Meaning

1
Constructivism

• Introduction
• Meaning
• Basic ideas
• Constructivists ideas
• How children constructs knowledge

2
Introduction

• Constructivism has a philosophical origin, from
  Socrates, John Deweys, Pestallozzis,
  Montesoris and Freires ideas.
• Dewey Education is a reconstruction and
  reorganization of experience (Dewey in Education
  and Society,1960) .
• Socrates the goal of education is to develop the
  power of thinking and intellectual capacity
  (Platos Apology of Socrates in Concise
  Readings in Philosophy,1981)

3
What is Constructivist Approach?

• Elliott et al (2000256) puts it that it is an
  approach to learning that holds that people
  actively construct or make their own knowledge
  and that reality is determined by the experiences
  of the learner.
• In elaborating constructivists ideas Arends
  (19986) puts it that constructivism believes in
  personal construction of meaning by the learner
  through experience ..and that meaning is
  influenced by the interaction of prior knowledge
  and new events.

4
Main ideas

• The learner constructs his own understanding and
  interpretation of the material.
• Knowledge is changing as learners confront new
  challenges that builds and modifies existing
  knowledge.
• Learners are actively involved in the process of
  acquisition and construction of their knowledge.
  Knowledge is constructed through adaptation to
  the environment.

5

• Knowledge is subjective every individual has
  unique experience. Hence interpretation becomes
  different because interpretation of information
  is made in the light of ones own experience.
• Therefore not two people can construct the same
  knowledge
• Learning is influenced by social interaction
  through dialogue, challenging situations or
  exchange of experiences and understanding.

6

• Piaget on constructivism
• Children construct their knowledge through
  exploration and adaptation to their environment.
• Curiosity motivates their explorations and make
  meaning about their environments.
• The growth of ability to construct meaning and
  interpret events depends on development of
  language and memory capacity.

7

• Lev Vygostky
• Mental development occurs when children face new
  and puzzling experiences trying to resolve
  problems.
• They link new knowledge with prior knowledge. New
  ideas enhance the learners intellectual
  development.
• Society has a profound impact on the construction
  of knowledge. Society provides the challenges and
  assistance.
• The society helps individuals to fill the
  Zone of Proximal Development.

8

• Zone of proximal development is the
  difference between actual development and
  potential development
• Actual development individuals current
  intellectual functioning.
• Potential development increased individuals
  intellectual functioning when assisted.

9

• Bruner
• Students use their own direct experience and
  observations to gain information and to solve
  problems.
• Learning through discovery
• Learning through scaffolding
• Readiness to learn (willingness and mental
  capability)
• Teachers are facilitators and question askers.

10
Activities to help children to construct their
own meaning

• Experiment
• Observation and manipulating objects and symbols
• Posing questions and seeking answers
• Relating events and objects
• Comparing what one knows with what others know
• Exchanging views, knowledge and experiences
  through dialogue and discussion
• Solve problems

11
Questions for discussion (it is very much
important to discuss these question)

• If you were to use choose one learning theory to
  apply in teaching between behavioral learning
  theory and cognitive learning theory which one
  would you choose and why?
• Or
• If you were to give strengths and weaknesses of
  Cognitive learning theories in comparing to
  Behavioral learning theories, what would be your
  comments (read and discuss the conclusions made
  to behavioral learning theories)?