The Challenge of Constructivist Teaching
Abstract
Constructivism, the current name for an old idea that human beings construct knowledge (Hawkins, 1994), is an appealing theory when used to describe how people learn, how they make meaning of the world. It is significantly more challenging when viewed from the perspective of the teacher. Constructivist learning may be little more than a tautology, but constructivist teaching involves serious questions about pedagogy. If meaning-making is personal and idiosyncratic, what is the role of the teacher? What strategies are appropriate for teaching in a constructivist world?
