Problem: How can constructivists speak of social interaction or communication with others, when, as they claim, their experiential world is their own construction? This question is frequently asked and is perfectly reasonable. The present paper is intended as an answer. Solution: After providing an outline of the constructivist approach to perception and the generation of recognizable objects in the experiential field, I argue that “others,” too, can be explained as an individual’s creation; a creation, however, that is just as constrained by the condition of viability as are the physical objects with which we furnish our world. Consequently, “society” too can be considered an individual construct rather than an ontological given. Benefits: The exposition may help to clarify the constructivist position with regard to social interaction and communication.

Key words: Sociology, linguistic communication, conceptual analysis

We contribute to the business network literature by presenting and introducing a radical constructivist research approach, in which we foreground sharing the context of an actor’s understanding of interaction. We elaborate the approach by illuminating the problematic issue of boundaries in business network research. We conceptualize boundaries as inter-action spaces and times where differences are created, maintained and changed in a physical-social setting. We make a distinction between boundaries and borders, with the latter being simply representations. We undertake a review of select realist and social constructivist business network literature to distinguish and elaborate the potential of a radical constructivist perspective, as an alternative approach. The approach appears most useful when the researcher and interview participant do not have a convergent understanding of the research phenomenon. Further, a radical constructivist approach is eminently suitable for settings where inter-action conditions and content are changing, for example in times of crisis or network change. We present the metaphors of castles and frontiers, as illustrative research tools suitable for a radical constructivist study of boundaries in business networks.

Key words: border, boundary objects, context, inter-action, metaphor, spatial and temporal research.

This paper describes some salient aspects of inservice education that focus on constructivist learning/conceptual change. Major issues for inservice education based on the constructivist approach are described. These issues arise from viewing teachers as constructivist learners, and from the assumption that constructivism and conceptual change need to be considered in the saw: way for both teachers and students. The following assumptions are contained in the constructivist theory of learning: (1) inservice education that matters involves conceptual charge on the part of teachers; (2) when the thrust of the inservice program is towards constructivist perspectives on teaching and student learning, the change involves teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching; (3) conceptual change in teachers is most helpfully considered in terms of whether or not new ideas are intelligible, plausible, fruitful, and feasible; (4) the conceptions held by teachers on entering an inservice program will sometimes include ideas and beliefs about the focus of the program which are in conflict with the ideas and beliefs of those running the program; (5) the inservice must, wherever possible, model but not mimic the strategies and ideas being advanced; (6) different groups will enter inservice programs with different levels of relevant knowledge and experience; and (7) those conducting the inservice program must be sensitive to their own needs to undergo conceptual change. Descriptions of four inservice programs illustrate how one or more of these issues arose and was dealt with in the course of the program.

Key words: attitude change, cognitive dissonance, concept, formation, foreign countries, inservice teacher education, learning processes, program attitudes, teacher attitudes.

This article communicates findings from a year-long constructivist teaching experiment about the relationship between four sixth grade students’ multiplicative structures and their construction of improper fractions. Students’ multiplicative structures are the units coordinations that they can take as given prior to activity – i.e., the units coordinations that they have interiorized. This research indicates that the construction of improper fractions requires having interiorized three levels of units. Students who have interiorized only two levels of units may operate with fractions greater than one, but they don’t produce improper fractions. These findings call for a revision in Steffe’s hypothesis (Steffe L. P. (2002). A new hypothesis concerning children’s fractional knowledge. Journal of Mathematical Behavior 20: 267–307) that upon the construction of the splitting operation, students’ fractional schemes can be regarded as essentially including improper fractions. While the splitting operation seems crucial in the construction of improper fractions, it is not necessarily accompanied by the interiorization of three levels of units. Relevance: This article takes a radical constructivist approach to mathematical learning and develops local theory about how students’ units coordinations are related to the fraction schemes they can construct.

In an 8-month teaching experiment, the author aimed to establish mathematical caring relations (MCRs) with 4 6th-grade students. From a teacher’s perspective, establishing MCRs involves holding the work of orchestrating mathematical learning for students together with an orientation to respond to energetic fluctuations that may accompany student″teacher interactions. From a student’s perspective, participating in an MCR involves some openness to the teacher’s interventions in the student’s mathematical activity and some willingness to pursue questions of interest. Analysis revealed that student″teacher interactions can be viewed as a linked chain of perturbations; in MCRs, the linked chain tends toward perturbations that are bearable for both students and teachers. This publication is relevant for constructivist approaches because it examines how attention to affective responses (specifically, emotion and vital energy) can be included in a radical constructivist approach to knowing and learning.

Although the desire for an education that emphasizes depth of understanding and meaningful learning has a long and distinguished history, constructivist reforms have not led to a comprehensive and coherent reform of educational practice in our schools. In fact, two previous “great reforms” based on constructivist principles have failed during this century. In this special issue ofEducational Psychology Review, authors focus on specific challenges faced in the current constructivist reform, including the need for viable intradisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and cross-disciplinary integration. Exemplars of the reality of progress made in integrated, constructivist approaches in the classroom follow. Diversity in our schools and classrooms and the challenge of high standards for all students contribute to the need for an integrated, constructivist approach that does not fail our students.

Key words: constructivism, curriculum integration, cross-disciplinary integration.

Vocational education is oriented to the secondary educational in which focusing on the development of the student in order to be ready to work professionally and ready to improve their selfpotential, in particular, field work. The aim of this paper is to analyze the constructivist approach to vocational education, the relationship between radical and social constructivist and the implementation of the career level on the voced. The result of this discussion to explain the relationship between radical constructivism and social constructivism is viewed the strong abilities. Radical constructivism related the construction mental structure and meaning by individual. After studying, the social constructivism is more focused the social interaction than the individual knowledge construction, the stressing of construction is shown about the meaning in the social interaction activities. Implementation would be successful about the career in the vocational education and needed the educators to make an active facilitator, particularly to guide the students by question with their assumptions and trained the students by reconstructing the new meaning of knowledge, so that students can be a good career.

In this article, George E. Hein of Lesley College clarifies his case for the constructivist approach, in response to Roger Miles’ criticism of the theory.

The constructivist approach is seen to be useful notably in science, mathematics and tertiary education. An account of non-radical constructivism is advanced and applied to classroom teaching and learning, and teaching strategies derived from the application of constructivist principles are identified and evaluated. It is suggested that many traditional classrooms are places of over-control, and certain traditional teaching methods may actually hinder students’ potential to procreate human knowledge. Constructivism represents a fundamental challenge to many aspects of educational praxis, and may change significantly the ways by which young people are mass educated.

Key words: educational philòsophy, learning, learning theories, mathematics education, science education, teaching methods

Upshot: Responding to and further developing the points raised by the open peer commentaries, I discuss a range of themes, including possible roles of lecture-based teaching in a radical constructivist approach to education, approaches to the teaching of large cohorts in a radical constructivist manner, the role of assessment in students’ learning experiences, the distinction of “models of” student learning, contrasted with “models for” student learning, the distinction of literal conversation from an atmosphere conducive to conversation, and the use of design-based tasks to support and encourage students’ individual conceptual constructing.