CONSTRUCTIVIST

APPROACHES TO
INSTRUCTION

Presented by:
Cyrus Glen B. Avestruz
MAT-NATSCI
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: A
VIEW OF LEARNING

Constructivism is a rather heterogeneous idea. We

invent our own concept and ideas then link them to
what we already know.
Araje and Jones (2002) defined constructivism as
“the idea that development of understanding
requires the learner to actively engage in meaning –
making”.
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: A
VIEW OF LEARNING

Formalization of the theory of constructivism

is generally attributed to Jean Piaget, who
articulated mechanisms by which knowledge
is internalized by learners.
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: A
VIEW OF LEARNING

He suggested that through process of

accommodation and assimilation
individuals construct new knowledge from
their experiences.
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: A
VIEW OF LEARNING

HISTORY

Early educational philosophies did not place much

value on what would become constructivist ideas;
children's play and exploration was seen as aimless
and of little importance.
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: A
VIEW OF LEARNING

HISTORY

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: A
VIEW OF LEARNING

HISTORY

Today, constructivist theories are influential

throughout the formal and informal learning sectors.
CONSTRUCTIVISM: A
VIEW OF LEARNING

What is in a
constructivist
classroom?
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: A
VIEW OF LEARNING

In a constructivist classroom, learning

occurs as learners are actively involved in
a process of meaning and
knowledge
construction.
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: A
VIEW OF LEARNING

Learners are the makers of meaning and

knowledge. This fosters critical thinking
and creates motivated and independent
learners.
 CONSTRUCTIVISM:
CHARACTERISTICS

According to Audrey Gray, the characteristics

of a Constructivist classroom are as follows:
The learners are actively involved
The environment is democratic
The activities are interactive and student
centered
 CONSTRUCTIVISM:
CHARACTERISTICS

According to Audrey Gray, the characteristics

of a Constructivist classroom are as follows:
The teacher facilitates a process of learning
in which students are
encouraged to be responsible and
autonomous
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: PLANNING FOR
CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Three major roles for facilitators to support

students in constructivist learning
environments are:
- Modeling
- Coaching
- Scaffolding
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: PLANNING FOR
CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING ACTIVITIES

The goal is to produce a democratic

classroom environment that provides
meaningful learning experiences for
autonomous learners.
 CONSTRUCTIVISM: PLANNING FOR
CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Activities may include:

Experiments
Research project
Field trips
Films
Class Discussions
METACOGNITION

Metacognition is, put simply,

thinking about one’s thinking.
METACOGNITION

More precisely, it refers to the

processes used to plan,
monitor, and assess one’s
understanding and
performance.
METACOGNITION

Metacognitive practices
increase students’ abilities to
transfer or adapt their
learning to new contexts and
tasks (Bransford, et.al.)
METACOGNITION

“Students who know about

the different kinds of
strategies for learning,
thinking, and problem solving
will be more likely to use
them”
METACOGNITION

“Students who know about

the different kinds of
strategies for learning,
thinking, and problem solving
will be more likely to use
them”
 METACOGNITION

Examples of metacognitive activities include:

- planning how to approach a learning task
using appropriate skills and strategies to
solve a problem
- monitoring one's own comprehension of
text
 METACOGNITION

Examples of metacognitive activities include:

- self-assessing and self-correcting in
response to the self-assessment
- evaluating progress toward the completion
of a task
 TEACHER MODELING

Through explicit teacher modeling, the

teacher provides students with a clear
example of a skill or strategy. The teacher
provides a structure to guide students by:
Describing the skill or strategy
Clearly describing features of the strategy
or steps in performing the skill
 TEACHER MODELING

The teacher provides a structure to guide

students by:
Breaking the skill into learnable parts
Describing/modeling using a variety of
techniques
 TEACHER MODELING

The teacher provides a structure to guide

students by:
Engaging students in learning through
showing enthusiasm, keeping a steady pace,
asking good questions, and checking for
student understanding
TEACHER MODELING
Thank You! 