School staff needs training in computer use. Training design must acknowledge issues facing staff developers (how to conceptualize technology-based teaching, at what level technology-based teaching occurs, how teachers adapt in ways consistent with specific features of technology, and how technology-based classroom activities acknowledge the way…

Examines specific applications of constructivism in teacher education and its relevance for teachers, focusing on how the development of empowered learners can be facilitated by examining how individuals construct concepts. Presents educational practices and guidelines within higher education programs that facilitate the development of teachers as…

This paper describes the influence of constructivism on assessment practices used with special needs students. Features of assessment that incorporate a constructivist philosophy include those holistic, dynamic, and multidimensional in scope; complex interactions among development and the curriculum; metacognitive processes and strategic learning;…

Kindergarten students' (n=7) thought processes were investigated during a problem-solving task to gain insight into students' problem-solving strategies and to guide students toward a closer awareness of their own mathematical thinking. Outlines some of the processes and problems of implementing a constructivist approach by an experienced teacher.…

Interviews were conducted with grade 10 students (n=34) who had received 4 years of physics instruction. Interview's focus was to understand students' responses from their point of view. The results of the study confirm and deepen findings from other studies concerning students' severe difficulties in learning the energy concept, the particle…

Includes two articles that deal with constructivism: one discusses constructivism and the use of computers in teaching language arts, particularly writing; and the other discusses constructivism and the use of laptop computers in an Australian primary school to help restructure the curriculum. (23 references) (LRW)

Describes pedagogical content knowing (PCKg) based on a constructivist view of teaching and learning, emphasizing knowing and understanding as active processes. PCKg requires teachers to understand students' learning and the environmental context in which teaching and learning occur. The paper applies the model of PCKg to teacher education…

Discusses the promise of recent movements such as constructivism and the infusion of technology in the curriculum for improving the achievement of all students in the core subject areas of the National Education Goals. Highlights include constructivist theory, principles of constructivist pedagogy, descriptors of constructivist teaching behaviors,…

In discussing the incorporation of constructivist instructional philosophies in education, this article examines the complicated shape-shifting that occurs across many constructivist ideas, demystifying constructivism by locating its identity or substance, synthesizing tenets that might bring identity to constructivism, and analyzing and…

Constructivist learning, based on students' application of knowledge to solve authentic problems, is a culture, not a fragmented collection of practices. Constructivism places high demands on teachers' subject-matter knowledge, pedagogical skills, and design of independent student projects. Major changes in curriculum, scheduling, and assessment…

Argues that the creation of distributed environments for constructivist learning is a challenge which requires a multidisciplinary development and support team. Outlines recommended strategies for the collective creation of virtual worlds which can improve learning. Contains 11 references. (Author/WRM)

Presents evidence that early and primary school learning exhibits features that previously were thought typical of adult learners only. Reconceptualizes child-centered primary education in light of theories on expertise, conceptual change, and epistemological development. Explores a theoretical approach to learning called progressive inquiry…

Describes experiences of two early childhood teacher educators during their self-study of the design and implementation of intensive summer courses focused on preschool education in a diverse society. Notes that courses incorporated active learning principles to facilitate reflective teaching and that course participants identified components that…

Attempts to find connections and bridges between social constructivism and Piagetian constructivism so that both may be enriched, to the benefit of science teaching. (Contains 95 references.) (Author/WRM)

Expands on ideas presented in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) study "Innovation in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education" (SMTE) where 23 projects aimed at enhancing the appeal of these three school subjects. Discusses the implications of the SMTE reform efforts on teaching practices and how…