Constructivism is not a new concept. It has its roots in philosophy and has been applied to sociology and anthropology, as well as cognitive psychology and education. The aim of this research is to reveal if there is a significant difference between the means of achievement and retention learning scores of constructivist learning approach applied…

Explores and challenges a number of assumptions and claims commonly associated with a constructivist approach to science education. Suggests that constructivist ideas are noteworthy within primary education because they help justify classroom practices and activities that primary school teachers regard as important. Greater clarity and precision…

This paper examines teachers' perceptions and attitudes concerning science as well as their methods of instruction. The paper reviews the literature concerning constructivism, which is the belief that people come to know the world through mental activity that organizes and transforms their perceptions. Constructivism is the notion that people…

The purpose of this cross-age study was to investigate elementary students' (N=120) tacit and explicit understandings of dinosaurs. Detailed analysis of audiotaped interviews of children's performance during a Piagetian-type clinical interview suggests that children's conceptual understandings of dinosaurs are first developed at a tacit level from…

Presents a fictional account of a science teacher and her use of constructivism as a referent for her various roles. Describes how she came to teach in this manner, her involvement in staff development activities, and an evolution in her thinking from an objectivist to a constructivist system of semantics. Presents implications for the reform of…

Because of the increased influence of the whole language approach at the elementary and middle school levels and the increased emphasis on enriching instruction through reading across the curriculum, one alternative approach to teaching science which has received some attention from science and science education organizations is the use of…

Introduces the Iowa Chautauqua Program (ICP) which was disseminated through the U.S. Department of Education as an exemplary model of professional development for inservice teachers. Results reveal intricate relationships between classroom implementation by teachers and program implementation by the school district. (Contains 24 references.)…

The present study investigated the effects of text structure in the acquisition of the concept of energy and the overcoming of specific preconceptions associated with it. Cypriot sixth-grade students read either a simple expository text that presented factual information or a refutation text that, in addition to the factual information, it also…

This inquiry examines the relationship between the science and writing processes and the implications of that relationship for classroom instruction in the upper elementary grades. Drawing on historical research from constructivism and experiential learning theory, as well as current thought on knowledge and learning process, this study builds a…

Presents the findings of a qualitative study carried out in a poor and problematic area of Brazil to investigate whether constructivist teaching practices are evident in the daily lessons in state elementary schools. Some teachers were found to employ genuinely constructivist methods. Analyzes the theoretical background, methodology, and…

Discusses supporting factors necessary for teacher professional growth and issues of concern that are evident during one primary teacher's implementation of a unit that used constructivist pedagogical strategies. Support factors for teacher growth are found to be an appropriate program of professional development, teacher understanding of the…

Discusses the problem-solving orientation to the teaching of science in middle school, including constructivist theory, the learning cycle, cooperative learning, and assessment. (SR)

Explains the role and importance of standards in inquiry-based science teaching and preservice teachers' understanding of Science Teaching Standard A. Focuses on History Content Standard G of the National Science Education Standards (NSES). (YDS)

Explains the process of developing the unit "Building an Aquarium" and introduces four hands-on activities which include teaching students how to read a metric ruler, observing and illustrating an aquatic plant, learning fish anatomy, and learning animal behavior. (YDS)

Describes how elementary school teachers who work with bilingual students facilitate the learning of scientific concepts and skills through writing as they implement a science-based, interdisciplinary curriculum that uses a sheltered constructivist approach. (Author/NB)