Constructivism as an Epistemology (Philosophy
of Constructivism)
- Giambattista Vico (1668-1744)-
first articulation of the ideas of constructivism
- claimed that clear understanding for a human
being resulted from meaning that they have constructed for
themselves (SEDL, 1995).
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- Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
- synthesis of rationalism and empiricism, in which knowledge
gained through perceptions of
the world is organized within cognitive structures (Heylighen,
1993)
- contended that, based on sense information gathered before
or during an event, humans reflect on the event and analyze
what occurred. Both of these processes are unique to each
individual’s
perceptions (Brooks & Brooks, 1999)
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- Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)-
social constructivism
- Claimed that higher levels of mental functioning originate
in social processes.
- Held that the social dimension of consciousness was
the most important, with individual consciousness derived
from it, (Bauersfeld,
1995).
- For some, social constructivism is more credible than
radical constructivism because rather than focusing on
independent
individual knowledge building, social constructivism
uses consensus as the criterion for truth (Heylighen,
1993).
- Others see that social constructivism values both the
individual and social realms. Humans are constructed
not only through
individual processes but through meaningful interactions
with others (Gergen, 1995).
- Identified the level of potential development (the "zone
of proximal development")
- The level of development
that learners can reach with the
guidance of teachers or in collaboration with peers.
The
zone of proximal development is the level at
which learning takes place.
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- John
Dewey (1859-1952)- explored the active
relationship of an organism with its environment, introducing
the notions
of transaction, experience and reflection.
- Reflection ensures the continuity of action,
with the development of knowledge occurring over time,
making inferences from current situations. Each act of
an individual
creates a new reality for that individual (Vanderstraeten & Biesta,
1998).
- Critics would point out that if every human
lives in their own subjective world, how can we gain mutual
understanding? Dewey believed that social interaction was
also a crucial component, with each participant observing
and paying
attention to the inferences constructed by others.
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info... and more...
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- Jean Piaget (1896-1980)-
modern theorist credited with the development of constructivist
thought.
- Believed that human learning allows individuals to
adapt to the environment around them (Phillips & Soltis,
1991).
- Identified the processes of assimilation and accommodation
as integral to knowledge building whereby the learner
grows in knowledge through the making of constructions.
- Suggested the controversial notion that learners attempt
to develop cognitive equilibrium when they encounter conflict
between their internal perceptions and “reality.” This
results in the development of new cognitive structures that
bring stability and restore equilibrium (Brooks & Brooks,
1999).
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- Ernst Von Glasersfeld (1917-Present)-
recognized as a proponent of radical constructivism, radical
in the sense that
it breaks with the traditionally accepted theory of knowledge.
- Knowledge is not passively received
but rather is built up actively by the individual.
- Cognition has an adaptive function. As
learners adapt to new information from their environment
they attempt to make the most viable fit (Glasersfeld,
1995).
- Refers to viability rather than truth,
reflecting the temporary nature of knowledge construction
and the context of goals and purposes in which
each individual lives. The most viable model is constructed
and utilized
until new information is encountered and a discrepancy
occurs.
- These notions fly in the
face of traditional ideas about knowledge, truth
and objectivity and require that the notion of
reality be reconstructed.
Reality is the experiential world in which we
live. This doesn’t deny absolute reality. We just
have no way of knowing it. So our personal reality is defined
as the
network of things and relationships that we rely
on in our living (Glasersfeld, 2003).
- Constructivist principles cannot
be adopted as absolute truth, but rather as a viable
hypothesis to explain
knowledge building in the present time. By nature,
knowing is an adaptive activity, and knowledge will
change over time.
A solution is relative to the individual who constructed
it, and to their sphere of experience. If the solution
solves the problem then it is no more “right” than
other solutions, although it may be judged by other
standards such
as speed or elegance (Glasersfeld, 1995).
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- Kuhn (1922-1996)
- post-modern philosopher who embraces the constructivist
view.
- Remembered for his classic work explaining “paradigm
shift” (Brooks & Brooks, 1999). The notion of paradigm
shift seems to parallel Piaget’s concept of accommodation.
When a way of thinking no longer fits our perceptions of
the world, it needs to change to accommodate new understandings.
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info... and more...
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- Maturana and
Varela - nervous system cannot
distinguish between perception (caused by an external phenomenon)
and a hallucination (a purely internal event)
- Reject the possibility of objective knowledge,
since “all knowledge depends upon the structure of the
knower” (Botella, 1994)
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References
Bauersfeld, H. (1995). The Structuring
of the Structures: Development and Function of Mathematizing as
a Social Practice. In L. P. Steffe & J.
Gale (Eds.), Constructivism in Education. Hillsdale, New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Botella, L. (1994). Personal Construct Psychology, Constructivism,
and Postmodern Thought. Mind, Culture and Activity
http://www.massey.ac.nz/~alock/virtual/Construc.htm
Brooks, J. G., & Brooks, M. G. (1999).
In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms.
Alexandria, Virginia USA:
ASCD - Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Gergen, K. (1995). Social construction
and the educational process. In L. P. Steffe & J. Gale (Eds.),
Constructivism in Education (pp. pp.17-39). Hillsdale, New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Publishers.
Glasersfeld, E. v. (1991). Radical Constructivism in Mathematics
Education. The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Glasersfeld, E. v. (1995). A Constructivist Approach to Teaching. In J. Gale
(Ed.), Constructivism in Education (pp. pp.3-16). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Glasersfeld, E. v. (2003). An Exposition of Constructivism: Why Some Like it
Radical, 2004, from http://www.oikos.org/constructivism.htm Heylighen, F. (1993). Epistemology, introduction, 2004, from http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/EPISTEMI.html
Phillips, D. C., & Soltis, J. F. (1991). Perspectives
on Learning. New York: Teachers College Press. SEDL.
(1995). Building an Understanding of Constructivism. Classroom Compass,
volume 1 Number 3(Winter 1994).
Vanderstraeten, R., & Biesta, G.
(1998). Constructivism, Educational Research, and John Dewey, 2004,
from http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Amer/AmerVand.htm
Vygotsky, Lev S. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological
Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978.
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2004 Regina Public Schools and Saskatchewan Learning
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