Social Systems and Constructivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Social Systems and Constructivism - Essay Example Constructivism is a learning-making or meaning-making theory, which offers an explanation about the nature of knowledge as well as how human beings learn. It sustain that individuals build or construct their own new knowledge via the interaction which have been believed, known and the ideas as well as activities with which are encountered. In a constructivist setting, learning activities are characterized by lively engagement, problem solving, inquiry, and collaboration by the learners. Teachers are considered as the facilitator, guide and co-explorer who motivate learners to question, and not just dispenser of knowledge. As to Brooks and Brooks (1993: vii), constructivism is a theory about learning. The author believe that learner uses a â€Å"self-regulated mechanism† in order to resolve inner cognitive conflicts which often become obvious through concrete experience, reflection and collaborative discourse. Integrating the idea of constructivism to education is not anymore a new phenomenon. Trace back the efforts of Jean Piaget (1973), a Swiss developmental psychologist and also Russian psychologist Lev Vigotsky (1978). The idea has further influenced by the developmental philosopher Jacques Rousseau, followed by the theories of John Dewey, Arnold Gesell and G. Stanley Hall. Matthews Vadeboncoeur (1997) classifies three important strands in interpreting Jean Piaget’s socio-cultural, and emancipatory constructivism. The said strands vary primarily by; its subject of study, views.