Final answer:
In teaching baseball, scaffolding would involve an instructor providing levels of support and guidance to help students learn and build upon new baseball skills, with less assistance as competence increases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of scaffolding in teaching refers to the technique where the instructor provides successive levels of support that help learners build upon prior knowledge and internalize new information. When applied to teaching baseball, scaffolding would involve providing guidance and support to students as they learn new skills, adjusting the level of help as students become more competent.
Demonstrating baseball techniques with the help of physical materials, focusing solely on direct instruction and drills, or letting students play without guidance are not examples of scaffolding. Instead, scaffolding would look like an instructor working with a student to understand the basic rules of baseball, then practicing catching, followed by hitting, with each new skill building on the last and the instructor providing feedback and assistance as needed throughout the process.
In this context, scaffolding could begin with an explanation of the roles of infielders and outfielders before moving on to batting practice, where great hitters could model techniques for those with less experience. Gradually, the instructor will provide less direct support as the student gains competence, encouraging them to apply what they've learned in practice and games, thereby fostering independence and mastery of baseball skills.