CONSTRUCTIVISM

CONSTRUCTIVISM

Wan Nur Azlina binti Wan HazirudinNur Farah Hana binti Abd RahmanNur Naiemah binti Mohd Ibrahim

3PPISMP MT/PI/PM JUN 2010

Key Founders• Jean Piaget- Developed cognitive learning theory after

observing children. Children learn differently from adults.

• Jerome Bruner- Constructivists are active learners, engaged in the learning process. Teachers should engage in their students learning.

• Lev Vygotsky- Learning is influenced significantly by social development. A child’s social environment can positively or negatively affect learning.

• John Dewey- Learning should engage and expand the experiences of learners. Teachers need to create concrete and practical activities, relative to students’ lives.

• According to Brader-Araje & Jones (2002), constructivism can be defined as “the idea that development of understanding requires the learner to actively engage in meaning-making.”

• “While constructivism takes on different theoretical meanings with different theorists and contexts, the over arching concept hinges itself upon the nature of knowing and the active role of the learner” (Brader-Araje & Jones, 2002).

DEFINITION OF CONSTRUCTIVISM

Constructivism is a theory based on the idea that the learner is actively engaged in their learning process and the teacher is a guide in their self directed learning journey.

Constructivism is a theory based on the idea of active learning to gain meaning in real life context settings.

constructivism

Learning is student directed.Cooperative learning and socialization are important aspects in the constructivists classroom.Students learn using critical thinking by building on prior knowledge.Students are actively engaged in their learning.Learning descriptive vs. prescriptiveLearning activities linked to real world.

CONSTRUCTIVIST FLOW CHART

• The 21st-century classroom is filled with a dynamic assortment of learners. Students are coming from all different types of socioeconomic backgrounds, culturally diversified experiences, and learning styles and preferences unique to each individual. These dynamics create a challenge for teachers as they attempt to accommodate the needs of all learners within the various academic settings.

• "Constructivism is not a theory about teaching…it is a theory about knowledge and learning… the theory defines knowledge as temporary, developmental, socially and culturally mediated, and thus, non-objective” (Brooks & Brooks, 1993, p. vii).

Why Constructivism?

Constructivist Themes• Students learn by doing.• Active participation creates

understanding.• Learning– Form– Construct– Learn– Comprehend

•MAPPING CONSTRUCTISM

Teacher Role

• Facilitator• Pose problems that are relatable• Structure leaning in on abstract approach• Adopt curriculum based on needs• Assess learning

Student Role• Active participate in their own learning• Draw conclusions• Test ideas• Formulate ideas• Reconstructing ideas• Able to build theory• Students also learn by observation and hands on experiments• Reflect, Observe, Experiment• Real life experience • Building knowledge

Benefits of Constructivism

• A Holistic Approach-– Traditional classrooms typically begin their curricular units

by exploring individual lessons that are a part of a big idea. Constructivist classrooms, however, emphasize the big ideas, beginning with the whole and expanding to include the parts.

– “The adoption of a more holistic approach to education for sustainability is also likely to demand that consideration be given to the environment in which students engage in the learning process” (Herrmann, 2007, p. 75). Establishing an environment that promotes a holistic approach sets the stage for further constructivist teaching methods to unfold.

• Student Interests are Considered-– Constructivist teaching methods also provide opportunities

for students to question the material being presented and explore various topics as their interests are piqued. There is not the strict adherence to a fixed curriculum where student interests are shut down or pushed aside. The difference results in the student as an engaged learner vs. one who is simply being compliant with the material being presented.

Benefits of Constructivism (cont.)

• Students as Active and Engaged Learners-– Willingham (2009) notes that, “If the teacher does not

direct a lesson to provide constraints on the mental paths that students will explore, the environment itself can do so effectively in a discovery learning context” (p. 63).

– Rather than teachers disseminating the information to students, constructivist teaching methods allow students to construct their own knowledge and fulfill their individual learning needs and interests.

Benefits of Constructivism (cont.)

• A Different Approach to Obtaining Knowledge-– Educators can help aid students in these discovery-based

learning opportunities by providing them with manipulatives and primary resources to enhance and guide them in their learning.

– Rather than simply absorbing the information from a text, students are able to interact, analyze, interpret and evaluate their ideas and curiosity through the use of primary sources and manipulatives. When learners are engaged in their resources, educators can step back from their directive role. Instead, they become the facilitator and are encouraged to assist students in an interactive and guiding manner.

Benefits of Constructivism (cont.)

• Assessment Along the Way-– “Young learners and their caregivers need feedback in

order to help improve students’ learning and behavior. Observations and feedback intended to alter and improve students’ learning are called formative assessments. To provide such feedback, teachers must constantly assess student learning and behavior” (Airasian, 2008, p. 6).

– The constructivist classroom is as equally concerned with the process of learning as it is the product of learning. Such practices assist students and allows for intervention or enrichment to enhance learning as it is happening.

Benefits of Constructivism (cont.)

• Encouraging Cooperative Learning-– Rather than students working in isolation,

constructivist classrooms promote students working together to enhance their learning experiences.

Benefits of Constructivism (cont.)

• Marzano, Pickering & Pollock (2001) outline five defining elements of cooperative learning:– Positive interdependence (a sense of sink or swim together).– Face-to-face promotive interaction (helping each other

learn, applauding successes and efforts).– Individual and group accountability (each of us has to

contribute to the group achieving its goals).– Interpersonal and small group skills (communication, trust,

leadership, decision making, and conflict resolution).– Group processing (reflecting on how well the team is

functioning and how to function even better) (p. 85-86).

Benefits of Constructivism (cont.)

The Limitations of Constructivism

• While it is true constructivism can have a positive impact in the classroom, its complexity makes it quite difficult for anyone to put the pieces together, to make a coherent idea of what constructivism is and then turn it into practical, successful teaching practices within the classroom. – “Because there are so many versions of constructivism,

with important overlaps but also with major differences, it is difficult to see the forest for the trees” (Gordon, 2009, p. 40).

Too much of a good thing?

• Many of the constructivist underlining principles are based off of ideas from psychological, sociological and philosophical perspectives. According to Gordon, (2009), “Theories developed in psychology, sociology, cultural studies or elsewhere cannot be unproblematically transplanted into the field of education” (p. 41). – So, if this is true, how exactly are we supposed to

implement constructivism into the educational setting with the utmost confidence?

Where are these ideas coming from?

• Whether there is a coherent and unfragmented idea of constructivist educational practices or not, these ideas of knowledge and learning are still being implemented in classroom settings across the nation. In the wrong hands, this type of teaching can be very disorganized and detrimental for students. – Constructivist teaching practices that could result in these

shortcomings include: • Discovery-based learning• Cooperative learning• Group discussions• Projects• Child-initiated activities

Students will pay the price.

• Constructivist teaching methods require teachers to be experts in child development. They must also be experts at observing children, and they need to be able to understand their students’ responses and make changes to the environment when students are not making connections between concepts (Gordon 2009).

Teachers are ill prepared for constructivist teaching.

• Along with observation, teachers are to diagnose individual needs and interests. Thus, they need to be organized and excellent at observing their students and taking data in order to keep track of student learning. Without each of these elements in place, within a constructivism framework, this method of teaching has the potential be fragmented and inconsistent.

Teachers are ill prepared for constructivist teaching (cont.)

• Students are expected to work through problems with little or no guidance from the teacher. Instead of being “taught” new rules and ideas, the learner is allowed to discover these concepts (Mayer 2004). This type of teaching method, once again, has the potential for students to draw unclear or untrue conclusions if the “facilitator” is not available or willing to give direction or feedback. This is a serious limitation of constructivist teaching methods if an educator isn’t willing to guide his/her students in the right direction.

Students often lack direction.

• According to Epstein (2007), “The divisions (between child initiated and adult guided activities) are imprecise. But it is still useful for teachers to consider when and how to support children’s own discovery and construction of knowledge, and when and how to convey content in teacher-guided activities and instruction” (2). Children not only learn in natural and social settings, they also must learn some content through direct instruction.

Students often lack direction (cont.).

• Educators who implement constructivist teaching methods in their classroom set up the environment in order to enhance student learning through active learning where students are able to learn in a social way. This method, however, can be problematic for certain students with disabilities who are included in the classroom setting.– Research has shown that direct instruction in teaching and

improving socially significant behaviors is the key for certain populations that we teach (Batshaw 2007).

Students often lack direction (cont.).

• Until there is more of a coherent idea of what constructivism is and how it translates into a classroom setting, educators are left to piece the theories together in order to put the theories into practice. – In order to come up with a coherent plan within an

educational setting there needs to be not only a descriptive educational theory but it also needs to be “prescriptive” (Gordon 2009).

– A prescriptive educational theory would provide concrete guidance and recommendations for a teacher choosing to implement constructivist teaching methods.

Where do we go from here?

• Batshaw, M.L., Pellegrino, L., & Roizen, N.J. (2007). Children with disabilities (6th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

• Epstein, Ann S. (2007). The intentional teacher: Choosing the best strategies for young children’s learning. Washington, DC: The National Association for the Education of Young Children.

• Gordon, M., (2009). Toward a pragmatic discourse of constructivism: Reflections on lessons from practice. Educational Studies, 45, 39-58.

• Mayer, R.E., (2004). Should there be a three-strikes rule against pure discovery learning. The case for guided methods of instruction. American Psychologist, 59, 14-19.

Reference List

• Brader-Araje L. & Jones, M. G., (2002). The impact of constructivism on education: Language, discourse, and meaning. American Communication Journal , 5(3). Retrieved from http://www.acjournal.org/holdings/vol5/iss3/special/jones.htm

• Brooks, J., & Brooks, M. (1993). The case for the constructivist classrooms. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

• Herrmann, M. (2007). The practice of sustainable education through a participatory and holistic teaching approach. Retrieved from

http://www.ccponline.org/docs/artikel/01/04_Praxis_Herrmann_final.pdf

• Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

• Willingham, D. (2009). Why students don’t like school: A cognitive scientist answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for the classroom. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.