Examining the hard, peer, and teacher scaffolding framework in inquiry-based technology-enhanced learning environments: impact on academic achievement and group performance

The purpose of this study was to examine how students' academic achievement and group performance related to their perceptions of the usefulness of hard, peer, and teacher scaffolds. A single instrumental case approach that integrated quantitative and qualitative analysis was employed for this study, which involved data gathered from 163 students in a ninth-grade biology course. Statistical results suggest that the students' perceived usefulness of hard scaffolding, followed by peer scaffolding, was the most significant variable to predict individual academic achievement. However, only the perceived usefulness of peer scaffolding was found to be a significant predictor of group performance. This finding empirically points to the positive impact that student perceptions of the usefulness of hard, peer, and teacher scaffolds may have on students' individual academic achievement and group performance in IBL (inquiry-based learning) activities.