Constructivism Based Teaching Learning ज्ञानरचनावाद आधारित अध्ययन अध्यापन

 

Constructivism Based Teaching Learning

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Abstract

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) developed by the National Council of Education Research and Training in 2005, recommends a paradigm shift from rote memory to learning by understanding. It suggests that school should facilitate the process of knowledge construction and help them to become independent thinkers capable of solving their everyday problems. In the new curriculum, teachers are seen as the main agents of change. The existing teaching practice is of “Information loaded” education, which puts s lot of stress on students. Most of the knowledge that students acquire at school is alien to their individual way of thinking. The acquired knowledge cannot be used, tested and verified by students making it deal knowledge. In Constructivism based teaching learning the teacher’s role is active and the students are the passive participants. In according NCF 2005 school should avoid filling students minds with mere facts rather they should facilitate the process of knowledge construction. Constructivism represents one of the big ideas in education. Its implications for how teachers teach and learn to teach are enormous. If our efforts in reforming education for all students are to succeed, then we must focus on students. To date, a focus on student-centered learning may well be the most important contribution of constructivism. Constructivism is a learning theory found in psychology which explains how people might acquire knowledge and learn. It therefore has direct application to education. The theory suggests that humans construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences. Conceptual understanding of the theory was discussed as well as basic characteristics of constructivists learning environment.

 Significant differences between traditional classroom and constructivist classroom were spelt out in a tabular form. Furthermore, principles of constructivism and several implications of constructivism for teaching and learning were reviewed. The study, therefore, concluded that teachers need to reflect on their practice in order to apply these ideas to their work and that constructivist teachers encourage students to constantly assess how the activity is helping them gain understanding.

 Constructivism is an approach to teaching and learning based on the premise that cognition (learning) is the result of "mental construction." In other words, students learn by fitting new information together with what they already know. Constructivists believe that learning is affected by the context in which an idea is taught as well as by students' beliefs and attitudes. Constructivism is a learning theory found in psychology which explains how people might acquire knowledge and learn. It therefore has direct application to education. The theory suggests that humans construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences. Constructivism is not a specific pedagogy. Piaget's theory of Constructivist learning has had wide ranging impact on learning theories and teaching methods in education and is an underlying theme of many education reform movements.

Constructivism

Constructivism is a set of assumptions about the nature of human learning that guides constructivist learning theories and teaching methods of education. His values developmentally appropriate facilitated learning that is initiated and directed by the learner. Constructivist focused on, Learning is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new Experiences. Constructivism is basically a theory which is based on observation and scientific study, about how people learn. It says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences (Bereiter, 1994). When we encounter something new, we have to reconcile it with our previous ideas and experience, maybe changing what we believe, or maybe discarding the new information as irrelevant. In any case, we are active creators of our own knowledge. To do this, we must ask questions, explore, and assess what we know. In the classroom, the constructivist view of learning can point towards a number of different teaching practices. In the most general sense, it usually means encouraging students to use active techniques (experiments, real-world problem solving) to create more knowledge and then to reflect on and talk about what they are doing and how their understanding is changing. The teacher makes sure he/she understands the students' preexisting conceptions, and guides the activity to address them and then build on them. According to Driscoll constructivism learning theory is a philosophy which enhances students' logical and conceptual growth. The underlying concept within the constructivism learning theory is the role which experiences-or connections with the adjoining atmosphere-play in student education. The constructivism learning theory argues that people produce knowledge and form meaning based upon their experiences.

Types of Constructivism

There are three major constructivist traditions, 1.Educational Constructivism, 2. Philosophical Constructivism, 3. Sociological Constructivism. Further educational Constructivism is divided in to personal Constructivism having its origin with Piaget. Social Constructivism which has its origins with Lev Vygotsky. Philosophical constructivism has its immediate origins in Thomas Kuhn’s work. Bruner and Gestalt theorists paid attention to epistemology, which is the defining feature of serious Constructivism. In short constructivism is a theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During infancy, it is an interaction between their experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns. In past constructivist ideas were not widely valued due to the perception that children's play was seen as aimless and of little importance. Jean Piaget did not agree with these traditional views, however. He saw play as an important and necessary part of the student's cognitive development and provided scientific evidence for his views.

Constructivism Based Teaching Learning

If we accept that constructivist theory is the best way to define learning, then it follows that in order to promote student learning it is necessary to create learning environments that directly expose the learner to the material being studied. For only by experiencing the world directly can the learner derive meaning from them. This gives rise to the view that constructivist learning must take place within a suitable constructivist learning environment. One of the central tenants of all constructivist learning is that it has to be an active process therefore, any constructivist learning environment must provide the opportunity for active learning.

Basic characteristics of Constructivist 

Learning Environments 

The following four basic characteristics of constructivist learning environments, which must be considered when implementing constructivist instructional strategies:

1) Knowledge will be shared between teachers and students.

2) Teachers and students will share authority.

3) The teacher's role is one of a facilitator or guide.

4) Learning groups will consist of small numbers of heterogeneous students.

 Characteristics of Constructivist Teaching

One of the primary goals of using constructivist teaching is that students learn how to learn by giving them the training to take initiative for their own learning experiences.

According to Audrey Gray, the characteristics of a constructivist classroom are as follows:

1. The learners are actively involved

2. The environment is democratic

3. The activities are interactive and student-centered

4. The teacher facilitates a process of learning in which students are encouraged to be responsible and autonomous

Constructivist Teaching Learning

In the constructivist classroom, students work primarily in groups and learning and knowledge are interactive and dynamic. There is a great focus and emphasis on social and communication skills, as well as collaboration and exchange of ideas. This is contrary to the traditional classroom in which students work primarily alone, learning is achieved through repetition, and the subjects are strictly adhered to and are guided by a textbook. Some activities encouraged in constructivist classrooms are:

1. Experimentation: students individually perform an experiment and then come together as a class to discuss the results.  

2. Research projects: students research a topic and can present their findings to the class.

3. Field trips. This allows students to put the concepts and ideas discussed in class in a real-world context. Field trips would often be followed by class discussions.

4. Films. These provide visual context and thus bring another sense into the learning experience.

5. Class discussions. This technique is used in all of the methods described above. It is one of the most important distinctions of constructivist teaching methods.

Difference between Traditional Classroom 

and Constructivist Classroom

In the constructivist classroom, the focus tends to shift from the teacher to the students. The classroom is no longer a place where the teacher pours knowledge into passive students, who wait like empty vessels to be filled. In the constructivist model, the students are urged to be actively involved in their own process of learning. The teacher functions more as a facilitator who coaches, mediates, prompts, and helps students develop and assess their understanding, and thereby their learning. And, in the constructivist classroom, both teacher and students think of knowledge not as inert factoids to be memorized, but as a dynamic, ever-changing view of the world we live in and the ability to successfully stretch and explore that view.

Traditional Classroom	Constructivist Classroom
1. Curriculum begins with the parts of the whole. Emphasizes basic skills.	1. Curriculum emphasizes big concepts, beginning with the whole and expanding to include the parts.
2. Strict adherence to fixed curriculum is highly valued.	2. Pursuit of student questions and interests is valued.
3. Materials are primarily textbooks and workbooks.	3. Materials include primary sources of material and manipulative materials.
4. Learning is based on repetition.	4. Learning is interactive, building on what the student already knows.
5. Teachers disseminate information to students; students are recipients of knowledge.	5. Teachers have a dialogue with students, helping students construct their own knowledge.
6. Teacher's role is directive, rooted in authority.	6. Teacher's role is interactive, rooted in negotiation.
7. Assessment is through testing, correct answers.	7. Assessment includes student works, observations, and points of view, as well as tests. Process is as important as product.
8. Knowledge is seen as inert.	8. Knowledge is seen as dynamic, ever changing with our experiences.
9. Students work primarily alone.	9. Students work primarily in groups.
10. Teacher role is Important but according to child role of teacher is change.	10. In the constructivist classroom, the teacher’s role is to prompt and facilitate discussion.

 Role of Teachers

The constructivism does not reduce the importance of the teacher, on the other hand their role becomes more complex, difficult and crucial. In the constructivist classroom, the teacher’s role is to prompt and facilitate discussion. Thus, the teacher’s main focus should be on guiding students by asking questions that will lead them to develop their own conclusions on the subject. David Janssen identified three major roles for facilitators to support students in constructivist learning environments.

1. Modeling                 2. Coaching                 3. Scaffolding             4. Motivation for Learning

5. Observer                  6. Helper                     7.

Application of constructivism for teaching and learning in Classroom

The field of education has undergone a significant shift in thinking about the nature of human learning and the conditions that best promote the varied dimensions of human learning. As in psychology, there has been a paradigm shift in designed instruction; from behaviorism to cognitivist and now to constructivism. The following steps is important when implementing constructivist teaching and learning in Classroom...

1) To provide experience with the knowledge construction process (students determine how they will learn). 2) To provide experience in and appreciation for multiple perspectives (evaluation of alternative solutions). 3) To embed learning in realistic contexts (authentic tasks). 4) To encourage ownership and a voice in the learning process (student centered learning). 5) To embed learning in social experience (collaboration). 6) To encourage the use of multiple modes of representation, (video, audio text, etc.) 7) To encourage awareness of the knowledge construction process (reflection, metacognition).

Benefits of Constructivism

 

1. Children learn more, and enjoy learning more when they are actively involved, rather than passive listeners. 2.Education works best when it concentrates on thinking and understanding, rather than on rote memorization. Constructivism concentrates on learning how to think and understand. 3. Constructivist learning is transferable. In constructivist classrooms, students create organizing principles that they can take with them to other learning settings. 4. Constructivism gives students ownership of what they learn, since learning is based on students' questions and explorations, and often the students have a hand in designing the assessments as well. Constructivist assessment engages the students' initiatives and personal investments in their journals, research reports, physical models, and artistic representations. Engaging the creative instincts develops students' abilities to express knowledge through a variety of ways. The students are also more likely to retain and transfer the new knowledge to real life. 5. By grounding learning activities in an authentic, real-world context, constructivism stimulates and engages students. Students in constructivist classrooms learn to question things and to apply their natural curiosity to the world. 6. Constructivism promotes social and communication skills by creating a classroom environment that emphasizes collaboration and exchange of ideas. Students must learn how to articulate their ideas clearly as well as to collaborate on tasks effectively by sharing in group projects. Students must therefore exchange ideas and so must learn to "negotiate" with others and to evaluate their contributions in a socially acceptable manner. This is essential to success in the real world, since they will always be exposed to a variety of experiences in which they will have to cooperate and navigate among the ideas of others.

Criticism of Constructivism

Several cognitive psychologists and educators have questioned the central claims of constructivism. It is argued that constructivist theories are misleading or contradict known findings.

1. Mayer (2004) Argues that not all teaching techniques based on constructivism are efficient or effective for all learners, suggesting many educators misapply constructivism to use teaching techniques that require learners to be behaviorally active. He describes this inappropriate use of constructivism as the "constructivist teaching fallacy". 2. In contrast, Kirschner,(2006) describe constructivist teaching methods as "unguided methods of instruction." They suggest more structured learning activities for learners with little to no prior knowledge. 3. Another concern held by critics of constructivism is that learners need to connect their knowledge to tangible objects in order to ensure that they have acquired the knowledge, and constructivist approaches do not support this learning-related need. According to these critics, cognitive learning is not enough for individuals; one must demonstrate knowledge by making artifacts (Papert & Harel, 1991). 4. Other concerns include that the Piagetian concept of constructivism overlooks important contextual factors in learning environments such as available educational resources, the need to integrate media into learning environments, learners’ preferences, and the affordance of individual student thinking (Ackermann, 2001). From a constructionist perspective, students are like blank slates for whom teachers need to design common instruction to guide them in how to learn and perform. In constructivist approaches, instructors are facilitators and not explicitly teachers. In a clearly-defined way of teaching, knowledge is not taught explicitly; rather, it is delivered as an accompaniment to learners’ experiences (Piaget & Inhelder, 2008) Constructivism focuses on learners’ cognitive process, whereas constructionism focuses more on tangible production: “Knowledge can best be learned or only learned through experience that is based primarily on the procedures of the discipline” (Kir schner. 2006) 

Conclusion

Constructivism  is undoubtedly a major theoretical influence in contemporary education. Particularly in teacher education. Constructivism began as theory of learning and it has progressively expanded its domain as theory of teaching, theory of education and a theory of scientific knowledge. Learners are respected as a unique individual, and instructors act facilitators rather than as teachers. NCF 2005 prescribed an innovative pedagogical process to be implemented in teacher education programme i.e constructivist pedagogy and critical pedagogy is the national concerns. It presupposes to be brought out a paradigm shift in teacher education programme.

Dr. Shaikh Mujeeb Shaikh Zameer

In-charge Principal A.M. College of Education (B.Ed.) Malegoan

Research Scholar, Dept. of Education Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad