an innovative approach

peers, while the control group worked individually. The learning tasks, including the
direction, questions and hands-on activities, were administered without any
instructions. Both their prior and post knowledge were assessed through the
Photosynthesis Concept Test (PCT) of the Institute for Research on Teaching (IRT).
The results of their task and test responses indicated that the strategy enabled the
treatment group to gain better understanding of the concepts.
These findings indicated that teaching strategies based on constructivist
perspectives provided progression for student learning about photosynthesis, and
therefore students held fewer misconceptions related to photosynthesis.
6. Summary: Relevance of the Constructivist Theory to Teaching
The constructivist perspectives have become an important reference for
research and practice in science education. Educators have begun to consider the
various backgrounds and interests of students as a way to understand teaching and
learning contexts. Thinking about how children learn challenges educators to reconceptualize
educational situations. There are several teaching implications of the
constructivist perspectives. Personal constructivism leads to an understanding of
what knowledge is, and how students learn. Knowledge is a representation of reality
that needs active learners to receive it. Students’ prior knowledge needs to be
considered in the process of this learning view, which is not memorization and recall.
The teacher cannot transmit knowledge; the students have to construct it for
themselves. As another consideration of the teaching implications of social
constructivism, the teaching should focus on assisting individuals in their
interpretations of concepts. Teaching should be moved from teacher-centred to
student-centred learning (Hodson and Hodson, 1998). Socially collaborative learning
with effective language communication should be encouraged to develop students’
ability to learn (John-Steiner and Mahn, 1996). Also, motivation of students’ learning
in the classroom should be considered in parallel with an understanding of student
learning context.
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