Suggesting that experiential learning exercises are potentially powerful means for promoting student learning, this paper explains an experiential learning model, offers guidelines to consider when utilizing experiential learning strategies in the classroom, and presents 15 experiential learning activities that can be used in teaching…

The underlying theme of this book illustrates how constructivist ideas can be used by science and mathematics educators for research and the further improvement of educational practice. Authors from various parts of the world describe their work investigating students' conceptions, improving teaching and curricula, and enhancing teacher education…

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how explanation is interactively constituted in two mathematics instructional sequences during one year-long teaching experiment in a second grade classroom. The position taken is that classroom norms for what constitutes an acceptable explanation are a joint construction between teacher and students.…

Project Learning Tree uses the forest as a window on the world to increase students' understanding of the complex environment in the United States; to stimulate critical and creative thinking; to develop the ability to make informed decisions on environmental issues; and to instill the confidence and commitment to take responsible action on behalf…

The intent of this paper is to open for consideration the relationship between metacognition and the promotion of conceptual change within the classroom. This goal is achieved through a brief description of present research by the authors, drawing from the existing literature a summary of what is meant by conceptual change learning, defining the…

The conceptual connections between aspects of critical thinking described by the Reflective Judgment Model, a theory of adult intellectual development, and a larger set of psychological principles derived from constructivist theories of learning are highlighted. In spite of parallels between these conceptual schemes, as well as the practical…

The structures of meaning preservice teachers perceived and interpreted as a result of field placements in a methods course and through the use of ethnographic tools were studied in an ethnographic design. The study involved 11 preservice teachers. It described how they shaped each other's thinking about teaching and it examined how ethnographic…

This paper explores the process by which mathematical knowledge is socially constructed. Interactional analysis of a lesson on fact families shows how one third-grade mathematics class negotiated the meanings of writing a number sentence for a picture and a fact family. In the course of classroom interactions, teacher and students shifted the…

Function Probe is a multi-representational software for Apple Macintosh computers. It was designed to allow students to approach problems in different ways and/or use different representations. This case study describes a 16-year-old student as he creates a path among a variety of representations of transformations of functions while using the…

This volume explores the theory and practice of scaffolding, instruction that provides students with the intellectual support to function at the cutting edge of their development. Scaffolding means providing support to allow the learner to learn for himself or herself. Scaffolding is a challenging form of instruction, but as the contributors to…

When social science students try to solve statistics problems, the two major problems that they often face are how to get "the machine" to give them results they want and problem identification. The goal of this project at Michigan State University was to provide a supplementary educational tool for political science classes through the…

This study investigates the relationships between student beliefs about the nature of science, student attitudes, and conceptual change about the nature of forces in a traditional high school physics classroom. Students (N=28) in the study were junior-level high school honors students in an introductory physics class. The physics instruction was…

Constructivism is the theory that people learn by constructing meaning through interpretive interactions with the social environment. Constructivist perspectives are a growing influence among educators seeking to help students connect learning with life experiences, making constructivism highly relevant to vocational and career educators. This…

This book presents a case for the development of classrooms based on constructivist pedagogy, which seeks to: (1) pose problems of emerging relevance to learners; (2) structure learning around "big ideas" or primary concepts; (3) seek and value students' points of view; (4) adapt curriculum to address students' suppositions; and (5) assess student…

The goal of this paper is to relate liberation and the teaching of thinking. By looking at the great liberators throughout history, teachers can learn about their own craft. The goal of teaching thinking ought to be to develop individuals who can think for themselves. Such people have some measure of control over the meaning they make of their…