Constructivism and Constructivist Theory - Essay Example

There are two significant concepts in the constructivist theory: psychological constructivism and social constructivism. According to Hein (1991), psychological or Piagetian constructivism employs that we have to focus on the learner in thinking about learning (not on the subject/lesson to be taught). Social or Vygotskian constructivism is based on the thought that “there is no knowledge independent of the meaning attributed to experience (constructed) by the learner, or community of learners (Hein, 1991).”

According to Abdal-Haqq (1998), there are two major traditions that a teacher may utilize when teaching in a constructivist approach: developmental and reconstructionist traditions. The developmental tradition includes teaching through “direct instruction in theory and practice, often without complementary opportunities for inquiry, discovery, or self-examination (Abdal-Haqq, 1998). The second tradition utilizes the student’s critical analysis and practical experience as important factors in deconstructing their prior knowledge and understanding (Abdal-Haqq, 1998).

Students in a constructivist approach are very active such that this kind of education depends on the action. Students have to draw knowledge based on their experiences that have meaning and importance to them. The role of the students is to involve themselves in manipulating materials with the community of learners or peers (The Constructivist Theory, n.d.) In Piaget’s concept of constructivism, learners are the main and most important subject and not the learning. The students therefore must go through first in their stages of development before they can fully understand and learn. Read More