The humanistic approach and
constructivist point of views on
learning, and their application in the
classroom
# What is Humanistic approach?
# Objectives of T.H.A
# Principles of T.H.A
# Applications in the classroom
# Contributors to the growth of humanistic education
# Constructivists
# Constructivist point of view on learning
# What is constructivism?
# Constructivist theories
DEFINITION
• HUMANISM • APPROACH -
a method of beliefs concerned with
the needs of people and not with
the religious ideas
a method of doing something or
dealing with the problem
• HUMANISTIC APPROACH –
A method of doing something that concerned with
the needs of people
The basic objectives of humanistic approach in
education are to encourage students to :
• Be self-directed and independent
• Take responsibility for their learning
• Be creative and interested in the arts
• Be curious about the world around them
There are 5 principles of Humanistic Approach in
education :
(i) Self-direction
(ii) Wanting and knowing how to learn
(iii) Self –evaluation
(iv) The importance of feelings
(v) Freedom from threat
# Students can choose what they want to learn
# The teachers should not interfere or determining
students’ decision
# Let the students to initiate the activity they want
and then ask teachers simply to provide information
and equipments for them to use in their activity.
how to learn
# Learning how to learn is more important than
acquiring factual knowledge
# Teachers can play their role by helping the students
learn how to learn
# Should emphasize more on thinking process rather
than teaching determination
# Humanistic educators believe that grading systems
are irrelevant
# The students will not achieve their personal
satisfaction
# According to Holt (1964),
“Comparisons and grades are seen as humiliating
the child”
# Humanistic educators believe that both feelings and
knowledge are important to the learning process
# As teachers, we should concern about our students’
feelings
# The learning can be easiest and meaningful if it takes
place in a non-threatening situation
# Non-threatening situation is when the students feel
unstressed and able to overcome their pressure
in the classroom
(1) Teacher as a facilitator
#
teacher guides the activity which has been done by the
students
(2) Enhance critical thinking
#
the whole class will take part in the activity by having
critical thinking process
#
by practicing critical thinking system, we’ll produce
students who are able to express their views and able to
think deep beyond
(3) Establish privacy files
#
privacy files so that the students will know their level
#
can only be opened by the individual itself
(4) Fair learning
# teachers should apply a fair learning process
which every student is given chance to show their
ability and free to express their view
# everything being taught by us must be explain to
all and not to particular person only
(5) Provide non-threatening environment
# instead of giving the task individuality, the teacher
can set the task in group but evaluate individually
To the growth of
Humanistic Education
(1) CARL ROGERS
5 learning theories 
(i) Personal experience
(ii) Perfect self-esteem
(iii) The reality of self-esteem
(iv) Build one-self
(v) The choice of behaviour
that not against one’s belief
(2) ABRAHAM MASLOW
 Hierarchy of human needs
There are 5 learning theories by Carl Rogers :
(1) Personal Experience
# Each individual has their own experience which
depends on one’s surrounding
# One’s experience and thought can’t be perceived by
others
(2) Perfect Self-Esteem
# Every person has desired to be successful and happy
# ‘Intrinsic motivation’ is important in order to
encourage students to excel
(3) Realization of Self-Esteem
# as teachers, we must try to understand the students’
behaviour
# the best way to understand a person is through
communication
(4) Self-development
# we know ourselves based on our experience, ability and
strength
# if the experience that have been faced is negative, so his
individual concept will be negative too
(5) The choice of behaviour that is not against one’s belief
# we should show behaviour that based on our belief
HIERARCHY OF
HUMAN NEEDS
To achieve / compete
To be with others
To feel secure and safe
Hunger / thirst
CONSTRUCTIVIST POINT OF VIEW
ON LEARNING
CONSTRUCTIVISM
FORMS
WHAT IS
CONSTRUCTIVISM?
PIAGET’S
THEORIES
COGNITIVE
VYGOTSKY’S
SOCIAL
THE
CONSTRUCTIVIST
CLASSROOM
APPLICATION
What is constructivism?
- a view of learning based on the belief that
knowledge is not a thing that can be simply
given by teacher.
- knowledge is constructed by learners
through an active, mental process of
development
- learners are the builders and the creators of
meaning and knowledge.
is important…..
- as the educational curricula are changing
TRANSMISSION
CURRICULUM
Traditional curriculum students are passively listen,
acquire facts
TRANSACTIONAL
CURRICULUM
Students are actively
involve - to reach new
information
Students do not simply memorise or take on other’s
conceptions of reality – students create their own
meaning and understanding.
Learning as the result of mental
construction; fitting new information +
present information = construct own
understanding
Learning affected by the context and
beliefs and attitudes of the leaner –
is encouraged to invent own
solutions, hypotheses, and try out
ideas.
PIAGET
Learning occurs by an active
construction of meaning,
rather than by passive
recipience.
Students make
sense of the new
information
VYGOTSKY
Personal construct- which
propose about the look at
around the world through
patterns which we create.
Students create their own
ways of seeing the world in
which they live
COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIVISM &
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM
i) COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIVISM:
It is based on Piaget’s work
Focus on individual, internal constructions of
knowledge
Emphasizes on individual’s search for meaning as
they interact with the environment
-E.g: the learner’s background knowledge,
where more knowledge provided by parents,
thus - better understanding for learners.
ii) SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM
It is influenced by Vygotsky’s work
It suggests that knowledge is 1st constructed in
a social context
Emphasizes the process of sharing individual
perspectives; collaborative elaboration –
learners constructed understanding wouldn’t be
alone
Emphasizes on teacher’s role – in encouraging
collaborative work among students
Social interaction – students-teacher, studentsstudents – both will gain benefits
CONSTRUCTIVIST CLASSROOM
STUDENT-CENTERED
LEARNERS
Active,
independent
learners
More focus on students
learning than a teachers
teaching
Focus on speaking and
listening
TEACHERS
Researchers/
supporters only
LEARNERS
In a central
position
Are perceived as
meaning-maker
STUDENT-CENTERED
Interactive nature
Sharing responsibility
among teachers and
students
Demonstrate
mutual respect
Active/meaningful
learning
TEACHERS
Provide
students with
experiences
Promotes
communication
Creates
flexibility
The Teachers should:
Listening to students’ ideas and encouraging them
Encouraging students to actively participate in doing,
discussing and creating
Providing more than one source of information so
students can see different perspectives and have
many inputs
Encouraging students to compare and contrast ideas
Including writing, so that students can think through
their ideas
APPLICATION IN THE CLASSROOM
• 1) Inquiry and Problem-based Learning
– Problem launches students’ inquiry
– The problem presented – has ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.
• 2) Group Work and Cooperation in learning
– Several students working together
– All members in group must be cooperative
– Evolving constructivist perspectives on learning
• 3) Making Cooperatives Learning Work
– 5 elements that define true cooperative learning group (David &
Johnson, 1999) :
i) face-t-face interaction
ii) positive interdependence
iii) individual accountability
iv) collaborative skills
v) Group processing
e.g.: Jigsaw – an early format for cooperative learning that
emphasizes high interdependence
• 4) Dialogue and Instructional Conversations
– instructional conversations because they are designed to
promote learning but it includes conversations not lectures
– Teacher’s goal – to keep everyone cognitively engaged in a
substantive discussion