CONSTRUCTIVISM IN THE CLASSROOM

CONSTRUCTIVISM IN THE CLASSROOM

What is constructivism?

Constructivism is basically a theory -- based on observation and scientific study -- about how people learn. It says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. When we encounter something new, we have to reconcile it with our previous ideas and experience, maybe changing what we believe, or maybe discarding the new information as irrelevant. In any case, we are active creators of our own knowledge. To do this, we must ask questions, explore, and assess what we know.

In the classroom, the constructivist view of learning can point towards a number of different teaching practices.

1. The Ideas and Opinions of Students are Respected
   Students are encouraged to express their opinions, give ideas and comments (see Figure 5.6). This encourages independent thinking among students, who take responsibility for their own thinking.

2. Teacher Asks Questions
   The questions framed encourage students to reflect on their thoughts and attain their own intellectual identity. Sufficient waiting time is given for students to respond to questions.
   
   
   
3. Students Engage in Dialogue with the Teacher
1. Encourage students to engage in dialogue, both with the teacher and one another. Classrooms discourage dialogue and teachers often monopolise the talking and teaching becomes a lecture.
2. Draw students out especially those who are shy or inarticulate.

4. Students Discuss in Groups
   Through group discussions, students change or reinforce their ideas. If they have the chance to present what they think and hear others' ideas, students can build a personal knowledge based on what they understand. Only when they feel comfortable enough to express their ideas, will meaningful classroom dialogue occur.

5. Prompt Inquiry by Engaging in Tasks Requiring Higher-level Thinking
1. The questions asked go beyond simple factual response.
2. Students are encouraged to make connections, summarise information, analyse, predict and defend their ideas.
3. Students generate and test their hypotheses by manipulating raw data, primary sources and physical materials. For example, community resources provide opportunities for students to collect and classify primary material.
4. Students are viewed as thinkers with emerging theories about the world.

6. Students Engage in Real-life Problems
   Students go about analysing real life problems and take responsibility for their own learning and become problem solvers. While pre-digested information (textbooks, workbooks and the like) may be valuable, they demonstrate someone else's construction of knowledge, not your students. By engaging in real-life situations, students create their own knowledge.

What are the benefits of constructivism? Advocates of constructivism argue that, when the opinions and ideas of students are accepted, they will become more involved and interested in what is being studied (see Figure 5.7). When students become involved and interested, they will take ownership in what is being studied, enjoy their work and want to learn. Constructivist teaching fosters critical thinking and creates active and motivated learners (Zemelman, Daniels and Hyde, 1993). Constructivist teaching creates learners who are autonomous, inquisitive thinkers who question, investigate and reason (Twomey, 1989).