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
1. We cannot know an
objective reality. Rather, we construct our own subjective understanding of our
experiences, interpreting everything in light of what has
already been
experienced and learned. The key idea that sets constructivism apart from other
theories of cognition was launched about 60 years ago by Jean Piaget.
It was the idea that
what we call knowledge does not and cannot have the purpose of producing
representations of an independent reality, but instead has an
adaptive function"
(von Glaserfeld, 1996, p. 3). Our cognitive representations of all aspects of
our environment (physical, social, and cultural) serve to help us adapt
to those environments
and survive in them. Our personal representations may reflect some external
reality to the extent that such a thing is necessary to survive
and thrive in it, but this accuracy is
certainly not a given.
Educational Psychology:
Effective Teaching,
Effective Learnin
Third Edition
Stephen N. Elliott
