Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among situational soft and hard scaffolds on students’ achievement scores as measured by an end-of-year (EOY) benchmark assessment in a mathematical computer-based adaptive learning program. This study also examined the types of soft scaffold strategies that instructors used to support students’ problem-solving tasks during help-seeking sessions within the computer-based adaptive learning program. A multimethod research design that integrated quantitative and qualitative analysis was used for this study. The analysis involved data gathered from middle school students in a public charter school district that implemented the computer-based adaptive learning program in a blended learning environment. The first research question investigated the impact of situational soft scaffolds on students’ achievement scores, while controlling for frequency of soft scaffolds, frequency 12 of hard scaffolds, and beginning-of-year (BOY) benchmark. The findings suggested that soft scaffolds, followed by frequency of hard scaffolds, were the most significant predictors of students’ achievement scores. However, soft scaffolds alone were not found to be a significant predictor of students’ achievement scores. The second research question focused on identifying the types of soft scaffold strategies instructors used to support students’ problem-solving tasks. First, the qualitative analysis revealed that instructors employed ten soft scaffold strategies. The most frequently observed strategy was probing and diagnosing. Second, the qualitative analysis revealed that students’ performance levels impacted the frequency of soft scaffold strategies. Specifically, students in the below basic, and far below basic, groups may not have the adequate skills to interact meaningfully with online instructors. This study informs educators of effective soft scaffold strategies and designers of recommendations regarding the design and implementation of scaffolding to support learners’ problem-solving skills in computer- based adaptive learnings in K-12 settings.
