FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

In learning theories, what is the term for the support and assistance provided for problem solving?

1. Positive reinforcement

2. Scaffolding

3. Autonomous morality

4. Behaviorism

The correct answer is: Scaffolding

Scaffolding refers to the educational practice of providing temporary support to students as they learn new concepts or skills. This assistance aims to help learners build their understanding and independence over time. The key characteristic of scaffolding is that it involves tailored guidance that aligns with the learner's current level of comprehension while gradually removing support as the student becomes more competent and confident in their abilities. This process is essential in facilitating problem-solving because it encourages students to engage with challenging content, allows for mistakes as part of the learning process, and enables them to develop critical thinking skills. Scaffolding can take various forms, such as modeling, providing hints, guiding questions, and collaborative learning opportunities. As students become more proficient, the scaffolding is reduced, fostering autonomy in learning. In contrast, positive reinforcement focuses on encouraging desired behaviors through rewards, autonomous morality pertains to moral development without the direct influence of others, and behaviorism emphasizes observable behaviors over internal processes and individual interpretation. These concepts do not specifically address the supportive framework designed to aid problem-solving in a learning context as scaffolding does.