Understanding Constructivism

Constructivist Learning Theory states that learners actively construct their understanding and knowledge through experiences, interactions, and reflection.

It means engaging students in meaningful activities that connect to their prior knowledge and real-world contexts. It’s child-centred learning. Many of us have embraced it with varying degrees of success.

This learner-centred approach emphasises prior knowledge, which can be full of inconsistencies. Consider this: in a teacher-directed question-and-answer activity, the student with their hand up may be the only one with prior knowledge of the topic.

We access and store knowledge in various ways.

Care is needed when leaving the student to generate learning on their own. The outcomes won’t match teacher expectations. Well, they will if those expectations are written post learning.

Good luck trying to match them before the activity.

New information isn't simply added; it's integrated with what the learner already knows, creating a rich and interconnected web of understanding.

Collaboration plays a crucial role as learners engage in discussions, debates, and problem-solving activities, collectively constructing knowledge. Applying this theory necessitates a reevaluation of traditional learning models.

Constructivism has a place if used judiciously.