4. 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.
• 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.
5. TYPES OF CONSTRUCTIVISIM
• Cognitive. Cognitive constructivism focuses on the idea that learning
should be related to the learner’s stage of cognitive development.
• Social. Social constructivism focuses on the collaborative nature of
learning. Knowledge develops from how people interact with each other,
their culture, and society at large.
• Radical. Radical constructivism is very different from cognitive and social
constructivism. It focuses on the idea that learners and the knowledge
they construct tell us nothing real, only help us function in our
environment.
6. Principles of Constructivism
• Knowledge is constructed upon pre-existing knowledge.
• Everything we learn provides us with a better knowledge of other things in the
future.
• Learning is not a passive process, it is an active process in which one needs to
engage in activities, reading and discussions. The learner takes an active role.
• Teachers use social interactions to help students learn and maintain their
knowledge.
• Knowledge is contextual, individuals learn from things they already know and
believe from their surroundings.
• Knowledge is a personal phenomenon because each person has a different
experience and prior knowledge to share.
• Mental experiences are essentially needed to retain knowledge.
• Motivation is crucial for learning because it allows students to use their preexisting
knowledge for making connections for new knowledge.
• Cognitive strategies such as the ones featured in the Universal Thinking
Framework must be fully understood.
7. Main Strengths of Constructivism Learning Theory
A constructivist approach to education views learnes active, competent, capable, and
powerful. It tends to motivate learners to learn by ‘doing’, which leads to memory
retention critical thinking and engagement. Following are the main benefits of using
Constructivism Learning Theory in a classroom.
• Students are viewed as able learners and are motivated to apply
independent, critical and creative thinking. This can bring more
enjoyment to the learning process.
• Teachers acknowledge that learners require differentiated
and targeted lessons according to their cognitive status.
• Through Piaget’s stages, fresh and fill-in teachers can quickly guess
a student’s ability level based on his age.
• Developing understanding is often treated as a child-led learning journey.
Students mostly find constructivist learning approaches to be more
execiting and enjoylable as they learn by doing rather than memorizing or
sitting. The learning experience is often more engaging.
8. Finally, constructivism is a learning theory that contends that the best way to learn is
through action, reflection, and construction. In the development of new knowledge, this
theory emphasizes the interaction of experiences and ideas.
Constructivism is important to comprehend since it has a big impact on how we learn as
students.