Constructivism and Critical Pedagogy
Constructivism: Definition
and Features
Constructivism is comparatively a new approach in
teaching. It is the advanced method after behaviourist approach. There are two
major approaches in constructivism; cognitive constructivism and social
constructivism. Jean Piaget, Vygotsky, Jerom S Bruner, Noam Chomsky are the
major propagators of constructivism. In India, Jithu Krishnamoorthy is being
considered a practitioner of this approach. Out of them Piaget and Bruner
belong to cognitive constructivism and others are of social constructivism,
Constructivism is a philosophy of
learning developed on the principles that,
·
learning is reflecting
on personal experiences
·
learner constructs own
understanding of the world where learner live in
·
learner has the capacity
to construct knowledge from the social context
·
Learning is the process
of adjusting mental reproductions to accommodate new experiences
Constructivism has different facets like
philosophical, pedagogical, technological, psychological and the like. In
teaching, “Constructivism is
the theory that says learners construct knowledge rather
than just passively take in information.” Constructivism explains that knowledge is not something to
be poured in but to be constructed.
What is the learning procedure
according to constructivism? We can understand it from the following
procedures;
·
All learners
continuously experience the world
·
The learners always reflect
upon those experiences
·
Based on their own reflections,
the learners incorporate new information into their pre-existing knowledge. This
is the process of knowledge construction
·
This new knowledge
associate with the existing knowledge
·
Constructivist learning
environments emphasize knowledge construction instead of knowledge reproduction
According to constructivism,
learning is an active process to be carried out by the learner. A teacher need
not be ‘lecture’ the content. Teacher is a facilitator or stage setter in
constructivism. Learner will engage in the leaning process as per her/his
capacity.
There are some key elements in
constructivist approach of teaching. They are;
·
Knowledge
is to be constructed and not to be poured in.
·
People
learn to learn, as they learn. Acquiring knowledge means learning to learn.
·
Learning
is an active process. Learners are not passive listeners in classrooms.
·
Learning
is a social activity.
·
Learning
is contextual. Teachers has to set suitable contexts for effective learning
·
Knowledge
acquisition depends up on personal cognitive capacities
·
Learning
exists in the mind and reflects through cognitive and social actions
· Motivation is a key to learning. Readiness to learn is a necessity
Characteristic features of Constructivism
There are many specific elements and principles of
constructivism that form its features. Let’s discuss them. (www.wgu.edu)
- Knowledge is to be constructed. Knowledge is
built upon another knowledge that the learners already possess. A learner
takes pieces of information and put them together in his own unique way.
His way of building something will be different from another one’s method.
The student’s previous knowledge, experiences, beliefs, and insights are important
factors in learning.
- Learners are not passive listeners. In
constructivist method, learners are learning to learn, as they learn.
Learning involves constructing meaning and systems of meaning. For
example, if a learner learns the chronological order of events in the
Indian freedom movement, the learner learns years and events and along
with that he also learns what is chronology and also what is significance
of chronological order in studying a movement.
- Learning is an active process. Learning
involves sensory input to construct meaning. The learner needs to do
something in order to learn, it’s not a passive activity. Learners need to
engage in the world so they are actively involved in their own learning
and development. Learner can’t just sit and expect to be told things and
learn, you need to engage in discussions, reading, activities, etc.
(www.wgu.edu)
- Learning is through social activities and it
is contextual. Family, teachers, neighbours, peers, and acquaintances
impact on learning. One will not effectively learn in isolation.
Progressive education recognizes that social interaction is key to
learning and they use conversation, interaction, and group applications to
help students retain their knowledge. Though knowledge is personal,
it has social applicability
- Knowledge acquisition depends on personal
uniqueness. Constructivism is based on learner’s own experiences and interactions.
Each person will have their own prior knowledge and experiences to bring
to the table. So, the way and things people learn and gain from education
will all be very different.
- Learning exists in the mind. Hands-on
experiences and physical actions are necessary for learning. Engaging the
mind is key to successful learning. Mental experiences are needed for
retaining knowledge.
- Motivation is key to learning. Learning will
not be effective if the learner is unmotivated. Without motivation, it’s
difficult for learners to reach into their past experience and make
connections for new learning.
Disadvantages of Constructivism
One of the major disadvantages of constructivism is
that the learner may not become able to contextualize learning at all
time. Learner may fail to form
abstractions and transfer knowledge and skills in new situations (Merrill,
1991) There is possibility for confusion and even frustration in learning
tasks. Other disadvantages are that the knowledge that construct by learner may
not be factual, teachers may not get opportunities to transact knowledge
properly, learners are being deprived form the effective learning, learners do
not always actively construct meaning and building an appropriate knowledge
structure and possibility of dullness in learning process.
Constructivism is the presently practicing approach
mostly in school level education. The approach made teaching learning tasks
activity oriented. Though there have some demerits, the approach is
acknowledged as effective by pedagogical experts.
Get a brief
explanation from this link
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5783378581439316796/8144029602228316210
Critical Pedagogy
Critical pedagogy is a teaching approach. It is proposed
by the famous educational philosopher Paulo Friere. Critical pedagogy is
introduced for developing critical consciousness or critical awareness in the
learner. Critical consciousness is ability to critically perceive the
causes of social, political and economic oppression and to take action against
the oppressive elements of society.
Critical pedagogy is defined as an
education methodology that seeks to increase student awareness of the hidden
curriculum’s inequalities and multiple form of oppression that exist in the
society, and encourage them to take step towards creating a more democratic and
equitable society. Friere explained this pedagogical approach in his book
‘pedagogy of the oppressed”
The aim of Freir’s critical
pedagogy is to restore to marginalized groups their stolen ‘voice’, to enable
them recognize identify, and give their name the things in the world.
Characteristics of critical pedagogy
1.
Critical pedagogy enables student to question and
challenge domination, the beliefs and practices that dominate
2.
Critical pedagogy is based on the presumption that
all education is pedagogy
3.
It provides the learner with tools to better
themselves and define the world
4.
Its approach is issue based or problem based
5.
It provides the learner with the tools to analyse
critically how and on whose benefit the knowledge is constructed
6.
Critical pedagogy transforms the learner from
objects to subjects
7.
It aims to create a more egalitarian and just
society
8.
It transforms the learner from the role of passive
listener to active participants
9.
Critical pedagogy argues for an approach to
education that is rooted in the experiences of marginalized peoples
10.
It is focused on dialogue instead of a one-way
transmission of knowledge
11.
It envisages a transformed world, i.e., a more
democratic, more just and more egalitarian world
12.
Critical pedagogy needs to create new forms of
knowledge through its emphasis on breaking down disciplinary boundaries and
creating new spaces where knowledge can be produced
Critical pedagogy is a
teaching philosophy that asks teachers to encourage students to critique constructions
of power and oppression. It is rooted in critical theory, which involves
becoming aware of and questioning the societal conditions. In critical
pedagogy, a teacher uses his or her own enlightenment to encourage students to
question and challenge inequalities that exist in different facets of society
where he lives.
Critical pedagogy primarily supports for
thinking critically and challenging social structures. Critical
pedagogy encourages students to challenge their own beliefs, break
free of damaging social narratives, and think independently.
In critical pedagogy, assessment and evaluation will be with
different strategies. Assessments
are not about finding the right answer, but are instead about critical thinking
skills. Process oriented evaluation is suggested in critical pedagogy. It is a cyclic process – teacher to learner –
learner to learner- and learner to teacher. Learning is not a one-way process
in critical pedagogy.
Concluding Thoughts
Implementing critical pedagogy has
different ways in different subjects, and what techniques or strategies or
tactics function for one class may not work for another. Often, this will
involve finding common bonds between subjects as the critical approach is not
confined to only one area of education and culture. Critical pedagogy is an
effective tool in the hand of teacher to make his or her children active
leaners in classrooms.
