This book provides clear-cut insights along with practical suggestions on how to develop teaching competencies and strategies and implement inquiry as called for by the national standards. The chapters in this book take the reader through constructing an understanding of inquiry and the characteristics of an inquiry-based classroom, then address…

The task of making a career decision can seem daunting for many young people. Careers do not always follow a straightforward, logical trajectory, and chance events can define or change the course of one's career path. Youth may benefit from a learning environment designed to guide the imagining and inventing of their future. A wide range of…

A brief overview of the role of emotions in facilitating client change from a constructivist perspective is provided in this paper. With this background in place, several case studies will be discussed to illustrate the impact and role of emotions in facilitating change in counseling and career development. (Author)

Through a discussion of the discursive origins that have constructed childhood over the past 200 years, this paper illuminates why psychology has gained a dominant role in the education of young children. This historical account is followed by an analysis of widely used textbooks in child development courses. Discovering that each textbook…

Contrasting approaches to early childhood education are evident in the constructivist versus instructivist schools of thought. On one side, the child is seen as active constructor of knowledge and understanding; on the other, the child is dependent on another's instruction in knowledge and skills. This paper explores some of the implications of…

The nationalities of the authors reflect the purpose of the Topic Group, to give an overview of international research on mathematics teaching within a constructivist framework as of 1996. The studies are theoretical as well as empirical, and show a variety of research interests. There is, however, evidence for an emphasis on social aspects within…

Constructivist approaches to mathematics instruction based on the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) have been widely advocated and are expanding in use. However, many educators express a need for constructivist approaches that provide specific student materials, assessments, teachers' manuals, professional…

Fixing the blame for low student achievement is not easy. As the example of the Los Angeles, California, school district shows, the problems schools face are complicated. They include overcrowding, low test scores, and the problems associated with numbers of students who do not speak English well. Low student achievement is not necessarily due to…

As an evaluation team trained in educational psychology and committed to participatory evaluation and its evolution, the researchers have found the parallel between evaluator-stakeholder roles in the participatory evaluation process and educator-student roles in educational psychology theory to be important. One advantage then is that the theories…

There is a new wave going on in the Dutch Adult Education, similar to the ideas of Open Learning Centers in Further Education in Great Britain. The intention of this movement is to structure adult education in a way that it fits everyone. That means: more flexible programs, more individual education, more teacher independent learning, and more…

Argues that, although it can be said that constructivist epistemologies have been around for a long time, perhaps the international mathematics education research community has been directly confronted with the claims of radical constructivism for a decade. Highlights debates among different schools of constructivism in mathematics education and…

Argues that rhetorical theory enables a constructivist critique of activist pedagogy. Considers two prominent formulations of activist teaching--by Dale Bauer and James Berlin--examining both the underlying assumptions and descriptions of practice in rhetorical terms. (PA)

Discusses the appropriate use of the instructional systems design (ISD) process and compares it to the appropriate use of the dog-breeding process according to the AKC (American Kennel Club). Topics include constructivism and objectivism, or behaviorism; instructional effectiveness; and the use of design models. (Author/LRW)

Describes a constructivist approach to teaching about the phases of the moon. Addresses student misconceptions and encourages students to focus on the causes of the phases of the moon. (JRH)

Presents activities in which students explore the conditions necessary for a candle to stay lit. Enables students to construct an accurate concept to explain their observation of water rising inside a tube in which a candle has burned out. (JRH)