Scaffolding (Psychology)

In developmental and educational psychology, scaffolding refers to the temporary support that a more knowledgeable person, such as a parent, teacher, or more skilled peer, provides to help a learner accomplish a task that is just beyond what the learner could do unassisted, with that support gradually withdrawn as the learner's own competence grows. The term was introduced by researchers building on Lev Vygotsky's work to describe the concrete guidance, such as breaking a task into smaller steps, asking leading questions, or demonstrating part of a solution, that adults actually provide during teaching interactions. Scaffolding describes the interactive process of support itself, distinguishing it from the underlying range of tasks a child could complete only with that kind of help.