FACILITATING

LEARNER-CENTERED
TEACHING
CHAPTER 5:
CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING THEORIES
FACILITATING
LEARNER-CENTERED
TEACHING
CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
JEROME BRUNER’S CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY, GESTALT THEORY,
AND DAVID AUSUBEL’S SUBSUMPTION THEORY
JEROME BRUNER’S CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY
❑Jerome Bruner believes that
learning is an active process
where learners can create new
ideas or concepts utilizing their
current or past knowledge
about things, events or
situations.
❑When properly guided and
motivated, learners can even go
beyond the information given to
them..
Categorization involves
perception, conceptualization,
learning, decision-making and
making inferences.
The learners should never fear
of committing mistakes or errors
while discovering because
everything that happens in
between is a part of their
construction of new ideas or
concepts.
CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
JEROME BRUNER’S CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY
Bruner (1966) emphasized four major aspects to be
addressed during the teaching and learning process.
How a body of knowledge The most effective The nature and pacing
Predisposition towards can be structured so that it
sequences in which to of rewards and
learning can be most readily
grasped by the learner present material punishments

• The child's readiness to • Topics and concepts • The teacher considers • Rewards and
learn is an important are effectively learned which the learners punishments should be
aspect to consider in when details of such need most, can properly selected and
learning concepts and are arranged and understand first and that whenever they are
skills. Love of learning ordered in the context can master first as a given to learners, they
should be emphasized of the learner. pre-requisite should know and
at an early age. Structures are usually knowledge or skill to understand why they
arranged from simple the next topic or are rewarded or
to its more complex concept. punished.
form.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
JEROME BRUNER’S CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY

BRUNER’S Instruction must be structured so that it

can be easily grasped by the student
PRINCIPLES (spiral organization).

OF INSTRUCTION:
Instruction should be designed to
facilitate extrapolation and or fill in the
gaps (going beyond the information
given).

Instruction must be concerned with the

experiences and contexts that make the
student willing and able to learn
(readiness).

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
 Gestalt Principles Design Activity

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Search on the internet for “Gestalt Principles Design”
2. Download three sample pictures
3. Submit the three pictures in the submission engine in Canvas

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
GESTALT THEORY
Gestalt
psychology was
introduced in 1912
by Max
Wertheimer. He is
a German
psychologist who ❑Similarity—elements that have the same or nearly similar
believed that a features are grouped together
whole is more than ❑Proximity—elements that are near to each other are
just the totality of grouped together
its parts. The focus ❑Continuity—elements that define smooth lines or even
of this theory was curves are also grouped together
on grouping. ❑Closure—elements that fill up missing parts to complete an
entity are grouped together

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
GESTALT THEORY

When teachers present information or concepts to

their learners, instructional strategies should utilize
these laws of grouping. The strategies a teacher uses
will help learners discover if there are elements
hindering them from learning new concepts.
Teachers assist learners in removing these barriers to
learning so that new knowledge can be stored and
effectively utilized in varied situations.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
GESTALT THEORY

Instruction should
The learner
be based upon Gaps,
Major should be
the laws of incongruities,
Principles of encouraged to
organization: disturbances are
Gestalt theory discover the
similarity, an essential
of learning underlying nature
proximity, stimulus for
(Koffka, 2013): of a topic or a
continuity, learning.
problem.
closure.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
SUBSUMPTION THEORY

The Subsumption Theory was developed by David Ausubel.

This theory emphasizes how individuals learn large amounts

of meaningful material from both verbal and textual
presentations in a school setting.

The use of advance organizers is a useful way of learning.

Subsumption means to put or include something within
something larger or more comprehensive.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
SUBSUMPTION THEORY
The Subsumption Theory presents four learning processes where
a piece of new knowledge is assimilated into an existing
cognitive structure (Ausubel et al. 1978):
1.Derivative subsumption: a new concept learned is an
example of a concept that you have already learned before
2.Correlative subsumption: a new concept learned is an
extension or modification of a previously learned information
3.Superordinate subsumption: what was learned are specific
examples of a new concept
4.Combinatorial subsumption: a new concept is combined with
a prior known concept to enrich both concepts.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 1
FACILITATING
LEARNER-CENTERED
TEACHING
CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 2
COOPERATIVE AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
COOPERATIVE LEARNING
❑ Cooperative learning allows a lot of
opportunities to develop learners’ interpersonal
skills.
❑ Cooperative learning is also a part of
constructivism because it allows the creation
and innovation of knowledge through group
interaction and active participation of each
member.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 2
FEATURES OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING
Students are actively engaged thus developing in each
member their cooperative spirit.
Each member is challenged to give his or her best
because it can create a healthy competitive spirit.
It allows learners creativity and innovation because they
interact with their age mates, peers or classmates.
It develops positive attitudes like open-mindedness,
listening skills, humility, and give-and-take attitude.
It reduces pressure from work and creates a positive
classroom atmosphere.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 2
STAGES OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING
Teachers assign them to their groups. Sometimes,
learners can also be given a chance to choose
their group mates depending on the nature of the
task given.

Clear and concrete instructions should be given

by the teacher like the time element involved to
finish the task, materials to use, the role of the
members and the like. In this way, time is also
well utilized.

Each member performs his or her own assigned

role. Learners should be free to interact and to
comment on each other’s works.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 2
“Experience is the best teacher.”

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 2
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
❑Actual hands-on activities are still the most effective means of learning.

❑Experiences that are direct and purposeful are still the learners' best
opportunity to master a concept or a skill.

❑Direct and purposeful experiences are rich experiences that the senses bring
from which ideas, concepts, generalizations are constructed (Dale, 1969).

❑In planning the delivery of a lesson or topic, the way experiences are
processed and utilized in the classroom makes it easier for the learner to
internalize what has been taught. They can see and feel that what is being
learned is a part of their real-life situations.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 2
 Learning Output 6
INSTRUCTION: Search the different cooperative learning strategies, and develop a
learning activity aligned to your field of expertise.

CHAPTER 5 | LESSON 2