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.

A Look at School Environments

Traditional Classrooms
Constructivist Classrooms
Curriculum is presented part to whole, with emphasis on basic skills. Curriculum is presented whole to part with emphasis on big concepts.
Strict adherence to fixed curriculum is highly valued. Pursuit of student questions is highly valued.
Curricular activities rely heavily on textbooks and workbooks. Curricular activities rely heavily on primary sources of data and manipulative materials.
Students are viewed as "blank slates" onto which information is etched by the teacher. Students are viewed as thinkers with emerging theories about the world.
Teachers generally behave in a didactic manner, disseminating information to students. Teachers generally behave in an interactive manner, mediating the environment for students.
Teachers seek the correct answer to validate student learning. Teachers seek the students points of view in order to understand students' present conceptions for use in subsequent lessons.
Assessment of student learning is viewed as separate from teaching and occurs almost entirely through testing. Assessment of student learning is interwoven with teaching and occurs through teacher observations of students at work and through student exhibitions and portfolios.
Students primarily work alone. Students primarily work in groups.

Brooks, Jacqueline Grennon, and Martin G. Brooks.In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999

 

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. Troubleshooting 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.

 

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