Concept:Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory explains that learning is driven by social interaction. Scaffolding is the specific technique where an adult adjusts the level of support to match and stretch a child’s current ability.
Explanation:Vygotsky introduced the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) — the gap between what a child can do alone and what they can achieve with help. Within this zone, a more knowledgeable person (adult or peer) provides temporary support called scaffolding.
Scaffolding means the adult changes the amount and type of assistance based on the child's progress. At first, the adult gives a lot of guidance. As the child becomes more capable, the support is gradually reduced. This process helps the child perform tasks they could not do alone and eventually master them independently.
In contrast, discovery learning expects children to find answers on their own without direct help. Intersubjectivity refers to two people reaching a shared understanding during a task. The ZPD is the learning zone itself, not the method of adjusting support.
Therefore, the term that exactly describes adults adjusting support to extend a child’s current performance is scaffolding.
Answer:C. scaffolding