ABSTRACT

This study used an explanatory mixed methods research design to examine the scaffolding strategies of middle school teachers during a design problem-based learning (PBL) unit. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used in data collection and analysis, and the findings were integrated for interpretation. Our analysis of classroom observations revealed that teachers relied heavily on soft scaffolding throughout the five days of instruction. In addition, both classroom observations and semi-structured teacher interviews revealed that the teachers’ primary goal for scaffolding was to facilitate students’ cognitive structuring. Qualitative data collected through teacher interviews were used to further explore how the teachers made sense of scaffolding. Suggestions are made for incorporating distributed scaffolding in design PBL makerspaces which tend to be highly complex and place a heavy cognitive load on learners.

摘要

本研究采用解释性混合方法研究设计来检验中学教师在设计基于问题的学习（PBL）单元期间的脚手架策略。数据收集和分析中使用了定量和定性技术，并将结果进行整合以进行解释。我们对课堂观察的分析表明，教师在五天的教学中严重依赖软脚手架。此外，课堂观察和半结构化教师访谈都表明，教师搭建支架的主要目标是促进学生的认知结构。通过教师访谈收集的定性数据用于进一步探讨教师如何理解脚手架。