Module 3 – Module 3 : Constructivist Theories of Learning

Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Student Aims:

·      To understand the theory of constructivism and how it can be applied in the classroom

·      To know the role of both the teacher and the student within a constructivist classroom

·      To understand the theory of social constructivism and know how it can be applied within a classroom

·      To be able to compare and contrast constructivism with social constructivism

·      To understand how constructivism can be applied in a special education needs classroom and the difficulties that this theory can have within a SEN environment

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3.1 Introduction

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The education system is based on teaching pupils a set curriculum in order to make them comprehensive human beings who have a variety of skills they can use in the real world.

But effective education is more powerful and longer lasting than just meeting a set of requirements set out by the government. Effective education stems from understanding how your students learn, and how you can get the lesson across so that the students understand it on a deeper and more impactful level. It should also empower the students to learn things for themselves and by themselves.

The theories of constructivism and social constructivism will be discussed in this module, and we will explore how students can learn effectively. The application of constructivism in the SEN classroom will also be discussed.

3.2 Constructivism

Constructivism explores the way that people learn; it states that individuals construct or create their own knowledge and understanding of the world.

It also states that people gain this knowledge and understanding through their life experiences and their reflection upon those experiences. Within this theory, learning is an active process. It believes that people are consistently evaluating their previous and current beliefs and experiences in a way that can change them, discard them, or affirm and solidify them.

3.3 The Constructivist Classroom

The constructivist classroom can be a place that allows many different teaching practices.

But within all of them, a core method will be expressed: constructivist teaching often encourages students to use active practices – such as real-world problem-solving and experiments – to attain higher knowledge and to reflect on it. It also encourages students to talk about what they are thinking and be able to realise how their understanding is changing.

Constructivism removes the emphasis on the teacher as the expert, who gives knowledge to passive students. Rather, it emphasises the role of learning on the student, who is urged to be active in their own learning process.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Teacher

A constructivist teacher would usually start with a class discussion to identify and understand their students’ preconceptions and beliefs about the topic. Then, the teacher would encourage the students to address these notions and build upon them. This enables the teacher to guide students in the way that they should approach a new topic – address how one thinks about the topic before learning about it, and then after learning about it, reflect upon it to reach a deeper understanding.

Constantly encouraging one’s students to evaluate and reflect upon how a lesson or activity is influencing their understanding is what encapsulates the role and responsibility of the teacher. The ‘aim of the game’ in the constructivist classroom is to encourage the students to become expert learners by ensuring that they continuously question the content and their learning strategies. This allows them to develop their thinking processes into a strong foundation, which will aid them in their future approaches to academics.

Evaluating their learning at the beginning and comparing it to the reflections they have at the end, allows a student to truly absorb the impact of this process.

An example would take place in a science class, where students are discussing in groups a problem regarding biology. The teacher knows the answer, but the focus of the lesson is to guide students to restate questions in ways that will help them to find the answer.

The teacher would ask the students to reflect on their present knowledge. At the mention of a relevant concept from one of the students, the teacher would focus the attention of the lesson on that thought and build on it until the answer is reached. Then, experiments and activities can be performed in class to emphasise the lesson.

Finally, the lesson would be wrapped up by discussing what has been learned and how the activities did or did not help bring the students to their newfound understanding of the lesson.

Under the constructivism theory, the following applies:

• The teacher acknowledges the experiences and knowledge that each student brings into the classroom
• Active enquiry is the process through which an educator’s students construct their own knowledge
• The teacher provides necessary and relevant resources that will lead students to discover the subject’s knowledge
• The teacher assists students with assimilating old and new knowledge for present understanding
• The teacher acknowledges that the information can be interpreted in many different ways
• Interdisciplinary education allows students to connect knowledge to a bigger and more meaningful picture
• The teacher facilitates a learning environment and discussion where experts and non-experts on a subject can learn from one another

Roles and Responsibilities of the Student

In the theory of constructivism, the role of the student has more of an emphasis in the classroom and assumes that the student takes more responsibility for his or her education.

Specific points on the role of a student:

• A student will participate actively in their own education
• Students will assimilate old and new information to create a new understanding
• Reflecting on their personal experiences is an important aspect that allows students to control their own learning process
• Preconceived notions are those that surface at the beginning of a course of study
• A student may be reluctant to give up an established belief, which may result in the rejection of new information that challenges their knowledge
• A student must know how to learn, as well as be able to change their learning style and identify when these things need to occur

These points serve as a guide to show you how constructivism views the students, and – if you choose this theory as the basis of your classroom – how you should view your students. There could be difficulty when a student struggles to give up an established belief because this can cause conflict within their thought process.

Challenging one’s thoughts on a consistent basis is a difficult task. However, the struggle will only last temporarily, as students need to become accustomed to the fact that there may not be an answer to some questions, and that is okay.

Applying Constructivism in the Classroom

Constructivism can be applied in your lesson plans by creating content that opens up with a discussion of the title you wish to discuss. Ask your students what they think of the title of the topic, and what their thoughts are, giving a brief synopsis of the situation. Then, assign the lesson to be further explored as homework. Instead of assigning the traditional form of homework – assignments or review questions – assign the lesson as homework. Then, set the assignments and review questions to be completed in class. This creates a learning environment where students have taught themselves the knowledge as far as they are able to, and must now practise what they have learned.

You, the teacher or “expert”, will be there to assist them in reviewing this knowledge, which can confirm, re-assess or deepen the understanding that the student had attained previously at home.

Another way of applying constructivism is by introducing a unit of study with a student research project. Give the title of the module that you are about to cover and assign the students to research as much as they can about it before you teach it. This allows them to look for and evaluate the information on a topic before it is introduced to them. It also ensures that they are somewhat familiar with the subject matter that you are about to teach.

3.4 Social Constructivism

Social constructivism is a sociological theory that builds on the theory of constructivism, where a group of people can work together to construct new knowledge – basically, it encourages group work.

It focuses on the learning of an individual student that takes place because of the interaction within a group of people.

So, essentially, it frames the concept that people who work together can solve problems more effectively.

Social constructivism is most often exemplified by the practice of classroom discussion and group work within the lecture time; activities which encourage the students to work together to problem-solve and discuss topics.

Class Discussions

This practice is exactly as it sounds: the entire class participates in a discussion about a given topic; the teacher acts as a discussion facilitator or guide. Voluntary contribution or mandatory contribution can be part of the environment (although, voluntary is more beneficial to the learner because you create a safe environment where your students have a choice in what they do).

Depending on the purpose of the discussion, you can guide the discussion to reach a conclusion about a problem or leave it open-ended in a way that students do not come to a conclusion, but rather are left with their own reflections on what was discussed.

Determining whether your discussion should be open-ended or reach a conclusion will depend on the subject matter. More often than not, science-related questions or problems requiring logical thought would have a firm conclusion at the end of the discussion. In contrast, discussions revolving around politics, social-related issues or art will likely lead to an open-ended conclusion, because this information is largely more interpretive.

Group Work Within the Classroom

Group work is more associated with splitting your students up into groups in order to work on an element of the lesson. This could be done for smaller discussions, in-class group activities, and group-based projects.

The grading scheme for this type of work is entirely up to you and can usually go one of two ways: a grade can be given to each individual based on work contribution and level of thinking, or the grade can be determined by the result of the entire group’s effort.

Group work within the classroom can be a difficult thing to effectively grade, but its benefits in creating peer-supportive learning groups can go beyond the student’s grades. It can contribute to aspects that the school system does not grade, like a student’s self-esteem, social interaction with peers, and even friendships.

Fact

Formalization of the theory of constructivism is generally attributed to the psychologist, Jean Piaget, who articulated mechanisms by which knowledge is internalised by learners. He suggested that through processes of accommodation and assimilation, individuals construct new knowledge from their experiences.

Source: wikipedia.org

Source: ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

3.5 Constructivism and Special Educational Needs

Constructivism may seem a very appealing method to teach your students.

However, when it comes to a Special Educational Needs class, it can be a challenging method as the students have varying needs.

The Difficulties of Constructivism in SEN

Special Educational Needs classes are for students who need a modified lesson and learning environment so that they can thrive and unlock their ultimate capacity. A SEN classroom setting cannot fully accommodate the theory of constructivism. There are two reasons why.

Some students may not have the capacity to construct knowledge in the way that constructivism says is possible. This is particularly true for autistic individuals. Conceptual thinking can be a difficult task for these students, and constructivism does not acknowledge that. Students with these types of learning difficulties are made accountable for their own learning process, which is unfair.

If one has difficulties learning by themselves, should they be made accountable for their own education? Probably not, because it will often leave the student feeling alone, hopeless and unsupported in a learning environment – a learning environment that is telling them that they are not learning anything because of their disability, which is ultimately their fault. This is a completely disempowering way to apply constructivism and has the opposite effect of what the theory is supposed to do.

This point leads to the second reason constructivism is not able to be universally applied to a SEN environment: because constructivism ultimately puts the accountability of learning and education onto the student and, in most cases, (but not all), a student with Special Educational Needs is not able to take on that kind of responsibility. SEN students need support and creative methods to help them move around the barriers that they face due to their learning difficulties.

So, if the constructivism learning theory, applied in a special educational needs setting, results in disempowering its students (which fundamentally goes against its own goals), then is it completely inapplicable to a SEN setting? Not entirely. The aspects that can be successfully incorporated into a SEN classroom will be discussed below. However, it is important to note that while constructivism seems like a progressive means of education for students, it is generally so only for students without a significant learning disability.

Successfully Applying Constructivism in SEN

While it may seem that constructivism has a lot of drawbacks to the SEN classroom and may not be the most ideal application for this kind of learning environment, there are aspects of constructivism that should be incorporated into a special educational needs classroom.

The first is to recognise the level of ability that each of your students has for autonomy in their learning career. You should try to build on that autonomy for every student because it empowers them in their learning ventures.

Autonomy is an integral aspect to incorporate in a SEN environment because it will create some of the most relevant lessons that the students should have. Perhaps the question is: “How can students with special needs function, work and behave autonomously?”

Most of the time, the students are used to people hovering over them and having them think on their behalf because of their learning or cognitive difficulties. By creating an environment where these students are able to have a voice for themselves and can figure things out (as best as possible) for themselves, you are creating a classroom full of self-empowered individuals.

The second aspect is to expand on the basis of social constructivism – to make communal learning a routine occasion. This will help your students to connect and identify with each other as peers. By creating a learning environment that emphasises group learning and peer relationships, you are expanding the social network of each student and shaping a larger support team for each of them. You are also creating a network of support between different levels of learning.

In a SEN class, your students will undoubtedly be approaching the curriculum from different levels of learning, using different strengths. By creating a group learning environment, the students who are more able in certain areas could help others who do not understand the topic. In other words, peers are helping peers in this learning environment, which is what social constructivism is all about.

Conclusion

Constructivism can be an exciting and progressive viewpoint for mainstream education and its students. It can be applied in such a way that empowers students to autonomous education that leads to a more fulfilling, deeper education.

Social constructivism expands on this theory by applying it to a social environment. It states that creating a group learning environment can help peers educate one another and reflect on things that they may not have considered before. Class discussions and group work are methods of applying this theory. However, constructivism is not fully applicable to a SEN classroom setting due to the varying abilities of its students.

In Module 4, we discuss the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice.

WELL DONE!

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