Michelle Miklinski
Liberty University
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The presentation includes a synthesis review of
literature relating to methods of instruction and how
they affect student interest, motivation, and
learning. Research has found a positive relationship
between student-centered instruction and higher
academic achievement, critical thinking skills and
intrinsic motivation. Piaget and Vygotskys’ cognitive
and social development theories underscore the need
for constructivist methods. A positive teacherstudent relationship whose focus is on the unique
learning style that each child possesses contributes to
an effective learning environment and increases the
likelihood of long-term memory and recall.
Quantitative and qualitative research will be used in
determining and authenticating the results.
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purpose of this study is to determine if
Constructivist Teaching Methods increase
student motivation and interest in
instruction, leading to internalization and
embracement of the values and ideas that
are being represented.
 Constructivist
teaching methods increase the
percentage of purity contract commitments
as opposed to direct instruction only
methods.
 Does
student-centered instruction increase
student interest in learning?
 Do constructivist methods enhance teacherstudent relationships?
 Does focusing on student learning style
increase understanding?
 Is student-centered instruction related to
increased purity contract commitments?
Direct instruction only class participants:
measured by blue Likert Scale questionnaire
 Constructivist method instruction class
participants: measured by orange Likert Scale
questionnaire
 Signed purity contracts: blue or orange contract
based on class participation
 Completed Likert Scale evaluations: Calculate
the mean of Likert scores for each question of
both groups.
 Student Grade – 7th or 8th
 Student Age: 12 – 14 years of age
 Student Gender: Male or Female
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Direct Instruction - Direct instruction is a traditional style
of teaching which centers around the teacher as the source
of information. The most common form of direct
instruction is lecture.
Constructivist Methods of Instruction – Teacher acts as
facilitator encouraging students to ask questions, work
together, use critical thinking skills in order to increase
learning and problem solving on their own. (same as
Student-Centered Instruction)
Student Learning Style - educational conditions under
which a student is most likely to learn based on how he
perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning
environment.
Intrinsic Motivation - motivation that is driven by an
interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within
the individual rather than relying on any external pressure.
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Cognitive Development - The construction of thought
processes, including remembering, problem solving, and
decision-making, from childhood through adolescents and
adulthood.
Concrete Operational Stage of Development - Persons at
this stage of development can only solve problems that
apply to actual (concrete) objects or events,
Formal Operational Stage of Development - When
adolescents can hypothetically place themselves in
unforeseen circumstances and execute critical thinking
skills to aid in self-regulation.
Self-Regulation - Placing one’s “social conscience” over
selfish impulses, allowing people to do what is right and
not what they want to do
Critical Thinking - Purposeful reflective judgment
concerning what to believe or what to do.
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Academic Achievement - The level of actual accomplishment or
proficiency one has achieved in an academic area, as opposed to
one's potential.
Social Learning Theory - An emphasis on learning through social
interactions with knowledgeable and experienced adults and peers.
Piaget - A French-speaking Swiss developmental psychologist, known
for his theory of cognitive development.
Vygotsky – A Russian psychologist who studied child development and
how it was guided by the role of culture and interpersonal
communication.
Purity Contract - A pledge made by a person, before God and
witnesses, to remain pure and chaste until marriage.
Likert Scale - a psychometric scale commonly used in questionnaires.
Respondents specify their level of agreement or disagreement on a
symmetric agree-disagree scale for a series of statements.
 Teacher-Centered
classrooms vs. StudentCentered classrooms.
 Constructivism as a preferred method when
taking cognitive development into account.
 Effective Teaching Methods
 Importance of Learning Style and
Multimodalities
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Teacher-centered instruction or direct instruction was once regarded as
the educational norm. In teacher-centered classrooms the teacher is the
sole center of attention (Freiberg, H. J., 2009) and in its approach it is
chiefly associated with the transmission of knowledge (Kathy Laboard
Brown, 2003). Students have not had the opportunity to actively
participate, only listen and mechanically take notes. As Freiberg (2009)
has said, teacher-centered instruction has limited the ability for students
to learn self-direction or self-discipline. Students were left feeling
under-appreciated, bored and engaged in rote learning instead of
respected, intrinsically motivated, and actively engaged.
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The significant difference in experimental group students' performances
could be attributed to various direct experiences that gave participants
the opportunity to question and formulate problems, manipulate
materials, observe and record data, and reflect on and construct
knowledge from the data. The learning cycle, by reflecting scientific
inquiry processes, allowed students to become active participants in the
process as they constructed an understanding of scientific concepts.
(Dogru-Atay, 2008)
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Out of Jean Piagets’ research on his view of psychological development
and Vygotskys’ thoughts on social learning, constructivism became the
preferred method of learning to engage the senses in positive cognitive
and effective learner outcomes. Katherine Powell agrees that an
effective classroom is where teachers and students communicate and
inquiry teaching methods are practiced creating a forum for cognitive
and social interaction (Powell).
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Students between the ages of 11 to Adulthood are developing, what
Piaget has termed, “The Formal Operational Stage,” of development.
Students are just coming into puberty at this time and their thinking
begins to develop into the form that is characteristic of adults. (Slavin,
2009, p. 38) Abstract thinking becomes possible for this age group, now
that they have successfully made it through the “Concrete Stage,” of
development. As they begin to master concrete awareness, they can
then start thinking about and understanding hypothetical reasoning. It
also becomes easier for them to acknowledge and assess their own
thinking. This abstract thinking is important because it will help them
set boundaries for future situations they will need to resolve.
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“An effective classroom where teachers and students are communicating optimally
is dependent on using constructivist strategies, tools and practices.” (Lujan, 2010)
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“Great teachers know that education is much more than filling up students with bits
of knowledge or helping them master selected skills. It’s about helping them grow
into adult human beings. That means, helping them become independent thinkers
and compassionate citizens. Great teachers help students develop their own
decision-making processes rather than simply orchestrating things for them (Bret,
2010).” Great teachers also know that building relationships with students can be
crucial to their academic, social and emotional success. Students need to know
they have a personal connection with their teacher; they want to know how much
you care long before they want to learn how much you know.
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In a journal article written by H Jerome Freiberg (2009), students were asked,
why they liked school; the children indicated that they felt trusted and respected,
they felt a sense of relationship as if they were part of a family, they felt their
teachers were encouraging them to succeed and listened to their opinions and
ideas. Freiberg found out that the use of constructivist, student-centered
instruction where students were challenged to participate in discussions, to engage
in cooperative learning groups (groups of students working together toward a
common goal), were given responsibility in the classroom and encouraged to build
meaningful relationships, were much more motivated than their traditionally
educated counterparts.
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“His theory of learning is essentially constructivist”, a
model of learning in which the child is seen as an “active
agent” in his or her own learning, retaining, selecting and
transforming information to construct knowledge which is
shaped by his or her unique way of seeing and interpreting
the world. (Bas, 2010)
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If underachievers are taught in ways that complement
their strengths, research has found, they can increase their
scores on standardized tests significantly. For example,
students who are hearing oriented learn and recall
information when they hear it. And students with more
developed kinesthetic abilities may need to experience
physically what they are to learn through such strategies
as role playing. (CDE, 2001)
A mixed-method approach will be conducted to
resolve the purpose of this study; “Does
Constructivist Teaching Methods increase student
motivation and interest in instruction, leading to
internalization and embracement of the values
and ideas that are being represented.”
 Qualitative research will indicate the effects of
Constructivist methods on student interest,
student motivation, teacher-student
relationship, student understanding of concepts,
and embracement of values.
 Quantitative research will determine if the
hypothesis has been achieved or if further
research is indicated.
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 7th
and 8th grade Health Ed. Classes in
District 204 who voluntarily requested the
abstinence education presentation.
 Classrooms will be randomly selected to have
direct only presentations or constructivist
method of instruction, based on availability
of testimonial speaker for the constructivist
presentation.
 All students in each classroom will
participate in the evaluation.
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Qualitative data will be collected in the form of a
questionnaire consisting of a Likert-type scale, using
a four-point Likert item.
 Strongly Disagree
 Disagree
 Agree
 Strongly Agree
Questionnaires will be color coded for identification
of class presentation. Blue for direct only instruction
and orange for constructivist instruction.
Questionnaires will remain anonymous by name.
Grade and gender will be collected for future
detailed study.
 Quantitative
data will be collected for future
study in the form of qualitative mean results
from the Likert item questionnaire.
 Purity Contracts will be color coded to match
questionnaire class distinction, collected and
counted to determine results.
 Content
Analysis of questionnaire will be
evaluated based on the four-point Likert
scale model.
 Each Likert item will be quantified by
calculating the mean of all questionnaires
collected, separated by blue and orange
color codes.
 A t-test will be administered to find the
significant differences between the means of
the blue and orange coded questionnaires
 All
blue purity contracts will be counted and
the summation recorded for each class.
 All
orange purity contracts will be counted
and the summation recorded for each class.
A
t-test will be administered to find the
significant differences between the means of
the blue and orange coded purity contracts.
 Participants
will be educated on the
confidentiality and anonymity of the
questionnaire and purity contracts to ensure
cooperation and honesty.
 Participants may feel that they will be
judged by their peers if a purity contract is
or is not signed by them.
 A confidential method of collecting purity
contracts will be in place and relayed to
participants.
 Questionnaires
will be collected at the end
of each class.
 If a questionnaire does not include the
participants grade or gender, it can still be
quantified by color coded methods. It can
not be utilized for future research regarding
findings for gender identification or grade
identification.
 Student participation may decrease due to
absence the day questionnaires are
distributed.
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The questionnaire will be distributed by the classroom
teacher to the participants on the day after the initial
presentation, for completion. Questionnaires will be
collected that same day.
Purity contracts will be collected by the classroom teacher
throughout the week and delivered to the research team
on Friday afternoon along with completed questionnaires.
Research will take place continuously through the 20112012 school year for maximum sample participation.
Findings will be documented as results are tabulated for
each classroom presentation.
Final analysis will be completed at the end of the school
year to calculate results for each participating class.
Qualitative and quantitative results will be documented.
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