← Back to articles Constructivism in our classes Carolanne Tremblay , Thursday, July 13 2017

Through working with teenagers, I have been able to try different pedagogical ideologies. Constructivist pedagogy resulting from the works of Piaget (1970), Bruner (1962-79), Vygotsky (1978-86), and Papert (1980-83) corresponds most to my values ​​and my personality, and best suits my teaching style.

Constructivism?

Constructivism is based on four major precepts: knowledge is constructed in an active way, it adapts according to the environment, it changes according to the experiences, and has roots in relationships, discussions, society, and culture in which the learner evolves.

And in my class...

In order to successfully integrate a constructivist pedagogy into a classroom, we must first make changes to the environment in which young people do their learning. We must not be afraid to redesign our classroom to form work islands, because students must be able to confront their ideas with others in order to develop their critical thinking. Different types of media and technologies must also be available to facilitate their research. Once redesigned, your classroom will allow students to take charge of their learning and develop their intrinsic motivation. Their desire to learn must be as great as that of your desire to teach. When everything is set up, all that is left is to value the learning desire of young people. At all times, you must build your teaching around your students.

8 conditions

If you want to integrate a constructivist pedagogy into your practice, here are eight conditions necessary for classroom integration to work well (according to Doolittle 1999).

1) Present complex learning situations (but commensurate with the abilities of your students) that contain authentic activities. Do not underestimate your students, they may surprise you!

2) Provide social interactions. Leave space in your classroom so that young people can discuss together and compare their ideas.

3) Use meaningful content and know-how for students. The project or work to be carried out must have a meaning for them and must be useful to them in their lives, whether present or future, so that they are invested in their learning.

4) Use content and know-how similar to what they have learned. The goal of constructivism is not to put young people in situations where they feel completely destitute or helpless. Use this pedagogy to reinforce lessons that they have already learned or at least touched on.

5) Students must receive an ongoing formative assessment. When carrying out a project, it is important to always evaluate students and target weaknesses to work on, but also to congratulate the exploited forces.

6) Be responsible for their learning. The student must understand that they are the sole master of their learning. If they decide to waste their time, they alone will be punished.

7) Teachers are primarily guides and agents that facilitate learning. The teacher must accompany their students. Do not show them the way to go, but accompany them in whatever they choose.

8) Review and present content from a variety of perspectives. In doing so, you can use the students' work and ask them to talk about it in front of the class. This will allow everyone to confront their ideas and move forward in their personal journey, in addition to making the work done by a single student accessible to several students.

Finally

Constructivism is a pedagogy that is constantly renewed and can be adapted to all types of learners. If properly used, this method of teaching can allow you to discover your students from a new angle and to discover in the latter many qualities, which may have been, up til now, well hidden. Giving your students the freedom to carry out a project in their image and according to their working methods makes it possible to know them better. Using constructivism at appropriate times throughout the school year facilitates the implementation of several learning outcomes.

"Do it and you will remember it."