Showing papers on "Social constructivism published in 2003"

Material culture after text: re‐membering things

Abstract: Why have the social and human sciences shown such disinterest in material culture? How has this neglect affected archaeology? How do things and materiality at large relate to human beings and ‘social life’? These questions are addressed in this article which also critically examines social constructivist and phenomenological approaches to material culture Arguing against the maxim that ‘all that is solid melts into air’, it is claimed that to understand important aspects of past and present societies, we have to relearn to ascribe action, goals and power to many more ‘agents’ than the human actor — in other words, to re‐member things

The Teacher's Role in Developing Interaction and Reflection in an Online Learning Community

Abstract: New technologies provide the opportunity for teachers to make learning interactive and collaborative by using a social constructivist approach to teaching and learning. This involves creating a student-centred approach where the teacher takes the role of the facilitator and the students engage in peer learning. This paper reflects on the author's role as a facilitator in a higher education online unit that was designed for science and mathematics teachers who were geographically and socially isolated. The goal in designing the unit was to create a networked community of learners that encouraged peer learning and focused on reflective thinking. Qualitative data from students' and teacher's postings to the Activity Room were analysed to identify the diverse roles of the online instructor in creating an online learning community. The 'four hats' metaphor of pedagogical, social, managerial and technical actions was used as a framework to discuss the activities of the instructor and to examine the extent to wh...

Adult Meaning Making In The Undergraduate Classroom

Abstract: This study explores adult undergraduate beliefs about their construction of knowledge in the class-room and the relationships between such knowledge and their adult roles outside the classroom. Five belief structures, called “knowledge voices,” were delineated from interviews with 90 adult students. These belief structures included the entry voice, the outside voice, the cynical voice, the straddling voice, and the inclusion voice. Each of these five knowledge voices suggests a particular construction of the adult student learning world, perceptions of knowledge, and understandings of relationships between the collegiate classroom and the adult learners’ worlds of work, family, self, and community.

A Sense of Connection: Toward Social Constructivist Physical Education

Abstract: In social constructivist educational theory, the classroom is seen as a community of learners. According to social constructivists, learning occurs through peer interactions, student ownership of the curriculum and educational experiences that are authentic for students. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers used social constructivist strategies to encourage student construction of knowledge and meanings, and how students constructed knowledge and meanings in two middle school physical education classrooms. A qualitative naturalistic design was used to collect data over a five-month period with two experienced middle school physical education teachers. Data included 11 weeks of observational field notes and interviews with teachers and students. Data were analyzed using cross-case and inductive analysis. Findings indicated that the teachers' strategies created a learning environment in which students actively constructed knowledge and meanings by making connections to their peers and b...

Technology Theory and Deliberative Democracy

Abstract: This article examines the debate about the normative relevance of social constructivism, arguing that the criticisms of Winner, Radder, and others are fundamentally accurate. The article argues that a combination of Radder's notion of nonlocal values and Martin's concern for deliberative interventions may offer a theoretical exit from the normative irrelevance that marks constructivism. The article goes on to suggest that theoretical and praxeological developments in two other literatures, participatory public policy analysis and deliberative democracy, may provide fruitful initiatives for constructivist scholars eager to address normative concerns. The article next reviews a range of problems facing deliberative and participatory practices and suggests ways in which constructivist insights might help to advance deliberative theory.

Self-Regulation and Learning

Abstract: Schunk and Zimmerman review how self-regulated learning processes are a result of self-generated thoughts and behaviors oriented toward the attainment of personal learning goals. Five major theoretical perspectives on self-regulated learning are reviewed, including operant theory, information processing theory, developmental theory, social constructivist theory, and social cognitive theory. Theory and research are presented that point to the strong relations between self-regulation and achievement processes. Specific intervention strategies designed to enhance students' self-regulation are presented. Future research to link self-regulation and volition, to focus on the development of self-regulation in children and its life span progression is discussed. Keywords: learning; personal goal-setting; self-control; self-regulation

Bourdieu’s political sociology and the politics of European integration

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to explore what Bourdieu’s political sociology could bring to the study of European integration. I first present, very briefly, some of the traditional approaches in European integration studies. Then I move to my interpretation of Bourdieu’s structural constructivist theory of politics through a discussion of political capital and political field, drawing parallels between these concepts and some of Max Weber’s ideas. In the third part, while discussing the works of some scholars inspired by Bourdieu’s theory, I present some structural constructivist studies of European integration. Structural constructivism provides theoretical tools for a critical analysis of European integration.

The Promises of constructivism

Abstract: Constructivism is a much abused word. But since Ian Hacking has done a review of some of his meanings, an effort is made to see how it can be rescued from the disrepute of 'social constructivism'. Special stress is put on the metaphors of construction and on the models of action implied by its construction and on the models of action implied by its different meanings. An alternative is offered to the classification offered by Hacking and a strong contrast is established between construction and deconstruction.

New Applications for Multimedia Cases: Promoting Reflective Practice in Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract: In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of multimedia cases for the purposes of preservice teacher preparation. Case-based learning typically involves an analysis of a teaching scenario followed by a discussion of issues that emerge. While this kind of activity is consistent with theories of situated learning and social constructivism, it usually casts the preservice teacher in the role of a detached observer who studies and critiques some aspect of another teacher's lesson. It is proposed that it may be advantageous to personalize case methods by focusing preservice teachers more directly on their own pedagogical decision-making processes. This article describes an innovative study in which teacher candidates' immediate reactions to videotaped teaching scenarios were recorded and made the subject of personal and group analyses. Results from the research suggest that this approach has the potential to help candidates develop deeper insights into their own classroom practice. ********** Korthagen and Kessels (1999) argued that one of the central problems with teacher education is that the theoretical body of knowledge taught in schools of education is not the kind of knowledge that teachers draw upon while teaching. For the most part, teacher education programs emphasize knowledge that is abstract, systematized, and independent of specific instructional settings. Unfortunately, this kind of knowledge does not readily come to mind during classroom practice. Teachers are constantly immersed in complex situations in which they need quick, concrete answers to a wide range of pressing problems. In such circumstances, the decisions they make are rarely the product of careful deliberation or the judicious weighing of educational principles, constructivist or otherwise. Instead, decisions are often the split-second product of emotion, needs, values, habit, and a sense of the affordances and constraints of a situation. While on some occasions it may be possible to reflect briefly in the midst of acting ("reflection-inaction"; Schon, 1987), most teacher behavior during a lesson appears to be driven by the instructor's immediate personal perceptions (Korthagen & Kessels). Decisions are often made automatically in reaction to the situation-at-hand. Given the "in action" realities of teaching, Schon (1987) recommended that schools of education redesign their programs to help new teachers more deeply reflect upon their own classroom behaviors and their reactions to teaching situations. Accordingly, this article describes a professional development activity in which teacher candidates respond quickly to authentic instructional scenarios, and then analyze their responses in small groups. The activity is organized around a multimedia case study of an elementary science lesson. On four occasions while viewing the lesson, the candidates are asked to describe, as quickly as possible, how they would personally respond to the situation facing the onscreen teacher. They are to do this without consulting others, and with minimal reflection. Once these initial reactions are recorded, the preservice teachers meet in small groups to discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of their responses. During this phase of the activity, the learners can construct, or coconstruct, new responses to replace their initial intuitive ones. The intent of the exercise is to help teacher candidates develop a deeper awareness of their own reactions to real-life instructional scenarios and to encourage them to consider alternative instructional strategies. The following questions guided the research: 1. To what extent do preservice teachers feel they have time to think about the decisions they make while teaching? Do they feel they have time to reflect on the problems they encounter? 2. To what extent, and in what ways, do preservice teachers modify their immediate personal responses to the case teaching scenarios after reflection and discussion? …

Linking the Microscopic View of Chemistry to Real-Life Experiences: Intertextuality in a High-School Science Classroom

Abstract: Chemistry learning involves establishing conceptual relationships among macroscopic, microscopic, and symbolic representations. Employing the notion of intertextuality to conceptualize these relationships, this study investigates how class members interactionally construct meanings of chemical representations by connecting them to real-life experiences and how the teachers' content knowledge shapes their ways to coconstruct intertextual links with students. Multiple sources of data were collected over 7 weeks with a participation of 25 eleventh graders, an experienced teacher, and a student teacher. An examination of classroom discourse shows that the intertextual links between the microscopic view of chemistry and students' real-life experiences could be initiated by students and instigated by the teachers. The teachers applied several discursive strategies to scaffold students building meaningful links based on their prior knowledge and experiences. Additionally, the experienced teacher with stronger content knowledge tended to present links in both dialogic and monologic discourses. Yet, the relatively limited content knowledge did not necessarily constrain the student teacher's interactions with students. The findings of this study provide a backdrop for further research to explore how chemistry is learned and taught in a class through the social constructivist lens. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed87:868–891, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10090

Emancipatory Indigenous Knowledge Systems: implications for environmental education in South Africa

Abstract: Indigenous Knowledge also termed Traditional, Endogenous or Classical knowledge, often fails to contribute to the improvement of the quality of human life. This failure can be attributed purely to the lower status accorded to this type of knowledge in society. This knowledge is accorded low status because it belongs to a particular racial or ethnic group which often, it is assumed, lacks the necessary cultur al capital. Despite these negative perceptions of Indigenous Knowledge, there is a growing realisation that this knowledge is part of the global heritage and a national resource to be utilised for the benefit of all humanity. This article presents an argument that there is a major role to be played by Indigenous Knowledge Systems in education in general and environmental education in particular. Environmental education as stated in the Brundtland Commission, the South African Environmental Education Policy Initiative (EEPI), and the NGO Form Principles, is seen as a key process that could enhance Indigenous Knowledge in formal education. The article further argues that the production of Indigenous Knowledge is contextually grounded through social constructivist approaches. However, it has the potential to be contextually and widely used. South African Journal of Education Vol.23(4) 2003: 276-280

Constructivism, Education, Science, and Technology

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present a brief review of the various streams of constructivism in studies of education, society, science and technology. It is intended to present a number of answers to the question (what really is constructivism?) in the context of various disciplines from the humanities and the sciences (both natural and social). In particular the discussion will focus on four varieties of constructivism: philosophical, cybernetic, educational, and sociological constructivism.

A Solution-Focused Approach to Cross-Cultural Clinical Social Work Practice Utilizing Cultural Strengths

Abstract: A major challenge faced by clinical social work practice today is how to apply clinical social work knowledge and practice theories to ethnic and racial groups who have diverse cultural values and practices. A solution-focused approach that incorporates the premises and techniques of social constructivism, empowerment-based practice, and a strengths perspective is well suited for responding to the needs of these groups with respect for their values and practices. With its focus on pragmatic change and encouraging clients to create solutions for themselves, in addition to avoiding the shame that clients in these enthnic and racial populations feel in seeking professional help, this approach fits cultural approval to seek support and advice.

Learner-Centered Teaching: Postsecondary Strategies That Promote "Thinking Like A Professional"

Abstract: The Learner-Centered Psychological Principles (LCPs) provide a holistic framework that integrates social constructivist and cognitive theories, as well as motivational and individual differences theories. We have used these to better align our own classroom practice with the rapidly expanding knowledge about how learning occurs. In an active and collaborative learning environment, we have used specific instructional techniques, identifying similarities and differences strategies, to enhance students' thinking and learning skills. Original research on the novice-expert continuum supports the domains of the LCPs and underscores the importance of strategies to engage students in identifying similarities and differences to enhance students' abilities to "think like a professional."

Toward a Global Theory of Mind: The Potential Benefits of Presenting a Range of IR Theories through Active Learning

Abstract: Active learning is particularly well-suited to teaching across the range of perspectives inherent in the practice and study of international politics for two key reasons: (1) because of its capacity to highlight how subjective, intersubjective, and contested understandings play an important role in determining outcomes in the ivory tower as well as in the real world and (2) because of the compatibility between underlying theories of knowledge that inform active learning and the newer generation of IR theories including subaltern realism, social constructivism, constitutive theory, and postmodernism. This article explores the potential benefits of presenting these and other norm-oriented theories through active learning. It also discusses ways to overcome barriers to the integration of active learning techniques.

Weblogs as an Emerging Genre in Higher Education

Abstract: WEBLOGS (or “blogs”) emerged in the past decade as an Internet applications genre, providing a platform for the development of critical, individual voices within the context of Internet resources. Weblogs consist of links to particular Web materials with specific commentary, generally presented in chronological format, harkening back to older, more traditional forms of expression such as diaries and travelogues. Weblog consumption has become increasingly popular in higher education contexts as individuals seek ways to locate Web content of quality and relevance to particular topics or themes. Many individuals have emphasized the autobiographical functions of weblog production, situating the hyperlinks provided in the context of personal reflections and revelations and working to construct narrative selves through “performative” uses of hyperlinking. The character of weblogs as a genre is in part related to collaborative efforts (including the sustained interaction among bloggers in discussion of the genre and critique of each other’s productions). Faculty who incorporate weblog development in teaching initiatives should be aware of privacy and voyeurism considerations as students reveal personal information; however, weblog construction can be useful in conveying new dimensions of identity construction and plagiarism issues in social constructivist frameworks.

Social Constructivism and Asynchronous Text-Based Discussion: A Case Study with Trainee Teachers

Abstract: The paper reports a case study using asynchronous text-based discussion. It considers the role of the tutor and discusses the extent to which online discussions can facilitate social constructivist approaches to instruction and the creation of knowledge. Participants were 17 trainee teachers studying on a post graduate teaching course. The asynchronous text-based discussion (using e-blackboard) focused on planning for progression in children's learning in history and culminated in the trainee teachers writing individual assignments on the topic. The paper analyses the different types of contributions made and reports on the trainees' evaluations of the benefits and limitations of using e-blackboard. It concludes with recommendations and areas for further research.

Making and Remaking the World for IR 101: A Resource for Teaching Social Constructivism in Introductory Classes

Abstract: Social constructivism is now the main theoretical challenger to established perspectives within the discipline of international relations. Unfortunately, the contributions and standing of constructivist approaches in the discipline are not mirrored in undergraduate textbooks for introductory international relations courses. In this article, we present a lecture template containing a broad synthesis of the main tenets of constructivist thought and discuss how constructivism approaches patterns and phenomena of world politics. The lecture is framed by comparing constructivism with the generally statist treatment that topics receive in mainstream international relations as exemplified by neorealism and neoliberalism. This article is designed to provide accessible supporting material for teaching social constructivism to introductory international relations classes.

Hostile_work_environment.com

Abstract: In this paper I discuss the behaviors and efforts of the male employees of one small software development company, which was born and died during the gold rush mentality that captivated many start-ups during the Dot.Com Bubble. From evidence drawn from interviews, observations, self-reported organizational charts and time diaries, I argue that the organizational culture, created by the original and managerial employees of this company, made it nearly impossible for female employees to be hired. I also claim that once a few female employees were hired, the organizational culture made the work environment so hostile that it drove them to leave and seek alternative employment. I argue these points from both a social constructivist and an individual differences theoretical points of view. The conclusions that I draw from this case study are that the Dot Com Bubble did more to impede women from the IT workforce than to facilitate their entrance.

The coming collision between automated instruction and social constructivism

Abstract: Abstract: There are currently two groups of individuals in instructional technology research which are pursuing a research agenda aimed at making education scale to very large numbers of students and improve in effectiveness. These two groups are walking down diverging paths, the first toward driving humans out of the instructional loop, and the second toward adding more humans to the instructional loop. This chapter explores these research paths in more depth and proposes a manner in which they may be reconciled.

Taking Others' Perspectives in a Peer Interactional Setting while Preparing for a Written Argument

Abstract: The virtues of inter-subjective peer interaction are acknowledged by educational research to be cognitively motivating. This paper highlights identified patterns of pupil perception observed during an experimental study concerning 10-year-olds, who were supporting one another in small groups of three as they were verbally preparing for an argumentative writing task. Through transcripts of recorded talk, the account exemplifies the perspective-taking strategies used by the participants to assist each other and make themselves understood. A social constructivist approach is taken in analysing the entailed mechanisms and how they might have contributed to the subsequently written compositions. The paper suggests that perspective taking, experienced through peer interaction, can be an invaluable means of practising social skills necessary for the improvement of cognitive competence, learning and remembering information in context to conform with written argument criteria.

From facilitator to knowledge-builder: a new role for the teacher of the future

Abstract: The influence of constructivism and the spread of information and communication technologies (ICT) in classrooms are both expected to change the role of the teacher in the classroom from the expert dispensing knowledge to the facilitator of student learning (Dwyer, Ringstaff, & Sandholtz, 1991; Hadley & Sheingold, 1993; Ravitz, Becker, & Wong, 2000). In such a student-centred classroom the teacher is expected to understand individual learning styles and appropriate means to scaffold learning while social constructivism emphasises student collaboration and interaction with the learning context. The notion of the teacher as facilitator in a student-centred classroom may have been useful to progress pedagogical thinking, but limits attempts to create a knowledge-building community which requires social relations to be reconceptualised. Some suggest that the focus should be on learning-centredness (Marzano, 1992) and many teachers using ICT are happy to acknowledge that they are themselves learners rather than experts. Further, economic and educational imperatives, and the frequent complaint that teachers have “no time” now require that teachers engage in a community of practice where their own learning activities are purposeful and authentic because they are situated within their work (Brown & Campione, 1994; Lave & Wenger, 1994). This community can include teachers and students as co-learners, while technology as a communication medium opens up the possibility for collaboration within and across schools and with other learning partners locally and internationally. (The terms “learning” and “knowledge-building” are used with similar meaning in this paper.)

Online education on campus : a technological frames perspective on the process of technology appropriation

Abstract: The advent of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and the Internet has created significant opportunity for online education. Research on this topic has addressed its effectiveness, but as yet little attention has been given to the technology appropriation process in this context. This thesis adopts a social constructivist perspective. To enhance the understanding of online education, the study argues for abandoning the notion of technology as a passive tool and, instead, for considering the contextual issues which surround it. In order to understand how learning and technology appropriation takes place, the organisational and cultural setting needs to be considered. From this underlying conceptual position, the thesis constructs a theoretical framework using theories of collaborative and situated learning in combination with technological frames analysis. Applying this framework, an empirical study is performed on the implementation of an online education system at a traditional U.K. university. Research findings suggest that student perception and interpretation of technology and of online education are strongly influenced by their understanding of the institution, and these perceptions alter students' subsequent behaviour towards technology during the learning process. Furthermore, the study reveals that student appropriation of technology changes in accordance with the surrounding context and their realisation of the educational value which emerges from their interaction with the system over time. The theoretical contribution arises from applying to the study of online education the social constructivist approach to information systems. The methodological contribution lies in demonstrating the value of the interpretive approach for understanding online education on campus. Empirically, the thesis has significant value for educationalists by highlighting the contextual issues that affect student appropriation of technology and the consequent learning outcomes.

The introduction of knowledge management technology within the British Council: an action research study

Abstract: The study describes action research undertaken within the Knowledge Management programme of the British Council, a not-for-profit multinational organisation. An interpretive methodology is adopted because of its appropriateness to the study of real-life complex situations. There is a contested literature on Knowledge Management which this study explores and contributes too. The action research draws on a social constructivist stance to develop and introduce Knowledge Management systems for significant groups within the organisation. A rich set of issues emerge from the literature, and the action research, which contribute to the discourse on Knowledge Management systems and their use in practice. The study suggests that a methodological framework is beneficial in supporting the development and introduction of such systems. However the research identified that Knowledge Management problems cannot be identified and so reconceptualises Knowledge Management in terms of improvement. A framework is developed (AFFEKT: Appreciative Framework for Evolving Knowledge Technologies) to such improvement. This framework is used in the final action research cycle. The conclusions are drawn from a reflection on the application of this framework and reflection on broader issues raised by the action research. The study concludes that knowledge management systems should introduced through an ongoing iterative process of reflection and action. Knowledge Management systems should encourage new work practices, however this requires a realisation that the development of a Knowledge Management systems is a reflective process by which the system is integrated into existing practice and enables users to critique this practice. The study contributes to the discourse concerning the application of technology within Knowledge Management (Galliers 1999; Alavi and Leidner 2001; Butler 2002; Wickramasinghe 2002). It contributes to the field of Information Systems by describing a coherent narrative on the introduction of knowledge management systems within a unique organisational context, and by developing a framework to aid intervention.

The construction of the meaning and significance of an 'author' among information behaviour researchers : a social constructivist approach

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Is there a fit between pedagogy and technology in online learning

Abstract: The study followed a group of online lecturers from different disciplines who were engaged in different levels of online teaching The researchers' experiences with e-learning have indicated there are a variety of ways by which teaching staff approach e-learning As new technologies provide a challenge to make learning an interactive and collaborative experience that is guided by a social constructivist approach to teaching and learning, some academic staff embrace the technology to enhance their pedagogy and others are reluctant to use the technology, although in the pedagogy they promote is a social constructivist learning approach We conducted a qualitative research project in an attempt to answer the research questions of what pedagogies are used by teaching staff to facilitate e-learning, and how do teachers change their use and understanding of e-learning techniques The study suggests that there is a continuum in the way the constructivist pedagogy had been implemented by the different university teachers and also a continuum in the way the technology had been embraced by them From our observations, we categorised the university teachers in relation to their pedagogies (level of social constructivist approach) and to the level at which they used the technology, in order to explore how the relationship between these two elements changed The study helps us understand how the technology enabled some of the teachers to develop their pedagogies and change their perspectives on social learning online In addition, for others who used social features of the technology to an optimal level, the technology helped them accommodate and reinforce the notion of a social constructivist approach to teaching and learning Finally, the interchange between the ability to use the technology and the adoption of social constructivist approach to teaching raised new questions in relation to implementation of online learning

Information technology-enabled knowledge sharing in multinational strategic alliances: media richness - task relevance fit

Abstract: Sharing knowledge in a strategic alliance is far from being a smooth and self-propelled process. An important determinant of successful knowledge sharing is the level of fit between the tasks being undertaken by alliance partners and the IT-enabled knowledge sharing mechanism being employed to carry out these tasks. This paper reports on ongoing research investigating IT-enabled knowledge sharing mechanisms in multinational strategic alliances within construction. First, the concept of media richness is introduced, which argues that the characteristic of a communication medium significantly determines how successfully that medium can share knowledge between participants. Second, the importance of task relevance is identified, emphasising that the success of a knowledge sharing mechanism is determined by how relevant the content of the message is to the receiver's work. These two themes are integrated to offer a media richness - task relevance fit model. This model is used as a framework to structure and evaluate interim research findings from a multinational alliance case study. The findings indicate that successful IT-enabled knowledge sharing mechanisms are closely linked to both media richness and the business logic and the social processes captured in the task relevance and task environment aspects of a virtual organisation. The results reinforce the need to adopt a social constructivist approach to IT-enabled knowledge sharing mechanisms, which challenges researchers and practitioners to understand different alliance stakeholder groups' interpretations of, and interactions with, the information technology.

Constructing a complex world: The frontiers of international relations theory and foreign policy‐making

Abstract: The relevance of international relations theory hinges on the ability of theorists to predict, or at least understand the seminal events of any era. Unfortunately, the vast majority of international relations theorists were overwhelmingly surprised by the end of the Cold War and the discipline's response to 9/11 has also been characterised by significant confusion. The international relations discipline has had a difficult time providing concepts and frameworks that facilitate understanding or even addressing the discontinuous and non‐linear change that rare events like the end of the Cold War and the terrorist attacks of 9/11 potentially engender. However, even given this failing, the correct concern is not if theory is relevant, but which theory is relevant. Policy‐makers need to look to the frontiers of international relations theory for approaches that embrace dynamism and change — social constructivism and complexity theory.

Elements for a Structural Constructivist Theory of Politics and of European Integration. CES Working Paper, no. 104, 2003

Abstract: Pierre Bourdieu’s structural constructivist theory of politics offers powerful instruments for a critical analy-sis of political power. In this paper, I explore structural constructivism as a theory of politics and of Euro-pean integration. By structural constructivism I refer to a mostly French research tradition that develops some of Bourdieu’s theoretical tools. In European studies, social constructivism has provided an alternative to traditional approaches such as intergovernmentalism and neofunctionalism. Structural constructivism remedies some of the weaknesses of most versions of social constructivism, such as their diffuse concep-tion of power and ideational notion of culture. This paper develops a structural constructivist approach that examines the European Union as a multileveled and polycentric emerging political field.