Constructivism

The term constructivism is used in several ways.

Of particular relevance to educational researchers:

1. Constructivism as a label associated with a research paradigm

The term constructivist is sometimes used as a referent for paradigmatic commitments, in particular to refer to research that is interpretivist in nature. So sometimes references to constructivism need to be read as implying a constructivist paradigm for research.

2. Constructivism as a theoretical perspective on teaching and learning

However constructivism is also a label given to a range of theories about student learning and pedagogy. So constructivism may be central to a conceptual framework informing a study into teaching and /or learning, and could be adopted as a theoretical perspective in such a study.

Constructivism has become a major referent for teaching and learning in many parts of the world (Taber, 2009), but has also been at the core a number of debates and controversies (ibid., Ch. 5): for example, about the nature and desirability of constructivist teaching.

Read about constructivism and pedagogy:

Taber, K. S. (2011). Constructivism as educational theory.pdf

Taber, K. S. (2011). Constructivism as educational theory: Contingency in learning, and optimally guided instruction. In J. Hassaskhah (Ed.), Educational Theory. New York: Nova, 39-61.

When does an epistemological assumption becomes part of our ontology: perhaps when we are trying to construct knowledge about how people construct knowledge?

It is important not to confuse these two uses of the term constructivism (1, 2 above) when describing research. Constructivism is about how people come to knowledge, so it is not surprising that if someone adopts a constructivist perspective for their study about learning (i.e. understands how students learn from a constructivist perspective) then they may well make similar assumptions about their own research processes (i.e. how they understanding how they themselves come to knowledge in the research).

As constructivism is about how people come to an understanding of their experiences and beliefs about the world it is about epistemology (and so suggests an interpretive epistemology for research). However, if someone is studying student learning and makes constructivist assumptions then because learning is the subject of the study, this stance is in effect an ontological one - an assumption about the nature of what is being researched.

In this case, constructivism may both

1. •provide a basis for understanding the nature of what we are studying (ontology)
   

2. •provide a basis for understanding how we can undertake research to make knowledge claims (epistemology)
   

Indeed, it would seem odd to assume that learners construct their own idiosyncratic personal meanings of the world, yet we researchers are able to acquire knowledge of this process that is not itself constructed through our own imperfect cognitive apparatus!

Constructivisms as theoretical perspectives?

There are different flavours of constructivist thought.

Perhaps the most common is what might commonly be called personal constructivism, which focuses on the individual learner/knower.

However, so called social constructivism, which focuses on the social interactions in the construction of knowledge, is also very influential.

A further variation is called constructionism which also has a social focus, in particular considering collaboration between people working together.

(Each of these approaches also has different variants developed by different theorists.) These alternative views may sometimes be seen as competing perspectives. However,  it is also possible to see them as somewhat complementary - i.e. providing focus on different contexts for exploring knowledge construction.

Phenomenology can also be considered to be a constructivist perspective.

Reference: Taber, K. S. (2009). Progressing Science Education: Constructing the scientific research programme into the contingent nature of learning science. Dordrecht: Springer.

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