ESSAY

When looking at educating children it is important to identify and understand what teachers
of the 21
st
century classify as important and the issues that they are facing. Many teachers are
now adopting the constructivist approach and incorporating inquiry based learning into their
teaching, thus, providing opportunities for social interactions and relationships to be formed.
As an educator, teachers form relationships not only with the students but with their families
and the wider community. The teaching profession places an importance on inquiry based
learning and relationships.
More and more teachers and schools are adopting the constructivist approach. The
constructivism theory suggests that children actively construct their own knowledge through
the exploration of their physical and social world (Castano, 2008, p.566). Constructivism is
important to both the teacher and the student as it plays a part in teaching and in learning.
Watson (2001) suggests that for teachers to use the constructivist approach they should
nurture student curiosity, formulate discussion, use prior knowledge to predict, ask open-
ended questions, engage in hands-on activities, and allow for student-guided activities (pp.
140-146). Constructivists believe that learners play an active role in constructing their own
knowledge, and social interactions are important to that knowledge construction (Bruning,
Schraw, Norby & Ronning, 2004, p.195). Constructivism provides opportunity for
conversations and interactions to take place.
The importance of social interactions (that Bruning et al., 2004, suggest) lends itself to the
social constructivist approach of Vygotsky. Vygotsky emphasised not only the cognitive
development of the child but also the social development (Sjoberg, 2008, p. 489). Vygotsky
suggests that it is impossible to separate learning from its social context (as cited in Steel,
2012, p. 784). Vygotsky goes on to say that children master concepts, that they would not be
able to do on their own, with the help of their peers and the teacher this is known as
Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development (as cited in Steel, 2012, p. 784). Therefore, it is
imperative that teachers provide students with the opportunity to work collaboratively with
peers so that they can problem solve together, learn from each other, make social interactions
and develop relationships.
Inquiry based learning lending itself to the constructivist approach. That is, having student-
centred and student-led activities (Hamm, Cullen, & Ciaravino, 2013, p. 35). Elements of
inquiry based learning include student-formulated hypotheses to explain or solve the
problem, data collection to test the hypotheses, conclusion, and reflection of process
(Woolfolk, 2007, p. 345). Inquiry based learning provides opportunities to develop problem-
solving and reasoning skills, gives context for learning and caters for the different learning
abilities (Hamm et al., 2013, pp. 35-36). Inquiry based learning is an approach that is moving
away from explicit teaching however much scaffolding is still needed from the teacher
(Hamm et al., 2013, p. 35). Hamm et al., (2007) found that children were able to explain to
others what they had learnt and children were also thinking about the big idea and connecting
it to relevant issues (2013, pp. 38-39). Thus, the inquiry approach is an avenue for students to
discover and research things that interest them, making inquiry-based learning student-driven,
active and allows personal construction of knowledge and skills (De Kock, Sleegers &
Voeten, 2004, p. 146). Inquiry based learning allows the teacher to assess the process which
the child takes rather than only assessing the final product (Piaget, 1969, p. 8). Throughout
the inquiry process children are interacting with their peers and the teacher, thus stimulating
conversation and developing relationships.
Through inquiry based learning students engage in discussion with peers thus allowing for
conversation and relationships to be formed. Kemp, Molloy, Pajic, and Chapman (2013)
found that the most important relationship according to the children was with their peers (p.
374). Kemp et al. (2013) go on to say that peer relationships are important as children can
bounce ideas off each other, learn appropriate social interaction skills and spur on curiosity
(p. 380). Thus, it is important that teachers provide opportunity for peer relationships to be
developed.
For teachers it is imperative that they form authentic relationships with the children. The first
standard of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is to know your students and
how they learn (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], 2012).
Thus, teaching is structured around the relationship formed with the teacher and the child.
Teacher-child relationships have been proven to improve academic results and social
competence in the child (Jerome & Pianta, 2008, p. 3). Jerome and Pianta (2008) go on to
discuss the different types relationships that teachers will encounter depending on the childs
gender, race, socioeconomic status, behavioural problems, academic ability and past
relationships as well as their race and gender and their own relationship with both their
parents and teachers (pp. 5-7). Although these are things that may affect the relationship
between teacher and child Jerome and Pianta (2008) acknowledge that the way in which the
environment is set up determines if these authentic relationships can still be formed (p. 10).
Thus, teachers need to create a supportive, safe and engaging environment for all students.
Whilst establishing authentic relationships between teacher and child is important, it must be
identified that learning does not begin at school; rather learning begins at home and in the
community (Family-School and Community Partnerships Bureau, 2014). Therefore, the
relationships that the teacher forms are not restricted to the children, teachers must also strive
for strong relationships and partnerships with the parents/families. Epstien (2001) explains
that the student is the centre of the partnership between school, family and community (p. 4).
The partnerships that are formed share responsibility for the childs development and learning
(Hill & Taylor, 2004, p. 161). According to the Family-School and Community Partnerships
Bureau (2014) family involvement in schools are imperative to high quality education
because the family are the first educators of the child. Bronfenbrenner (1979) states that,
child development is enhanced when frequent communications between home and school
occur (p.218). Henderson and Berla (1994) support Bronfenbrenner (1979) by declaring that
when schools work together with families to support learning, children tend to succeed not
just in school, but throughout life (p. 15). Thus, providing reason for why a teacher must
establish partnerships with the family and community of the child so that they can understand
the childrens prior knowledge and experiences and help the child reach their full potential.
Therefore, to understand what teachers of the 21
st
century classify as important and the issues
that they are faced with, one must be able to identify that the constructivist approach is being
used in many schools. This approach lends itself to inquiry based learning which incorporates
Vygotskys theory of social constructivism. Thus teachers must provide opportunities for
social interactions and relationships to be formed by peers (child-child), teacher-child,
teacher-family and teacher-community. Within teaching profession it is clear that there is an
importance placed on inquiry based learning and relationships.

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