Constructivism and Instructivism

Page last updated on 9th October 2001

This page provides links to information about constructivism and instructivism on the web. You can find further information using a search engine such as Google.

What is Constructivism?

[ Constructivism is also referred to as: "student-centered", "child-centered", "learner-centered", "discovery-based" ,"self-directed"]

• Constructivism embraces the concept that all learning is seen through the conceptual framework of the learner and new learning must be fitted into this framework. Clearly if this is the case then there are implications for the way we teach.
• Constructivist learning is based on students' active participation in problem-solving and critical thinking regarding a learning activity which they find relevant and engaging. They are "constructing" their own knowledge by testing ideas and approaches based on their prior knowledge and experience, applying these to a new situation, and integrating the new knowledge gained with pre-existing intellectual constructs.

Johanssen (1994) has suggested eight characteristics of constructivism.

Implications for planning and teaching

• The student is pursuing a problem or activity by applying approaches he or she already knows and integrating those approaches with alternatives presented by other team members, research sources, or current experience.
• Through trial and error, the student then balances pre-existing views and approaches with new experiences to construct a new level of understanding.
• Learning is then assessed through performance-based projects rather than through traditional paper and pencil testing.
• The teacher is a facilitator or coach in the constructivist learning approach. The teacher guides the student, stimulating and provoking the student's critical thinking, analysis and synthesis throughout the learning process. The teacher is also a co-learner.

We can use a check list, such as this one adapted from Elizabeth Murphy's site, to evaluate to what extent a teaching session satisfies constructivist guidelines.

Types of Constructivism
There are a number of different forms of constructivism:

• Cognitive Constructivism
• Social Constructivism

What is Instructivism ?

[Also referred to as: "direct instruction", "mastery learning", "explicit teaching", or "precision teaching" ]

• Instructivism is direct instruction by a teacher employing objectives and lesson plans related to an overall curriculum guide in order to teach specific content, customarily using the lecture method.
• Knowledge is in possession of the teacher.
• There is explicit teaching of an agreed body of knowledge.

Implications for planning and teaching

• The teacher organises learning objectives and content beforehand. Material and skills are predetermined and defined in advance of learning
• Material is delivered by the teacher, skills and material are learnt by the student
• Students are assessed by their ability to remember the material or practise the skill

For further details of a model of instructivist teaching see:

• an adaptation of Robert Slavin's model of direct instruction by Bill Huitt
• Or take a look at Classroom Instruction by Bill Huitt which contains a link to a model of direct instruction from a transactional perspective.

Further Information

For further information there are links to a large number of web sites about constructivism and instructivism at EmTech

You can take a look at an exercise designed to illustrate alternative frameworks in mechanics as an illustration of how people construct their own conceptual frameworks.