Constructivist teaching methods

Constructivist teaching is based on the constructivist learning theory, which holds that learning should build upon knowledge that a student already has, and that learning is more effective when a student is actively involved in the construction of knowledge, rather than when he/she is passively listening to a lecture.^[1] Thus, the learners give meaning to the knowledge based on their personal experiences.

History

Constructivist teaching methods are based on the constructivist learning theory developed by a variety of philosophers. Along with John Dewey, Piaget researched childhood development and education. Their theories are now encompassed in those promoting with progressive education.

The constructivist learning theory says that children learn best when they construct a personal understanding based on experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.^[2] Even though this is their "perspective", this claim is not well supported by the literature (Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark, 2006).

Constructivist teaching strategies

Characteristics of Constructivist Teaching

One of the primary goals of using constructivist teaching is that students learn how to learn by giving them the training to take initiative for their learning experiences.

According to Audrey Gray, the characteristics of a constructivist classroom are as follows:

the learners are actively involved
the environment is democratic
the activities are interactive and student-centered
the teacher facilitates a process of learning in which students are encouraged to be responsible and autonomous

Examples of constructivist activities

Furthermore, in the constructivist classroom, students work primarily in groups and learning and knowledge are interactive and dynamic. There is a great focus and emphasis on social and communication skills, as well as collaboration and exchange of ideas ^[2]. This is contrary to the traditional classroom in which students work primarily alone, learning is achieved through repetition, and the subjects are strictly adhered to and are guided by a textbook. Some activities encouraged in constructivist classrooms are:

Experimentation: students individually perform an experiment and then come together as a class to discuss the results.
Research projects: students research a topic and can present their findings to the class.
Field trips. This allows students to put the concepts and ideas discussed in class in a real-world context. Field trips would often be followed by class discussions.
Films. These provide visual context and thus bring another sense into the learning experience.
Class discussions. This technique is used in all of the methods described above. It is one of the most important distinctions of constructivist teaching methods.^[3]

Role of teachers

In the constructivist classroom, the teacher’s role is to prompt and facilitate discussion. Thus, the teacher’s main focus should be on guiding students by asking questions that will lead them to develop their own conclusions on the subject.

Constructivist assessment

Traditionally, assessment in the classrooms is based on testing. In this style, it is important for the student to produce the correct answers. However, in constructivist teaching, the process of gaining knowledge is viewed as being just as important as the product. Thus, assessment is based not only on tests, but also on observation of the student, the student’s work, and the student’s points of view ^[2]. Some assessment strategies include:

Oral discussions. The teacher presents students with a “focus” question and allows an open discussion on the topic.
KWL(H) Chart (What we know, What we want to know, What we have learned, How we know it). This technique can be used throughout the course of study for a particular topic, but is also a good assessment technique as it shows the teacher the progress of the student throughout the course of study.
Mind Mapping. In this activity, students list and categorize the concepts and ideas relating to a topic.
Hands-on activities. These encourage students to manipulate their environments or a particular learning tool. Teachers can use a checklist and observation to assess student success with the particular material.
Pre-testing. This allows a teacher to determine what knowledge students bring to a new topic and thus will be helpful in directing the course of study.^[3]

An example of a Lesson Taught with a Constructivist background

A good example of a lesson being taught in a constructivist way, with the teacher mediating learning rather than directly teaching the class is shown by the example of [Faraday's candle. There are various forms of this lesson, but all are developed from the Chritsmas lectures Faraday gave on the the functioning of candles. In open construvtivist lessons using these lectures as a basis, students are encoureaged to discover for themselves how candles work. They do this first by making simple observations, from which they later build ideas and hypotheses which they then go on to test. The teachers acts to encourage this learning. If succesful students can use this lesson to understand the components of combustion_ an important chemical topic.

Arguments against constructivist teaching techniques

A wide variety of authors from many fields have voiced the following arguments against constructivist based teaching instruction:

Because constructivism in the classroom depends greatly on student motivation as well as on teacher training, it has been argued that this technique would not be successful in schools lacking these resources.

Another deterrent for this teaching method is that, due to the emphasis on group work, the ideas of the more active students may dominate the group’s conclusions.^[2]

As emphasis is not based on acquiring and practicing basic skills, students in constructivist classrooms tend to lag behind those in traditional classrooms in these areas (Zhu & Simon, 1987) Proponents of constructivism argue that constructivist students perform better than their peers when tested on higher-order reasoning.

Critics of constructivism also argue that this teaching technique forces students to "reinvent the wheel." Proponents argue that students — especially elementary school-aged children — are naturally curious about the world, and giving them the tools to explore it in a guided manner will serve to give them a stronger understanding of it^[2].

A prominent group of cognitive scientists has also questioned the central claims of constructivism, saying that they are either misleading or contradict known findings.^[4]

Mayer (2004) suggested "The research in this brief review shows that the formula constructivism = hands-on activity is a formula for educational disaster." His argument is that active learning based instruction is often suggested by those subscribing to this philosophy. In developing this instruction these educators produce materials that require learning to be behaviorally active and not be "cognitively active." That is although they are engaged in activity, they may not be learning (Sweller, 1988). Finally Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006) cite Mayer to conclude fifty years of empirical results do not support those who use this type of instruction.

References

Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J., and Clark, R. E. (2006). "Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: an analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching". Educational Psychologist. 41 (2): 75–86.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Mayer, R. (2004). "Should there be a three-strikes rule against pure discovery learning? The case for guided methods of instruction". American Psychologist. 59 (1): 14–19.
Zhu, X., & Simon, H.A. (1987). "Learning mathematics from examples and by doing". Cognition and Instruction. 4 (3): 137-166.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Walker, M et al. (2008). "A bright spark: open teaching of science using Faraday's lectures on candles". Journal of Chemical Education. 85 (1): 59-63. {{cite journal}}: External link in |author= (help)

External links

[ssta-1] Constructivist Teaching and Learning

[thirteenorg-2] Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning

[templeedu-3] Strategies for Constructivist Teaching

[4] Applications and Misapplications of Cognitive Psychology to Mathematics Education

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