Constructivism
Approaching the IB pedagogical principles
Becoming authorised to deliver the Career-related Programme is the first step for a school new to the IB. But a greater pressure can be embracing the constructivist principles of the IB and ensuring these become an intrinsic part of school culture. This part of the site gives easy takeaways on IB teaching principles that proves it is not rocket science - it is just what we all come to see as good teaching practice.
A key part of becoming a lifelong learner
'Constructivism is based on the idea that people actively construct or make their own knowledge, and that reality is determined by your experiences as a learner. Basically, learners use their previous knowledge as a foundation and build on it with new things that they learn. So everyone's individual experiences make their learning unique to them'. [1]
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It is worth noting here as well that when we talk about learning, we are not limiting ourselves to our students. You only have to look at the Programme Standards and Practices to understand that constructivism applies to educators too - we are all lifelong learners and collaboration, context, concepts and content are all vital elements of the education we are part of.
So whilst there are different types of Constructivism, the one at the heart of an IB education is that each learner is unique and brings their own experience and knowledge into the classroom, not just in terms of subjects but also learning styles. This is why when we work with the development of our students as learners we consider thinking processes on a cognitive, affective and metacognitive level.
To understand Constructivism further it is worth going into detail with its principles.
Knowledge is constructed: each student will put the pieces of jigsaw of their own learning together and this will be unique. New knowledge is constructed on prior knowledge. Each student's experience of this is unique
Learning how to learn is as important as learning: students discover not just what they are learning but also systems of learning and meaning. For example in many subjects, students will need to write a paper but learning is not limited to the content of the task - they are also using the principles of grammar and writing that transfer to other subjects with different outcomes. In the DP, students take Theory of Knowledge which draws the focus to the nature of knowledge and its acquisition in different subject and theme areas. In the CP, students take PPS which again draws attention to the need for self awareness in skill acquisition and its application in the real world. In any IB course, the Approaches to Learning skills areas bring out the importance of skill acquistion and learning how to learn.
Learning is an active process: student cannot be passive in their acquisition of knowledge. To draw on a tried and tested analogy, students are not empty vessels ready to be filled up with knowledge from the teacher. To learn is to do.
Learning is a social process: Collaboration is so important in IB Education that it is not only part of the Approaches to Teaching, it is an essential part of the school's culture as illustrated in the Programme Standards and Practices. Learners do not learn best by themselves and learning is an essentially social process. Learning experiences therefore need to incorporate plenty of peer interaction with group discussion and project work. If anything else, this is a crucial part of developing confidence and key skills from problem-solving, teamwork and empathy.
Learning is contextual: Learning does not take place in isolation from the world around us. The nature of knwoeldge being constructed is that it already takes place within our individual understanding of the world and prior experiences. Learning immediately is made sense of within the world we know and understand. Rather than separating facts and theories from the world we know, we encourage students to make connections with their experiences and understanding.
Learning exists in the mind: whilst learning is an active, physical and hands on process, it is also a mental one. Care needs to be taken to develop the mind so it is able to retain and use knowledge. The stress on explicit thinking processes and routines emphasises the need to build
What does this mean for my teaching?
The biggest shift for educators can be best described by where they stand and move in the classroom in any given lesson. Do they remain static at the front in a more traditional style of delivery? Do they move around tables of small groups of students advising and listening? Do they vary where they are in the classroom with a mix of lecture and guiding?
Recognise how much you do already and add variation
It can be a little intimidating at the prospect of shifting one's mindset from your comfort zone of what teaching is to the prospect of being a facilitator; it can feel like being asked to write with a different hand or swap from Apple to Microsoft (of vice versa). The key is to recognise how much you are already doing in the classroom and build on your experience - that's right, we are taking a constructivist approach to becoming more constructivist. Also, this is not an 'all or nothing' approach - take the notion of adding more variety into your teaching as opposed to completely going back to the drawing board. Trying a different approach to peer work and problem-solving or adding in more reflection and skill development is just one way of diversifying your practice.
If constructivism is the word we use to refer to the lifelong relationshop with learning that we have, then possibly see engaging in different learning styles, trying new processes, looking at things from a new perspective, questioning why we know that as part of that dialogue as an educator and a learner ourselves.
Footnotes
- ^ Western Governor University https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-constructivism2005.html#close