Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
Assignment #1:
Incorporating Constructivism into a Middle School
Science Classroom
Lisa Nevoral - 56909005
ETEC 530 – Constructivism Strategies for E-Leanring
Section 66C – 2012S
Course Instructor – John Egan
July 8, 2012
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Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
Many middle school science teachers still continue to use the traditional methods of
instructional delivery that are very teacher-centered and content-based. With the rise of such
educational ideas as the 21st Century Learner, this pedagogy is not helping our students attain the
skills involved to be this type of learner. As well, gone are the days where the teacher and a
science textbook are the only sources of information for a learner to use. With the rapid increase
and influx of different technological tools, such as computers and mobile devices, learners have
an inconceivable amount of information readily available at their fingertips.
Incorporating constructivist theories and practices into a science classroom has been a
long process. A current version of the science classroom has tried to meld teacher-centered
instruction with hands-on activities. But these activities are heavily guided so that students
obtain all the same outcomes. Science teachers are starting to see the worth of incorporating
more student-centered, collaborative learning opportunities into their classrooms. There has
been a shift in pedagogical strategies that utilizes cooperative group learning and authentic
problems which helps motivate students and fosters critical thinking skills. It is for these reasons
that I have started to develop a constructivist attitude in my science classes.
What is Constructivism?
The premise behind constructivism is that individual learners need to construct their own
meaning of knowledge by building upon previous knowledge and by learning through
collaboration with others. A transformation of knowledge occurs when a learner is able to
reconcile what is been taught with their existing knowledge while being entrenched within the
cultural and social contexts in which the ideas were formed (Windschitl, 1999). This social
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Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
aspect of learning may help individuals gain insight on ideas that they would not have thought
about by themselves; it gives them different points of views, helps fill in gaps, and helps solidify
their own thoughts. As well, students learn to articulate what they are trying to get across when
exchanging ideas.
Students learn more when they are actively engaged and take ownership over what they
are learning. A learner needs to create, interpret, and reorganize knowledge in individual ways
and cannot be a passive receiver of knowledge, but an active constructor of it (Duit, 1996;
Windschitl, 1999). To do this, they must seek out information, analyze it, and reflect upon their
learning so that the individual can construct his or her own ideas about science and how it relates
to the world. The new knowledge must be viable and allow the individual to connect what is
being learned with their everyday experiences (Duit, 1996).
As educators, it is imperative to check if individuals’ prior knowledge is correct and to
build upon their knowledge through scaffolding, coaching, and mentoring. In science education,
learners have many prior conceptions that strongly influence the acquirement of new knowledge
and the learners’ problem solving behaviour. Teachers must be able to detect the misconceptions
learners have and help the learner construct a new understanding of the world around them
(Kolonder et al., 2003).
What does the Science Classroom Look Like?
In a typical science classroom, the teacher stands at the front of the class, gives a lecture
or presentation, and then has the students work individually on identical, skill based assignments
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Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
to ensure uniformity of learning (Windschitl, 1999). More times than not, critical thinking,
collaborative skills, and student reflection are overlooked and many of the problems and
experiments are prescriptive with only one outcome (Scott, 1994). I can say that I have been
guilty of teaching in this manner, although I have used multimedia and a variety of activities in
my science lessons to try and meet the needs of different learning styles. As well, I have tried to
enhance my teaching of science by integrating project-based learning, open-ended problems, and
cooperative group work throughout the school year. This type of learning opportunity allows for
variation in lessons and is intended to balance teacher-directed lectures and demonstrations with
individual and group tasks ranging from prescriptive to open-ended. Although I believe this is a
step in the right direction it is not tapping into the most important resource; the innate curiosity
of the learner (Scott, 1994).
As Kolonder et al. (2003) suggests, we need to provide students with science knowledge
in such a way that they understand not only the science concepts and principles by learning
definitions and formulas, but also relate them to real-life, everyday experiences. Gone are the
days of rote learning and regurgitation of facts; we need students to practice problem solving and
make decisions to fully grasp the information in which they are being exposed to. The teacher
should not and cannot be the sole source of this information. With the use of technology,
collaborative learning, and other resources, students can start to create their own knowledge
about these facts. Science instruction should focus on the students, their interests, and their
learning skills (Ross & Willson, 2012).
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Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
What is the Role of the Teacher in a Science Classroom that uses Constructivist Strategies?
The teacher using constructivist strategies now has a different role then they have ever
had before. They must step back from being the sole content-giver and provider of all the
answers to being a facilitator, helping create an environment of collaboration and critical
thinking (Krajcik, Blumenfeld, Marx, & Soloway, 1994). In order to do this, teachers must now
oversee classroom and group discussions, help guide students with probing questions or
suggestions, and provide advice, support, and feedback to help push students in their knowledge
construction. This is especially critical with middle school students since they don’t always
make the connection between what they know, what they need to know, and what they are
learning. “We can no longer be satisfied with the “right answers” on tests, tidy well run labs, or
beautifully designed, carried-out and presented science projects” (Scott, 1994)
Science knowledge is not an abstraction that can be readily transferred from how it is
learned in the classroom to how it is used outside school (Marx, Blumenfeld, Krajcik, &
Soloway, 1997). Knowledge acquisition and growth needs to be contextualized and cannot be
easily separated from the situation in which it is developed; therefore knowing and doing cannot
be separate and learning needs to be an active process.
Teachers who use constructivist
strategies now have the task of creating problems and projects that are authentic in nature and in
a context that students can relate them to their real-life experiences (Kolonder et al., 2003).
Cooperative Learning in the Science Class
Cooperative learning is a very useful constructivist strategy. It not only allows students
to work in groups, but it develops skills such as negotiation, cooperation, accountability, and
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Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
reflection. Groups created with cooperative learning in mind are very structured and should be
heterogeneous, allowing students to encounter many different perspectives and styles of thinking
(Kolonder et al., 2003). In this social context, learning can be achieved through collaboration,
negotiated meaning and distributed expertise (Krajcik et al., 1994).
Teamwork is more than a collection of individuals doing similar activities (Scott, 1994).
Instead, the group is working towards a common goal and specific tasks are assigned to each
student to complete for the group to see success. This gives students a sense of ownership over
the problems, activities, and their own learning. To see full benefits, students within a group
need to care about one another’s achievements and learning. Challenges and frustrations by the
dynamics of interpersonal relations may arise and individuals need to find a balance between
individual and group identities (Scott, 1994). A teacher’s role is to help smooth out any rough
patches that may occur, providing advice and guidance.
Project-Based Learning in the Science Class
Science is seen by many students as ambiguous and not related at all to their everyday
experiences. Project-based learning (PBL) stimulates and engages students to be challenged
with tasks that resemble authentic science problems and helps them connect what they learn in
class with real life. Students have an active role in their knowledge acquisition and PBL helps
create learners capable of life-long learning instead of rote memorization of facts (Krajcik et al.,
1994). The use of cognitive tools, such as computers, can help learners solve complex and “illstructured” problems by providing access to information, as well as opportunities to collaborate,
investigate, and create artifacts (Krajcik et al., 1994). In addition, learners are working to gain
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Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
new knowledge by utilizing prior knowledge and PBL affords them the chances to come up with
what they need to know in order to discover the answers.
There are several important aspects for incorporating PBL into a science class. A teacher
needs to create a driving question that is viable and allows for multiple representations of
knowledge acquisition (Krajcik et al., 1994; Scott, 1994). The problem created has to be
authentic and substantial and can be related to the students’ lives and their everyday experiences
(Scott, 1994; Marx et al., 1997). Finally, a project must utilize collaboration and cooperative
group work. Students’ thinking and learning is continuously affected by the input of others due
to the fact that there is a broader range of perspectives.
Why isn’t Constructivism being used extensively in Science Classrooms?
Although I see much value in teaching using constructivist strategies, there are several
reasons why it might not be used extensively in the science classroom. Many teachers have used
a transmission mode of pedagogy for years and might find it daunting to relinquish some of their
control over how they manage the classroom. They may now be in classes where they will need
to maintain order so that students obtain results that are needed, but allow students to seek their
own understanding of the information.
Herreid (1998) states that cooperative learning puts more emphasis on problem solving
and critical thinking than learning all of the course content or material. That, along with claims
that not enough of the curriculum can be covered if teachers do not lecture, may prevent some
teachers in converting their pedagogical ways. In addition, it takes a teacher a lot of time and
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Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
effort to collaborate with other teachers, design good problems or projects, devise new
assessment tools, and attend professional development opportunities to implement constructivist
strategies into their lessons.
Not all challenges associated with a constructivist classroom are teacher related.
Sometimes, not all students “buy into” managing their own learning or working in groups. In
this regard, teachers need to spend time persuading those students on the benefits to their
learning using the implemented strategies. As well, novice learners may not have the prior
knowledge to help them learn new information because they don’t have the background upon
which to construct new meaning of the learned material. Some students will still chose the
quickest route through instruction or activities, even with the best laid plans by the teacher.
Additionally, allowing students to construct their own learning takes time. Some students may
get the idea right away while others need more time.
Conclusion
Incorporating constructivist strategies into a science class will require major changes in
curriculum, in scheduling, and in assessment and it will take a lot of hard work, time, and
preparation. Windschitl (1999) suggests that the only way to overcome many of the challenges
associated with a shift in pedagogy is with proper scaffolding in the form of access to
professional development, support from peers, and the use of technology. Even with the
numerous challenges, there are many great reasons why constructivist strategies such as
cooperative learning and project-based learning should be used in the classroom. Teachers do
not have all the answers and through collaboration and actively engaging our students will we
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Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
see them construct their own meaning and connections. We must also prepare our students for
the 21st century, where technology is quickly evolving and future employers are looking to hire
people with transferable skills and critical thinking abilities.
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Assignment #1 – Incorporating Constructivism into Science
References
Duit, R. (1996). The Constructivist View in Science Education – What It Has to Offer and What
Should not be Expected. Investigacoes em Ensino de Ciencias, 1(1), pp. 40-75.
Herreid, C.F. (1998). Why Isn't Cooperative Learning Used to Teach Science? BioScience,
48(7), pp. 553-559.
Kolodner, J.L., Camp, P.J., Crismond, D., Fasse, B., Grau, J., Holbrook, J., Puntambekar, S.,
and Ryan, M. (2003). Problem-Based Learning Meets Case-Based Reasoning in the
Middle-School Science Classroom: Putting Learning by Design™ into Practice. The
Journal of the Learning Sciences, 12(4), pp. 495-547.
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Krajcik, J.S., Blumenfeld, P.C., Marx, R.W., and Soloway, E. (1994). A Collaborative Model
for Helping Middle Grade Science Teachers Learn Project-Based. The Elementary
School Journal, 94(5), pp. 483-497.
Marx, R.W., Blumenfeld, P.C., Krajcik, J.S., and Soloway, E. (1997). Enacting Project-Based
Science. The Elementary School Journal, 97(4), pp. 341-358.
Matthews, M.R. (1993). Constructivism and Science Education: Some Epistemological Problems.
Journal of Science Education and Technology. 2(1), pp. 359-370.
Ross, A; Willson,V. (2012). The Effects of Representations, Constructivist Approaches, and
Engagement on Middle School Students’ Algebraic Procedure and Conceptual
Understanding. School Science and Mathematics, 112(2), pp. 112-128.
Scott, C.A. (1994) Project-Based Science: Reflections of a Middle School Teacher. The
Elementary School Journal, 95(1), pp. 75-94.
Windschitl, M. (1999). The Challenges of Sustaining a Constructivist Classroom Culture. The
Phi Delta Kappan, 80(1), pp. 751-755.
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