In a previous paper, an interpretation of spirituality along constructivist lines was proposed (Gash and Shine Thompson, 2002). One of the lines of exploration discussed personal transformation as a possible consequence of an experience of an epiphany – a moment of grace. Epiphanies are first, grounded in constructivist psychology as moments when a person shifts levels to reach new understandings (Gregory Bateson, 1987). Epiphanies are also moments of insight that allow the possibility of personal transformation, and hence potentially desirable experiences of spiritual growth. In the present paper we outline a series of experiences of epiphanies in children’s learning in the context of a project on constructionist learning led by one of us – Deirdre Butler. The purpose of the paper is to make a case for the importance of such moments as providing opportunities for personal growth, encapsulated in the title of the project EmpoweringMinds. Relevance: The value of wonder in education; using digital technology in classrooms

Key words: Constructivism, spirituality, children, creative learning

Plant growth, development and reproduction are fundamental concepts in biology; yet there is a recorded lack of motivation for young people to grapple with these concepts. Here we present the “DigitalSeed” toy for making investigations around these concepts more accessible to children through hands-on digital interaction. This is part of an on-going project investigating improved ways of learning involving digital media. To date, this project has addressed the learning of 4–5 year olds, but it is anticipated that the project could be extended to older children in mainstream and special needs education. In the case of older children, specific curricula requirements would be addressed, although this is a secondary goal. Relevance: The relevance to constructivism is that it provides an alternative approach to a difficult topic, viz., plant nutrition, where the learner must navigate between two realities: the virtual and the “real.”

Key words: Digital educational device, biology, children

This programme is the result of the response of the Association of Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE, 1987) to a 1985 Resolution by the EC Council of Ministers for Education that an action programme be implemented in EC countries to ensure equal opportunities in education for boys and girls. An essential part of the proposed EC action programme was the question and pedagogics of equal opportunity in teachers” initial and in-service training. It was felt that there was a need to raise teachers” awareness of gender-related issues. Accordingly, Guidelines for Action were prepared by the ATEE and presented to the Commission of the European Communities. Project proposals were invited from teacher education institutions and organizations in all EC countries. Projects were to be jointly funded by the Commission and by the Ministries in member states. Relevance: The part of this paper that describes Gash’s project is explicitly a constructivist intervention project designed to help children develop their constructions of gender. While the other studies mentioned are not explicitly constructivist, their intention was to raise awareness in relation to gender equity in Ireland at that time.

Key words: Equal opportunities, constructions of gender, schooling, sexism

There are a number of important similarities in John Dewey’s and Jean Piaget’s epistemologies. These include their emphasis on cognitive process, their grounding concepts in opertions and their implicit radical epistemology. Dewey’s constructivism is presented in the context of Bridgman’s operationalism each presented as deeper and very different from the operational definition of the contemporary psychology. The paper proposes a consistently radical constructivism as a clarification of views held in the mainstream psychology of the time. Relevance: Part of the collection edited by Ernst von Glasersfeld and Charles Smock in 1974 to launch Radical Constructivism.

Key words: Radical constructivism, Dewey, Piaget, epistemology, cognitive structures, reality

This training study investigated the Piagetian hypothesis of structural association between class inclusion and a form of role-taking. Ss were 72 Irish fiveand seven-year-old children and 72 French sixand seven-year-old children. Training was based on disequilibration. Role-taking training, successful only with seven-year-olds, significantly increased class inclusion scores at this age level: Successful class inclusion training did not augment role-taking scores significantly. It is concluded that class inclusion structures are embodied in this form of role-taking. Relevance: This paper was conceived when I worked with Charlie Smock and Ernst and it was designed to see how Piaget’s theory about the emergence of cognitive structures during the concrete operational period showed, or did not show, mutual influences of underlying structures. In other words, did development of classification structures help role-taking ability? I was anxious to show some mutual influence, whereas the data actually show a clear developmental sequence. (I think in retrospect if I had been anxious to disprove Piaget’s assertions I would have had an easier time publishing it in the best journals! That however, was politically incorrect as a post-doc with Charlie Smock and of course, Ernst was very pro-Piaget.

Two aspects of Vico’s constructivist epistemology are germane to contemporary cognitive developmental psychology. These aspects are Vico’s account of cognitive operations and of the limits to human knowledge of the world. Drawing on Vico’s epistemological treatise, and on contemporary commentary on Vico, it is argued that this eighteenth-century constructivist epistemology is useful in two ways. First, by being a consistent, and so radical, constructivism it may be helpful in clarifying the meaning of the environment in Piaget’s theory. Second, the description of mental operations may provide a way of overcoming objections to the overly formal quality of Piaget’s basic concrete-operational structures.

Key words: Cognitive development, Genetic epistemology, Piaget, Realism, Theory formulation, Vico

This paper is about a two year project to promote equality of opportunity for boys and girls in schools. It is made up of three interwoven elements: first, a description of the project; second, a constructivist analysis of gender perceptions in children; and third, an account of the ways in which ideas on how to do a project like this developed as we did it. The description of the project includes its origins, methods, and results. The acquisition of gender stereotypes is analysed from a constructivist viewpoint and the educational implications are considered. The aim of the project was to promote more adequate understandings of the ways in which men and women, girls and boys feel and act. The principal target was the children’s understandings, but the teacher’s own understandings were also of interest. Ideas about how to do a project like this developed during its course. Initially a set of teaching strategies was prescribed; in the second year the focus was more on the child and his or her identity while ensuring there was adequate time to discuss teaching strategies with the teachers. By the end of the project the ideas on tactics for teachers were refined during the project and materials in the form of stories and ideas for lessons were edited. A final comment I would have is that teachers who wish to be fully involved in this work will need to form self-organizing groups to support each other with plans, materials, and encouragement.

Key words: Gender stereotypes, intervention, classrooms, primary schools, constructivist approach

How might teachers think about moving to challenge prejudice against persons with handicap? Drawing on Piaget’s and Bateson’s constructivist theories, prejudices are examined in terms of the processes by which they are formed within the individual, the role they play in identity, and the reasons they may be resistant to change. Consideration is then given to strategies which may be useful in inviting reconsideration of cognitive items of this type. Looking at the learner’s experience these include certain types of questioning strategies and counterexamples. Looking at the teacher’s experience a number of techniques are recommended including, neutrality, circular questioning, and parenthesising. Relevance: This is a constructivist approach proposing a method of attitude change in the context of special education. Clearly though, it has implications for attitude change generally.

Key words: Constructivist approach, attitude change, Piaget, Bateson, circular questioning

A research programme was initiated to promote positive attitudes towards children with special needs. Fifteen students each taught 4 lessons to children from second to sixth class in Primary Schools. Their approach was constructivist involving discussion and activities designed to provide opportunities for the children to reconsider their ideas. A post-test was given to 465 experimental and 326 control children. Experimental children were different from controls in being more prosocial in a number of ways. Children who knew somebody with a mental handicap were affected by the programme differently in comparison with inexperienced children, largely by becoming more aware of the difficulties of children with special needs. There were a number of age and gender differences in the ways children think about mental handicap. Relevance: This paper shows how constructivist classroom techniques can be used to facilitate children’s thinking about children with a disability

Key words: Attitude change, classroom intervention, constructivism, children

Excerpt: The purpose of this paper is to make explicit some ethical consequences of a theory of cognitive development, and in the process ‘to specify some practical educational implications. Cognitive developmental theory could be described as a model of the changes which occur in construing different constructs. I draw attention to the use of the word “construe” since there is a history of complaint made against Piagetian and neo-Piagetian writing in failing to deal with emotion adequately and with being overly cognitive. Construing is intended to indicate my dissatisfaction with the Cartesian separation of emotion and cognition in construing about these issues. I will, however, continue to use words such as “concepts” which may carry overly cognitive connotations which are not intended.