◦Constructivism as a Referent for Science Teaching

This article compares two theories of knowledge objectivism and constructivism. Objectivism is an epistemology which is dominant in most educational settings today. According to objectivism the knowledge exists outside the bodies of learners. Knowledge resides out there in the books, independent of learners. Learners are encouraged to view objects events and phenomena with an objective mind, which is assumed to be separate from Cognitive processes such as imaginations, intuitions feeling, values, and believes. As a result teachers implement a curriculum to insure that students cover relevant science content and have a opportunities to learn truths which are documented in bulging books.
The constructivist approach believes the only tools available a learner are five senses:- seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting. An individual interacts with the environment through these five senses, and with these messages from the senses he builds a picture of the world. So constructivism asserts that knowledge resides in individuals. Knowledge cannot be transferred intact from the head of a teacher to the heads of students. The student tries to make sense of what is taught by trying to fit with his/her experience. So learning is defined as adaptations made to fit the world they experience.
Co-operative learning is one strategy that constructivists use in their classrooms. It allows individuals to test the fit of their experiential world with others. The interactions with others cause perturbations, and by resolving perturbations individuals make adaptations to fit their new experiential world.
According to constructivist science is not the search for truth. It is an active and social process that assists us to make sense of our world. Students should be given opportunities to make sense of what is learned by negotiating meaning; comparing what is known to new experiences and resolving discrepancies between what is known and what seems to be implied by new experience.
So try to be a constructivist, by providing students with an opportunity to use their prior knowledge and senses in making connections to the new concepts.