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Constructivism does not claim to have made earth-shaking inventions in the area of education; it merely claims to provide a solid conceptual basis for some of the things that, until now, inspired teachers had to do without theoretical foundation.* Constructivism has rapidly become one of the most used, and sometimes misused, words in contemporary science education. Perhaps the best way to begin thinking about what constructivism is and how it influences a person’s learning is to look no further than your feet. Think back to when you first learned to tie your shoes. Maybe your mother or father, or some other family member, taught you by showing you how they tied their shoes and asking you to do the same in the same way. This instructional strategy is called direct instruction. This is a typical strategy that is the only method of teaching in many science classrooms. However, many of us constructed our own way of tying shoes early in life. Recall how you practiced and practiced until the final product of tying shoes turned into a bow knot. Your bow knot probably didn’t look exactly like the one you were shown how to tie, but the end result was same, a knot that looked like a bow. You learned, or constructed, how to tie this bow knot yourself. The next time you talk with a friend wearing lace-up shoes, ask that person to tie his or her shoes for you. Have your friend explain each step. You’ll find that we all have constructed different ways to tie shoes, with the end result still being recognized as a bow knot. *From E. Von Glasersfeld (1995). A constructivist approach to teaching. In L. Steffe & J. Gale (Eds.). (1995). Constructivism in education, (pp.3-16). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Quoted at http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/~elmurphy/emurphy/cle.html
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