1What Does Research on Constructivist Education Tell Us about Effective Schooling?

Interest in constructivist education has been sweeping the country, and while teachers across the nation (and beyond) are implementing this approach, it is still far from common. The purpose of this paper is to (1) briefly consider the central concepts of constructivist education, (3) describe what it looks like in practical terms, and (4) summarize research bearing on the constructivist tenet that a cooperative classroom atmosphere combined with active, constructivist curriculum results in optimal development and learning. To give a brief definition, constructivist education appeals to children’s interests, engages them in experimentation with phenomena of the physical world, and fosters cooperation between teacher and child and among children (DeVries & Kohlberg, 1987/1990). The most valued assessments of children’s knowledge are found in their work rather than in tests. The constructivist teacher is a mentor who takes a cooperative attitude in relation to children and uses natural and logical consequences as alternatives to authoritarian discipline. Conceptions Central to Constructivist Educatio