This study investigates the effect of a training course, based on constructivism, on the student teachers' perceptions of teaching, learning and the roles of teachers and students in the teaching-learning process. A sample of 188 student teachers (92 of them in the experimental group and 96 in the control group) from the Hashemite University were…

Constructivist education, based on the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, advocates an approach to curriculum and teaching that is student centered, inquiry based, integrated and intellectually engaging. One teaching strategy that provides such an experience is the Project Approach, reflective of the pedagogy of John Dewey and introduced as a model…

Recent research literature in science education, science curriculum documents, and science methods texts have been highly influenced by constructivist views of how students learn science. But the widespread and often uncritical acceptance of constructivism in science education does not reflect the heated debate between constructivists and…

This paper briefly examines the literature on (a) problem-based learning (PBL), including constructivism and problem solving, and (b) learning in context, including mediation, embodiment, distribution, and situatedness. We use this literature, our previous research [Hill & Smith Journal of Technology Education 9(1), 29-41 (1998)], and some initial…

Gender disparity exists in many educational environments despite conscientious attempts to equalize opportunities and outcomes. Research studies indicate females are less likely to effectively engage in the use of technology for problem solving. However, in a two-year study of a Midwest elementary multi-age classroom, researchers studied…

In this article we consider the contribution of a social constructionist perspective to our understandings of career. We examine this approach in relation to two studies: a study of women's career transition from organizational employment to portfolio work, and a study of the careers of research scientists. Within the career literature a dichotomy…

Bereavement following violent loss by accident, homicide or suicide increases the risk for complications in grieving. This is the first study to examine a constructivist model of grief that proposes that sense-making, or the capacity to construct an understanding of the loss experience, mediates the association between violent death and…

Developing effective instructional plans from both a traditional approach (e.g., instructivist) as well as a constructivist approach is clearly important for preservice teacher education. This study was designed to validate and compare two cognitive tools, the Instructional Planning Self-Reflective Tool (IPSRT), and the Constructivist Planning…

This qualitative study is part of an ongoing, systematic self-study examining preservice teachers' growth from student to teacher. In this phase, the authors specifically explored student teacher growth and development in the context of a constructivist, developmental, and standards-based program. Research questions were: (1) How did a group of…

In this article, the author describes "Feminist Approaches to the Classics," a course she teaches at Cleveland State University. The goal of this particular course was to situate the context of western indigenous myth in relation to western classical literature and to indicate possible reasons for its reclamation in contemporary American…

This paper examines the concept of constructive alignment in respect of science education. The concept is placed in the context of its two contributory components--constructivism and instructional alignment. The former has a well-established body of critical literature that highlights the challenges of constructivism for both science and science…

The experience of seven community college instructors was documented as they applied, for the first time, principles and characteristics of constructivist pedagogy to the design of learning activities. The instructors became a community of learners as they collaborated and shared their experiences among themselves. They reported improvements in…

A contextual understanding of general education classroom teachers' reasons for a student's referral for special education services provides insight into this initial step in the identification process. The philosophy of social constructivism (Bruner, 1987; Freedman & Combs, 1996; Vygotsky, 1978) provides a backdrop for the underlying…

This study explored, described, and discovered meaning in the lived experiences of PhD students regarding two courses: Philosophy of Science and Qualitative Methods. The philosophical underpinning was constructivism. The phenomenological methodology employed a structured questionnaire to collect data. It involved mailed computer disks with…

This mixed methods study employed comparative, case-study methodology to explore influences affecting the development of musical interests and achievements in eight female and eight male young adults with Williams Syndrome. Components of the "Schoolwide Enrichment Model"; (Renzulli & Reis, 1997b) were used to guide the study. Caregivers completed…