Relationship between Interest in Learning and Academic Achievement Mediated by Scaffolding Pedagogy

Purpose: The study investigated the relationship between students’ interest in learning and their academic achievement mediated by scaffolding learning within the Zone of Proximal Development. Methodology: Sequential explanatory design within the mixed methods approach was adopted involving 204 students and 10 teachers picked out through purposive sampling. Quantitative data was collected using pre-post experimental design which involved a pretest, scaffolding learning and a post-test, while qualitative data was collected using interview technique. Instruments of data collection were the pre-test and post-test Interest questionnaires an Achievement Test, a scaffolding module and interview schedules. Descriptive and inferential statistics of mean standard deviation as well as Karl Pearson product moment correlation and regression analysis were utilized to analyze quantitative data while qualitative data was analyzed using the thematic framework. Results: After scaffolding learning, Pearson Correlation showed a positive relationship between students’ interest in learning and their academic achievement (r=.659). Similarly, qualitative results established that learners achieved better results due to increased interest in learning as a result of scaffolding pedagogies. Conclusion: Scaffolding learning is necessary in boosting learners’ interest and eventually their achievement of learning goals.