LESSON THREE: CONSTRUCTIVISM

Constructivism
Teacher FERSAOUI

March 2020
ENSB
Department of English
Third year
Module: Educational Psychology
Coefficient: 1

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 Contents

Title & Information .....................................................................................................................

Contents ........................................................................................................................................
What is constructivism .................................................................................................................
How does this theory differ from traditional ideas about teaching and learning? .......................
Origins ..........................................................................................................................................
What does constructivism have to do with my classroom? .........................................................
Characteristics and Beliefs of Constructivism .............................................................................
Sources .........................................................................................................................................

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What is constructivism
Constructivism is a learning theory found in psychology which explains how people might
acquire knowledge and learn. Therefore, it has direct application to education. The theory
suggests that humans construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences (through
experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences). When we encounter something new,
we have to reconcile it with our previous ideas and experience, maybe changing what we
believe or discarding the new information as irrelevant. In any case, we are active creators of
our own knowledge. To do this, we must ask questions, inquire, explore, and assess what we
know.

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) to create more knowledge and then
to reflect on and talk about what they are doing and how their understanding is changing. The
teacher makes sure s/he understands the students' pre-existing conceptions, and guides the
activity to address them and then build on them.

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 more broadening
tools to keep learning. With a well-planned classroom environment, the students learn HOW
TO LEARN and becomes a life-long learner.

You might look at it as a spiral. When they

continuously reflect on their experiences, students
find their ideas gaining in complexity and power,
and they develop increasingly strong abilities to
integrate new information. One of the teacher's
main roles becomes to encourage this learning and
reflection process.

How does this theory differ from traditional

ideas about teaching and learning?

In the constructivist classroom, the focus tends to shift from the teacher to the students.
The classroom is no longer a place where the teacher ("expert") pours knowledge into passive
students, who wait like empty vessels to be filled. In the constructivist model, the process is
learner-centred (LC) and the students are urged to be actively involved in their own process
of learning. The teacher functions more as a facilitator who coaches, mediates, prompts, and
helps students develop and assess their understanding, and thereby their learning. One of the
teacher's biggest jobs becomes ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS. Both teacher and students think

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of knowledge not as inert factoids to be memorized, but as a dynamic, ever-changing view of
the world we live in and the ability to successfully stretch and explore that view.

The chart below compares the traditional classroom to the constructivist one.

Curriculum begins with the parts of Curriculum emphasizes big concepts,

the whole. It emphasizes basic skills. beginning with the whole and
expanding to include the parts.

Strict adherence to fixed curriculum Pursuit of student questions and

is highly valued. interests is valued.

Materials are primarily textbooks and Materials include many items and
workbooks. objects, primary sources, real things
from life, and students themselves.

Learning is based on repetition. Learning is interactive, building on

what the student already knows.

Teachers disseminate information to Teachers have a dialogue with

students; students are recipients of students, helping students construct
knowledge. their own knowledge.

Teacher's role is directive, rooted in Teacher's role is interactive, rooted in

authority. negotiation.

Assessment is through testing, correct Assessment includes students’ work,

answers. observations, and points of view, as
well as tests. Process is as important
as product.

Knowledge is seen as inert. Knowledge is seen as dynamic, ever

changing with our experiences.

Students work primarily alone. Students work primarily in groups.

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Origins

The concept of constructivism has roots in classical antiquity, going back to Socrates's
dialogues with his followers, in which he asked directed questions that led his students to realize
for themselves the weaknesses in their thinking. The Socratic dialogue is still an important tool
in the way constructivist educators assess their students' learning and plan new learning
experiences.

In this century, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey developed theories of
childhood development and education, what we now call Progressive Education, that led to the
evolution of constructivism. These three psychologists and educators are the fathers of
constructivism.

What does constructivism have to do with the classroom?

The constructivist approach borrows from many other practices in the pursuit of its
primary goal: helping students learn HOW TO LEARN and become life-long learners.

Constructivist teachers pose questions and problems, then guide students to help them
find their own answers. They use many techniques in the teaching process. For example, they
may:

 prompt students to formulate their own questions (inquiry)

 allow multiple interpretations and expressions of learning (multiple intelligences)
 encourage group work and the use of peers as resources (collaborative learning)

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 Characteristics and Beliefs of Constructivism

Students are not blank slates upon which knowledge is etched. They come
to learning situations with already formulated knowledge, ideas, and understandings. This
previous knowledge is the raw material for the new knowledge they will create.

The student is the person who creates new understanding for him/herself. The teacher coaches,
moderates, suggests, but allows the students room to experiment, ask questions, try things, and
reflect. Learning activities require the students' full participation (like hands-on experiments).
An important part of the learning process is that students reflect on and talk about their
activities. Students also help set their own goals and means of assessment.
Example: In a history class, asking students to read and think about different versions of and
perspectives on "history" can lead to interesting discussions. Is history as taught in textbooks
accurate? Are there different versions of the same history? Whose version of history is most
accurate? How do we know? From there, students can make their own judgments.

The constructivist classroom relies heavily on collaboration among students. There are many
reasons why collaboration contributes to learning. The main reason it is used so much in
constructivism is that students learn about learning not only from themselves, but also from
their peers. When students review and reflect on their learning processes together, they can pick
up strategies and methods from one another.

Students control their own learning process, and they lead the way by reflecting on their
experiences. This process makes them experts of their own learning. The teacher helps create
situations where the students feel safe questioning and reflecting on their own processes, either
privately or in group discussions. The teacher should also create activities that lead the student
to reflect on his or her prior knowledge and experiences. Talking about what was learned and
how it was learned is important.

The main activity in a constructivist classroom is solving problems. Students use inquiry
methods to ask questions, investigate a topic, and use a variety of resources to find solutions
and answers. As students explore the topic, they draw conclusions, and, as exploration
continues, they revisit those conclusions. Exploration of questions leads to more questions.

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Students have ideas that they may later see were invalid, incorrect, or insufficient to explain
new experiences. These ideas are temporary steps in the integration of knowledge. For instance,
a child may believe that all trees lose their leaves in the fall, until s/he visits an evergreen forest.
Constructivist teaching takes into account students' current conceptions and builds from there.

What happens when a student gets a new piece of information?

The constructivist model says that the student compares the information to the knowledge
and understanding he/she already has, and one of three things can occur:

 The new information matches up with his previous knowledge pretty well
(it's consonant with the previous knowledge), so the student adds it to her/his
understanding. It may take some work, but it's just a matter of finding the right fit, as
with a puzzle piece.
 The information doesn't match previous knowledge (it's dissonant). The student has to
change her/his previous understanding to find a fit for the information. This can be
harder work.
 The information doesn't match previous knowledge, and it is ignored. Rejected bits of
information may just not be absorbed by the student. Or they may float around, waiting
for the day when the student's understanding has developed and permits a fit.

Sources
1- http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/learning_teaching/ict/theory/constructivis
m.shtml
2- https://www.exploratorium.edu/education/ifi/constructivist-learning
3- http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index_sub2.html