Constructivism is used in many disciplines and caution is necessary in using the term constructivism especially in the field of education. However, even in the limited area of education, constructivism has different meanings. Constructivism described the learning and teaching, and the curricula and assessment, respectively. In addition, it is used in the epistemological or philosophical meaning that described different things. In the historical view, it demonstrated the development of constructivism, its origin and current conditions. Particularly, it emphasized in the field of science and mathematics education and it influenced a larger scheme.
In education, constructivism is a theory of knowledge rooted in psychology, philosophy, and cybernetics with two main principles that applied different results in the study of the cognitive development and learning development intended for the teaching, psychotherapy, and interpersonal management practices. First, the knowledge received impassively; however, it is actively built with the recognized subjects. Second, its cognitive function is adaptive; it means that it serves the experiential view of the organization, and not a sole discovery of ontological reality.
Jerome Burner, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygotsky contributed in the theory of constructivism. Jerome Burner was one of the first proponents of constructivism that learning is an active process wherein learners construct new ideas or concepts based on the past or current knowledge. In the understanding of the development of learning in children, Jean Piaget contributed immeasurably and comprehensively. The human being possessed the mental structures that assimilated the external events and it converted to suit in the mental structures accordingly. The mental structures accommodated the new changing aspects from the external environment. Lev Vygotsky emphasized the fundamental role of social interaction in the cognitive development. Vygotsky argued that learning is a universal aspect necessary in the process of organized development culturally, specifically in the human psychological functions that the social learning precedes the development.
Constructivism as a theory of learning, people constructs meaning and knowledge and the growth development and status worldwide. Particularly, children construct their own knowledge, and the scientific knowledge and the world are constructed socially. There are core ideas in constructivism: (1) the knowledge is constructed actively by the learner that is performed and imposed properly; (2) the learner learns the situation with its existing knowledge about the matter rooted and well-developed deeply; and (3) the learner has ideas socially and culturally about the environment, however, similarities and patterns are seen commonly. In addition, sometimes the ideas are persistent and difficult to change. The knowledge is demonstrated as conceptual structures that possibly describe the details or models. Teaching takes the learner with its existed ideas to change or to challenge things. The knowledge is a sense personal or individual aspect wherein learners construct knowledge by its interaction with the environment physically or collaboratively in the social settings in the environment in terms of culture and language.
Constructivism is dominant in terms of its research program in education specifically in science and mathematics. It continues to generate new research and knowledge; however, constructivism is used in many different ways necessary in the development and learning.
Works Cited
Fosnot, Catherine Twomey. Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives, and Practice. New York City:
