Constructivism is a learning theory that posits that people actively construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. It sees learning as an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring it. Key contributors to constructivism include Piaget who saw children as active learners constructing knowledge through stages, Vygotsky who emphasized social learning and culture, and Dewey who felt learning should be engaging. In constructivist classrooms, teachers organize information and prompt student questions, while students build on prior knowledge through inferences and relationships between ideas.

1. Constructivism
SUBJECT: THEORY OF IR
LECTURER: DR.KONCAK
STUDENT: DZHUMAGUL MALDYBAEVA
GROUP: IR-4A
International Atatürk-Alatoo University

2. What is Constructivism?
 “Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on
the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we
construct our own understanding of the world we live
in” (Brooks & Brooks)
 It is “based on a type of learning in which the learner
forms, or constructs, much of what she learns or
comprehends” (Cashman et al 390)

3. What does THAT mean???
 Constructivism is the idea that learning doesn’t just
happen by the traditional methods of teachers
standing in front of the class and lecturing.

4. Confucius and
Constructivism
 It is best described by Confucius’ quote: “I hear and I
forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
(Cashman et al 390)

5. Who Contributed to
Constructivism?
 Jerome Bruner
 Jean Piaget
 Lev Vygotsky
 John Dewey

6. Jerome Bruner
 Very influential psychologist
 His concern with cognitive psychology “led to a
particular interest in the cognitive development of
children… and just what the appropriate forms of
education might be” (Smith)

7. Jean Piaget
 Developed the cognitive learning theory
 Felt children were “active learners” who constructed
new knowledge “as they moved through different
cognitive stages, building on what they already knew”
(Cushman et al 392)

8. Piaget’s Four Cognitive
Stages
 Sensorimotor
 “learning takes place primarily through the child’s senses
and motor actions” (Cushman et al 393)
 Preoperational
 “children begin to use symbols and images” (Cushman et
al 393)
 Concrete Operational
 “children begin to think logically” (Cushman et al 393)
 Formal Operational
 Children begin to think in an abstract way

9. Lev Vygotsky
 Developed the social cognition theory which “asserts
that culture is the prime determinant of individual
development” because humans are the only creatures
to have created cultures and therefore it effects our
learning development. (“Vygotsky and Social
Cognition”)

10. Vygotsky theorized that a child’s cultural upbringing
greatly effects their learning development.

11. John Dewey
 Believed that learning should be engaging to the
students… they will learn better if they are interested.
 Was a huge influence on our education system
 Believed in “educating the whole child, physically,
mentally, and socially, and not just on the dispensation
of facts and information” (Cushman et al 395)

12. What does this mean for
Teachers?
 “In a constructivist setting… the role of the teacher is
to organize information around conceptual clusters of
problems, questions and discrepant situations in order
to engage the student’s interest. Teachers assist the
students in developing new insights and connecting
them with their previous learning” (Hanley)

13. What does this mean for
Students?
 In the classroom, students must work on building
upon the knowledge they already have.
 “Inferences, elaborations, and relationships between
old perceptions and new ideas must be personally
drawn by the student in order for the new idea to
become an integrated, useful part of his/her memory”
(Hanley)

14. What does this mean for
me?
I would definitely use some constructivist methods in my
classroom because I believe that it is a well-developed
concept. As a student, I definitely learn better when I
am more focused, engaged, and interested. As a
teacher, it feels good to watch a student expand their
knowledge in hands-on ways.

15. What does this mean for
me?
 Some examples of things I would do in my classroom:
 Inquiry: “prompt students to formulate their own
questions” (“Constructivism as a…”)
 Multiple intelligences: “allow multiple interpretations and
expressions of learning” (“Constructivism as a…”)
 Collaborative learning: “encourage group work and the
use of peers as resources” (“Constructivism as a…”)

16. Works CIted
 Brooks, Jaqueline, and Martin Brooks. "Constructivism." Funderstanding:
Education and Training for Active Learners. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.funderstanding.com/content/constructivism>.
 Cashman, Thomas J., Glenda A. Gunter, Randolph E. Gunter, and Gary B. Shelly.
Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology and Digital Media in
the Classroom, Fourth Edition (Shelly Cashman Series). 4 ed. Cambridge:
Course Technology, 2005. Print.
 "Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning." THIRTEEN. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index_sub2.h
tml>.
 Hanley, Susan. "On Constructivism." Townson. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
<www.towson.edu/csme/mctp/Essays/Constructivism.txt>.
 Smith, Mark. " jerome bruner and the process of education ." contents @ the
informal education homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.infed.org/thinkers/bruner.htm>.
 "Vygotsky and Social Cognition." Funderstanding: Education and Training for
Active Learners. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.funderstanding.com/content/vygotsky-and-social-cognition>.