1. C H A P T E R 10 Social Constructivist Approaches
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
C H A P T E R 10
Social Constructivist Approaches

2. © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Learning Goals
1. Compare the social constructivist approach to other constructivist approaches.
2. Explain how teachers and peers can jointly contribute to children’s learning.
3. Make effective decisions in structuring small-group work.
4. Describe three social constructivist programs.
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3. Social Constructivist Approaches
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Social Constructivist Approaches
Social Constructivist
Approaches to Teaching
Social Constructivism in the Broader Constructivist Context
Situated
Cognition
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4. Constructivist vs. Social Constructivist Approaches to Teaching
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Constructivist vs. Social Constructivist Approaches to Teaching
Constructivism emphasizes that individuals learn best when they actively construct knowledge and understanding.
Social Constructivist Approaches emphasize the social contexts of learning, and that knowledge is mutually built and constructed.
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5. © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Situated Cognition
…refers to the idea that thinking is “situated” in social and physical contexts, not within an individual’s mind.
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6. Social Constructivist Approaches
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Social Constructivist Approaches
Teachers and Peers as Joint Contributors to Students’ Learning
Scaffolding
Cooperative
Learning
Cognitive
Apprenticeship
Tutoring
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7. Teachers and Peers as Joint Contributors to Students’ Learning
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Teachers and Peers as Joint Contributors to Students’ Learning
Scaffolding:
Changing the
level of
support over
the course
of a teaching
session
Cognitive Apprenticeship:
An expert
stretches and
supports the
novice’s
understanding
and use of
cultural skills
Cooperative
Learning:
Students work
in small groups
to help each other
Tutoring:
Includes classroom aides, volunteers, and mentors
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8. Cooperative Learning Research (Slavin, 1995)
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Cooperative Learning Research (Slavin, 1995)
Cooperative learning can improve student achievement when:
Group rewards are generated, and
Individuals are held accountable.
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9. © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Cooperative Learning
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10. © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Cooperative Learning
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11. © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Cooperative Learning
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12. © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Enter the Debate
Should teachers use high-ability students to tutor their struggling students?
YES NO
During a slideshow, text may be written on the slides in the yes/no boxes, and then saved for later reference.
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13. Social Constructivist Approaches
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Social Constructivist Approaches
Structuring Small
Group Work
Structuring Group Interaction
Composing the Group
Team-Building
Skills
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14. Structuring Small Group Work
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Structuring Small Group Work
Composing the Group - Heterogeneous groups work. Caution should be used so that average-ability students don’t get lost as high-and low-ability students form student-teacher like relationships.
Team-Building Skills - Help students become better listeners. Give students practice contributing to a team product. Discuss the value of team leaders.
Structuring Group Interaction –
Assigning students to specific roles
within the group gives all members
a sense of importance.
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15. Social Constructivist Programs
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Social Constructivist Programs
Social Constructivist Programs
Fostering a
Community of Learners
A Collaborative School
Schools for
Thought
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16. Fostering a Community of Learners (Browne, 1997: Campione, 2001)
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Fostering a Community of Learners (Browne, 1997: Campione, 2001)
Focus: Literacy Development and Biology
Program Emphasis
1. Uses adults as role models
2. Children teaching children
3. Online computer consultation
This approach fosters a culture of learning, caring, sharing, and the production of work that is shared with others.
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17. Schools for Thought (Lamon and others, 1996)
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Schools for Thought (Lamon and others, 1996)
Focus: Problem-based and project-based activities get students to think about REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS.
Program Emphasis:
In-depth inquiry in domains such as science, math, and social studies
Encourage collaboration among students
Teachers keep learning structured around key principles in selected domains
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18. A Collaborative School (Lamon and others, 1996)
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
A Collaborative School (Lamon and others, 1996)
Focus: Learning to work effectively in groups by focusing in-depth on big ideas, concepts, and projects.
Program Emphasis
Capturing the moment and building ideas that emerge in classroom discussion
Recognition that children have their own learning agendas that can increase motivation
Use various resources as students show mutual support for each others’ interests and expertise
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19. Crack the Case The Constructivist Classroom
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Crack the Case The Constructivist Classroom
What are the issues in this case?
Did Sue do anything incorrectly? If so, what?
What should she do now to recover her constructivist classroom?
How can she elicit the cooperation of the parents?
This case is on page 335 of the text.
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20. Reflection & Observation
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Santrock, Educational Psychology, Second Edition, Classroom Update
Reflection & Observation
Reflection:
Think about your educational experiences with group work. What worked well? What did not work well? Why or why not?
Observation:
What strategies does this teacher use to facilitate group work?
What do teachers need to consider when designing group work in order for groups to function smoothly and promote student learning?
Classroom Observation Video: “Facilitating Groupwork”
Please note: Some of these videos are very large; large videos may take a minute or two to download. You will need QuickTime player to view the videos.
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