During the past decade ‘Constructivism’ or one of its many variants has become the dominant ideology in science and mathematics education. A casual, disinterested observer might be shocked at the rate at which this school of thought has permeated research communities across the globe and at the grip that it holds on their work. In this paper, I wish to concentrate on the notion of Constructivism prevalent in science education as defined by the the Generative model of learning (Osborne and Wittrock 1985), Driver’s (1985) account of a constructivist approach to curriculum development and White’s (1988) position on the learning of science.

Key words: philosophy, educational methods, concept formation, epistemology, realism, learning motivations, cognitive style, curriculum design

Previous results are reviewed and two series of experiments on learning are described, one carried out in the laboratory, and the other in educational institutions. Both series use ‘conversational’ systems which allow mental activities to be described in terms of dialogue and behaviour. Several types of result are reported: (a) the significance of understanding; (b) the existence of, and variations in, learning strategies; (c) the effect of matching and mismatching a teaching strategy to an individual’s learning strategy; (d) the nature and classification of cognitive style; and (e) transfer effects and ‘learning to learn.’ A theoretical basis is developed for a classification of learning styles.

This paper reflects on the implications of a five year programme of research and development with non-specialist teachers of science in primary (elementary) classrooms in England. Within a constructivist framework defined by University-based researchers, groups of teachers explored the viability of a range of methods of eliciting children’s ideas prior to helping children to develop their thinking in the direction of conventional scientific understanding. This research led to the development of curriculum materials, (Nuffield Primary Science) generated in a similar manner, with groups of teachers operating under normal classroom conditions. The outcomes and implications of this programme of research and curriculum development are described and critically discussed. Particular reference is made to the needs of teachers wishing to operate within a constructivist orientation, bearing in mind the constraints of normal classroom conditions.

Key words: philosophy, educational methods, concept formation, epistemology, realism, learning motivations, cognitive style, curriculum design.