Teaching is not transferring information but creating the possibilities to build knowledge. This is the principle of constructivism, a teaching methodology that more and more schools apply.

Constructivism is a pedagogical trend that provides the students with the tools to be able to build their own knowledge, the result of previous experiences obtained in the environment that surrounds them.

That is, the student interprets the information, behaviors, attitudes, or skills previously acquired to achieve meaningful learning, which arises from discovering their motivation and commitment to learning.

Teaching under constructivism is conceived as a process through which the student is helped, supported, and directed in the construction of knowledge; it is about going from the simple (intuitive knowledge) to the complex (formal, scientific knowledge).

Therefore, teaching from this approach does not focus its effort on the content, but on the student, which means a conceptual change in traditional education.

Origin and principle of constructivism

Constructivism is a paradigm linked to cognitive development and has its roots in the theory of Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, a pioneer in the study of cognitive development in early stages.

From the point of view of Piaget, the knowledge is attached to the subject performing operations on the world around him. That is the evolution of intelligence results from the interaction between subject and object and the reality that they conceive as a result of said interaction.

For example, if a child is asked to draw his schoolyard, his drawing is not a representation of the yard, but of what he knows about it. As you meet new elements and interact with them, the structure of the patio (your thinking) will become more sophisticated.

According to Piaget, if intellectual development is a process of structural changes, from the simplest to the most complex, knowledge is the result of constructions that are modified by two processes:

Assimilation, which consists of the incorporation into the brain of external elements
Accommodation refers to the change of the schemes or the need to adjust to the new situation.

According to constructivism science does not discover realities and h you miss but it builds, creates, and invents realities. For this reason, every learning process consists of the assimilation of new elements, and later the accommodation of these elements to an environment that is already different from the one conceived.

Benefits of constructivism

Although the advantages offered by this model are multiple, we can highlight that the benefits of the constructivist model are:

Develop cognitive skills.
Ensure meaningful and lasting learning.
Promote the level of development of the student.
Take into account previous knowledge.
Adapt to the needs of the student.
Promote autonomy and creative problem-solving.
Consider the student’s interests, attitudes, beliefs, and differences.
Improve learning experiences.

Constructivism at school

Applying this methodology in classrooms means a conceptual change compared to the traditional way of teaching since the actions of students, teachers, content, and context must be united.

It is important to note that all knowledge is built in close relationship with the contexts in which it is used and therefore it is not possible to separate the cognitive, emotional, and social aspects in the context in which it is used.

Each of the members involved in the learning process has a specific role and in the case of the teacher, it also means a change in the traditional vision.

The role of the teacher

In this constructive learning process, the leading role is given to the student who assumes the fundamental role in their own training process.

At preschool levels, children are introduced to different knowledge from experiences, such as tasks of building figures or structures with blocks, or the construction and basic programming of a robot.

In the case of evaluation, the constructivist paradigm offers greater alternatives than written tests. The evaluation is done on the fly and intangible elements such as teamwork and creativity are considered.

Characteristics of a constructivist teacher

It promotes the autonomy and initiative of the student.
Use physical, interactive, and manipulable materials.
It proposes in an experiential way constructivist tasks such as: classifying, analyzing, predicting, creating, inferring, deducing, estimating, elaborating, thinking.
Research students’ understanding of concepts before sharing your own understanding with them.
It encourages inquiry and motivates reflection to find the answers.

The role of the student

It is important to clarify that the teacher does not lose his role of authority in the classroom; His role will always be that of a knowledgeable guide, seeking constant empathy with the student.

Especially in the early stages, it should encourage participation and create environments that are conducive to teamwork. In later years, the student must also take responsibility for their learning, but the bases must be provided by the teacher.

To do this, it is essential to feed curiosity and encourage students to use creativity to apply the new knowledge acquired and find answers to new approaches.

Although they must always be guided by the teacher, the students must be autonomous when carrying out the work and expose themselves to errors, to later rectify; this is the experiential aspect that makes learning effective.

The ideal environment and material for constructivism

The content of the classes should unite several areas of knowledge and not focus on a single subject. To learn through experience and build new realities requires holistic and meaningful scenarios for students.

For example, the setting of a story can be developed using didactic blocks that help to identify the emotions of the characters; in this way, gross and fine motor skills are developed; socio-emotional skills such as empathy, teamwork, as well as reading and comprehension.

Today there are also educational technology tools, such as STEM Classes for children, through which they can learn mathematics and programming principles, always seeking an atmosphere of teamwork.

As has been said, teachers, students, and content must interact with each other to produce effective learning; that is, without the creativity and imagination of the children, or the teaching guide, the materials become simple objects without life.

About the Guest Author – Arcchana Agarwal Kothari

Archana Agarwal is a Post Graduate in International Management from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, an Entrepreneur, a proud mother to a 7-year-old, and Founder- CEO of Aark Learnings a leading online educational platform that provides skill-based holistic education and experiential learning to the new generation kids which help in their growth and overall development.