remembering,
understanding and learning. Meaning the theory of scaffolding is all about the development of a
person’s thinking skill.
The term Scaffolding is coined not by Lev Vygotsky but by Jerome Bruner, who is a
researcher in cognitive and educational psychology. He coined the term scaffolding as a
description for the kind of assistance given by the teacher or more knowledgeable peer in
providing comprehensible input and moving the learner into the zone of proximal development.
In the other context, the scaffolding was also used in construction of a building. The scaffold is
an external structure that provides a support for the workers until the project or the building itself
is strong enough to support them. As the architectural structure gained stability, the scaffold
becomes less and is gradually less necessary.
The Zone of Proximal Development is an important principle in Vygotsky’s Theory. The
Zone of Proximal Development or the ZPD is defined as the range of tasks that a child can
perform with the help and guidance of others but cannot yet perform independently. Meaning the
ZPD is an area of learning that occurs when a person is assisted by a teacher or peer with a
higher skill set. The ZPD has two levels which are: Actual Development and the Level of
Potential Development. The Actual Development is upper limit of a person into a task to work or
performed independently while the second level is the Level of Potential Development in which
a person performs a certain task with the assistance of a more competent individual. In simplest
explanation the ZPD is the limited area into what you can do without the help of other people
and what you can do with guidance and encouragement from others.
The concept of Scaffolding is related into the Zone of Proximal Development because it
serves as the support in which the learner attained the skill he/she is mastering. It is a help
mechanism that helps the learner successfully perform a task within his/her ZPD. Scaffolding is
applied similarly in the classroom. First, the teacher should provide clues about how to proceed
through the problem. As the learner becomes capable of solving the problem without support, the
teacher gradually removes the clues. This process is called Fading.
Scaffolding is what an educator does first to the learners who are still struggling in
performing the given task. It is also called Instructional Scaffolding or Vygotsky Scaffolding
because it is one of the methods of an educator. It is called Instructional because it gives
instructions for the learner in able for them to achieve their learning goals. This method is
proposed by making a test which is conducted between a learner and expert in a certain thing.
Vygotsky seemed to know that a learner with guidance learns faster and efficient rather than
without guidance or help from an expert person.
There are different forms of scaffolding that an educator can use in his/her teaching
strategy. He can use the Sensory, Interactive, or Graphic Scaffolding. The Sensory Scaffold
allows the learners to use the senses to understand abstract concepts or learn new ideas. Since
humans are visual learner the best examples of these are presenting Illustration, models, figures,
showing video clips, pictures that are related into the topic. The Interactive Scaffold is an
excellent opportunity to use language for meaningful purposes since Interaction required
communication and communication uses language. Interactive scaffolding are essentially a kind
of learning through collaboration, example of these are grouping the class and share their ideas
about the topic. Graphic Scaffold means giving ideas through charts, tables, and graphic
organizers. It is particularly effective when teachers want to communicate highly abstract
concepts or show relationship between things in a phenomenon.
In general, scaffolding is used to erect stunning ideas into the mind of the learners. We’re
trying to impart knowledge, skills, and mindsets to serve the students long after they’ve master
the learning. Scaffolding helps students develops he skill that they can later call on and build
upon in their future endeavors.
