Running Head: CONSTRUCTIVIST TEACHING
Qualitative Review: Lasting Impact of a Professional Development Program on
Constructivist Science Teaching
Michelle R Miklinski
Liberty University
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Summary
This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the GK-12 Lowcountry
Partners for Inquiry program that included an emphasis on constructivist teaching methods for
science teachers. The goal was to monitor middle school teachers’ use of constructivist practices
in their classrooms two years after their initial training. Classroom observations, Constructivist
Learning Environment Surveys (CLES), and interviews were conducted to assess their use of
constructivist practices. Data suggest that teachers’ use of constructivist practices increased
following completion of the GK-12 program. Scores in each of the five CLES categories were
significantly higher two years post program involvement than at the end of the program.
Teachers reported that they not only continued but increased their use of constructivist practices
because of the increased achievement and improved critical thinking skills of their students
(Beamer, Van Sickle, Harrison, & Temple, 2008, p. 49).
Constructivist learning practices are student-centered. The teacher acts as a facilitator
while the student takes an active role through cooperative groups, role-playing and problem
solving. Participating in the sample are four teachers who completed 225 hours of professional
development, in constructivist teaching methods, in a three-year program at the college of
Charleston (Beamer, 2008, p. 51). The evaluation took place two years after the completion of
the program. The program coupled graduate fellows from the college of Charleston with
teachers from the Charleston County School District to create lessons that modeled the
constructivist methods taught in the program. Teachers were able to visit the graduate fellows’
laboratories to gain insight into real world perspectives of the science they teach, while the
graduate fellows took over the teachers’ classroom modeling the methods of practice and
information they use in the field (2008, p. 52). The lessons of the teachers and fellows’ were
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videotaped and then discussed between each group to create a method of best practices. The
Charleston County School District of which the teachers were chosen is described as a large
urban district. The partnership between the graduate fellows’ and teachers was funded by a GK12 grant (0139313).
Beamer (2008) states that, each of the four teachers’ classrooms was observed for eight
hours to ensure the balance of practice of the constructivist method. The observers were trained
in constructivist techniques (CLES) in order to recognize and document its frequency and use by
the teacher. The observer took extensive field notes and applied them to the CLES survey. The
observer survey was used as the control variable to compare with the teacher self assessment to
eliminate potential observer bias. Self assessments can be bias by inflating the perceived score
so surveys were immediately collected and compared with the control surveys. An interview
was conducted by the observer, with each of the teachers, to discuss CLES questions pertaining
to: the use of constructivist teaching practices, student achievement perceived by the teacher to
be related to constructivist methods and the amount of constructivist teaching method training
teachers have accrued since the completion of the GK-12 program.
After the initial data was analyzed, a second interview was recorded to clarify teacher
response. Beamers’ research states that data was presented as mean+/- Standard Error of the
Mean (SEM). The Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test was used to compare current mean CLES scores
with the mean scores collected at the end of the program course, two years prior. This test is said
to be powerful and less sensitive to outliers than the two-sample t-test, and does not assume a
normal distribution. (pp. 52-53) The CLES evaluates five parameters of constructivist teaching:
learning about the world, learning about science, learning to speak out, learning to learn and
learning to communicate. Beamer goes on to state that the CLES consists of 35 questions, seven
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of which are allocated for each of the five parameters. The scale offers five choices from, 1 =
not at all to 5 = always. The survey has been recognized by the educational community to be
reliable and an excellent measure of constructivism in the classroom. The Cronbach alpha value
was used to indicate consistency among the responses made to items within a parameter; the
greater the consistency, the higher the alpha value (maximum of 1.0). The Cronbach alpha
values for each parameter are as follows: personal relevance = 0.81, scientific uncertainty = 0.54,
critical voice = 0.79, shared control = 0.85 and student negotiation = 0.68 (2008). Detailed field
notes were also collected based on each classroom observation. (p. 52)
A qualitative “case study” research design was chosen to record research findings.
Qualitative research is commonly used to study human behavior and habits, thus being the
perfect method to study the teachers’ application of her training in the classroom. It is also very
useful when analyzing the success of a program, such as GK-12, to document the value and
benefits of the program for grants, funding, and marketability, to be used by those who determine
educational policy and curriculum. Case studies, interviews and surveys are commonly used in
qualitative research to gather information on the habits and behaviors being studied. Qualitative
techniques are extremely useful when a subject is too complex to be answered with a simple yes
or no hypothesis and are also useful when budgetary decisions have to be taken into account
(Shuttleworth, 2008).
Results of the study indicate that teachers’ use of constructivist methods increased after
the completion of the GK-12 program. The CLES scores taken after the observation were
compared with the teachers’ scores from the end of the program they attended two years earlier.
The positive increase of usage, for all four teachers, suggests the application of constructivist
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learning methods in the classroom have a positive effect and the additional graduate training the
teachers had with GK-12 encouraged them to adopt its use into the curriculum.
Analysis
Despite the fact that qualitative research cannot be one hundred percent duplicated,
further research can confirm the validity of this experiment and solidify the reputation for the
GK-12 study. I propose that another group of teachers who graduated from the program
successfully, also be studied, for congruency. Research can also lead to a quantitative study
measuring the achievement of graduate instructors who have taken the courses, against those
who have not had the opportunity for additional training. Third, districts can be measured
against one another, to compare academic achievement by constructivist learning methods, to
validate the reliability so that other districts will adopt its practice. Universities can be studied to
determine if it would be a benefit for its students to take the courses, if successful the results can
be used as a marketing tool to increase enrollment. Finally, can student-centered learning
increase student long-term memory and recall, self-esteem or socialization skills?
Some concerns of the study: Was the observation evaluation time too short? Does it
harm the studies validity that observations are based on only one day of evaluation? How do we
know that this one day is typical of every other day? How reliable are the results with such a
small sample study? How was the sample chosen? Was it random or were the individuals
picked because of their interest in the study or did they come recommended by someone? I
questioned the reliability of the study since the research took place two years after the graduate
training was over. Could it be possible that the instructors had refresher courses or additional
training since that time?
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Research studies on constructivist classrooms makes me excited. I visualize a happy,
well adjusted, motivated and ready to learn classroom. However, how realistic is this when it is
reported that administrators are reluctant to implement new programs or fund classroom
resources needed for activity based education? It has also been reported that older veteran
teachers are not willing nor do they see the need for student-centered education, they believe it
will cause too much chaos in the class and will impede on the authority of the teacher. Are they
unwilling to change because they do not want to lose their authoritative status over the children?
Perhaps they fear students will challenge them by asking questions they do not have the answers
to. People do not like change; they fear it, they feel a lack of control, commitment or interest in
making changes, therefore will they reject it despite the effectiveness? Time will only tell, but
hopefully a new generation of teachers will be trained, having confidence in the student-centered
classroom and a new era in education will begin.
Great implications are found in this research. I visualize a community based educational
system that works together like one body; sharing, helping, encouraging, planning,
implementing, promoting intrinsic motivation, self-regulation and achievement. Studentcentered communication has already indicated its positive effects on creativity, critical thinking
and problem solving skills. Is it perceivable that this learning method will manifest beyond the
classroom into everyday living; making society a better, smarter, inquisitive environment in
which we live? Perhaps, we may have to wait for the millennium to reach that kind of
commitment of community but I would like to try. It is my opinion that the GK-12 program is
an asset for teachers to successfully integrate constructivist learning methods into the classroom.
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References
Beamer, T., Van Sickle, M., Harrison, G., & Temple, G. (2008, Fall). Lasting Impact of a
Professional Development Program on Constructivist Science Teaching. Journal of
Elementary Science Education, 20(4), 49-60.
Shuttle worth, M. (2008). Qualitative Research Design. Retrieved from http://www.experimentresources.com/qualitative-research-design.