The Impact of Interactional Scaffolding on the Complexity and Accuracy of Argumentative Writing: A Study of Iranian EFL Learners

This study analyzed the impact of interactional scaffolding on the complexity and accuracy of argumentative writing among EFL learners in Iran. The eight-week study involved 60 intermediate-level EFL learners drawn from 90 enrolled at a language institute in Hamedan, Iran. These participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 30) or control group (n = 30) based on their scores on the Oxford Placement Test (OPT). The study employed a pretest-posttest design, and assessed participants' argumentative writing skills using the IELTS writing rubric with one of two blind rater's scoring. Inter-rater reliability was used to calculate the Kappa statistic. Research data revealed that the experimental group, who received interactional scaffolding (teacher feedback, teacher prompts, teacher questions grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory emphasizing the role of social interactions in learning), had significantly improved their complexity and accuracy of argumentative writing in less time than the control group, who received no interactional scaffolding. The findings are highlight the efficacy of interactional scaffolding in supporting EFL learners with their argumentative writing. The study offers implications for EFL instructors, curriculum designers and materials developers about integrating interactional scaffolding with writing instruction.