The Importance Of Constructivism In Science

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Science is considered as a difficult to teach because it is an abstract concept. By using constructivism and pedagogical content knowledge in the classroom during science teaching and learning, the learning process can be made easier and enjoyable. PCK is the knowledge that teachers develop over time and through experience about how to teach particular content in particular ways in order to lead to enhanced student understanding (Loughran, Berry & Mulhall, 2012). The word ‘pedagogic’ itself means ‘leading a child to knowledge. Constructivism refers to knowledge constructed by learners through an active, mental process of development (Gray, 1997); learners are the builders and creators of meaning and knowledge (Gray, 1997)
Constructivism can be described as a theory about the limits of human knowledge, a belief that all knowledge is necessarily a product of their own cognitive acts (Matthews, 1993). A constructivist view of learning is considered as learning that actively involves the learner in the learning process and where the learner is engaged in constructing their own meanings and understandings on concepts. This means that not all learners will come to the same conclusion about different concepts, as everyone has developed an understanding/meaning based on their own knowledge and understanding. According to (Matthews, 1993) “We construct our understanding through our experiences, and the character of our experience is influenced profoundly by our cognitive lens”.

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