This study analyzed scaffolding types and their meanings in the third and fourth grade
English lessons at the elementary school level. Thirteen award-winning lessons from third and
fourth grade elementary classrooms were selected and analyzed according to macro- and
micro-level scaffolding standards. As a result, the specific types of scaffolding strategies that
were used by most of the teachers of these lessons were found. This study indicated the
following: first, English teachers planned their lessons using macro-level scaffolding strategies,
and those are ‘understanding the objectives of the lesson and specifying’, ‘balancing the
students’ cognitive level with the language level’, ‘using a variety of media’, and ‘making a
relationship with the students’ personal lives’. Second, the English teachers applied micro-level
scaffolding strategies while they were teaching in the classroom. In addition, they used distinct
strategies during certain periods of the unit.
This study illustrates what teachers attempt to accomplish in each lesson, and that the
teaching circumstances affected the teachers' scaffolding strategies. It is suggested that teachers
need to plan their lessons using macro- and micro-level scaffolding strategies, and not just
focus on the activities and the students' English abilities.