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Constructivism is the theory that says learners construct knowledge rather than just passively take in information.
As people experience the world and reflect upon those experiences, they
build their own representations and incorporate new information into
their pre-existing knowledge (schemas).
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. Constructivism
is not a specific pedagogy.
Research support for constructivist teaching techniques has
been mixed, with some research supporting these techniques and other
research contradicting those results.
We invent our own concepts and ideas, linked to
what we already know.This
“meaning-making” theory of learning is called ‘constructivism’.
Constructivism is an important learning theory that educators use to help their students learn. Constructivism
is based on the idea that people actively construct or make their own
knowledge, and that reality is determined by your experiences as a
learner. Basically, learners use their previous knowledge as a
foundation and build on it with new things that they learn.
Constructivism is crucial to understand as an educator because it
influences the way all of your students learn. Teachers and instructors
that understand the constructivist learning theory understand that their
students bring their own unique experiences to the classroom every day.
Their background and previous knowledge impacts how they are able to
learn. Educators are able to use constructivist learning theory to help
their students understand their previous knowledge.
But it’s also important to understand learning theories and
how they impact you and your students. This guide will tell you more
about the constructivist learning theory and how it helps you as a
teacher.
For example
Groups of students in a science class are
discussing a problem in physics. Though the teacher knows the "answer" to the problem, she focuses
on helping
students restate their questions in useful ways. She prompts
each student to reflect on and examine his or her current
knowledge.
When one of the students comes up with the
relevant concept, the teacher seizes upon it, and indicates
to the group that this might be a fruitful avenue for
them to explore. They design and perform relevant experiments.
Afterward, the students and teacher talk about what they
have learned, and how their observations and experiments
helped (or did not help) them to better understand the
concept.
Constructivism Learning Theory
So it is important to use teaching methods
that:
Require students to
form constructs that is require them to form their own meaning or
interpretation of the material being studied
Allow the learner and the
teacher to detect misconceptions, errors and omissions in learning and correct
these.
In the classroom, the constructivist view of learning can point
towards a number of different teaching practices. In the most
general sense, it usually means encouraging students to use
active techniques (experiments, real-world problem solving)
.
That creates more knowledge and then to reflect on and talk about
what they are doing and how their understanding is changing.
Principles of constructivism.
There are many specific elements and principles of constructivism
that shape the way the theory works and applies to students. Learn
about the different principles of constructivism and how they make up
the whole theory.
Knowledge is constructed. This is the basic principle, meaning
that knowledge is built upon other knowledge. Students take pieces and
put them together in their own unique way, building something different
than what another student will build. The student’s previous knowledge,
experiences, beliefs, and insights are all important foundations for
their continued learning.
People learn to learn, as they learn. Learning involves
constructing meaning and systems of meaning. For example, if a student
is learning the chronology of dates for a series of historical events,
at the same time they are learning the meaning of chronology. If a
student is writing a paper about history, they are also learning
principles of grammar and writing as well. Each thing we learn gives us a
better understanding of other things in the future.
Learning is an active process. Learning involves sensory input to
construct meaning. The learner needs to do something in order to learn,
it’s not a passive activity. Learners need to engage in the world so
they are actively involved in their own learning and development. You
can’t just sit and expect to be told things and learn, you need to
engage in discussions, reading, activities, etc.
Learning is a social activity. Learning is directly associated to
our connection with other people. Our teachers, our family, or peers,
and our acquaintances impact our learning. Educators are more likely to
be successful as they understand that peer involvement is key in
learning.
Isolating learning isn’t the best way to help students learn
and grow together. Progressive education recognizes that social
interaction is key to learning and they use conversation, interaction,
and group applications to help students retain their knowledge.
Learning is contextual. Students don’t learn isolated facts and
theories separate from the rest of our lives—we learn in ways connected
to things we already know, what we believe, and more. The things we
learn and the points we tend to remember are connected to the things
going on around us.
Knowledge is personal. Because constructivism is based on your
own experiences and beliefs, knowledge becomes a personal affair. Each
person will have their own prior knowledge and experiences to bring to
the table. So the way and things people learn and gain from education
will all be very different.
Learning exists in the mind. Hands-on experiences and physical
actions are necessary for learning, but those elements aren’t enough.
Engaging the mind is key to successful learning. Learning needs to
involve activities for the minds, not just our hands. Mental experiences
are needed for retaining knowledge.
Motivation is key to learning. Students are unable to learn if
they are unmotivated. Educators need to have ways to engage and motivate
learners to activate their minds and help them be excited about
education. Without motivation, it’s difficult for learners to reach into
their past experience and make connections for new learning
Uses:
‘Teaching by Asking’ or guided discovery
Explaining tasks that require students to express their
understanding to each other, and to develop this understanding before
expressing it (e.g. peer explanation, and Jigsaw)
Ask ‘diagnostic’ question and answer, and use wrong answers to
explore and correct misunderstandings.‘Socratic Questioning’.
Use thought provoking tasks and questions that are high on
Bloom’s Taxonomy, rather than simple recall as these require more thought
and processing.
Analysis: ‘why’
questions,
Synthesis: ‘how’
could you.. questions
Evaluation:
judgement questions.
The role of teachers
Instead of giving a lecture the teachers in this theory function
as facilitators whose role is to aid the student when it comes to their
own understanding. This takes away focus from the teacher and lecture and
puts it upon the student and their learning.
The resources and lesson plans
that must be initiated for this learning theory take a very different approach
toward traditional learning as well. Instead of telling, the teacher must
begin asking.
Instead of answering questions that only align with their
curriculum, the facilitator in this case must make it so that the student
comes to the conclusions on their own instead of being told.
Essential components to constructivist teaching
There
are several main components to include if you plan on adhering to
constructivist principles in your classroom or when designing your
lessons.
New knowledge is created in relation to learner’s pre-existing
knowledge. Lessons, therefore, require eliciting relevant prior
knowledge. Activities include: pre-tests, informal interviews and small
group warm-up activities that require recall of prior knowledge.
Create cognitive dissonance
Assign problems and activities that will challenge students. Knowledge
is built as learners encounter novel problems and revise existing
schemas as they work through the challenging problem.
Encourage students to evaluate new information and modify existing
knowledge. Activities should allow for students to compare pre-existing
schema to the novel situation. Activities might include presentations,
small group or class discussions, and quizzes.
Reflect on learning
Provide students with an opportunity to show you (and themselves) what
they have learned. Activities might include: presentations, reflexive
papers or creating a step-by-step tutorial for another student.
