CONSTRUCTIVISM
Constructivism contends that learners form or construct their own understandings of knowledge and skills. Perspectives on constructivism differ as to how much influence environmental and social factors have on learners’ constructions. Piaget’s theory stresses equilibration, or the process of making internal cognitive structures and external reality consistent. Vygotsky’s theory places a heavy emphasis on the role of social factors in learning.
What Is the Role of Memory?
Constructivism has not dealt explicitly with memory. Its basic principles suggest that learners are more apt to remember information if their constructions are personally meaningful to them.
What Is the Role of Motivation?
The focus of constructivism has been on learning rather than motivation, although some educators have written about motivation. Constructivists hold that learners construct motivational beliefs in the same fashion as they construct beliefs about learning. Learners also construct implicit theories that concern their strengths and weaknesses, what is necessary for learning to occur, and what others think of their capabilities (e.g., parents, teachers).
How Does Transfer Occur?
As with memory, transfer has not been a central issue in constructivist research. The same idea applies, however: To the extent that learners’ constructions are personally meaningful to them and linked with other ideas, transfer should be facilitated.
Which Processes Are Involved in Self-Regulation?
Self-regulation involves the coordination of mental functions—memory, planning, synthesis,
evaluation, and so forth. Learners use the tools of their culture (e.g., language, symbols) to
construct meanings. The key is for self-regulatory processes to be internalized. Learners’ initial self-regulatory activities may be patterned after those of others, but as learners construct their own they become idiosyncratic.
What Are the Implications for Instruction?
The teacher’s central task is to structure the learning environment so that learners can construct understandings. To this end, teachers need to provide the instructional support (scaffolding) that will assist learners to maximize their learning in their zone of proximaldevelopment. The teacher’s role is to provide a supportive environment, not to lecture and give students answers.
