Constructivist Approaches in Educational Research

Abstract

This review briefly examines what will be called a "construc tivist " theme in the history and philosophy of the social and behavioral sciences, outlines a rationale for such studies in education today, and evaluates some applications. It is probable that such views will rapidly gain credibility in the decade ahead for educational researchers, much as cognitive views gained acceptance in the parent disciplines of psychology and sociology within the last two decades. The development of the fields of cognitive psychology and sociology is not clearly understood by most educational researchers, but represents the adoption of somewhat nontraditional values regarding what the important phenomena are in the social and behavioral sciences. These values need to be briefly described and examined at the outset, but will also be reconsidered in more detail from time to time in the discussion. The constructivist perspective holds as a chief assumption about much complex behavior that the "subjects " being studied I am indebted to the following colleagues for their insight into many of these matters and their careful commentaries or suggestions on drafts of this work: