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Parent–child learning interactions: A review of the literature on scaffolding
Author(s) -
Mermelshtine Roni
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
british journal of educational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.557
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 2044-8279
pISSN - 0007-0998
DOI - 10.1111/bjep.12147
Subject(s) - conceptualization , psychology , relevance (law) , context (archaeology) , scaffold , developmental psychology , psychological intervention , cognition , child development , linguistics , medicine , paleontology , neuroscience , psychiatry , political science , law , biomedical engineering , biology , philosophy
Background Scaffolding can be observed during learning‐based interactions, when interventions by parents are adjusted according to children's observed abilities, with the main goal of enabling the child to work independently (Wood et al ., 1976, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry , 17 , 89). Such contingent instruction behaviours occur from infancy, and are said to be relevant for children's development of executive function, language acquisition, and cognitive and academic abilities. Scaffolding behaviours are considered a product of the family and the wider context, a process affected by parent and child characteristics, and the environment they inhabit. Over 40 years of scaffolding research has produced an abundance of findings. Early investigations were concerned with the conceptualization of scaffolding, whereas more recent studies build upon the theory, testing its correlates and relevance for child development. Aims This article offers an overview of the literature, focusing on the relevance of scaffolding for child developmental outcomes, and the factors associated with individual differences in the process. Structure The article is structured such that the origins of the theory and its definitions are discussed first, followed by an overview of the correlates of scaffolding. The review concludes with a critical evaluation of the literature, proposing novel avenues for future research.