This article argues that the Montessori method can be recast as a viable contemporary, constructivist programme for early childhood education. Montessori believed that children in the crucial years from birth to age six possess extraordinary, innate mental powers to "absorb" the environment. This view was typical of the now outdated zeitgeist…

Both postmodernism and humanism place a high value on individual differences in meaning systems. However, there are significant theoretical barriers to integrating these systems into a counseling orientation. A theoretical integration is proposed, along with implications for counseling practice. The purpose of this article is to explore the…

Surveyed and interviewed 658 teachers in Minnesota about the impact of the state's "Profile of Learning," performance-based standards grounded in constructivist philosophy. Most teachers rated their preparation and resources to use the new profile "fair" or "poor." (SLD)

Working in the foundation stage requires careful planning and effective use of new experiences, so that teachers can help children to extend their skills, develop their confidence and build on what they already know. They can also set challenges, as Bruner commented: "Any idea or body of knowledge can be presented in a form simple enough so…

It is argued that Galileo made an important breakthrough in the methodology of science by considering idealized models of phenomena such as free fall, swinging pendula and the like, which can conflict with experience. The idealized models are constructs largely by our reasoning processes applied to the theoretical situation at hand. On this view,…

In "Making Science" (1992) I make the distinction between two types of knowledge: research frontier knowledge and core knowledge. Core knowledge is the small body of knowledge for which the entire scientific community treats as indisputable facts. The research frontier is all new knowledge which makes claim to being facts but in practice there is…

Through the application of life course theory to the study of sexual orientation, this paper specifies a new paradigm for research on human sexual orientation that seeks to reconcile divisions among biological, social science, and humanistic paradigms. Recognizing the historical, social, and cultural relativity of human development, this paradigm…

In this article I argue that we need a greater understanding of the role of emotion in career development and career management. Notions of careers as sequences of events and experiences and new relational approaches to organizational career development suggest opportunities for exploring the experience, expression, and management of emotion…

Principles of social constructivism and about communities of learners clarify that being a responsible student involves performing well on a task as well as having motivation, having volition strategies, understanding rules and regulations, and having access to a productive social support network. A hotly debated issue is what motivation processes…

We investigate incentive mechanisms to increase active participation in Learning Networks (LNs). The LN under study is LN4LD, an LN for the exchange of information about the IMS Learning Design specification. We examine how to encourage learners in LN4LD to contribute their knowledge, and whether incentive mechanisms can increase the level of…

In most cases digital learning objects are used for individual learning (reading, looking, playing, quizzes) or by teachers in their class-room or online teaching (presentations). In PILOT project we argue that learning objects should be designed and presented in a special way in order to promote truly social constructivist learning. The project…

Modern Health Education in primary schools is increasingly using computer technologies in a variety of ways to enhance teaching and learning. Here, a Constructivist approach for a web-based educational activity for Grade 7 is discussed using an example of designing a healthy Food Handling Manual in the food industry. The Constructivist principles…

The authors relate that they have conducted short courses on using constructivist techniques to teach historical geology over the past four years at regional National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) meetings. They realized that although most course participants were familiar with the basic tenets of plate tectonics, the authors were always…

Specifications and standards for e-learning are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex as they deal with the core of the learning process. Simple transformations are no longer adequate to successfully implement these latest specifications and standards for e-learning. IMS Learning Design (LD) (IMS, 2003b) is a representative of such a new…

Explores the congruence of Palestine science teachers' beliefs about knowledge and learning with the recent constructivist/conceptual change epistemological basis of science education and the factors that influence these beliefs. Results indicate that only a small percentage of Palestinian teachers subscribe to the recent views of learning and…