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Constructivism
Meaning:
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 teach
er 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:
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
Ask ‘diagnostic’ question and answer, and use wrong
answers to
explore and correct misunderstandings.
‘Socratic Questioning’.
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.
