PROJECT SCAFFOLD (Support Channel to Assist Fact Finders Organize Logical Discourse): A Systematic Intervention to Bridge Gap in Research Skills among SHS Students

<p dir="ltr">This study investigates the effectiveness of Project Scaffold in enhancing the research skills of Grade 12 students from different academic strands. The research primarily focuses on the participants' development of essential research skills and the impact of scaffolding, provided by co-authors, on their ability to conduct and complete a research paper. Data were collected through questionnaires, focus group discussions, and observational sessions involving 60 students from various strands: General Academic Strand (GAS) and Technical Vocational (Tech-Voc) Strand, with a specific focus on sub-specializations such as Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Cookery, and Food Processing. The pre-assessment results indicated that most students initially exhibited weak or no ability in key research skills, such as critical thinking, information gathering, and writing. However, after receiving scaffolding support through assigned co-authors, students' self-assessment ratings showed significant improvement. The post-assessment demonstrated an increase in the percentage of students identifying their abilities as "strong" or "expert." Focus group discussions revealed that Project Scaffold facilitated students' progress by offering guidance, feedback, and idea generation, significantly enhancing the quality of their research papers. Students reported improvements in grammar, organization, content, and the avoidance of plagiarism due to consistent support from their co-authors. Observational sessions highlighted a noticeable shift in students' behavior from struggling with basic research tasks to confidently producing well-structured papers. The study concludes that instructional scaffolding, exemplified by the co-author model, positively impacted students' research skills and their ability to complete a research paper. By fostering a collaborative learning environment, Project Scaffold enabled students to engage more effectively with the research process and produced higher-quality academic outputs, reinforcing the importance of supportive, scaffolded learning in research education.</p><p><br></p>