81 two parts in this section. In the first part, the researcher discusses the findings on
the extent to which scaffolding as an instructional strategy helps students learn writing. Afterwards, in the second part, the researcher discusses the findings on the
advantages of using scaffolding in learning writing.
1. The Extent to which Scaffolding as an Instructional Strategy Could Help
Students Learn Writing
The implementation of scaffolding as an instructional strategy in learning writing happened because the researcher realizes that the students are unable to
master particular concepts in learning English Northern Illinois University, 2008. As written in the pre-research questionnaire analysis see Appendix 4, the students
of English Club PGSD Class 1D.1 are unable to master the concepts of content organization, vocabulary, sentence construction, and the use of grammar. In the
questionnaire, the students agree that those concepts are their difficulties in learning English. Therefore, the researcher as the tutor provided an instructional
strategy named scaffolding. It aimed to assist students in accomplishing new task and concepts, namely writing a recount text the task along with the mastery of
some writing elements the concepts Northern Illinois University, 2008. However, before starting the scaffolding learning process, the researcher
recruit ed the students’ interest and established a shared goal. Hogan and Pressley
1997 state that those activities were crucial first step in scaffolding learning. Recruiting students’ interest and establishing a shared goal mean that the tutor
made the scaffolding learning process effective. Therefore, in the very first meeting, the tutor told the students that they were about to make a book consisting
82 of their recount texts. In the meantime, establishing the learning goal means that
the tutor implemented one of the principles of scaffolding, namely challenge Roehler and Cantlon, 1997. Making a book consisting of recount texts was the
students’ challenge in the learning process. Furthermore, after providing the challenge, the tutor did not forget to balance it with support. This support was the
scaffolding itself. The scaffolding provided by the tutor in the learning process was various.
They all were based on the five types of scaffolding stated by Roehler and Cantlon 1997. They are offering explanations, v
erifying and clarifying students’ understanding, modelling desired behavior, inviting students’ participation, and
inviting students to contribute clues. Although the scaffolding happened in five types, there was no specific order of the occurrence. Even, sometimes, one type of
scaffolding happened to support another type of scaffolding that was being conducted.
In the beginning of the learning process, the tutor provided the first scaffolding named offering explanations. All the materials covered in the
scaffolding were what the students needed to accomplish the end goal of learning. In offering explanations, the tutor used the characteristics of offering explanation
by Roehler and Cantlon 1997. The tutor provided detailed and explicit explanations about what kinds of knowledge the students need to master, when
they need to apply the knowledge, and how to apply the knowledge. In the meantime, the tutor also implemented another type of scaffolding
namely verifying and clarifying students’ understanding. The tutor offered
83 assignments and tests to record
the students’ progress and to draw them into higher level of understanding. In the assignments and tests, the tutor always asked the
students to give an answer for every question along with the rationale. Therefore, not only did the students provide an answer, but they also tried to analyze their
answers. All of these were aimed to provide support to allow students to think for himherself later Roehler and Cantlon, 1997. By being able to give rationale to
their answers, the students were expected to be able to analyze their own writing in the process of writing their recount texts.
All of the explanations, verifications, and clarifications were then implemented in making outline and writing the first draft. Making outline and the
first draft were actually the implementation of another type of scaffolding named inviting students’ participation. Implementing this type of scaffolding means that
the tutor invited the students to participate in the learning process. Nevertheless, before that, the tutor added another scaffolding, namely modelling of the desired
behavior. This modelling is an essential part in inviting students’ participation Roehler and Cantlon, 1997. These two types of scaffolding showed that one type
of scaffolding happened to support another one. Further, from the first draft, the tutor found that the students had made
progress. The students already knew how to construct a recount text. In the first draft, most of the students could write their story in form of orientation paragraph,
followed by event paragraphs that are ended in re-orientation paragraph. Moreover, the students were already able to use verb 2 in the first draft. However, most of the
students still made some problems in the first draft. The problems were related to
84 vocabulary, the use of past tense, and mechanics things. Therefore, the tutor re-
offered another type of scaffolding named verifying and clarifying students understanding. Then, in the second and third draft, the number of writing errors of
the students was decreasing. They became more aware of writing errors and mistakes. Moreover, they tended to be more attentive to their writing by not
repeating the same errors anymore. Then, in the last meeting, the students’ independence in learning English
became clearer when they did the final test. In the test result, they could show that they could think for himherself in analyzing errors in the text given. Seeing this
progress, the tutor needs to remove the assistance. The role of five types of scaffolding and the role of the tutor in requiring
the students to give rationale and in conducting the five types were the scaffolders. After the students had been through the scaffolding process, they came to the
higher level of competence Rogoff, 1990 and to higher stage, namely what student can now do on their own without assistance Northern Illinois University,
2008. Moreover, after the scaffolding process, the students are able to think for himherself as what scaffolding is meant to be Roehler and Cantlon, 1997.
Besides, in the end of scaffolding learning, the researcher found the score difference between pre and post scaffolding learning writing products. The score
difference shows that they now have better awareness, attentiveness, and understanding on the use of writing elements to construct a good piece of writing.
Even more, the students are also able to criticize their answers on the final test. The ability of criticizing shows their higher level of critical thinking as reasoning
85 belongs to high order thinking skill Cuban as cited in Lewis Smith, 1993.
Eventually, scaffolding as an instructional strategy could help the students to have better awareness, attentiveness, and critical thinking.
2. The Advantages of Using Scaffolding in Learning Writing
