<![CDATA[This study aims to analyze and describe the application of scaffolding strategies implemented by teachers in teaching eighth-grade students at SMP Islam Al-Azhar 52 in Bengkulu City to write poetry. The background of this study is based on the finding that many students still face cognitive and psychological barriers, particularly in expressing creative ideas and selecting appropriate vocabulary when writing poetry. This study employs a descriptive qualitative approach, with data collected through in-depth classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with the Indonesian language teacher, and a review of students’ written works. The results indicate that teachers implemented a systematic scaffolding strategy through three main stages: (1) providing motivation and modeling to offer a concrete example of high-quality poetry; (2) providing verbal scaffolding through guiding questions that stimulate students’ critical thinking skills; and (3) using visual media in the form of real objects and the surrounding environment to spark students’ imagination. The findings of this study indicate that scaffolding strategies are proven effective in minimizing writing anxiety, increasing students’ confidence in self-expression, and enriching the quality of diction and metaphors in the resulting poetic verses. Theoretically, this study confirms the relevance of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) concept in language learning in schools, which can also serve as a reference for education practitioners in developing more adaptive and supportive writing instruction strategies.]]>
