Affective and Motivational Dynamics in Peer Scaffolding for Academic Writing Among Vietnamese University EFL Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1608.02Keywords:
sociocultural theory, peer scaffolding, Emotional ZPD, academic writing, Confucian heritage valuesAbstract
Grounded in Sociocultural Theory (SCT), this mixed-method study investigates the underexplored emotional and motivational dimensions of peer scaffolding in academic writing among Vietnamese EFL university students. Addressing the dominance of cognitively oriented research, the study examines learners’ perceptions and experiences of affective support in collaborative writing. Data were collected through surveys (N=150), interviews (N=20), and observations of peer interactions (10 dyads). Findings reveal a strong shared perception of the emotional value of peer scaffolding (M = 4.19/5) and identify a two-layer support system combining dynamic peer motivation and emotional support, forming an Emotional ZPD that facilitates cognitive risk-taking. However, Confucian face-saving norms simultaneously foster harmony and constrain critical feedback. The study advances SCT by operationalizing perezhivanie and extending the concept of Emotional ZPD with pedagogical implications for similar EFL contexts.
References
Aljaafreh, A., & Lantolf, J. P. (1994). Negative feedback as regulation and second language learning in the zone of proximal development. The Modern Language Journal, 78(4), 465-483. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1994.tb02064.x
Axrorova, M. (2025). The Role of Scaffolding in Teaching Writing to EFL Learners. Журнал академических исследований нового Узбекистана, 2(4), 164-169. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://inlibrary.uz/index.php/yoitj/article/view/80749
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Chairinkam, J., & Yawiloeng, R. (2021). Peer Scaffolding Behaviors in English as a Foreign Language Writing Classroom. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 7(4), 226-234. https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.522.2021.74.226.234
Cong-Lem, N. (2023). Emotion and its relation to cognition from Vygotsky’s perspective. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 38(2), 865-880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00624-x
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Donato, R. (1994). Collective scaffolding in second language learning. In J. P. Lantolf & G. Appel (Eds.), Vygotskian approaches to second language research (pp. 33-56). Ablex.
Garcia, W. P., & Pan, M. A. G. D. S. (2023). Academic perezhivanie, university education, human development: Vygotsky’s contributions to higher education. Psicologia Escolar e Educacional, 27, https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-35392023-248475
Lantolf, J. P., & Poehner, M. E. (2023). Sociocultural theory and classroom second language learning in the East Asian context: Introduction to the special issue. The Modern Language Journal, 107(S1), 3-23. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12816
Le, P. H. H. (2021). Sociocultural theory in second/foreign language education. Hue University Publisher.
Mohammad Hosseinpur, R., Keramatfar, H., & Rastgoo, Z. (2024). Collective scaffolding, intensive mentoring, L1-mediation and EFL learners' paragraph development: A sociocultural perspective. Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Translation Studies, 9(1), 25-44.
Nguyen, L. T., Bui, H. P., & Van Ha, X. (2025). Scaffolding in genre-based L2 writing classes: Vietnamese EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2023-0125
Nguyen, M. H. (2013). EFL students’ reflections on peer scaffolding in making a collaborative oral presentation. English Language Teaching, 6(4), 64-73. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n4p64
Peungcharoenkun, T., & Waluyo, B. (2024). Students’ affective engagements in peer feedback across offline and online English learning environments in Thai higher education. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 9, Article 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-024-00286-w
Phan, V. A. (2020). Questioning in English as a Foreign Language University Classes [Doctoral dissertation, Open Access Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington].
Reeve, J. (2024). Understanding motivation and emotion. John Wiley & Sons.
Rošker, J. S. (Ed.). (2017). Confucianism and education. Asian Studies, 5(2), 5-8. https://doi.org/10.4312/as.2017.5.2.5-8
Saadat, M., & Zahed Alavi, S. (2020). Variability in peer-peer scaffolding during writing tasks in L2 English. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 8(3, Special Issue), 99-120.
Storch, N. (2002). Patterns of interaction in ESL pair work. Language Learning, 52(1), 119-158.
Tian, L., & McCafferty, S. G. (2022). The dynamic interaction of second language motivation and emotional experience: The case of Chinese learners of English. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 905429. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.905429
Tinggie, T. L. G., Tan, K. H., Muslim, N., & Keng, L. K. (2023). Peer scaffolding among primary ESL learners’ writing task: Learners’ behaviors and triggering factors. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(3), 191-208. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.3.12
Tuan, V. V., & Anh, H. B. (2023). Cross-cultural collectivistic and individualistic comparison between Vietnamese and Western cultures. In Handbook of Research on Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology (pp. 153-176).
Veresov, N., Kewalramani, S., & Ma, J. (2024). Using Perezhivanie to Understand the Development of Children’s STEM Learning Dispositions Within Digital-Play Contexts. In Child Development Within Contexts: Cultural-Historical Research and Educational Practice (pp. 147-160). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-0692-1_8
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Wood, D., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem- solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Child Psychiatry, 17, 89-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x
Zhang, F., Schunn, C., Chen, S., Li, W., & Li, R. (2023). EFL student engagement with giving peer feedback in academic writing: A longitudinal study. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 64, 101255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2023.101255
Zhang, W., & Gao, F. (2023). Confucian Values and Communication in Educational Contexts. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1239177.
Zohrevandi, K., Ahmadi, H., & Khalaji, H. R. (2024). Improving EFL learners’ writing accuracy and fluency through task-based collaborative output activities and scaffolding techniques. Research in English Language Pedagogy, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.30486/relp.2023.1988366.1468
