A SWOT Analysis of the Rise and Pedagogical Implications of the Social Constructivist Epistemology in Educational Practice

Mutekwe, Edmore; Ndofirepi, Amasa P.; Maphosa, Cosmas; Wadesango, Newman; Machingambi, Severino

doi:10.1080/09720073.2013.11891292

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The literature review for this study is grounded in the Vygotskian socio-cultural perspective, which Mutekwe et al (2013) asserted regards knowledge as a social construct, a product of human social interaction. Advocates of this theoretical framework (e.g.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparing education students for self-directed multimodal learning for the 4IR

Olivier¹

2022

Disruptions in Higher Education: Impact and Implication

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Peer review declarationThe publisher (AOSIS) endorses the South African 'National Scholarly Book Publishers Forum Best Practice for Peer Review of Scholarly Books'. The manuscript underwent an evaluation to compare the level of originality with other published works and was subjected to rigorous two-step peer review before publication, with the identities of the reviewers not revealed to the editor(s) or author(s). The reviewers were independent of the publisher, editor(s), and author(s).The publisher shared feedback on the similarity report and the reviewers' inputs with the manuscript's editor(s) or author(s) to improve the manuscript. Where the reviewers recommended revision and improvements, the editor(s) or author(s) responded adequately to such recommendations. The reviewers commented positively on the scholarly merits of the manuscript and recommended that the book be published.v Research justificationThe research presented in this scholarly book is all original, whether it is theoretical or empirical as it deals with a new phenomenon in the South African context and as it seeks answers to questions that have hitherto not been asked before. The 4IR has become an overarching framework within which education systems including teacher education are operating. Contingent upon the ideology of neo-liberalism, the 4IR seeks to transform societies in ways that respond to the relentless developments in technology, the Internet and digital capacities, which, by design and intent, are purposed at increasing both the productivity and the associated quality, while at the same time reducing human intervention in the same processes. In teacher education, how we teach and train student teachers will be substantially influenced by the imperatives of the 4IR. There are multiple unresolved questions as the 4IR takes centre stage. For example, what will it mean for teaching and learning in schools that have severe technological and digital deficits; for teachers and students who have minimal technological literacies; for delivering high-quality teaching and learning; for transforming both the content and pedagogies of teacher education and, above all, for delivering socially just educational experiences for all our learners, regardless of class, race and privilege. The discourse of the 4IR is contemporary and requires multiple perspectives to explore what it means in different contexts and settings, and the understandings it engenders in people, what it implies across a wide range of educational decision-making levels, and that its fundamental assumptions cohere with national and societal assumptions about equality, equity and social justice. Multiple methodological approaches were utilised in the interrogation of the idea of the 4IR in teacher education in South Africa, including theoretical, empirical, small-scale case studies amongst others. The data these approaches provide are equally valued based on the purposes for which they have been derived. Prior to publication, each chapter was subjected to a similarity analysis t...

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparing education students for self-directed multimodal learning for the 4IR

Olivier¹

2022

Disruptions in Higher Education: Impact and Implication

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“…The key principles that inform this study include interaction, scaffolding, mediation, feedback and apprenticeship learning. The social constructivists not only suggest that individuals construct knowledge through interaction in social contexts [8,9] but also emphasize that technology helps to place acquisitions of new concepts into the learner's zone of proximal development (ZPD). The ZPD is the distance or gap between what the child can do alone and what they can accomplish with the aid of more capable adult or peer [7].…”

Section: Conceptual and Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Integration of Technology in Teaching and Learning of Mathematics: ----- The Missing Link

Chinangure¹,

Mapaire²

2017

CJAST

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This article was motivated by observations made by the researchers that most mathematics educators were shying away from using technology to teach mathematics even in well-resourced schools while learners were embracing technology and using it as a source of inquiry in their everyday lives. The paper further explores how various strategies can be put in place to motivate educators to use technology in teaching and learning of mathematics. The researchers feel that very little is being done to bolster educators' confidence in grabbing this opportunity and help learners to benefit from availability of technology. The study adopted a mixed method research design and was informed by the social constructivist and critical theories. Data was elicited through ten focus group discussions held in a district in the Free State province where the researchers worked as mathematics facilitators. Data from educators were analyzed thematically The study established that educators were reluctant to embrace technology to teach mathematics; while in the contrary learners were fast catching up with changes in technology in such a way that lessons were boring to most learners. Technology (internet and digital media) was supposed to inform instruction to make lessons learner-centered, more interesting and relevant to the current needs of learners. It was observed that most male mathematics educators were more interested in attempting to use

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“…The pioneers of this approach to learning and development are Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, whose cognitive and cultural-historical theories respectively laid the foundation for what pedagogists now claim to be formidable epistemologies (Wertsch, 2008). According to Mutekwe et al (2013) the sociocultural approach to teaching and learning has the advantage of affording virtually all learners in the classroom an opportunity to participate in interactive learning activities since, as Vygotsky (1987) made clear, this approach emphasises drawing from the learners' diverse sociocultural backgrounds. For Kozulin (2012), according to Vygotsky, MLE describes learning situations facilitated by a go-between (mediator) who ensures that the learners understand the content at stake.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Social constructivism as defined by Mutekwe, Machingambi, Maphosa, Ndofirepi, & Wadesango (2013) is an epistemology that foregrounds the social construction of knowledge through interactive teaching and learning activities in the classroom. It undergirds the importance of knowledge as a product co-constructed by the educators in meaningful interactions with the learners (Mutekwe et al, 2013). The pioneers of this approach to learning and development are Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, whose cognitive and cultural-historical theories respectively laid the foundation for what pedagogists now claim to be formidable epistemologies (Wertsch, 2008).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using a Vygotskian sociocultural approach to pedagogy: Insights from some teachers in South Africa

Mutekwe

2018

Journal of Education

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The goal of the study on which this article is based was to examine teachers' perspectives on the effectiveness of adopting a Vygotskian sociocultural approach to teaching and learning in the classrooms. The study used focus group interview discussions to gather views from 20 classroom practitioners who had completed a BEd Hons in Education Psychology. The teachers were from five secondary schools in the Gauteng region. Among the key concepts explored in the focus group discussions (FGDs) were the role of scaffolding when linked to mediated learning experiences (MLEs), the use of situated learning experiences in the learners' zones of proximal development (ZPD), and how the approach helped transform the learners' skills from lower to higher psychological functions through the use of material, psychological and semiotic tools in the classroom. The analysis of the data followed a thematic approach, with emerging codes being clustered into code families. Among the key findings of the study was the view of teachers that adopting a multipronged strategy that includes the use of authentic learning conversations, learning tools (material, psychological, and semiotic) and situated learning experiences goes a long way towards fostering useful teaching and learning. The study illustrated that classroom practitioners do need to take into account and adopt the many and varied benefits that can be derived from an authentic sociocultural approach to teaching and learning.

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A SWOT Analysis of the Rise and Pedagogical Implications of the Social Constructivist Epistemology in Educational Practice

Cited by 11 publications

References 12 publications

Preparing education students for self-directed multimodal learning for the 4IR

Preparing education students for self-directed multimodal learning for the 4IR

The Integration of Technology in Teaching and Learning of Mathematics: ----- The Missing Link

Using a Vygotskian sociocultural approach to pedagogy: Insights from some teachers in South Africa

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