The document discusses the constructivist approach to teaching and learning. Some key points include: - Constructivism views learning as an active process of building knowledge based on personal experiences. The learner constructs mental models to make sense of new information. - Teachers take on facilitator roles like modeling, coaching and scaffolding rather than direct instruction. - Learning is an active, social process where students explore concepts, ask questions, and reflect on interactions and experiences. - National policies like the NCF 2005 emphasize a constructivist approach with a focus on conceptual understanding over rote learning and helping students learn how to learn.

1. Constructivist approach
Dr. V.Mercy Jyothi

2. Constructivist approach in teaching
• Shift of focus from teaching to helping.
• An opposition to the knowledge transmitted by the
teacher.
• How children learn determines how the teacher has
to organize the learning experiences.
• Guides or facilitators rather than the traditional
Didactic teacher.
• Recognition of paradigm shift from teaching to
learning by NCF 2005.

3. Concept of Constructivism
• Learning is the result of
Mental Construction.
• Creation of schema or
mental Models.
• Learning is a search for
Meaning.
Theoretical Exposition on
Constructivism:
• (NCFSE)Accepting the significance
of acquiring construction of
knowledge.
• Pillar of Education - Learn to
learn.
• NCF 2005- Distinguishing
information and Knowledge
Construction.
• Development of Independent
thinkers.

4. Highlights of National curriculum Framework
for school education(NCFSE)2005
• Recommendations of
Yashpal committee.
• NCFSE, 2005
Recommendations-
Softening of subject
boundaries,
Guiding principles of
NCFSE, 2005:
• Connecting knowledge.
• Shift from rote
methods.
• Overall development.
• Examination system.
• Nurturing overriding
identity

5. Understanding learning
• Psychologists- Learning is an act of
acquisition/Modification and reinforcing.
• Synthesis of Information.
• Learning is a process.
• Interactions and experience construct own
meaning and understanding.

6. Understanding how children learn
• General characteristics
of children – curiosity ,
exploration, discovery
and engagement.
• Form attitudes and
develop values( Observing
listening, doing, experiencing,
experimenting , playing).
• Learning is a complex
process(Interaction between
own thinking and experience)
• Active involvement
/engagement in
learning process
enhances
understanding retention
and transfer.

7. Developmental psychologists and
Educationists
• John Dewey:
• Founder of students
independent learning
approach.
• Education is the primary of
social progress and reform.
• Regards teachers as Guides
or facilitators.
• Jean Piaget:
• Learning is a
developmental cognitive
process(Creates knowledge
than receive).
• Construct knowledge on
experiences.
• Recommends interactive
classroom (Teachers share
active , mentoring role).

8. The Term constructivism
• Lev vygotsky:
• Emphasized the role of
culture and language in
developing students
thinking.
• Assistance in the
development of new
ideas.
• Piaget and vygotsky both
recommend engagement
of children in a process of
enquiry, exploration,
questioning, debates
application and reflection
leading to knowledge
building and new ideas.
Popularly termed as
constructive way of
teaching learning,

9. Constructivism as learning theory
• Views learning as a process of
constructing meaningful
representations of external
reality through senses.
• Emphasis on the learner.
• Believes learning as a process of
building conceptual structure
through reflection and
observation(Von glaserfeld,1995)
• Focuses on concept development
and deep understanding
(Fosnot,1996)
• Constructivist focuses on the way
knowledge is constructed by the
learner in the working memory.
• In constructivist view knowledge
construction takes place in
working memory.
• So constructivism assert the only
tools available are the senses.
• Active engagement involves
inquiry, exploration, questioning,
debates, application, and
reflection leading to theory
building and creation of ideas.

10. Constructivism
Constructivism is child centered curriculum rather
than subject centered and focuses on knowledge
construction believes that knowledge
construction is based on ones experiences and
everyone’s view differs from others because of
their unique set of experiences.

11. Guiding principles of constructivism
• Learning is an active process in which the learner
uses sensory input and constructs meaning out of
it.
• People learn to learn as they learn,
• Crucial action of construction is mental.
• Learning is a social activity.
• Learning is contextual.
• One needs knowledge to learn.
• It takes time to learn.

12. Constructivism as a philosophy of
education
• John Dewey and Maria Montessori are the
pioneers in contributing to the philosophy of
constructivism.
• Neurosciences support deweys concept of active
learning.
• Active learning conditionalizes knowledge
through Experiential learning.
• Education must Engage with, Expand experience,
methods must provide for exploration, thinking
and reflection and that interaction with
environment is necessary for learning.

13. Constructivist classroom
• Constructivist teachers use raw data and
primary sources along with manipulative
interactive and physical materials.
• In task framing constructivist teachers use
cognitive terminology such as “classify
,””Analyze”, Predict and “Create”.
• Seek elaboration of students Initial responses.
• Cooperative learning is structured on student
to student dialogue.
• Allow and wait after posing questions.

14. Role of teachers
• 3 major roles identified for facilitators:
• Modelling
• Coaching
• Scaffolding

15. 5 ‘E’ Model

16. Plan / Episode for a lesson
• Subject:
• Theme:
• Class:
• Duration: 50 to 60 min.
• Content/ learning points:
• Learning out comes:
• Engage:
• Explore:
• Explain:
• Elaborate:
• Evaluate:
• Discussion.

17. Natural Resources
• Subject:Enviromental science
• Theme:Natural resources(NR)
• Class:VIII
• Duration: 50 to 60 min.
• Content/ learning points:
• Learning out comes:
• Engage: Groups ---- Field ------ Observation----
equipment , worksheets ------ Questioning after listing (items
although made of NR why they didn’t indicate them as naturally
occuring? )-----Discussion among students (come out with a shared
meaning)----- tell them meaning, put some examples and ask them
to identify NR others if not NR why?, provide the groups with items
found in the environment and ask them to trace base material (By
teacher T) .

18. Contd…………
Explore:
• Ask the students to list various uses of water
and other resources.
• Basing on their understanding on natural and
man-made objects encourage them to
develop the concept.(Explanation must be
given by teacher on the concept)
• Ask them some more eg’s for Resources.
• By appropriate questions enable them to
develop the concept of Natural resources.

19. Explore contd….
• Take some eg’s like wooden table, paper, cloth
etc., students are made to explore that these are
made from NR. Time to explain the concept of NR
and its examples.
• Give activity to explore the concept from the
classroom environment.
• Ask them to identify the most commonly used NR
in the class and why do they think so.
• Development of Renewable and non renewable
resources with eg’s. Let the students list now
from their environment.

20. Explore contd….
• Divide the class and ask them to go with earlier prepared list
to explore the original material or ingredients made up of and
whether they are naturally occurring/made from NR/Human
synthesized material?
• Let the students discuss the following:
• Whether NR are plenty or Exhaustible, Renewable or non
renewable and where these resources are found.
• Illustrate it with an example say pencil in detail.
• Let the student to record their study
• Consolidate the findings of the study by pairs of students,
generate a discussion.
• They share their findings , reasoning's of classification and
develop a shared system.

21. Explain
• Allot themes to groups like well water, River
water, Sea water, ground water, Rain water
and ask them to explore their source and
explain whether it is a NR, its usage, which are
perennial and which are exhaustible.
• The students will explain the findings with
pic/charts/and a few may be asked to explain
through medium of telling a story.

22. Elaborate
• Conduct the activity”A drop of water” with
students help using a globe and make them to
appreciate the available fresh water for humans
to utilize through appropriate questions.
• Display a water resource picture and ask them to
observe the activities around them.
• Let them appreciate the use of water and identify
the misuse of water as NR and the importance of
judicious use.

23. Evaluate
• Evaluation is continuous and at each stage
they are been assessed by observation,
schedule for assessing group work, group
reports, group presentations.

24. Episode for a unit/Unit plan
• Subject : Biology
• Theme: Food for health
• Class:
• Unit plan: 5 periods
• Over all objectives of science:
• Key concepts:
• Pre-requisites: Begin with self and
find possible relationship.
• (Food and self,food for
others,Food- plants, animals,
energy, web/pyramid, consumption
by humans,cultural
practices,sources of food,diseases
due to deficiencies)
• Prior knowledge:
• Topic:
• Prepare essential questions:
• Sessions (5)
• Session-1:Engage(Capture the
students attention)
• Session-2: Explore(Giving activities,
project may be given)
• Session-3:Explain(Experimentation)
• Session-4: Elaborate(Discussion
stretching to theme)
• Session-5: Evaluate(summarize and
conclude foe reflection).

25. • Sessions (5)
• Session-1:Engage(Capture the students attention)
• Demo, movie clip, literature brainstorming)
• Session-2: Explore(Giving activities, project may be given)
• Think , plan, investigate, and organize information
• Session-3:Explain(Experimentation)
• Analysis of their exploration for framing explanations
• Scaffolds to ensure clarity and modify students explanation
• Session-4: Elaborate(Discussion stretching to theme)
• To expand and consolidate their understanding of the content and apply
• Session-5: Evaluate(summarize and conclude foe reflection).
• Implementation, performance assessment, Work sheets,Listing and giving
reasons.