Constrictivism in Education

3580 Words15 Pages
Introduction In psychology and education, a common definition of learning is a process that brings together cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences and experiences for acquiring, enhancing, or making changes in one's knowledge, skills, values, and world views (Illeris,2000; Ormorod, 1995). An explanation of what happens during the learning process constitutes learning theories. A learning theory is an attempt to describe how people and animals learn. Learning theories are described as having two main functions. One is to provide the learner with vocabulary and a conceptual framework for interpreting the examples of learning observed. The other is to guide us where to look for solutions to practical problems. Theories fall under three main philosophical frameworks: behaviorism, cognitivist and constructivism. The following paper makes an attempt to define constructivism, show how the theory of constructivism guides teaching and learning and its implications on education. Constructivism Constructivism - whether as a mode of instruction or a school of thought on how the world is known by the observer - has a long and diverse history. While it has existed in some form for centuries, it has been known by a variety of names, practiced under a variety of guises and 'shapes' (Oxford 1997), and employed as an educational tool in numerous different ways. Constructivism refers to, "the philosophical belief that people construct their own understanding of reality" (Oxford 1997). Rather than assimilate a body of knowledge about one's world and environment, constructivists believe we 'construct' meaning based upon our interactions with our surroundings. These interactions provide the evidence and the opportunities for experimentation with the world and thus, construct our realities. In its most radical form, constructivists believe that there is no reality

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