Constructivist Theory Of Constructivist Learning Theory

According to Anthony & Walshaw, (2009) within a constructivist view, it is a teacher’s role to facilitate the learning of a child by providing a resource rich environment from which they guide a students learning. A student within a constructivist-learning environment must become engaged in the learning process by becoming a researcher, identifying a problem, collecting and analysing data and formulating a conclusion. This process of engagement provides a student with endless opportunity to develop his or her own understanding and knowledge. An educators ability to understand this learning theory as a process of construction and development provides a conceptual framework from which to build a teaching practice.

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.

The constructivism learning theory benefits teachers and students alike in several ways. One benefits is that students are given the opportunity to be involved in the learning process therefore find learning enjoyable and interesting rather than sitting, listening, and perhaps avoid learning. The same concept applies to employee training. When a trainee participates in the learning process he or she not only becomes eager and interested in the

Constructivist Learning Theory exists under the focus of cognitive learning and has substructures of the concepts of self- efficacy, self- regulation, and metacognition as it defines how adults learn (Billings & Halstead, 2012, p. 211). Billings & Halstead (2012) explains that learning is considered a transformation in a person from personal experience. It is a continued process that encompasses understanding, clarifying, and applying meanings of knowledge that is developed. The learning theory, constructivism embraces that learning is a development. A learner constructs new knowledge by building on existing information through a process

I am going to discuss and focus on Lee Vygotsky and his theory of Constructivism. One of Lee Vygotsky main theories was in fact constructivism; it is interesting to read about Lee Vygotsky view on constructivism as it is about how people learn and is based on a scientific study. One of the main meanings behind constructivism is “Constructivism is people who construct their own understanding and

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,

The benefits of constructivism for teachers and learners, in an ideal setting include focusing on students allowing students the time and opportunity to investigate big ideas, and along the way helping them to understand concepts and skills, rather than just memorizing and regurgitating facts or ideas. Constructivism engages students’ natural curiosities to help them find answers to the questions inherent in their minds (Constructivism). Intrinsic motivation would be expected to be high when students are provided the freedom to choose their course of learning and given the time to investigate until questions are answered.

Since I do well with reading and writing as a learning tool, this theory would best describe my learning style. The way I process and store the information, using logic and reasoning, and visually processing the material (Sincero, S.). At the same time, I also have traits compared to the Constructivism theory; I have a questioning demeanor about myself and I wonder how things work, I use my past experiences to learn from, and I always look at things in my own perspective

I believe that constructivism learning best supports teaching and learning for my discipline. This is because this learning theory is centered around students being able to learn in an environment where they can apply or be exposed to real life skills in the cognitive sense. Constructivist teachers encourage their students to constantly assess how the activity is helping them gain a better understanding of what they are doing. I believe that having students question themselves and their strategies they would become expert learners. When this is done they will then have gained tools to help broaden their learning.

This essay will compare and contrast three key theories of learning; Behaviourism, Cognitive Learning Theory and Constructivism.

A. Behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism are relatively common theories used in the classroom as ways to approach student learning. Behaviorism focuses on observable behavior, such as students answering questions correctly, or being able to follow directions to complete a task as instructed. Characteristics of a classroom that uses behaviorism might be memorization of facts, writing vocabulary words, or a token reward system to inspire the desired behavior and decrease undesired behaviors. Constructivism, as indicated by the root word “construct,” focuses on the construction of new ideas, or expanding on what is already known. Students in a classroom using constructivism as a means for learning might seem more actively engaged

Constructivism, a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on ones experiences, they construct their own understanding of the world they live in. Each of them generates their own "rules" and "mental models," which they use to make sense of their experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of adjusting the mental models to accommodate new experiences.

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).

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

Constructivism is the theory that humans construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences. This idea that people learn from experience and not just from hearing lectures was revolutionary and gave birth to the experimental learning approach that is more powerful than lectures and worksheets. By directing their own learning processes, students understand concepts better. In essence constructivism is the theory of how we learn.