Seminar One

In an era of globalisation and increasing technological development, Constructivism has emerged as a theoretical basis for educational improvement in schools. Constructivism, in its purest form, is a model of how learning takes place (Coburn 1993). The core idea expressed by it has been developed by John Dewy, among others, to promote a view of teaching and learning that values the consciousness of who you are and why you do what you do, individual and social relationships and learning as construction. Knowledge viewed in a non-fixed state and is developed independently outside the learner. Churchill et al. (2013) identify that despite the widespread adoption of Constructivism in the education context, the model has created considerable confusion and controversy over its framework. It is essential to recognise that the model cannot succeed by merely engaging in 'hands-on' learning. A practical inquiry lesson will not install any meaning to the pupils if the entire class is not engaged in the negotiation and interpretation of ideas. In turn, Constructivism provides students with rich experiences and encourages them to reach their conclusions.

In my practice, I aim to embed the constructivist view of learning among several different teaching strategies and practices. In the most general sense, this means encouraging students to use active and techniques (experiments, real-world problem solving and inquiring thinking) that are relevant in their daily activities. Only through asking students what they think they know and why they think they know will both the student and I be able to confront their suppositions. Students will be asked to reflect on and talk about what they are doing and how their understanding is changing. Inevitably, as an effective constructivist teacher, I aim to understand the pupils' pre-existing conceptions and guide the activity to address them and thereby build on them. Constructivism can be misinterpreted as a learning theory that compels students to reinvent the wheel'. I believe Constructivism taps far more profound and the triggers the student's innate curiosity about the world and why their learning is essential. As a result, students become engaged by applying existing knowledge and real-world experience, learning to hypothesise, test their inquiry and ultimately draw conclusions from their findings.

Churchill, R et al. 2013, Teaching: Making a Difference, 2nd edn, John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd, Milton.

William W. Cobern (1993) Constructivism, Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 4:1, 105-112.

Image sourced Cult of Pedagogy. (2019). Cult of Pedagogy. [online] Available at: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com .