Page 16 - Magazine Project: 243

Constructivism: An Effective
Method to Help Students Learn

Written by Courtney Coates

Keeping students engaged in course content meaning that was constructed on their own.” This can

and having students retain the information is often a help the classroom flourish as students become active-

challenge for teachers. Passive learning often leads to ly involved in what they are learning, rather than pas-

rote memorization where students learn what is sively trying to retain all of the information that a

needed to pass a test, but they often cannot connect the teacher gives them in a lecture. “It is important that

information to different situations, and they easily teachers and learners develop trust and openness in the

forget the information soon after the test or class. classroom for all students to become engaged and at-

Meaningful learning happens when students are tentive.” This means that the teacher should work to

engaged and involved in the material. make sure the students feel comfortable sharing in

Constructivism is a way to do this. front of each other. This will then allow more ideas to

Constructivism is a current teaching trend where stu- be shared and students will have a chance of hearing

dents are actively part of the lesson. They are not just something in the conversation that will help them un-

passive learners. Iran-Nejad (1995) gave a definition derstand the material.

of constructivism as, “‘Meaning is not given to us in Constructivism also involves having students

our encounters, but it is given by us, constructed by build off of their past knowledge. “Students establish

us, each in our own way, according to how our a connection between new information and prior un-

understanding is currently.’” This means that instead derstanding” (Vermette, Foote, Bird, Mesibov, Harris-

having a teacher lecture the entire time during class, Ewing, & Battaglia, 2001). This means that when pos-

the students discussing the material and doing sible, the teacher should work to connect the new ma-

activities and assignments to help them connect the terial to material that has previously been taught. This

material to bigger ideas and previously learned can help the students retain this new information and

content. connect it in a meaningful way.

Constructivism also involves making the mate-

rial meaningful for the students. Making the task

meaningful can help students stay engaged in the ma-

terial. The journal of Education claims that when stu-

dents, “are convinced of the importance of the material

they are learning and view the tasks they are complet-

ing as useful and relevant,” they will be more motivat-

ed to learn (Vermette et al., 2001). Teachers can do

this by involving real world problems into their math

or by placing real world situations into their social

studies. Teachers can also have students write about

real life problems that they see. Problems occur when

Teachers can also incorporate the constructiv- the students are not engaged. Project Innovation states

ist trend into their classroom by creating a classroom that, “When students are not engaged, an ineffective

where conversations flourish. Powell and Kalina classroom can be subject to disruptive students, and

(2009) claim that, “Teachers can use the verbal energy learning will not occur” (Powell & Kalina, 2009). This

that students have to their advantage. Teachers should proves the importance of making sure the students are

promote dialogue of the material so that students can interested in the material. If they are interested in the

critically think about what they are learning. If they material, they will be paying attention more and retain

think critically, they will walk away with personal more of the information that is being taught.

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