About

Guest IntroductionToday’s guest is a professor in the School of Teaching and Learning at Bowling Green State University. He teaches Science Methods for the Inclusive Early Childhood Classroom, Advanced Methods in Elementary School Science, Advanced Pedagogy and Best Practices, Qualitative Approaches to Classroom Inquiry, as well as Issues and Trends in Curriculum and Instruction. His research focuses on “Play” in human and nonhuman primates, lesson study with preservice and inservice teachers, and the acquisition of pedagogical content knowledge. He is a good friend and collogue. Please welcome Dr. Rick Worch._______________________Table of Contents:00:00 - Introduction - Learning Theory & Constructivism07:25 - Interview with Dr. Rich Worch_______________________Interact with Dr. Partin and the Teaching and Learning Professor community at:https://www.facebook.com/theteachingandlearningprofessor/_______________________Support this podcast at RedCircle— DONATE TODAY!!I'm using your donation to buy a new microphone and studio equipment to improve my sound. I need coffee too :-)_______________________Learning Theory & ConstructivismLearning Theory explains how students understand, process, integrate, and retain knowledge throughout learning. Prior experience, environmental factors, cognitive ability, and emotions play a large part in a student’s world view or understanding of the world they live in. The world view influences the way knowledge and skills are acquired, changed, and retained. There are generally 3 contemporary theories of learning teachers use to guide their teaching practices: Cognitivism, Transformative Theory, and Constructivism. CognitivismCognitivism stems from Gestalt Psychology and focuses on the learner and memory. In Gestalt theory, psychologists believe that humans learn by making sense of the relationships between new and old information. The human mind views entities as part of a bigger picture and as components of more complex systems (Cherry 2019). Cognitive theories of learning focus on the learner instead of the environment and have two underlying assumptions: 1) the memory system of the brain is structured and an operational processor of information; 2) prior knowledge plays a key role in learning (Smith 2018). Because each individual has a unique view of the world, humans create their own learning experiences and uniquely decipher information in ways that may differ from others. Transformative TheoryTransformative learning theory explains how people adjust and reinterpret meaning (Taylor 2008).It is related to the mental process of creating change in a frame of reference (Mezirow 1997). A frame of reference defines the way humans view the world and emotions play a large part in creating that view (Illeris 2001). Adults typically reject information that conflicts with their views and understanding of the world. Frame of reference is made up of habits of mind and points of view. Habits of mind (such as mindset or persistence) are very difficult to change but possible, however points of view may change over time as a result of reflection, criticism, or feedback (Mezirow 1997). Transformative Learning occurs when a student critically ponders evidence in support of competing understandings and points of view (Mezirow 1997). ConstructivismConstructivism is a concept often mentioned when discussing science classroom-learning environments. In fact, much of the current science education research and literature has focused on constructivism. Constructivism is a philosophy about how people learn, and specifically addresses how knowledge is acquired and constructed. More specifically, “according to the constructivist view, meaningful learning is a cognitive process in which individuals make sense of the world in relation to the knowledge which they already have constructed, and this sense-making process involves active negotiation and consensus building” (Fraser 1998, p. 13). Science educators may agree that constructivism is ideally more desirable over more traditional methods of instruction, such as direct instruction; however, many debate exactly how knowledge is built. The two primary descriptions of constructivism derive from Jean Piaget’s (1954) theory of cognitive development and Lev Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivism. Cognitive constructivism focuses on internal cognitive processes (Piaget 1954) and an individual’s attempts to make sense of the world (Von Glasersfeld 1995), whereas social constructivism stresses the significance of society, culture, and language (Lemke 2001), where knowledge is socially constructed and acquired in specific social and cultural contexts. Despite their differences, both branches of constructivist thought stress the importance of experiential learning and acknowledge that motivation is crucial for the construction of knowledge and the progression of conceptual change. The literature contains many testimonials and experimental research studies that support the idea that meaningful learning is tied to experience (e.g. Angelo 1990; Bodner 1986; Bybee 1993; Caprio 1994; Lawson 1992; Lawson et al. 1990, 1993; Leonard 1989a, 1989b; Lord 1994; Lorsch & Tobin 1995; Roth 1994; Seymour 1995). The National Research Council’s 1999 Report, How People Learn (Brandsford, Brown, & Cocking 2000), is also in concert with the constructivist view and suggests inquiry-based learning as a way to have students doing real scientific investigations similar to the way in which practicing scientists define problems, formulate and test hypotheses, and draw conclusions. Inquiry-based learning has many nonscience classroom applications as well.Currently there are many models of constructivist learning (e.g., Glasson & Lalik 1993; Hewson & Tabachnick 1999; Nussbaum & Novick 1982). However, David Palmer (2005) examined the extent to which motivational strategies have been considered in the design of existing constructivist informed teaching models and found that existing models were inadequate in explicitly integrating motivation. Palmer also found that some models, in fact, conflict with the currently accepted views of motivation. Thus, new models integrating motivation and constructivism are needed. In a 2012 article by BGSU faculty Partin and Haney such a model is proposed and they discuss implications for further research in this area. References Angelo, T. A. (1990). Classroom assessment: Improving learning quality where it matters most. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (42), 71-82.Bodner, G. M. (1986). Constructivism: A theory of knowledge. Journal of Chemical Education, 63(10), 873-878.Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., Cocking, R. R. Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. expanded edition. National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.Bybee, R. W. (1993). Leadership, responsibility, and reform in science education. Science Educator, 2(1), 1-9.Caprio, M. W. (1994). Easing into constructivism. Journal of College Science Teaching, 23(4), 210.Cherry, K. (2019, November 18). What Impact Did Gestalt Psychology Have? Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gestalt-psychology-2795808.Glasson, G. E., & Lalik, R. V. (1993). Reinterpreting the learning cycle from a social constructivist perspective: A qualitative study of teachers' beliefs and practices. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 30(2; 2), 187-207.Hewson, P. W., & Tabachnick, B. R. (1999). Educating prospective teachers of biology: Introduction and research methods. Science Education, 83(3), 247.Illeris, K (April 2001). "Transformative Learning in the Perspective of a Comprehensive Learning Theory". Journal of Transformative Education. 2 (2): 79–89. doi:10.1177/1541344603262315Lawson, A. E. (1992). Using reasoning ability as the basis for assigning laboratory partners in nonmajors biology. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29(7), 729-741.Lawson, A. E., Baker, W. P., Didonato, L., Verdi, M. P. and Johnson, M. A. (1993), The role of hypothetico-deductive reasoning and physical analogues of molecular interactions in conceptual change. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 30: 1073–1085.Lawson, A. E., Rissing, S. W., & Faeth, S. H. (1990). An inquiry approach to non-majors’ biology. Journal of College Science Teaching, (May), 340-346.Lemke, J. L. (2001). Articulating communities: Sociocultural perspectives on science education. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(3), 296-316.Leonard, W. H. (1989). Research and teaching: Ten years of research on investigative laboratory instruction strategies. Journal of College Science Teaching, 18(5), 304-306.Leonard, W. H. (1989). A review of research on science laboratory instruction at the college level. U.S.; South Carolina:Lord, T. R. (1994). Using constructivism to enhance student learning in college biology. Journal of College Science Teaching, 23(6), 346.Lorsbach, A., & Tobin, K. (1995). Toward a critical approach to the study of learning environments in science classrooms. Research in Science Education, 25(1), 19-32.Mezirow, J (1997). Transformative Learning: Theory to Practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Jossey-bass. pp. 5–12.Nussbaum, J., & Novick, S. (1982). Alternative frameworks, conceptual conflict and accommodation: Toward a principled teaching strategy. Instructional Science, 11(3), 183.Palmer, D. (2005). A motivational view of constructivist‐informed teaching. International Journal of Science Education, 27(15), 1853-1881.Partin, M. L., & Haney, J. J. (2012). The CLEM model: Path analysis of the mediating effects of attitudes and motivational beliefs on the relationship between perceived learning environment and course performance in an undergraduate non-major biology course. Learning Environments Research, 15(1), 103–123. doi: 10.1007/s10984-012-9102-xPiaget, J. (1954). The construction of reality in the child. New York: Basic Books.Roth, W. (1994). Experimenting in a constructivist high school physics laboratory. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 31(2), 197.Seymour, E. (1995). Revisiting the `problem iceberg': Science, mathematics, and engineering students still chilled out. Journal of College Science Teaching, 24(6), 392.Smith, M. K. (2018). ‘Learning theory’, the encyclopedia of informal education. [http://infed.org/mobi/learning-theory-models-product-and-process/. Retrieved: 12/12/2019].Taylor, E.W. (2008). Transformative learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Jossey-Bass. pp. 5–15. Fraser, B. J. (1998). Classroom environment instruments: Development, validity and applications. Learning Environments Research, 1(1), 7-34.Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press.Von Glasersfeld, E. (1995). Radical constructivism: A way of knowing and learning. Studies in mathematics education series: 6. Bristol, PA: Falmer Press.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-teaching-and-learning-professor/donations