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Maternal Scaffolding in the Child's Zone of Proximal Development Across Tasks: Cross-Cultural Perspectives

Abstract This study examined cultural differences in the amount and type of maternal scaffolding of children's learning and their effects on children's independent performance across two distinct activities: goal-oriented vs. free play. Twenty Iranian immigrant and 20 Anglo-American mothers with their preschool children participated in this study. Analyses of maternal scaffolding revealed that Iranian immigrant mothers were more directive in their teaching strategies than Anglo-American mothers in the goal-oriented activity. These differences disappeared in the free play, however. Furthermore, maternal sensitivity was examined in relation to task demand and children's level of competence. No cultural differences were observed between the two groups of mothers' sensitivity to their children's level of competence: Both groups altered their teaching strategies to adjust to the task demand, as well as to the child's level of competence. An examination of children's independent performance revealed no cultural differences: The children performed equally well. The authors observed a clear connection between culture and mothers' selection of particular scaffolding strategies in relation to the activity type and the child's level of competence. The study suggests that maternal sensitivity to the child's level of competence may carry a greater weight in terms of instructional outcomes than does the maternal communicative pattern. The findings specifically recommend the need for re-evaluating parental scaffolding strategies to 1) include an appreciation of their effectiveness and appropriateness, and 2) differentiate parental directives from parental intrusiveness and control.