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At first glance, the cognitive
constructivist perspective may seem a rather radical change in theorizing about
human thinking and learning. But the main ideas of this ap-
proach have been around for some time. If you've
ever studied philosophy, you'll recognize the rudiments of constructivism in
the thinking of philosophers like Socrates and Kant.
However, the roots of the current cognitive
constructivist view of human cognition are usually attributed to Jean Piaget,
Lev Vygotsky, and contemporary work on human knowl-
edge representation by Jerome Bruner,
Howard Gardner, and Nelson Goodman, to name but a few.
Like most theories, constructivism is not
one single perspective, but all the variations share some defining characteristics.
Let's first summarize the main ideas of the cognitive
constructivist position, then discuss how
this theory about learning affects teaching. The first three of the following
six points describe the cognitive constructivist view of what
knowledge is, and the last three address
how learning occurs, or that is, how knowledge is constructed.
Educational Psychology:
Effective Teaching,
Effective Learnin
Third Edition
Stephen N. Elliott
