FROM SUPPORT TO SELF-RELIANCE: INSTRUCTIONAL SCAFFOLDING STRATEGIES FOR 21ST CENTURY SCIENCE CLASSROOMS

One crucial pedagogical strategy that helps students build on past knowledge while progressively gaining learning independence is instructional scaffolding. Scaffolding, which has its roots in Vygotsky's social constructivist theory, can promote student participation, critical thinking, and concept mastery, particularly in 21st-century science classrooms. This chapter explores the role and efficiency of instructional scaffolding in science classrooms, outlines several scaffolding strategies, challenges, and looks at how they affect students' conceptual understanding, independence, and academic engagement. Scaffolding classroom strategies like the use of visual aids, cue cards, handouts, questioning techniques, and prompts are explored along with other types of scaffolding, including conceptual, metacognitive, teacher, procedural, technological, strategic, and peer strategies. Nonetheless, issues including time consumption, inadequate or excessive scaffolding, and the challenge of fading support are recognised. Empirical studies on how instructional scaffolding improves student engagement, critical thinking, and differentiated learning while lowering frustration through scientific experimentation were revealed. Scaffolding also promotes collaborative learning and turns science classrooms into leadership communities where teachers act as mentors and facilitators of knowledge. The chapter concludes with recommendations and educational implications that focused on curriculum redesign, integration of digital technologies, optimised class sizes, and professional development for science educators. This points at the essential for maximising the benefits of scaffolding and achieving meaningful learning outcomes in science education.