Explaining Social Constructivism

Transformational Teaching: Theoretical Underpinnings, Basic Principles, and Core Methods

“…More specifically, the instructor will rely on students to set a collaborative tone for the class, promote high expectations for one another, and encourage each other to participate in lectures and discussions. Inherent in this message is the social constructivist perspective that social interactions are necessary for learning (Keaton and Bodie 2011; Pritchard and Woollard 2010; Vygotsky 1978, 1986), the social cognitive notion that students’ expectations for success guide learning-related behavior and predict academic success (Bandura 2012a, b), and the transformative learning (Dirkx 1998; Erickson 2007; Mezirow 2000; Taylor 2007) and intentional change theory (Boyatzis 2006a, 2009) idea that students must engage in collaborative, interdependent problem solving and discussion to achieve meaningful, sustainable changes in their attitudes and behaviors. In the context of transformational teaching, therefore, the overall vision for the classroom is not one of a competitive playing field, but rather of a collaborative idea lab, filled with questions such as: What do we know?…”

“…This emphasis derives from social constructivism, or the notion that a person’s beliefs and understanding of the world are shaped to a significant extent by his or her historical, social, and culture context (Vygotsky 1978, 1986; see also Bruner and Haste 2010). Social contexts, and the interactions that occur within these contexts, enhance learning for at least two reasons: First, they teach an individual about the symbol systems (e.g., mathematical systems, logic, and particularly language) that are necessary for learning about the world; and second, they expose an individual to more knowledgeable community members (e.g., older peers, teachers) who infuse the symbols with social meaning, and model advanced problem-solving and reasoning skills (Bruner and Haste 2010; Keaton and Bodie 2011; Pritchard and Woollard 2010). These social constructivism principles thus have several direct implications for classroom instruction.…”

Uncertainty in Climate Change Discourse: An Examination of Regional Canadian Newspapers

“…By defining our reality, we construct it, and it exists in a social context (Hajer & Versteeg, 2005;Keaton & Bodie, 2011). It follows that many knowledge claims can exist at once as there are various aspects to social context (Hajer & Versteeg, 2005).…”

“…For example, the independent existence of disease is compatible with social constructivism. However, it is the definition of and the shared meaning we attribute to disease that resides within social contexts (Andrews, 2012;Keaton & Bodie, 2011). Similarly, our climate is changing, but how we define, contextualize and give meaning to climate change can differ spatially and temporally.…”

“…Knowledge, and subsequently power, are socially constructed (Ockwell, 2006). Discourse is not neutral; it is open to discussion and can change, as knowledge creation is a dynamic process (Andrews, 2012;Keaton & Bodie, 2011). This definition of discourse thus emphasizes the importance of how climate change is framed within and across various public discourses.…”