A Brief Overview
Scaffolding is a teaching technique that supports the learner by gradually building their independence that can take a variety of different forms. Motivational scaffolding is a type of scaffolding that builds up the writer from within by utilizing strategies that encourage the writer and reassures them of their capabilities which, in turn, makes the writer more receptive to feedback by empowering them to demonstrate their true writing potential.
The Five Strategies
There are five main strategies that constitute motivational scaffolding. Despite their differences, these strategies all work together to create a confident writer that feels they are understood by the tutor and in a welcoming, judgment-free environment.
Show Concern
When working with writers, showing concern for their understanding of feedback, concepts, and the recommended revision strategies can help assure the writer that their tutor is truly dedicated to helping them with their writing. Showing concern can be as simple as the tutor asking the writer if they understand the correction that they have recommended or checking to make sure that they feel comfortable with the next revision steps they need to take after the appointment is over.
Give Praise
Using praise can also help motivate the writer. It can be beneficial to use praise to show writers areas of their writing which are particularly strong in order to reinforce their implementation of a certain writing practice, such as their use of transitions or an where they explain their argument.
Establish Writer Ownership and Control
Reinforcing throughout the appointment that the writer’s voice and opinions are encouraged is an essential way to give them control during the appointment and prevent the tutor from allowing the writer to do work during the appointment. This can be implemented by asking the writer areas of their paper where they want the most help with, which of the tutor’s recommendations most resonates with their writing style, or which of the given analytical verbs they would like to use.
Use Optimism or Humor
Many writers who turn to the writing center for help often feel nervous or apprehensive, especially if it is their visit time. This can lead to writers feeling insecure about sharing their work and make them less present at the appointment and more concerned about how the tutor is perceiving their writing skills. When a tutor uses optimism or humor in the appointment, they show the writer that they are human too. This makes the atmosphere of the appointment more personable and builds trust with the writer.
Use Empathy or Sympathy
When tutors use empathy or sympathy during the appointment, they foster rapport with the writer and show them that they understand what the writer is going through. This can be seen by a tutor explaining their own experience with having to write a long research paper during finals week, struggling with where to place a comma, or just the general stress that school can bring. This shows that the writing center is a welcoming place for writers to go and it is truly there to help support them throughout their academic journey.
References
Mackiewicz, J., & Thompson, I. (2014). Instruction, Cognitive Scaffolding, and Motivational Scaffolding in Writing Center Tutoring. Composition Studies, 42(1), 54–78.
Mackiewicz, Jo, and Isabelle Thompson. “Motivational scaffolding, politeness, and writing center tutoring.” The Writing Center Journal 33.1 (2013): 38-73.
Osman, M. (2010). Virtual Tutoring: An Online Environment for Scaffolding Students’ Metacognitive Problem Solving Expertise. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 7(4), 3–.
van de Pol, V. (2010). Scaffolding in Teacher-Student Interaction: A Decade of Research. Educational Psychology Review, 22(3), 271–296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-010-9127-6