CONSTRUCTIVISM 0.1

Constructivism is an epistemology a philosophical explanation of the nature of knowledge; it describes how one attains, develops, and uses the cognitive process. It is based on the fundamental assumption that people create knowledge from the interaction between existing knowledge or beliefs and the new ideas or situations they encounter. Constructivism is a theory of learning based on the idea that knowledge is constructed by the knower based on mental activity. Construction meaning may initially bear little relationship to reality but will become increasingly more complex, differentiated, and realistic as time goes on. Constructivist learning is an active process where learners should learn to discover the principles, concepts, and facts for themselves. Knowledge is thus a product of humans and is socially and culturally constructed. Learning is not a process that only takes place inside our minds, it is a passive development of our behavior shaped by external forces, and meaningful learning occurs when individuals are engaged in social activities. It means that the learning experience is subjective and objective and requires culture, values, and background to become essential for shaping knowledge. It advocates a learner–centered, activities-centered interactive pedagogical approach.

INTRODUCTION

Constructivism is a theory of learning based on the idea and the knowledge constructed by the knower based on mental activity. Learners are considered to be active organisms meaning. Constructions of meaning may initially be a little relationship between realities (as in naïve theories of children) but will become increasingly more complex, differentiated, and realistic as time goes on.

Assumed that the learners have to construct their own knowledge individually a collectively. Each Learner has a tool kit of concepts and skills with which he/she must construct and develop knowledge to solve problems given by the environment.

The role of the community and other learners and teachers – is to provide the setting, face the challenges, and the support that will encourage mathematical construction. According to Brooks and Brooks (1993), Constructivism is not a theory about teaching. It is a theory about knowledge and learning theory defines knowledge as temporary, developmental, socially mediated, and thus non-objectives.

There are several theories that are applied in education such as behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism etc. Many educators especially teachers use the theories in the classroom based on their own roles. Each theory has its own different function and purpose and also has a little bit correlation  with each other, for example behaviorism theory. In this theory, the teaching learning process focuses on the students centered not the teacher’s one. It means that, if the teacher applies it in the classroom, it tends to create the passive students. They just absorb the knowledge from their own teachers.

    Constructivism theory is the response to the behaviorism theory (asiaeuniversity, 2012:106). It means that the role of constructivism theory is in the opposite of behaviorism. The students’ role is to construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. It means that the students construct the meaning of certain thing by assimilating and accommodating through their own experience. It tends to create the active students. While the constructivist teachers encourage and guide the students in order to assess the activities which help them to get  the understanding . The way the teacher guides the students can be conducted through questioning them in order it can create the situation in which the students construct the meaning of thing by themselves. Moreover the function of questioning is to regard the students as the expert learners.

      The other function of constructivism theory is it can create problem solving, if the students find problem, they can discuss with other friends to get the solution. That is the point of view about constructivism theory. The next session will be the description of constructivism through the history, definition, types, principles, implementation in teaching learning process, the characteristics of learning, the characters of learners, strength and weaknesses, differences of constructivism with other theories and the comparison between traditional to the constructivist one.