Over-Scaffolding in Mathematics Education and Its Impact on Students’ Cognitive Autonomy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62872/b3zasj38Keywords:
Mathematics Education, Instructional Scaffolding, Productive Struggle, Learner Autonomy, Sustainable LearningAbstract
The increasing integration of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) into mathematics education has transformed instructional practices, offering new possibilities for personalized learning while simultaneously introducing risks related to cognitive dependency and declining learner autonomy. This study investigates how instructional scaffolding and AI-supported learning influence the sustainability of students’ mathematical competence. Employing a qualitative systematic literature review, this research analyzed 26 peer-reviewed studies published between 2012 and 2025 that address scaffolding, productive struggle, teacher competence, fading dynamics, and AI-mediated instruction. Data were collected through document analysis and synthesized using thematic content analysis. The findings indicate that adaptive scaffolding significantly enhances conceptual understanding, motivation, productive struggle, and learner autonomy when guided by strong pedagogical expertise and gradual fading of support. However, excessive scaffolding and unregulated AI assistance weaken cognitive independence and long-term problem-solving resilience. This study concludes that sustainable mathematics learning requires an integrated instructional framework that positions teachers as central regulators of learning, ensures ethical and adaptive AI use, and prioritizes the systematic transfer of responsibility from external support to students’ internal self-regulation.
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