Excerpt: Constructivism is both a philosophical perspective and a theory of learning, and though it is not a policy, constructivist understandings and beliefs can underlie both formal policy and the work of practitioners within it. Constructivism intersects educational practice when teachers understand that learning is a constructive human process and use their understanding of the nature of this process to inform their work. Approaching teaching with a constructivist vision of learning enables highly productive learning and teaching environments.
Windschitl M. (1999) The challenges of sustaining a constructivist classroom culture. The Phi Delta Kappan 80(10): 751–755. https://cepa.info/5792
Mr. Windschitl sees articulating these challenges as a significant step in helping educators create and sustain a classroom culture that values diversity in learning and offers a new vision of the roles of teachers and learners – the culture of constructivism.
Windschitl M. (2002) Framing constructivism in practice as the negotiation of dilemmas: An analysis of the conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political challenges facing teachers. Review of Educational Research 72(2): 131–175. https://cepa.info/3898
Classroom teachers are finding the implementation of constructivist instruction far more difficult than the reform community acknowledges. This article presents a theoretical analysis of constructivism in practice by building a framework of dilemmas that explicates the conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political planes of the constructivist teaching experience. In this context, “constructivism in practice” is a concept situated in the ambiguities, tensions, and compromises that arise among stakeholders in the educational enterprise as constructivism is used as a basis for teaching. In addition to providing a unique theoretical perspective for researchers, the framework is a heuristic for teachers, providing critical questions that allow them to interrogate their own beliefs, question institutional routines, and understand more deeply the forces that influence their classroom practice.
Windschitl M. (2002) Framing constructivism in practice as the negotiations of dilemmas: An analysis of the conceptual, pedagogical, cultural and political challenges facing teachers. Review of Educational Research 72(2): 131–175. https://cepa.info/4705
Classroom teachers are finding the implementation of constructivist instruction far more difficult than the reform community acknowledges. This article presents a theoretical analysis of constructivism in practice by building a framework of dilemmas that explicates the conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political planes of the constructivist teaching experience. In this context, “constructivism in practice” is a concept situated in the ambiguities, tensions, and compromises that arise among stakeholders in the educational enterprise as constructivism is used as a basis for teaching. In addition to providing a unique theoretical perspective for researchers, the framework is a heuristic for teachers, providing critical questions that allow them to interrogate their own beliefs, question institutional routines, and understand more deeply the forces that influence their classroom practice
Winitzky N. & Kauchak D. (1997) Constructivism in teacher education: Applying cognitive theory to teacher learning. In: Richardson V. (ed.) Constructivist teacher education: Building a world of new understandings. Falmer Press, London: 59–82. https://cepa.info/6672
Excerpt: This chapter describes our attempts to document how teachers construct knowledge, to understand this knowledge growth within a constructivist theoretical perspective, and to apply these findings in refining and redesigning teacher education programs.
Wood E. & Bennett N. (1998) Teachers’ theories of play: Constructivist or social constructivist? Early Child Development and Care 140(1): 17–30.
The concept of play and its relationship to learning is problematic in theory and practice. This paper examines this relationship from two standpoints. First, the contrasts between two dominant formal theoretical orientations deriving from the work of Piaget and Vygotsky, and the extent to which they have influenced pedagogy is explored. Second, data from an empirical study on teachers theories of play provides insights into how play is conceptualized and enacted in classrooms, and how teachers and contexts mediate the theory-practice relationship. Multi-method approaches were used to elicit teachers theories and juxtapose these to their practice. At the outset, their theories revealed a predominantly Piagetian, developmental orientation. An unintended outcome of the study was the changes in teachers theories, or practice, or both, towards a more social-constructivist orientation. Implications are drawn for understanding teachers perspectives and for their professional development.
Yager R. E. (1991) The constructivist learning model: Towards real reform in science education. The Science Teacher 58(6): 52–57. https://cepa.info/6684
How can a teacher apply ideas from the constructivist learning model to classroom teaching? This article reviews the main ideas of the constructivist learning theory as well as the epistemological shift in the view of scientific knowledge, and suggests ways of applying these ideas to science teaching. Yager presents a teaching model developed by the National Center for Improving Science Education that is based on the constructivist learning model and includes four aspects: invitation, exploration, proposed explanation and solution, and taking action. Specific strategies that science teachers can use to help students construct their own meaning are listed. In addition, the article contains a self-check instrument that can be used to determine the extent to which a teacher is basing his or her practice on constructivist learning theory. Yager concludes with the recommendation that this model should also be used in preparing new teachers.
Yiannoutsou N. (2015) Elements of Surprise in Teaching and Learning. Constructivist Foundations 10(3): 383–384. https://cepa.info/2158
Open peer commentary on the article “Learning about Learning with Teachers and (from) Young Children” by Chrystalla Papademetri-Kachrimani. Upshot: In my commentary, I focus on the concept of surprise underlying the design of the learning experience presented in Papademetri-Kachrimani’s target article. I treat surprise as a concept that integrates the creative, open and non-predictable characteristics of constructionist teaching and learning. In my analysis, I show that current technological and societal developments have made these ideas of constructionism more relevant than ever. Within this rendering, it becomes clear that there is a need to revisit the position of constructionism in education.
Yuenyong C. & Thathong K. (2015) Physics teachers’ constructing knowledge base for physics teaching regarding constructivism in Thai contexts. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 6(2): 546–553.
This research aimed to clarify 5 physics teachers constructing knowledge base for teaching regarding constructivism. The participants were 5 physics teachers who studying Master degree in science education in Khon Kaen University, Thailand. Three participants applied science, technology, and (STS) approach for developing their teaching regarding constructivism. Other 2 participants applied teaching strategies of Predict Observe Explain (POE). This qualitative research regarded interpretive paradigm for physics teachers constructing knowledge base for teaching regarding constructivism during applying STS approach and POE for 2 months of physics teaching. Research instruments include teachers lesson plan, observation, teachers journal writing, and interviewing. The study explicates such a knowledge base. It is demonstrated what kind of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) originates from our cooperation with six participating teachers. The pathway of teachers constructing PCK will be discussed for provide information of enhancing physics teaching regarding constructivism. This study has implications for science teacher professional development.
This article reviews various definitions of constructivism, and discusses various approaches to constructivist pedagogy in schools. Constructivism is only one of the many ways students learn. Students learn from many different ways of teaching. Teachers use constructivist pedagogy to improve learning. However, the constructivist approach to learning and teaching, by itself, as a method of teaching, is unlikely to be effective. Major variables impacting on the quality of the learning process include social, cultural, economic and ideological dimensions. It is argued that the effectiveness of constructivist pedagogy is dependent on the quality of teachers, students’ characteristics and their SES, and school’s location. The article offers pre-service teachers with an insight as to why constructivist pedagogy is essential in supporting other approaches to learning and teaching. Suggestions are made on how to improve constructivist pedagogy, with a range of effective strategies for enhancing learning in the classroom.