Expanding Our View of Teaching and Learning: Applying Constructivist Theory(s) to Teachers Education.
TITLE Expanding Our View of Teaching and Learning: Applying Constructivist Theory(s) to Teachers Education. PUB DATE 2003-00-00 NOTE 33p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (New Orleans, LA, January 24-27, 2003). PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Portfolio Assessment; Action Research; *Constructivism (Learning); Cooperative Learning; Educational Environment; Elementary Secondary Education; Field Experience Programs; Higher Education; *Inservice Teacher Education; Interpersonal Relationship; *Preservice Teacher Education; Problem Solving; Reflective Teaching; Student Attitudes; Student Participation; Teacher Attitudes IDENTIFIERS Authenticity; Learner Centered Instruction
Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perspectives on Constructivism and Its Implementation in the Schools.
The aim of this study was to determine pre-service teachers' perspectives on constructivism and its implementation in schools. In order to do this, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 12 primary pre-service teachers from the grades 2, 3, and 4. Four pre-service teachers were voluntarily selected from each grade for interview. Each interview lasted about 20 minutes. The recorded interviews were transferred to written texts and later analyzed. The responses were examined by descriptive and content analysis. According to the most significant results of the research, the pre-service teachers' knowledge of constructivism is general, theoretical, and limited. Although they are very positive about constructivism as a teaching and learning approach, they have major hesitations in its implementation in the schools due to the lack of experience in such an approach during their education and the lack of motivation for constructivism resulting from the weaknesses of knowledge. The pre-service teachers also think that the lessons and practices in the faculty of education are not very sufficient to become a constructivist teacher.
Teachers' Beliefs about Teaching and Learning: A Constructivist Perspective
Teachers are viewed as important agents of change in the reform effort currently under way in education and thus are expected to play a key role in changing schools and classrooms. Paradoxically, however, teachers are also viewed as major obstacles to change because of their adherence to outmoded forms of instruction that emphasize factual and procedural knowledge at the expense of deeper levels of understanding. New constructivist approaches to teaching and learning, which many reformers advocate, are inconsistent with much of what teachers believe--a problem that may be overcome if teachers are willing to rethink their views on a number of issues. This article seeks to advance this cause by identifying important aspects of current thinking that may get in the way of teachers adopting a constructivist approach to teaching and learning.