Constructivism

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What is Constructivism?

Constructivism has been a popular term used in education since the 1990s but can be traced back to a much earlier time than that (Maddux & Cummings, 1999, p.8). Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are the two theorists who are closely linked to the development of constructivism. Over the past decade, education has seen an alarming increase in the number of students who are qualifying for special education services as well as students who are being labeled as “at risk” students. Having such an increase in special education the demand to find a teaching style that works best for students with disabilities has become extremely popular. An increase in popular terms and trendy forms of teaching instruction has developed in education. A popular “buzz” word that has invaded the educational world is Constructivism; even though constructivism is not a new term it does lack a concrete definition.

The term constructivism has been used to explain everything from school reform to teaching styles, and most importantly related to a learning theory. As you can imagine the term Constructivism has the potential to develop many misconceptions since it lacks a universal definition. “Constructivism is an important theory of learning that is used to guide the development of new teaching methods”(Baviskar, Hartle & Whitney, 2009, p.541). The framework of constructivism is built upon the understanding that “learning is an active process that is student centered in the sense that, with the teachers help, learners select and transform information, construct hypothesis’, and make decisions”(Chrenka, 2001, p.694). It is important to understand that when speaking about constructivism we are referring to a learning theory not teach...

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...dent-centered classroom, which allows students to act upon their prior knowledge and learn through hands on experience. If you have ever been involved with or around students with disabilities you may be extremely hesitant to adopt a constructivist view on education. Students with disabilities require a much more structured learning environment in order to be successful. Many education professionals feel that the appropriate learning experience and learning environment for students with disabilities would be one of a more teacher-directed or explicit teaching style. It would not be fair to assume that a constructivist approach to special education would be a complete failure. However, combining multiple constructivist strategies with some explicit teaching strategies you could quite possibly be able to achieve success when teaching students with disabilities.

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