Multiple Scaffolds Used to Support Self-Regulated Learning in Elementary Mathematics Classrooms

Introduction

In light of a rapidly-changing and complex world, learning should not only be the course of knowledge storage and withdrawal, but also how to learn. School formal education should train learners to become lifelong learners. The prerequisite for cultivating a lifelong learning ability is self-regulated learning (SRL). Even for the general public’s individual life-long learning, whether formal or informal, is closely related to SRL. However, SRL has not been popularized in schools nowadays (Cleary & Labuhn, 2013). In public elementary school settings, there are relatively few opportunities to experience SRL models in daily teaching and learning process. The reasons for the lack of opportunities include poor student awareness of SRL methods, passive learning, a lack of enthusiasm for learning, excessive teacher dominance, insufficient student SRL time, excessive autonomy, and a lack of teacher guidance (Geng, 2016). SRL demonstrates the student’s subjectivity, provides opportunities for active exploration of learning, and implements learning leadership into students. Therefore, if the school education could provide students of any age with the skills and opportunities needed for SRL (Luftenegger et al., 2012), it would enable learners to use metacognition and self-regulation skills to achieve good learning effects in learning activities (Pino-Pasternak et al., 2014). In the digital age where learning technology innovation and network resources are becoming more abundant, SRL can inspire various possibilities of innovative learning and can also reverse the narrative teaching effects in the classroom. In addition, the study of SRL pointed out that many learners have difficulty in spontaneously carrying out these SRL processes and activities. Therefore, it is often impossible to acquire satisfactory learning results (Bannert, 2007; Zumbach & Bannert, 2006). This shows that students who are in lack of formal training will automatically not become self-regulated learners (Bjork et al., 2013), because SRL requires effective instructional guidance and scaffolding support learning (Azevedo & Hadwin, 2005).

In conclusion, this study uses the knowledge structure-based self-learning platform (Adaptive Instruction and Learning, AI&L). Based on the quasi-experimental research method, it explores whether there is any effect to the use of instructional guidance and scaffolding to support students’ learning in mathematics through SRL in the classroom; does it have a better effect over traditional narrative mathematics teaching? How about students' attitudes in planning, self-monitoring, evaluation, reflection, effort and self-efficacy?