Symmetrical or Asymmetrical Scaffolding: Piagetian vs. Vygotskyan Views to Reading Comprehension

This study seeks to investigate the impact of symmetrical (S) and Asymmetrical (AS) scaffolding, which are two types of scaffolding, on students' reading comprehension achievement of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The study was done in two phases: In the first phase after administering a Pre-test, 52 homogeneous intermediate students were selected, and they were divided into two experimental groups. The experimental group (A) received instruction according to S strategy whereas the experimental group (B) was instructed via the AS strategy. A Post-test was administered, and its results were analyzed through t-test. The results indicated that although S scaffolding has significant effect on learners' performance in reading comprehension, enhancing it but AS scaffolding is a more effective strategy in improving reading comprehension achievement. In the second phase, the qualitative data consisted of a total of 60-minute recording of 28 participants' interviews. The results have been more consistent with Vygotsky's theories than with those of Piaget in cognitive development.