Instructor scaffolding in support of students' metacognition through an online course: Why to promote and how to investigate

The main goal of the current study was to investigate the relationship between an instructor's scaffolding in an online course and students' metacognitive reflections. 700 postings, written by 68 students, were content analyzed along with 66 postings by the instructor, using tools designed for that purpose. A positive correlation was found between the instructor's responses and students' metacognitive thinking, demonstrating the importance of an instructor's feedback in helping to produce an environment in which students would experience learning through reflective and metacognitive processes. Our study highlights the unique potential of online courses coupled with instructor-led scaffolding to promote and study students' metacognitive reflections. The uniqueness of the current study can be found in applying qualitative and quantitative methodologies to achieve an integrated examination of the instructor's scaffolding and students' thinking in an e-learning course.