STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON SYNERGISTIC SCAFFOLDS FOR KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION: OPPORTUNITIES, CONSTRAINTS AND IMPROVEMENT

Abstract

 Synergistic scaffolds are multiple forms of supports that interact with each other in a concerted way to facilitate a targeted goal. Synergistic scaffolds have been found to be effective to support student learning but there is little evidence to better understandstudents’ perceptionsonhow synergistic scaffolds can help them integrate knowledge. This study exploredForm 1 students’ perceptions on the challenges they faced and how synergistic scaffolds—question prompts and preplanned scaffolding strategies—supported their knowledge integration processduring design activities. This study involved twenty-seven Form 1 students from a national school. Data was collected using a 4-point Likert Scale Questionnaire and student interviews. This studyshowed that the students faced challenges related to domain knowledge, language proficiency and task complexity. Question prompts, which were supported with active support by the facilitator, created an effective supporting system for knowledge integration. The facilitator adopted various scaffolding strategies to complement the question prompts. The students suggested that the synergistic scaffolds could be improved from the aspects of language, concept delivery and structure. The research findings provide guidance in                        pre-designing scaffoldings into instructional practice.