Scaffolding Strategies in the Play of Preschool Children with Special Educational Needs: A Systematic Review of Inclusive Practice Research systematyczny przegląd badań

Abstract

The paper presents a systematic literature review of the implementation and effects of scaffolding strategies in children’s play in inclusive preschools for children with special educational needs. The review was conducted using the PRISMA framework. Five databases (Google Scholar, Science Direct, EBSCO, WoS, and Scopus) were reviewed. Only papers presenting the implementation and effects of the scaffolding strategy in the play of children with special educational needs from inclusive preschool classes were included. A review of twelve full-text articles published between 2000 and 2025, involving 333 subjects, was conducted by two independent reviewers.
The results show that the scaffolding strategy is effective in helping children master the skills of engaging in play, playing, and interacting socially and communicatively with peers. The scaffolding was provided directly by the teacher, peer-mediated, and supported by visual aids. Teachers used various scaffolding methods, such as modelling, instructing and prompting, encouraging, commenting, and asking questions. Most teachers implemented the entire scaffolding procedure,
from contingency to the transfer of responsibility. The qualitative nature of the research, small samples, and the diversity of the techniques and measurement tools used made statistical comparisons and generalization impossible.
The findings underscore the need for the professional development of preschool teachers in the use of scaffolding strategies to foster inclusive play environments.