Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Linguistics and Language Teaching, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of TEFL and English Literature, Payame Noor University, (PNU), P.O.Box 19395-4697, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Static scaffolding often fosters learner over-reliance, prompting interest in fading techniques like fade-in (least-to-most) and fade-out (most-to-least) support. While scaffolding has been widely studied, limited research compares these two fading approaches within project-based flipped learning (PBFL), particularly in language education. This quantitative experimental study examined the effects of fade-in and fade-out scaffolding on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' acquisition of passive voice structures and their foreign language anxiety (FLA). Over six weeks, ninety homogenized female learners in a project-based flipped learning (PBFL) course were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (fade-in or fade-out scaffolding) and a control group (no systematic scaffolding). A pretest and post-test measured grammar gains, and an FLA scale was administered post-course. ANCOVA results revealed four main findings. First, the fade-in group significantly outperformed the control group. Second, although the fade-out group showed higher gains than the control, this difference was not statistically significant. Third, no significant difference emerged between the two fading approaches. Finally, the type of scaffolding received did not significantly affect learners' FLA levels. These findings offer language teachers practical guidance for implementing fading scaffolding within PBFL environments.
Keywords
- fade-in scaffolding
- fade-out scaffolding
- foreign language anxiety
- English as a foreign language learning
- project-based flipped learning
Main Subjects
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