Social Constructivism : A Theory Of Knowledge

Constructivism is defined by ( (Marsh, 2007) as a theory of how the learner constructs knowledge from experience, which is unique to each individual. The theories of constructivism require qualitative change evidence within conceptual content(Carey, Zaitchik, & Bascandziev, 2015). Also, there’s a difference between cognitive constructivism and social constructivism. Cognitive Constructivism is when individuals construct ideas based off of personal process, whereas social constructivism believes that ideas are constructed through student and teacher interaction(Powell & Kalina, 2009) Many people give credit to Lev Vygotsky for his constructivist theory but Jean Piaget is the patriarch of the theory.

Learning is described as a process by which behavior changes as a result of experience. According to Merriam and Cafarella (1991), there are five theories/orientations to learning, two of which will be compared in this paper; social learning theory and constructivism theory.

Constructivism refers to the idea that learners construct knowledge for themselves and that each learner individually and socially construct meaning as he or she learns. In the views of constructivism, there is no such thing as knowledge independent of the knower, but only knowledge that the student constructs for themselves as they learn. According the constructivist theory, “learning is not understanding the “true” nature of things, nor is it remembering dimly perceived perfect ideas perfect ideas, but rather a personal and social construction of meaning out of the bewildering array of sensations which have no order or structure besides the explanations which educators fabricate

Constructivist teaching. Muijs and Reynolds (2005) interpreted that the principles of constructivist teaching consider all learners construct knowledge for themselves, rather than absorbing knowledge directly from the teacher. This means that every pupil will learn something slightly differently from a particular lesson given. The assumption that pupils are active knowledge constructers has several consequences. For examples, the learners need to be active in order to construct knowledge or to learn effectively, teaching is about helping children construct their own meaning rather than training them to get the right answer without the actual understanding of the concept, and pupils learn best when new lessons are clearly related to what they already know,

Social constructivist - Social constructivism is a variety of cognitive constructivism that emphasizes the collaborative nature of much learning.

I am at my core a social constructivist that this naturally draws me towards the use of storytelling as a technique for my work and a tool for my research. The two philosophical assumptions that will impact my research and practice are ontological and axiological assumptions and beliefs. I base my beliefs in the fact that reality can only been seen when viewed through multiple lenses and this reality is influenced by ones values, beliefs and experiences. Creswell (2007) states that the interpretive framework of social constructivism is made up of individuals who look for understanding in their professional and personal lives and this exactly what I seek. But seeking to understand how justice can be secured for all Americans one must examine

Mrs. Driver and I discussed what Constructivism is, and how it is evidenced in her classroom. As we discussed the model, it became apparent that her classroom is structured around such model. In this paper, I will explain what I have observed that directly aligns to the Constructivist model.

There are two major problems identified in this case study. To begin, Mr. Entenmann is having a hard time connecting with his students as he does not have a lot of experience with students that are culturally different from him. He is also struggling with the many changes that are occurring in his school. Mr. Entenmann is set in his ways and is used to his direct instruction approach to teaching, however, the students and fellow co-workers have moved to a constructivist model. A constructivist perspective holds that learning is a

Constructivism is an educational philosophy with many faces, however it primarily emphasizes on the social and cognitive abilities of the learner. A constructivist view on learning is where students share their experiences and knowledge in order to learn from another. Humans derive knowledge from previous knowledge, yet the teachers must conduct an environment that facilitates the learning process. It is a method of learning where the learner is active and makes sense of the world through external interventions. More importantly, educators that use collaborative learning to build morale and social skills collectively, contribute to the enhancement of student teaching (Hernandez, 2012).

Teachers who understand that some knowledge is taught would try to utilize their own experiences and create opportunities to relate real world activities to students in their classroom (Seifert & Sutton, 2009). Constructivism relates to how knowledge is a result of directly relating an experience with an activity (Seifert & Sutton, 2009). A teacher who believes in the necessity of learning through detailed instruction would use lecturing or presentations to get their points across.

Social constructivism’s origins are largely attributed to Lev Vygotsky (1978). Vygotsky believed that social constructivism is the idea that learning occurs when people are socially active; in other words, learning is created through our interaction with others. In a constructivist style classroom, the focus shifts from the teacher teaching the students to the students teaching each other and having more control over what they learn by asking questions and coming up with their own conclusion on things (2016). This style of teaching can be very successful when the teacher provides enough scaffolding. In a typical classroom, you have a teacher standing in the front of the room lecturing to students while they sit and take notes on the information being given so they can spit it back up for a test they will have at the end of the unit. In the constructivist style classroom, the students are pushed to be more active and engaged in their learning process (Education Theory). The teacher creates an environment where students are urged to speak up and share what they think and have the class run more on a student run process. The teacher’s role in this style is not to sit and lecture information but rather engage students actively to find this information on their own and discover it so that it creates more meaning and provides a better understanding. The main goal in this type of learning environment is problem solving. This style of teaching promotes self-guidance and can even

Furthermore, as I read the assigned articles and viewed videos, I realized that my teachers obviously, followed Piaget’s, Vygotsky. Dewey, and Bruner constructivist view because they used the theory of assimilation and accommodation, e.g., the learning of a new experience and changing of a person’s worldview. I also discovered after deep reflection on this week’s assignment, how much of an impact my teachers had on my teaching style. Before retiring, I taught based on what my students needed. Therefore, much of my teaching mixed the theories of, Constructivism, Social Constructivism and Cognitive-Behavioral depending on the student.

The purpose of a constructivist education, therefore, is to facilitate the process for learners in constructing their understanding. Constructivist learning “fosters critical thinking and creates active and motivated learners,” according to McClurg (2009). The educational emphasis is not on delivering knowledge nor organizing that knowledge in a prescriptive system, but rather on teaching students how to build their own understanding within meaningful contexts for lasting effect (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2012).

Constructivism is connected to the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget believed that cognitive development occurred in four stages that have distinct developmental characteristics.  He theorised that all information is organised into ‘schemas’, and this refers to the manner in which a child organisesand stores information and knowledge received. As new information is received, it is either incorporated into existing schemas (assimilation) or new schemas (accommodation) are created (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010).  Vygotsky’s theories compliment those of Piaget and place a greater importance on social interaction as he considered cognitive development predominately was achievedthrough social interaction.  Vygotsky believed that learning could be accelerated with the assistance of a more advanced peer or teacher.  This concept is referred to as the zone of proximal development (ZPD) and works in conjunction with the theory of ‘scaffolding’, where a teacher provides support to student and as proficiency increases the scaffolding is decreased (Marsh, 2008). Evidence of scaffolding is seen throughout the Maths video as Ms Poole provides an outline of the lesson and the goals to allow students to establish a focus.

There are five identified central tenets of constructivism as a teaching philosophy: Constructivist teachers seek and value students’ points of view. This concept is similar to the reflective action process we call withitness, in which teachers attempt to perceive students’ needs and respond to them appropriately; Constructivist teachers challenge students to see different points of view and thereby construct new knowledge. Learning occurs when teachers ask students what they think they know about a subject and why they think they know it; Constructivist teachers recognize that curricula must have meaning for students. When students see the relevance of curricula, their interest in learning grows; Constructivist teachers create lessons that tackle big ideas, not small bits of information. By seeing the whole first, students are able to determine how the parts fit together; Constructivist teachers assess student learning in daily classroom activities, not through the use of separate testing or evaluation events. Students