A pragmatist theory of learning

www.upriss.org.uk Abstract. This paper suggests that Peirce’s pragmatism might be a more suit-able underpinning of educational research than the currently prevailing construc-tivism, in particular with respect to science and mathematics education. Using examples from the educational literature, a case is made for a notion of “truth”, a pragmatist scientific method, Peirce’s doubt-belief cycle and his semiotics and logic in relationship to educational theory. This paper does not present any in-depth discussion of philosophical issues but attempts to highlight the need for a better philosophical foundation of educational research in the hope of encourag-ing future research in this direction