Tobin (1993) noted that the constructivist approach has become increasingly popular over the last ten years and it therefore represents a paradigm shift in teaching science. Yeany (1991) argued that "an unification of thought, research, curriculum development and teacher training now seems to happen under the theme of construction"(p 1). According to Scott, Asoko, Emberto and Driver (1994), "science learning involves epistemological and conceptual development in a constructivist perspective" (p. 219).
Constructivism sees learning as a social and dynamic process in which learners construct meaning from their experiences as part of their previous understandings and the social environment (Driver,Asoko, Leach,Scott and Mortomer, 1994). The
…show more content…
The teaching methods based on constructivist approach are very effective to help students understand, recall and apply the essential information, concepts and skills. They are used to make lessons interesing, activate students ' prior knowledge, help to develop and organise information and promote questioning. Slavin( 1994,p. 237-239) discusses the important concepts of this approach as mentioned below:
Advance organisers: general statements given before instruction that links new information to existing knowledge to help students process new information by activating background knowledge, suggesting relevance and encouraging accommodation;
Analogies: highlighting the similarities between things that are otherwise unlike, to help students learn new information by relating it to concepts they already have; and
Elaboration: the process of reflection on the new material in a way that connects it with existing
…show more content…
Traditional classes are normally dominated by direct and unilateral instruction. Teachers following the traditional approach presume that there is a fixed body of knowledge that the student must come to know. Students are expected to blindly accept the information they are provided without questioning the teacher (Stofflett, 1998). The teacher seeks to transmit meanings and thought to the passive student providing little room for questions initiated by students, independent reflection or interaction between students ( VAST, 1998). Even in activity-based subjects when learners are working activities in a group, group discussion or exploration of the concepts are not promoted. This tends to neglect critical thinking and unifying concepts essential to authentic science literacy and appreciation ( Yore 2001). This teacher-centered approach of teaching also assumes that all learners have a comparable basic level of background knowledge in the subject matter and are able to absorb the material at the same pace (Lors,
The paradigm of my inquiry is primarily qualitative. As a researcher I listened to informants at all levels both in the academia and the business sector in an attempt to build a picture based on their perception of the fundraising reality. For this I employed the constructivist approach in the sense used by Lincoln and Guba (Lincoln and Guba, 1985) by assembling a puzzle from the pieces presented by the subjects as understood by me as a researcher. ' Constructivism departs from the basic tenet that reality is socially constructed' (Robson 2002:27) and not ‘out there’ waiting to be ‘discovered’. The methodological assumption is that of an emerging research design where the categories are not pre-defined but rather identified during the research
Children of poverty are faced with many challenges in life. Educationally these challenges at times are amplified due to the environment, resources, and conditions the children encounter. Do students who come from impoverished backgrounds need to be taught differently in order to be successful learners? If we look at the Constructivism Theory, one would think so. This theory’s main concept is “that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.
Assignment- A written account of the main implications of children’s misconceptions in Primary Science. A science misconception is where children have an incorrect idea of a science topic that causes a barrier in understanding and to learning in all levels of education (Allen 2014), children’s idea’s come from their life experiences and the interaction which they display to other children and adults that shapes their ideas and understanding (Sewell, 2014). It can be influenced by many things such as the media or even from family or friends for example the Cars (2006) movie which shows children that cars are alive and have human facial features this leads to the children obtaining a misconception that cars are alive. However, children already have a bit of knowledge about science before entering school which is why they have their own understanding of how the world works during their time in the classroom.
Constructivism Constructivism as a prototype posits that learning is an active constructive process.
• Classroom Environment I observed a second grade classroom on Wednesday November 18, 2015. During science block time, and the experiment I observed was chemical reactions. I arrived fifteen minutes before the science block time, because I wanted to observe the transition. The transitioning indeed was smooth, and the children shared their happiness about the science experiment. The class on this day had the 23 students and the teacher present.
Theories are design for educators to appreciate the process of how children learn, think and ultimately become an effective and efficient part of society. Constructivist theory is the driving force that will guide interactions within my educational setting. Constructivist theories focus on development through interactions with people and the environment. The theory supports strategies of Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Montessori
As an educator with no former degree in education, scientific literacy in its raw term means a display of a student 's adequate understanding of scientific terms. The word “literacy” can either mean one’s ability to read and write or knowledgeability, learning, as well as education (Norris and Phillips, 2003). Therefore, scientific literacy would mean the above definition in the field of science. Perhaps due to ignorance, this term was at first foreign to me. In researching for this assignment, however, it dawned on me why scientific literacy is a central issue in science education.
“Sociology is the study of groups and group interaction, societies, and social interactions, from small and personal groups to very large groups” (OpenStax College, 2015, p. 6). In other words, sociology is the objects and people that affect our way of living. Whether it is one’s religion or a current trend that everyone is going crazy about. Culture, politics, family and many other concepts make up a person’s social life. Sociologists study these concepts to understand what makes society works.