Sociocultural Theory and Reading Comprehension: Hard vs. Soft Scaffolding effect on Reading Comprehension

Subject Areas : All areas of language and translation

Haleh Mojarrabi ¹ , Biook Behnam ² , Mahnaz Saeidi ³

1 - Department of English, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
2 - Department of English, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
3 - Department of English, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

Received: 2022-08-03 Accepted : 2022-09-07 Published : 2024-04-26

Keywords: hard scaffolding, soft scaffolding, reading comprehension, sociocultural theory, EFL,

Abstract :

This study aimed at surveying two types of scaffolding impact on reading skill performance of learners in Iranian EFL context. For this purpose, 60 Iranian intermediate EFL were selected out of 100 participants. A placement test was carried out and their performance could determine their level as intermediate. The selection was done randomly and they were set into three groups (two experimental and one control). Each group consisted of 20 learners. To check the homogeneity of the participant, a reading comprehension pre-test was administered and no significant difference was observed. The experimental groups received one of the designated treatments, hard or soft scaffolding which lasted for twenty sessions, but the control group got just usual classroom reading teaching. Eventually, their reading skill was evaluated through the use of a post -test of reading comprehension performance. The results of one-way ANOVA disclosed that hard scaffolding group exceeded the others and soft scaffolding group transcended the control group. The implications are being talked about regarding the effectiveness of hard and soft scaffolding to indicate whether they can enhance EFL learners' reading comprehension or not. This study could be useful to classroom teachers who wish to make a variation in their classrooms and to English learners as well. They can be better readers and help each other to work out the challenges of language learning.

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