Scaffolding Students’ Problem-Solving Process in Case-Based Teaching: A Multimodal Analysis

Case-based teaching and the value of scaffolding in assisting students to solve the problem in case studies has been widely acknowledged. However, there have been few studies mapping out how teachers practise scaffolding in their naturally occurring case-based teaching. To address this knowledge gap, the present study explores, through multimodal interaction analysis, the ways two business English teachers practised scaffolding in their case-based teaching to support students’ problem-solving process. By employing a primarily qualitative method of video observations paired with teachers’ self-reflections on their teaching (yet integrating a quantitative layer through targeted data analysis), the study reveals that both teachers made full use of eight communicative modes of spoken language, print, spatial position, movement, gesture, gaze, head movement and facial expression to realise their scaffolding strategies; however, their scaffolding practice exerted distinct influences on students’ working memory processing during problem-solving. The findings indicate that teachers need, when scaffolding students’ problem-solving process in case-based teaching, to be aware of the significance of the appropriate choice and coordinated use of communicative modes. It yields important implications for promoting the critical semiotic awareness of pre-service and in-service teachers across different subject disciplines, educational settings, and cultural contexts in their case-based teaching.