Abstract
This study examined the profile of teachers, the extent of their use of instructional scaffolding practices, and the relationship between these practices and the academic performance of Grade IV pupils. The respondents were mostly mid- career teachers aged 31–40 years, with a mean age of 39.42. A majority were married, had master’s degrees, and held Teacher III positions, reflecting professional competence and experience. Results revealed that teachers consistently applied scaffolding strategies across all domains—modelling, questioning techniques, feedback mechanisms, and visual manipulatives—with an overall descriptive value of “Always.” Among these, feedback mechanisms were most frequently employed, while questioning techniques received the lowest composite mean, though still rated as “Always.” Pupils’ academic performance showed a mean score of 84.78, corresponding to a “Very Satisfactory” level, with most students clustered between the satisfactory and very satisfactory categories. Notably, no student fell under the failing category, indicating effective instructional delivery and learning support. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in the extent of scaffolding practices when grouped according to teachers’ profile variables, suggesting a consistent approach across demographics. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between the extent of scaffolding practices and pupils’ numeracy performance, implying that current scaffolding applications may not adequately address subject-specific challenges in mathematics. The study concludes that while scaffolding strategies are consistently practiced, their impact on numeracy skills remains limited. It recommends targeted professional development on numeracy-specific scaffolding, stronger emphasis on dynamic modelling and student-created visuals, improved questioning techniques, differentiated instruction, and further research on subject- specific applications.
