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e-ISSN: 2320–7388,p-ISSN: 2320–737X Volume 5, Issue 6 Ver. I (Nov. - Dec. 2015), PP 66-70
www.iosrjournals.org
Abstract: Constructivism represents one of the big ideas in education. Its implications for how teachers teach
and learn to teach are enormous. If our efforts in reforming education for all students are to succeed, then we
must focus on students. To date, a focus on student-centered learning may well be the most important
contribution of constructivism. This article, therefore, discusses constructivism learning theory as a paradigm
for teaching and learning. Constructivism is a learning theory found in psychology which explains how people
might acquire knowledge and learn. It therefore has direct application to education. The theory suggests that
humans construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences. Conceptual understanding of the theory was
discussed as well as basic characteristics of constructivists learning environment. Seven pedagogical goals of
constructivist learning environments and six benefits of constructivism were outlined in this article. Significant
differences between traditional classroom and constructivist classroom were spelt out in a tabular form.
Furthermore,principles of constructivism and several implications of constructivism for teaching and
learningwere reviewed. The study, therefore, concluded that teachers need to reflect on their practice in order
to apply these ideas to their work and that constructivist teachers encourage students to constantly assess how
the activity is helping them gain understanding.
Keywords: Constructivism, Learning theory, Paradigm, Teaching and Learning
I. Introduction
An important restriction of education is that teachers cannot simp ly transmit knowledge to students, but
students need to actively construct knowledge in their own minds. That is, they discover and transform
informat ion, check new informat ion against old, and revise rules when they do not longer apply. This
constructivist view of learning considers the learner as an active agent in the process of knowledge acquisition.
Constructivist conceptions of learning have their historical roots in the work of Dewey (192 9), Bruner (1961),
Vygotsky (1962), and Piaget (1980). Bednar, Cunningham, Duffy, and Perry (1992) and von Glasersfeld (1995)
have proposed several imp licat ions of constructivist theory for instructional developers stressing that learning
outcomes should focus on the knowledge construction process and that learning goals should be determined
fro m authentic tasks with specific objectives. Similarly, von Glasersfeld (1995) states that learning is not a
stimulus-response phenomenon, but a process that requires self-regulation and the development of conceptual
structures through reflection and abstraction. It is important to note, in this respect, that constructivism is
embodied in numerous ways and that these different views share important overlaps, but also c ontain major
differences.
Constructivism is an approach to teaching and learning based on the premise that cognition (learning)
is the result of "mental construction." In other words, students learn by fitting new information together with
what they already know. Constructivists believe that learning is affected by the context in wh ich an idea is
taught as well as by students' beliefs and attitudes.Constructivism is a learning theory found in psychology
which exp lains how people might acquire knowledge and learn. It therefore has direct application to education.
The theory suggests that humans construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences. Constructivism is
not a specific pedagogy. Piaget's theory of Constructivist learning has had wide ranging impa ct on learning
theories and teaching methods in education and is an underlying theme of many education reform movements.
Research support for constructivist teaching techniques has been mixed, with some research supporting these
techniques and other research contradicting those results.
Driscoll (2000) exp lains that constructivist theory asserts that knowledge can only exist within the
human mind, and that it does not have to match any real world reality. Learners will be constantly trying to
derive their own personal mental model of the real wo rld fro m their perceptions of that world. As they perceive
each new experience, learners will continually update their own mental models to reflect the new informat ion,
and will, therefore, construct their own interpretation of reality. According to Jonassen (1994), constructivism is
also often misconstrued as a learning theory that compels students to "reinvent the wheel." In fact,
constructivism taps into and triggers the student's innate curiosity about the world a nd how things work.
Students do not reinvent the wheel but, rather, attempt to understand how it turns, how it functions. They
become engaged by applying their existing knowledge and real-world experience, learning to hypothesize,
testing their theories, and ultimately drawing conclusions from their findings.
Hence, fro m a constructivist perspective, the primary responsibility of theteacher is to create and
maintain a collaborative problem-solving environment,where students are allowed to construct their own
knowledge, and the teacheracts as a facilitator and guide.
II. Conclusion
Constructivism is a theory that asserts that learning is an activity that is individual to the learner. This
theory hypothesizes that individuals will try to make sense of all informat ion that they perceive, and that each
individual will, therefore, “construct” their own meaning fro m that informat ion. Constructivism represents one
of the big ideas in education. Its implications for how teachers teach and learn to teach are enormous. If our
efforts in reforming education for all students are to succeed, then we must focus on students. To date, a focus
on student-centered learning may well be the most important contribution of constructivism. The princip les of
constructivism, increasingly influential in the organization of classrooms and curricula in schools, can be
applied to teaching and learning. The princip les appeal to our modern views of learning and knowledge but
conflict with traditional practices. Teachers need to reflect on their practice in order to apply these ideas to their
work. Constructivist teachers encourage students to constantly assess how the activity is helping them gain
understanding. By questioning themselves and their strategies, students in the constructivist classroom ideally
become "expert learners." This gives them ever-broadening tools to keep learning. With a well-planned
classroom environ ment, the students learn HOW TO LEARN.
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