Republic of the Philippines

COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Higher Education Regional Office VI (HERO VI)
City Government of Bago
BAGO CITY COLLEGE
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Tel: [034] 4611-363 | Fax: [034] 4610-546 | E-mail: [email protected]
MODULE 2 IN SS17- BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES
4TH YEAR BSED – SOCIAL STUDIES

Module 2: CONCEPT OF CONSTRUCTIVISM

Intended Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, the student must have:
1. Described and explained the nature and meaning of constructivism through picture analysis.
2. Identified the model for constructivist approach through concept analysis.
3. Created a video vlog on the importance of constructivism in teaching social studies.

A. Introduction
The philosophical assumptions underlying both the behavioral and cognitive theories are primarily objectivistic; that is: the world is real, external to
the learner. The goal of instruction is to map the structure of the world onto the learner (Jonassen, 1991b). A number of contemporary cognitive theorists
have begun to question this basic objectivistic assumption and are starting to adopt a more constructivist approach to learning and understanding:
knowledge “is a function of how the individual creates meaning from his or her own experiences”. Constructivism is not a totally new approach to learning.
Like most other learning theories, constructivism has multiple roots in the philosophical and psychological viewpoints of this century, specifically in the
works of Piaget, Bruner, and Goodman (Perkins, 1991). In recent years, however, constructivism has become a “hot” issue as it has begun to receive
increased attention in a number of different disciplines, including instructional design (Bednar et al., 1991).
Constructivism is basically a theory -- based on observation and scientific study -- about how people learn. It says that people construct their own
understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.
When we encounter something new, we have to reconcile it with our previous ideas and experience, maybe changing what we believe, or maybe
discarding the new information as irrelevant. In any case, we are active creators of our own knowledge. To do this, we must ask questions, explore, and
assess what we know.
B. Activity
Based on the picture below, describe and explain in your own understand the nature and meaning of constructivism.
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How constructivism shaped the holistic development of Learners in

terms of learning on the real real-world experiences,
representations/perspectives and understanding the principle of life-
long learning?

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https://images.app.goo.gl/MCcvY7j7J6pxFR157
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C. Analysis
Deepened your understanding with this concept.

This is a simplified summary regarding views of Constructivism

Views of Constructivism… Concepts Implications
 Aim to assist students in assimilating new
 Knowledge is a passively absorbed behavioral repertoire;
information to existing knowledge, and
cognitive constructivists argue instead that knowledge is
enabling them to make the appropriate
actively constructed by learners and that any account of
modifications to their existing intellectual
knowledge makes essential references to cognitive
framework to accommodate that information.
structures.
 Providing students with sets of questions to
 Knowledge comprises active systems of intentional mental
Knowledge structure their reading makes it easier for
representations derived from past learning experiences.
them to relate it to previous material by
 Humans’ linguistic abilities enable them to overcome the
highlighting certain parts and to
natural limitations of their perceptual field by imposing
accommodate the new material by providing
culturally defined sense and meaning on the world.
a clear organizational structure.
Language and culture are the frameworks through which
 Collaborative learning should be seen as a
humans experience, communicate, and understand reality.
process of peer interaction.
 Knowledge is actively constructed; learning is presented  Allow for the use of “skill and drill” exercises
as a process of active discovery. in the memorization of facts, formulae, and
 The role of the instructor is not to drill knowledge into lists, they place greater importance on
students through consistent repetition, or to goad them strategies that help students to actively
into learning through carefully employed rewards and assimilate and accommodate new material.
punishments.
Learning  Teachers must thus take into account the knowledge that  Discussion can be promoted by the
the learner currently possesses when deciding how to presentation of specific concepts, problems,
construct the curriculum and how to present, sequence, or scenarios; it is guided by means of
and structure new material. effectively directed questions, the
 Learners respond not to external stimuli but to their introduction and clarification of concepts and
interpretation of those stimuli. information, and references to previously
 Learning is a collaborative process. learned material.

How can you justify the importance of constructivism in acquiring knowledge and learning experiences of students in understanding social issues?
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 In what way constructivism helps to develop the critical thinking skills of students in learning and understanding different topics/issues in social studies?
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D. Abstraction
There are two models for constructivist approach. These are Cognitive Constructivism (J. Piaget) and Social Constructivism (L. Vygotsky).

Cognitive Constructivism
Cognitive constructivism is based on the work of Jean Piaget. His theory has two major parts: an ages and stages component that predicts what
children can and cannot understand at different ages, and a theory of development that describes how learners develop cognitive abilities. Piaget's theory
of cognitive development proposes that humans cannot be given information, in which they immediately understand and use. Instead, learners
must construct their own knowledge. They build their knowledge through experience. Experiences enable them to create schemas — mental models of
the world. These schemas are changed, enlarged, and made more sophisticated through two complimentary processes: assimilation and accommodation.
Cognitive constructivism is based on two different senses of construction. First, on the idea that people learn by actively constructing new
knowledge, not by having information poured into their heads. Moreover, constructivism asserts that people learn with particular effectiveness when they
are engaged in constructing personally meaningful artifacts (e.g. computer programs, animations). Common to most cognitivist approaches is the idea that
knowledge comprises symbolic mental representations, such as propositions and images, together with a mechanism that operates on those
representations. Knowledge is seen as something that is actively constructed by learners based on their existing cognitive structures. The refore, learning is
relative to their stage of cognitive development, and understanding the learner’s existing intellectual framework is central to understanding the learning
process.
Cognitivist teaching methods aim to assist students in assimilating new information to existing knowledge, as well as enabling them to make the
appropriate modifications to their existing intellectual framework to accommodate that information.

View of Knowledge
While behaviorists maintain that knowledge is a passively absorbed behavioral repertoire, cognitive constructivists argue instead that
knowledge is actively constructed by learners and that any account of knowledge makes essential references to cognitive structures. Knowledge
comprises active systems of intentional mental representations derived from past learning experiences. Each learner interprets experiences and
information in the light of their extant knowledge, their stage of cognitive development, their cultural background, their personal history, and so
forth. Learners use these factors to organize their experience and to select and transform new information. Knowledge is therefore actively
constructed by the learner rather than passively absorbed; it is essentially dependent on the standpoint from which the learner approaches it.
 View of Learning
Because knowledge is actively constructed, learning is presented as a process of active discovery. The role of the instructor is not to drill
knowledge into students through consistent repetition, or to goad them into learning through carefully employed rewards and punishments. Rather,
the role of the teacher is to facilitate discovery by providing the necessary resources and by guiding learners as they attempt to assimilate new
knowledge to old and to modify the old to accommodate the new. Teachers must thus take into account the knowledge that the learner currently
possesses when deciding how to construct the curriculum and how to present, sequence, and structure new material.

View of Motivation
Unlike behaviorist learning theory, where learners are thought to be motivated by extrinsic factors such as rewards and punishment, cognitive
learning theory sees motivation as largely intrinsic. Because it involves significant restructuring of existing cognitive structures, successful learning
requires a major personal investment on the part of the learner (Perry 1999, 54). Learners must face up to the limitations of their existing knowledge
and accept the need to modify or abandon existing beliefs. Without some kind of internal drive on the part of the learner to do so, external rewards
and punishments such as grades are unlikely to be sufficient.

Implications for Teaching

Cognitivist teaching methods aim to assist students in assimilating new information to existing knowledge, and enabling them to make the
appropriate modifications to their existing intellectual framework to accommodate that information. Thus, while cognitivists allow for the use of “skill
and drill” exercises in the memorization of facts, formulae, and lists, they place greater importance on strategies that help students to actively
assimilate and accommodate new material. For instance, asking students to explain new material in their own words can assist them in assimilating
it by forcing them to re-express the new ideas in their existing vocabulary.
Likewise, providing students with sets of questions to structure their reading makes it easier for them to relate it to previous material by
highlighting certain parts and to accommodate the new material by providing a clear organizational structure. Because learning is largely self-
motivated in the cognitivist framework, cognitivists such as A. L. Brown and J. D. Ferrara have also suggested methods which require students to
monitor their own learning. For instance, the use of ungraded tests and study questions enables students to monitor their own understanding of the
material. Other methods that have been suggested include the use of learning journals by students to monitor progress, to highlight any recurring
difficulties, and to analyze study habits.

Social Constructivism
The level of potential development is the level at which learning takes place. It comprises cognitive structures that are still in the process of
maturing, but which can only mature under the guidance of or in collaboration with others. Social constructivism is a variety of cognitive
constructivism that emphasizes the collaborative nature of much learning. Social constructivism was developed by post-revolutionary Soviet
psychologist Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky was a cognitivist, but rejected the assumption made by cognitivists such as Piaget and Perry that it was possible
to separate learning from its social context. He argued that all cognitive functions originate in (and must therefore be explained as products of)
 social interactions and that learning did not simply comprise the assimilation and accommodation of new knowledge by learners; it was the process
by which learners were integrated into a knowledge community.
According to Vygotsky (1978), Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level and, later on, on the
individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention,
to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between individuals.

View of Knowledge
Cognitivists such as Piaget and Perry see knowledge as actively constructed by learners in response to interactions with environmental stimuli.
Vygotsky emphasized the role of language and culture in cognitive development. According to Vygotsky, language and culture play essential roles
both in human intellectual development and in how humans perceive the world. Humans’ linguistic abilities enable them to overcome the natural
limitations of their perceptual field by imposing culturally defined sense and meaning on the world. Language and culture are the frameworks
through which humans experience, communicate, and understand reality.
Vygotsky states (1968, 39), A special feature of human perception … is the perception of real objects … I do not see the world simply in color
and shape but also as a world with sense and meaning. I do not merely see something round and black with two hands; I see a clock …
Language and the conceptual schemes that are transmitted by means of language are essentially social phenomena. As a result, human cognitive
structures are, Vygotsky believed, essentially socially constructed. Knowledge is not simply constructed, it is co-constructed.

View of Learning
Vygotsky accepted Piaget’s claim that learners respond not to external stimuli but to their interpretation of those stimuli. However, he argued
that cognitivists such as Piaget had overlooked the essentially social nature of language. As a result, he claimed they had failed to understand that
learning is a collaborative process.
Vygotsky distinguished between two developmental levels (85): The level of actual development is the level of development that the learner
has already reached, and is the level at which the learner is capable of solving problems independently. The level of potential development (the
“zone of proximal development”) is the level of development that the learner is capable of reaching under the guidance of teachers or in
collaboration with peers. The learner is capable of solving problems and understanding material at this level that they are not capable of solving or
understanding at their level of actual development; the level of potential development is the level at which learning takes place. It comprises
cognitive structures that are still in the process of maturing, but which can only mature under the guidance of or in collaboration with others.

View of Motivation
Whereas behavioral motivation is essentially extrinsic, a reaction to positive and negative reinforcements, cognitive motivation is essentially
intrinsic — based on the learner’s internal drive. Social constructivists see motivation as both extrinsic and intrinsic. Because learning is essentially a
social phenomenon, learners are partially motivated by rewards provided by the knowledge community. However, because knowledge is actively
constructed by the learner, learning also depends to a significant extent on the learner’s internal drive to understand and promote the learning
process.
 Implications for Teaching
Collaborative learning methods require learners to develop teamwork skills and to see individual learning as essentially related to the success of
group learning. The optimal size for group learning is four or five people. Since the average section size is ten to fifteen people, collaborative learning
methods often require GSIs to break students into smaller groups, although discussion sections are essentially collaborative learning environments. For
instance, in group investigations students may be split into groups that are then required to choose and research a topic from a limited area. They are then
held responsible for researching the topic and presenting their findings to the class. More generally, collaborative learning should be seen as a process of
peer interaction that is mediated and structured by the teacher. Discussion can be promoted by the presentation of specific concepts, problems, or
scenarios; it is guided by means of effectively directed questions, the introduction and clarification of concepts and information, and references to
previously learned material.

E. Application

Recall a specific situation in your classroom interaction in which you experience constructivism from a particular topic of your teacher. Give your reflection.
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F. Evaluation
Create a 2 minute video vlog on the importance of Constructivism in teaching social studies. This is graded base on the following rubrics.
Rubrics in Video Vlog
Advanced (20 pts.) Proficient (16 pts.) Developing (12 pts.) Beginning (8 pts.)
Advanced Proficient Developing Beginning

Participates beyond the required Participates, but does not post Participates, but does not meet Posting is less than 50%
Contribution number of postings, including anything that encourages others the minimum number of posts. complete or posting does not
discussion on other students' to respond. Participates with the Few to no discussion or further any discussions. No
posts. required number of postings. comments with others. Some response to classmate's posting
Responds to questions from comments to other or response or questions.
others when present. to questions.

Advanced Proficient Developing Beginning

Content Quality
 Appropriate, engaging, reflective, Appropriate and respectful to Vlogs and comments done, but Vlogs not engaging, are
and respectful to others. Vlogs others. Vlogs have a purpose or lacks engagement, analysis or irrelevant, or are difficult to
are in-depth, analytical, and main topic about reading and is substantial reflection, or may be follow in meaning.
reflective, make a point and reflective. off topic.
make connections beyond the
text.
Beginning
Proficient Developing
Advanced
Vlog may contain significant
Speech & Grammar Speech is fluent. Vlog may Vlog may contain several errors errors in grammar; errors may
Vlog has originality and flair,
contain one or two errors in in grammar; errors may impede cause confusion for the viewer.
emphasizing important points;
grammar; errors do not impede viwer's understanding. Speech Speech is choppy without
contains no errors in grammar.
viewer's understanding. lack fluency. complete sentences or clear
topic.

Advanced Proficient Developing

Beginning

Consistently uses direct Incorporates some references Discusses references from

References & Support
references to outside sources to from outside sources, but may outside sources in a general way, Includes no references or
support thoughts. Uses MLA not be consistent. Errors in MLA but doesn't use specific supporting evidence.
citations correctly. citation. references.

Advanced Proficient Developing Beginning

Video Quality Video is well lit and frames Video is well lit and frames the Video is fairly well lit within Camera may be jerky, making it
subject appropriately. Editing subject within the frame without minimal movement. Subject is difficult to view, poorly lit, or
enhances cohesiveness of vlog. excessive movement. usually within the frame. subject not clearly in video.

Advanced Proficient Developing Beginning

Sound Quality
Sound is clear and volume is Vlog is understandable and Vlog somewhat difficult to hear Vlog is difficult to hear or is too
appropriate. volume is appropriate. or is occasionally too loud. loud.
 Prepared by:

EDUARDO D. QUIDTA JR., M.A.Ed, M.Ed

Part Time Instructor

ROGER D. RAYMUNDO, Ph.D.

Part Time Instructor