User:Josiepape27/Constructivism (philosophy of education)

Constructivism in the educational concept that can be described as the way in which knowledge is constructed and developed in the mind over time. Constructivism introduces the idea that knowledge is unable to exist without the use of our minds, and that knowledge is not necessarily discovered but constructed based on experiences.

The idea presents the idea that;

• Learners are intellectually generative to pose questions, solve problems, an knowledge) rather than empty vessels

• Instruction should be based primarily on developing learners' thinking.

• The locus of intellectual authority resides in neither the teacher nor the resources, but in the discourse facilitated by both teachers and learners).

Constructivism utilizes the preexisting theory of viability, which provides that descriptions of states or events of the world are relative to the observer, and presents the idea that "knowledge is not passively received from the world or from authoritative sources but constructed by individuals or groups making sense of their experiential world"

Theories of constructivism have been developed in order to provide students with additional opportunities to lead classroom discussions, facilitate topic discussion, and create relationships that foster equality and discussion between levels of authority within the classroom. i.e. between students and teachers. This dynamic of learning development through leadership and facilitation is one of the most prominent examples of the theory of constructivism in the classroom.

History
Constructivism in education evolved primarily as a result to dissatisfaction with traditional Western educational methodologies. However, the philosophical idea of Constructivism was developed before it was directly applied to education. Constructivism advances meaning making and knowledge construction as its foremost principles It views knowledge as temporary, nonobjective, internally constructed, developmental, and socially and culturally mediated. Individuals are assumed to construct their own meanings and understandings, and this process is believed to involve interplay between existing knowledge and beliefs and new knowledge and experiences.

The baseline ideas of Constructivism utilize the discoveries and main ideas of one of the most prominent developmental psychologists, Jean Piaget. He utilized theories and biological concepts such as the concept of equilibrium-disequilibrium to attempt to explain how learning and the changes in cognitive structures occur He believed that intellectual and cognitive development resembles a biological act that requires the organism's adaptation to environmental demands. Piaget believed that an individual encountering a new learning situation draws on prior knowledge to make the new experience understandable. To form a new level of understanding of a concept or idea, the individual or student has to reorganize or restructure their preexisting understanding and cognitive processes associated with it.

The psychologist Lev Vygotsky also developed theories that can assist with the understanding of the constructivist philosophy.

Four key principles derived from Vygotsky's ideas have played an important role. Two of them are very important for cooperative learning. First is his emphasis on the social nature of learning. Children learn, he proposed, through joint interactions with adults and more capable peers. On cooperative projects children are exposed to their peers' thinking processes; this method not only makes the learning outcome available to all students, but also makes other students' thinking processes available to all. Vygotsky noted that successful problem solvers talk themselves through difficult problems. In cooperative groups, children can hear this inner speech out loud and can learn how successful problem solvers are thinking through their approaches. The second key concept is the idea that children learn best the concepts that are in their zone of proximal developmen t. When children are working together, each child is likely to have a peer performing on a given task at a slightly higher cognitive level, exactly within the child's zone of proximal development, (p. 256)

Constructivism in Learning
Constructivism is a theory of learning, not a theory of teaching. For this reason, although there is an enormous body of literature on constructivism, the elements of constructivist teaching are not widely known. Constructivist teaching theory, built on constructivist learning theory, is a set of prescriptions that challenge the transmission or behaviorist paradigms advocated in many education programs. Experiential learning, self- directed learning, discovery learning, inquiry training, problem-based learning, and reflective practice are examples of constructivist learning models.

The role of the instructor in a constructivist learning environment is vital to the success and efficacy of the model itself.

In a constructivist classroom, the role of the instructor is encouraged to act as a facilitator of discussion, as opposed to the traditional model of "the teacher".

A researcher Joyce Mcleod clearly dictated the way in which she believed the concept should be applied to learning environments. According to her, "Teachers should not attempt to transfer conceptual knowledge to students through words, but instead they should be concerned with how learners understand the process of knowing and how they justify their beliefs." In the constructivist classroom, learning emphasizes the process, not the product.

Methodologies
The Flipped classroom model is a method in which the theory of constructivism is carried out in the classroom, wherein the students are encouraged to "flip" positions with the teacher. The students are encouraged to engage with and take control of their own education through direct interaction with their peers in the classroom and through navigation of various levels of leadership during the lesson.

A teacher's interaction with students in a flipped classroom can be more personalized and less didactic, and students are actively involved in knowledge acquisition and construction as they participate in and evaluate their learning.

The Harkness discussion method is a methodology of learning that focuses on student participation through "risk taking" methodologies. "Intellectual risk-taking, the act of engaging in learning by contributing an idea, question, or creative thought regardless of potential errors or judgments, is associated with many positive student outcomes; however, there is limited guidance on how to create an environment in which students feel empowered to be courageous in this way. "

The model is developed and implemented in order to combat the current structure of the school systems, which many believe to be rigid and do not allow for questioning and pushback from students in the learning process.

A private high school in the northeastern United States, Thomas Academy, was founded around the principles of the Harkness Method, and took care to implement the discussion method in each of the classes taught at the school.

Criticisms
Constructivism when applied to classroom settings has been criticized to a small but relevant degree. Much of this criticism can be connected back to the lack of peer-reviewed, journal-based research on the method, due to the difficulty of clearly defining what the philosophy could realistically look like in teaching settings. One critic specifically noted that "employing constructivist teaching practices is problematic at two levels: (1) There is an absence of empirical evidence of effectiveness; and (2) not employing this approach for which there is a lack of evidential support, means not employing instructional practices for which there is empirical support.