{"id":1502,"date":"2018-10-10T19:17:14","date_gmt":"2018-10-10T23:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/?p=1502"},"modified":"2018-10-10T19:17:14","modified_gmt":"2018-10-10T23:17:14","slug":"constructivist-teaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2018\/10\/constructivist-teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Constructivist Teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When a teacher begins teaching, there are a number of concepts and theories that he\/she should be thinking through and trying to incorporate into their classroom. A major\u00a0<\/em>theory that should be present in the classroom is that of constructivism<\/strong>. An article from the Journal of Baltic Science Education called “Effects of Learning Cycle Models on Science Success: A Meta-Analysis” explains how this theory of learning is useful and powerful.<\/p>\n

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What are the main points?<\/h2>\n

If you don’t have time to read the whole article, that’s okay, not many people do. Here are the main takeaways from what they are saying.<\/p>\n

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  1. Learning cycle models for science education have a strong positive effect on the success of students as opposed to teacher-centered\u00a0models.
    \nIn 71 out of 75<\/strong> studies conducted, the learning cycle model was more effective – WOW!<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. The 5E learning model (as compared to the 4E and 7E) is the preferred learning model and includes Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.<\/li>\n
  3. The studies carried out for 6-8 weeks had a greater effect than those from 3-5 weeks.
    \nThis means that the more often you do this in your classroom, the more effectively the students will learn science!<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Students learning new information will construct their own knowledge rather than repeating verbatim what they’ve been told. They will incorporate new concepts into pre-existing knowledge and previous experience to evaluate new situations.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This may have you saying “Wow this is really convincing data! How do I incorporate this in my classroom???”<\/p>\n

    Have no fear. I will enlighten you to the 5E Learning Cycle.<\/p>\n

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    1. Engage<\/strong> – Generate curiosity about a topic. Ask questions. Spark prior knowledge in students.<\/li>\n
    2. Explore<\/strong> – Encourage students to work together while posing questions to see what knowledge they already have. Let them investigate the topic on their own to build connections.<\/li>\n
    3. Explain<\/strong> – Have students explain the concepts in their own words and using their own definitions. Use the students’ experiences as the basis for learning new concepts and incorporating knowledge.<\/li>\n
    4. Elaborate<\/strong> – Allow students to extend the concepts past where you have previously taken them and apply it to new situations. Encourage more questions.<\/li>\n
    5. Evaluate<\/strong> – Assess the student’s knowledge and that they have grown in learning. Ask open-ended\u00a0questions to see the depth of what they have learned.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      This short video does a good job explaining what the learning cycle entails:<\/p>\n