Appendix A: Constructivism

Constructivism is a theoretical model stemming from the areas of philosophy, philosophy of science, psychology, anthropology, and sociology. Constructivism has its roots in the field of educational philosophy in a number of paradigms, including those of Piaget, Dewey, Vygotsky, and Montessori. According to Black and Ammon (1992), Constructivism in the educational area is “more concerned with understandings achieved through relevant experience than with accumulated facts received from others.” Landmark research by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M Corporation) found that people remember 10% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 70% of what they see and hear, and 90% of what they do. Students learn by doing, and Constructivism finds its foundation in this idea. Activities should be relevant and varied, encouraging active participation. Educational research has made it very clear that traditional didactic teaching is not the most effective method. In a Constructivist classroom, there should be:

Less Emphasis	More Emphasis
Activities that demonstrate and verify	Activities that investigate and analyze
Getting an answer	Process involved in reaching a conclusion
Memorizing facts	Conceptual understandings

Adapted from Rose, 2000

Instructional models are used to structure a lesson and/or unit to promote the most effective means of student understanding. Several models exist which promote the philosophy of Constructivism. The best known is the 5E’s Learning Cycle developed by Biological Sciences Curriculum. Using this model encourages teachers to:

! Engage the learner with an event or question

! Explore the concept, skill, or behavior with hands-on experiences

! Explain the concept, skill, or behavior

! Elaborate on the concept, skill, or behavior by applying it to other situations

! Evaluate students’ understanding of the concept

Teachers will be encouraged to use at least one of the many learning models, such as the 5E model, and to adapt and combine the models based on student need.

One common misconception of Constructivism is that the teacher plays a less important role than in traditional education. Creating a unit based on the philosophy that students construct their own meaning requires a lot of planning and reflection. Teachers will serve primarily as facilitators during the Explore stage, but will be required to conduct questioning sessions to elicit student responses and probe for deeper understanding during the Explain phase. Teachers must also have a depth of knowledge in the content area being taught. It would be much easier to use a book and require students to memorize material than to orchestrate a well-planned lesson requiring students to conceptualize a topic rather than memorize the topic. It takes a well-trained professional to facilitate student learning. Trouble-shooting for confusion and planning activities that will allow students to construct their own deep understanding takes dedication, experience, and commitment on behalf of the educator.