In this project the researchers worked with Grade 6 learners and teachers on the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa, to design a science module that builds on learners' experiences and responds to their needs. The project went beyond learning processes and contexts, to incorporate learners' purposes and interests, the circumstances of their…

This paper presents a case study of the process of conceptual change in six-year-old children. The process of conceptual change in learning about floating and sinking is described from two different viewpoints: how the children's conceptions change during the instructional process, and how the social discussion during the experimental exploration…

The primary objective of this research was to increase understanding of how women in the Maritime Provinces of Canada learn about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This research utilised a qualitative approach with specific methods including interviews, joint interviews and focus groups. Overall 44 women participated in this research. The data was analysed…

For many years, educators have been discussing benefits of educational practices such as the use of real-world examples, visualisation, interactivity, constructivism, self-paced learning and self-paced testing. Macromedia Flash MX has been used to develop online modules for the course Differential Equations offered at the University of South…

The researcher in this study theorized that preservice elementary teachers who had taken a semester-long mathematics course emphasizing a constructivist approach to instruction would realize a decreased level of math anxiety and gains in perceived teaching efficacy and autonomy over those who had taken a teacher-centered course based on a more…

The 1st article (C. Campbell & M. Ungar, 2004) of this 2-part exploration of postmodern approaches to family therapy and narrative approaches to career counseling explored the differences between traditional trait and factor counseling models and postmodern approaches using life narratives and social constructionism. In this 2nd article, the…

The Career Theory in an International Perspective group highlighted 7 approaches: action theory, self-construction model, transition model, dynamics of entering the workforce, narrative in career guidance, dilemma approach, and interactive identity construction. Three main characteristics appear to be common to these different contributions: (a)…

Constructivism is the philosophy that has been cited most frequently in the past 20 years in education. It has been argued that a constructivist philosophy offers a means of education that would result in knowledge generation and creation; therefore, it is superior to other views. Making the shift toward a constructivist philosophy, however,…

Several Canadian universities and colleges have been working together for years to build Web-accessible computer-based applets to help students learn physics concepts. This paper reports the findings from a study that evaluated the effectiveness of these applets in enhancing conceptual learning. We integrated quantitative and qualitative methods…

This article illustrates a step-by-step hypothesis refinement activity that is consistent with constructivist pedagogies and the perception of culture learning as a process of discovery. Postsecondary students identified stereotypes about the cultures of French-speaking countries, conducted open-ended investigations, and accepted or rejected the…

The aim of this study was to detect primary students' conceptions about the origin and conveyance of electric current and about the connection of household electric appliances. In total, 383 students (aged 11-12) from the town of Volos, Greece, participated; 213 of them drawn from experimental classes and 170 from control groups. The results…

This paper reports on a qualitative case study investigation of the knowledge and use of learning strategies by 16 students in a final year high school biology class to expand their conscious knowledge of learning. Students were provided with opportunities to engage in purposeful inquiry into the biological, social and ethical aspects of cancer. A…

This article explores an issue of great current concern: how do we help primary aged children to engage with, and to benefit from, information from the Internet? The notion of "engagement" is considered in the context of constructivist learning theory. A short case study based on a small-scale research project in a primary school classroom in…

Literature on the related notions of 'teaching for understanding' and 'exemplary teaching' tends to be interpreted as prescribing certain classroom approaches. These are usually the strategies often identified with constructivist teaching, which involve a redefinition of the teacher's role: rather than being seen as a source of knowledge and…

This article explores the nature of developmental and cognitive constructivism as it has historically been related to the early childhood curriculum. The author reflects upon her personal experience in moving from a developmental to a socio-cultural theoretical perspective as an informant to her understanding regarding the education of young…