The investigation aimed at an inquiry into the relative efficacy of the “formal practicing with sounds and writing system” as a cognitive scaffolding strategy and “reflection and monitoring” as metacognitive scaffolding strategies, and their comparative effects on the improvement of EFL learners’ listening comprehension development. Additionally, “note-taking” as a cognitive non-scaffolding strategy was applied as placebo in control group. Moreover, the most frequent types of cognitive and metacognitive scaffolding strategies applied by the learners and teachers to scaffold listening comprehension development were explored in the qualitative phase of the study. To the stated aims, ninety EFL learners from two language institutes in Dorud (Lorestan province, central Iran) were selected through convenience sampling procedure. The sample was conveniently divided into three groups of 30 EFL learners and the relevant treatment was given to the groups for around 15 sessions. Having obtained and analyzed the pretest and posttest data, the researcher found that according to the statistical findings, the reflection and monitoring scaffolding strategies had a significant positive effect on the improvement of Iranian EFL learners’ listening comprehension development compared to formal practicing with sounds and writing system scaffolding strategy and note-taking non-scaffolding strategy. Furthermore, a semi-structured interview was held with a small sample of participants of the three groups after the treatment the data analysis of which showed that learners and teachers had a highly positive attitude towards reflection and monitoring scaffolding strategies compared to formal practicing with sounds and writing system scaffolding strategy and note-taking non-scaffolding strategy.
