Name:
Course:
Institution:
Tutor:
Date:
Constructivism and Educational Psychology
Introduction
Educational psychology is the process of how people acquire knowledge within an educational environment. It seeks to examine how scholars, especially those with disabilities or specially gifted grow and learn in that setting. Constructivism is a knowledge concept explaining that people acquire knowledge from the relationship between their thoughts and experiences. I am currently pursuing a Major in psychology because of my interest in learning about people’s behaviors. I chose the topic of Constructivism and Educational learning because it will inform me about students’ behaviors, in addition to how it influences their learning experiences within an educational setting. I decided to do my research by selecting five articles whose topics related to Constructivism and Educational psychology. However, it was challenging to find articles that were gave full details on the topic of study because most of them gave summaries. From the findings of this research, I learned that students have different conceptions on the various learning methods used in the education system.
The constructivism system of education restricts students in acquiring knowledge in a controlled environment. Information Technology currently plays a great role in the education systems of learning and its greater influenced might be experienced in the future. Autonomy support is a great motivating factor in the student’s performance. Peer learning encourages the value of student interactions in several educative experiences. The main points that enabled me a better comprehension of this topic included the influence of information technology in education systems, the concept of Constructivism, importance of autonomy support and advantages of peer learning. The research findings I got from the articles were of great assistance to my study because they provided concrete information that was based on real life case studies, which enabled me a better comprehension of the topic. The research has given me a different insight on Educational psychology and constructivism. For example, I was not aware that the topic had such a great influence in the education systems. The research topic has helped me in my study course of psychology because it has informed me of the connection between psychology and the education systems. Personally, the research has enabled me to knowing the value of teamwork and independence in motivating individual behavior. As I graduate from college and later work in an organization of my career choice, the research will help me to incorporate the values of teamwork as discussed in the methods of peer learning to be successful in life.
Annotated Bibliography
Sofie, M., Loyens, M, Rikers. P & Schmidt, G.H. (2009). Students’ conceptions of constructivist learning in different program years and different learning environments. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 79 (3), 501-514.
The article points out on how different views have made learning theories to be brought to attention. It explains that the related ideas are recognized as important factors in determining the effectiveness of learning. However, the author argues that students can conflict in their different conceptions depending on the learning experiences. The article presents an investigation that was done to gather information on different conceptions of students in Constructivism education (Sofie et al, 2009). The experiment was going to determine if students with better experiences in education had different conceptions in Constructivism education than those students who were less experienced. In addition, it would also find the extent to which the conceptions of Constructivism were different in conservative lecturing environment to a problem-based educational environment. The students were divided into three categories depending on their college year. The researcher used a cross sectional strategy was used to evaluate students’ ideas of constructivist actions including knowledge structure, joint education, individual instruction, utilization of real problems, individual ability to gain knowledge and learning motivation. The investigation results were in form of questionnaires that were presented to the first year and second year students (Sofie et al, 2009). The students were found to have different conceptions in the area of knowledge development, individual instruction and the utilization of real problems but failed to show variation in joint knowledge and learning motivation (Sofie et al, 2009). However, a relationship effect was discovered in those students who had a perceived in themselves the inability to acquire knowledge. This article is helpful in that it enables us to know that beginning students are most likely to have variations in their concepts of learning. In addition, it informs us that the different conceptions of students can influence the educational environment. However, this article is limited in the fact that it does not explain the concept of Constructivism learning in a broad context.
Miranda, M. V. (June 06, 2009). Creating the Successful Community College Student: Using
Behaviorism to Foster Constructivism. Community College Enterprise, 15, (1), 21-38.
The article argues that the constructivism concept of learning is not the best method for teaching majority of students who attend community colleges (Miranda, 2009). The author states the reason being that the students have bad education experiences, poor academic record and self-worth and hence are unable to gain from the constructivism system of learning (Miranda, 2009). However, the author explains that a form of behavioral strategy that has been refuted by educationalists in Constructivism has helped those community students in improving their academic performance and social incorporation. The article proves this explanation by referring to a case study that describes the behavior of community college students in a classroom. After being in college for one and a half years, the students still found it difficult to maintain eye contact with their lecturers. However, this situation changed after they participated in a behavioral program known as Finding Your Classroom Voice. The students’ self-esteem improved remarkably and they answered several questions in every lesson. In addition, they benefited from their learning experiences and were confident that they would succeed in their academic achievement. The breakthrough was attributed to the efforts of the school administrators in including more staff and students to participate in the program. The article explains the main concept of constructivism as assuming that when individual learning is being constructed, students develop new acquaintance based on the former learning. However, this concept differentiates with the concept that defines the learning process as the inactive transmission of data from one person to another. This concept views reception as the main key of explanation as opposed to constructivism that uses construction (Miranda, 2009). The article explains that Constructivists view the development of new acquaintance arising from the student’s discovery of his own world. This knowledge finding is caused by the discovery, whereby the student reflects on that information and his decisive evaluation that determines his approval or denial. The educator’s duty is to control and guide the students learning procedures despite them being performed individually or in groups. The author explains that the educators in the constructivism system believe that making students experience a passive system of learning, whereby the educators are left with full responsibility in decision making has been a problem suffered in the United States education system. The article is very informative in that it explains the concept of the constructivism in the education system in great depth. However, it introduces us to the behaviorist concept of the education system but fails to give more details of its explanation.
Sang, G., Valcke, M., Braak, J., & Tondeur, J. (January 01, 2010). Student teachers’ thinking processes and ICT integration: Predictors of prospective teaching behaviors with educational technology. Computers and Education, 54 (1), 103-112.
The article emphasizes on how important it is for student educators to incorporate methods of information technology in the educating and learning procedures. The author argues that the number of teachers that take interest in using information technology strategies in their teaching and learning methods is low despite the improved access to the technological information and facilities. The article also describes the factors that cause educators to show small interest in incorporating the information technology methods. The article bases its research on a research study performed in China (Sang et al, 2010). The researchers carried out a study to find out how the use of Information Technology influenced the teachers in terms of gender, educating beliefs, individual teaching efficacy and attitudes. A survey was used and it involved several educators from four Chinese universities (Sang et al, 2010). The researchers found that the futuristic incorporation of information technology and teaching methods has a connection with educators’ factors apart from gender. Based on the results on one of the models used to conduct the survey, the futuristic incorporation of Information Technology methods depend on the educator’s opinion factors such as educating beliefs, educator self effectiveness, individual computer effectiveness and the computer mindset towards education. The article is useful as it informs us of how information technology will greatly influence the educating and learning systems in the future. However, the concept of learning systems using information technology has not been explained. In addition, the article has only looked at the concept only from the teacher’s side and failed to include the students.
Filak, V. F., & Sheldon, K. M. (October 01, 2008). Teacher support, student motivation, student need satisfaction, and college teacher course evaluations: Testing a sequential path model. Educational Psychology, 28 (6), 711-724.
The article explains that the concept of individual determination conceives that persons with contented necessary psychological requirements while participating in an action have a higher possibility of gaining from that activity (Filak & Sheldon, 2008). The author describes how researchers explain that autonomy-supportive societal framework the level of human need contentment. The article describes an experimental case study, whereby a four-stage course representation was used in a classroom environment. Information was collected from students during a mass communication class and the results divided into fourteen laboratory segments. The experiment included a survey that indicated how students felt about the subject, the teacher’s autonomy support and the students’ motivation to study the course and measure of contentment they experienced (Filak & Sheldon, 2008). The results showed that the teacher’s support on autonomy led to an increased motivation in students becoming determined and contentment in psychological needs. In addition, the students’ academic performed was highly improved. This article is useful in that it gives information on how autonomy support is significant in improving students’ academic performance by satisfying their psychological needs in an education setting. However, it does not give enough reasons as to why autonomy support is important but rather focuses only on its motivational factor. .
Topping, K. (January 01, 2005). Trends in Peer Learning. Educational Psychology, 25 (6), 631-645.
The article goes through the development of several types of peer learning. However, it focuses on only three types, which include tutoring, assessment and cooperative learning. It describes peer tutoring as the process of learning, whereby students learn by assisting and educating one another (Topping, 2005). The author defines peer assessment, as the process whereby students evaluate work that has been done by their fellow students. In addition, the article explains cooperative learning as a method used in a progressive educating strategy, whereby small groups of students depending on their different learning capabilities utilize several activities and procedures in bettering their comprehension of a particular subject (Topping, 2005). The article describes how the influence of peer learning has been expanded beyond the school curriculum through its applications in business organizations. The author describes how peer learning has been used in education systems that involve children with disabilities and adds how emotional and societal benefits have drawn as much attention as cognitive benefits (Topping, 2005). In addition, the article also explains how information technology is currently playing a significant role by being a major part in several aspects of peer learning. The article is highly informative in an aspect of educational psychology which is peer learning because it gives several basics to explain its concept. However, it does not explain the benefits and limitations of peer learning.
References
Filak, V. F., & Sheldon, K. M. (October 01, 2008). Teacher support, student motivation, student need satisfaction, and college teacher course evaluations: Testing a sequential path model. Educational Psychology, 28 (6), 711-724.
Miranda, M. V. (June 06, 2009). Creating the Successful Community College Student: Using
Behaviorism to Foster Constructivism. Community College Enterprise, 15 (1), 21-38.
Sang, G., Valcke, M., Braak, J., & Tondeur, J. (January 01, 2010). Student teachers’ thinking processes and ICT integration: Predictors of prospective teaching behaviors with educational technology. Computers and Education, 54 (1), 103-112.
Sofie, M, Loyens, M, Rikers. P & Schmidt, G.H. (2009). Students’ conceptions of constructivist learning in different program years and different learning environments. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 79 (3) 501-514.
Topping, K. (January 01, 2005). Trends in Peer Learning. Educational Psychology, 25 (6), 631-645.
Use the order calculator below and get started! Contact our live support team for any assistance or inquiry.
[order_calculator]