The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between constructivism and neural organization. Support is given for a constructivist epistemology in current brain theory. A brief description of constructivism is provided, followed by the implication of this set of beliefs for viewing humans as self-organizing systems. What has been…

Both mathematics and informatics share common characteristics. Several didacticians propose therefore to define didactic situations permitting learners to "co-construct" knowledge of mathematics and informatics. In this document, the idea is resumed and a certain number of "functional structures" are proposed. These sets of problems take on a…

What it means to use research is a potentially contentious topic. With the emphasis on constructivist approaches in teacher education programs, the traditional explanations involving generalizability are inadequate in that there is no consideration of what the user brings to the use. Discussion of the various ways in which use can be framed leads…

By the development of the technology, every styles of life and human being action face with changes. Fast, global and remarkable time come to be considerable. Social, global, cultural, educational competitiveness have been changed by the implication of the technology. Therefore; these changes also affect the learning styles, duration and method of…

This paper discusses whether thinking skills can be taught. The concept of teaching thinking goes back to the ancient Greeks. The notion of inborn intelligence was dominant until the 1960s but was challenged by the constructivism theory developed by Vygotsky. The discussion is divided into 5 sections: (1) describing thinking and intelligence; (2)…

This paper addresses the issue of how Harvard Project Zero's "teaching for understanding" might evolve over the next 100 years. Schools pitched to an Information Society seek ways of increasing the chances that learners will understand domains deeply and master the new basic skills. Such 21st century schools build upon Paulo Freire's…

Postmodernism is a multi-faceted movement of people who share a dissatisfaction with knowledge claims that embrace universalism. In contrast to science, the centerpiece of the Enlightenment, postmodernism sees only power games of discourse with no external reality existing as the ultimate arbiter. In science education, postmodernism is seen in the…

There is a frequent misperception that the move from behaviorism to cognitivism implies an abandonment of the possibilities of decomposing knowledge into its elements for the purposes of study and decontextualizing these elements for instruction. Cognitivism does not imply outright rejection of decomposition and decontextualization. Two movements…

The "paradigm dialogue" is an attempt to examine the philosophical positions of competing social science "ways of knowing" in the hope of establishing a dialogue among these different schools of thought. Three paradigms--postpositivism, critical theory, and constructivism--were examined in regard to their stances on three…

Arguing that the task of the teacher leader is not to dispense knowledge but rather to provide opportunities for teachers to construct it, this article reports on activities in which teacher leaders engaged during a session on the constructivist approach during the 1996 Teacher Leader Institute. It outlines five principles of learning that…

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…

This paper discusses designing learning environments based on the Internet, as seen from a constructivist/situated learning point of view. First, some of the main principles of learning theory are examined. The structuring of virtual learning environments and integrated use of services on the Internet within the following five areas are addressed:…

Challenges the perception that students' research capabilities are limited to historical topics. Suggests that every student can do subject-based mathematical research on topics of importance within their normal curricula. By having opportunities to do research-oriented mathematics, students can connect what they are studying with the mathematics…

Describes a mathematics teacher's experience and change from a traditional behaviorist dispenser of knowledge to a constructivist facilitator of meaning during professional development. Compares the stages of teacher development metaphorically to the stages of a butterfly. Contains 11 references. (ASK)

In a learner-centered school, teachers and learners generate questions and seek solutions together in an environment that supports risk, tolerates ambiguity, and is flexible. Learner-centered schools value individual and organizational growth and change. (SK)