Constructivism as the Philosophy of Education

I. The Origin of Constructivism

Originally, constructivism is a part of cognitive revolution. It is not a new

approach. It is rooted from philosophy just like sociology, ethnography and cognitive

psychology. Cognitive revolution began in the 1950s and increasingly deliberated in

the late 1960s. The term “cognitive revolution” began to be used to take advantage of

an analysis of scientific revolution in general that was developed by Thomas Kuhn

(Royer, 2005). Following this analysis, cognitive revolution has impact on education.

Constructivism is an anti-thesis of idealism. Idealism is the family of views

which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental,

mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial (www.wikipedia.com,-).

Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of

knowing any mind-independent thing. Thus, constructivism is far from what is

proposed by idealism. Constructivism let the knowledge developed by the thinker, it

cannot be limited by only an ideology that is stated, but a knowledge can be

constructed and modified based on the view of the constructor.

Beside that, constructivism is also the anti-thesis of progressivism.

Progressivists believe that individuality, progress, and change are fundamental to

one’s education. John Deweys (1920-1950’s) states that “Education is life itself”. It is

believed that people learn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives,

progressivists center their curricula on the needs, experiences, interests, and abilities

of students. In short, progressivism makes learners to reconstruct experiences related

to the needs and interests of the learners. Unlike progressivism, contructivism let the

learners not only reconstruct experiences but also create a new ideas related to the

expriences. Beside that, constructivists believe that learners should not only construct

knowledge that they interest to, but they should create ideas about knowledge that

they experience.

II. The Basic Concept of Constructivism

Constructivists believe that knowledge is the result of individual constructions of

reality. From their perspective, learning occurs through continual creation of rules and

hypotheses to explain what is observed. To create new rules and formulate, new

hypotheses occurs when student’s present conception of reality are thrown out of

balance by disparities between those conceptions and new observation (J.Brooks,

1990, p68).

Giambatista Vico is one of the early constructivist philosophers, who said,

“… One only know something if one can explain it” (Yager, 1999)

This idea becomes rarely known by people as if it is lost. Then Jean Piaget tried to

continue the idea of constructivism, particularly in the learning process. Piaget’s idea

is spreading and growing faster than the idea of Vico.

Philosophy of constructivism can be classified into philosophy of knowledge, part

of the philosophy that questioned some issues of knowledge and how we can know

something. Today the philosophy of constructivism has influenced the development of

education, especially in the learning process. Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan

(KTSP), which is applied since 2006/2007, actually has roots in the concept of this

philosophy. In the philosophical concept of constructivism, knowledge can not be

transferred directly by a teacher to pupils. The knowledge which is gained by students

is actually not any insight that is created by others, but it is built by the pupils

themselves (Basuki, 2010).

Meanwhile, the basic idea underlying the philosophy of constructivism is that the

knowledge is the result of the construction (formation) itself because human

knowledge can not simply be transferred from one to another, but should be

interpreted solely by each person (Suparno, 1997). Knowledge is not something that

ready-made but a process that is constantly evolved. In this case, the activeness and

seriousness of the students in pursuing the knowledge is very needed.

Knowledge construction process runs continuously followed by re-organization

process because of new comprehension always arise (Piaget, 1971 in Suparno, 1997).

A science will become a science after experiencing a long process which becomes a

standard for humans to be used in their education life. Before being a standard, a

knowledge is improved which is called as the process of reorganization of knowledge

in the form of redefinition, stabilization and science concepts that are relatively

standard.

According to the philosophy of constructivism, a knowledge that is constructed

can be said to be true when it is used in dealing with the various phenomena and

issues related to knowledge.

Main ideas of constructivism are:

• Learning is an active process of construction of new ideas.

• Learning is more student-centered rather than teacher-centered.

• The teacher’s role is as facilitator and assistant.

• Learning is a process-oriented.

• The curriculum is based on social formation.

• Democratic and cooperative learning should be prioritized.

• Emphasis on social sciences and process.

III. SWOT Analysis of the Constructivism

Here is the authors’ critical analysis of the philosophy of constructivism using

SWOT analysis model:

3.1 SWOT Analysis toward the main idea: “ Learning is an active process of

construction of new ideas.”

• Strengths

The learning process stimulates the creativity of the learners to create new things.

• Weaknesses

It will lead to misunderstanding if the learner cannot get the correct concept of

what is decided as the truth.

• Opportunities

Innovation in education in the era of globalization nowadays allows learners to

construct something that they can be globalized, thereby creating a useful concept

for global life.

• Threats

There will many thoughts that come from each person and will be difficult to

decide the standard concept of a knowledge.

3.2 SWOT Analysis toward the main idea: “Learning is more student-centered rather

than teacher-centered.”

• Strengths

The students can get more attentions.

• Weaknesses

The control of the class will be more difficult rather than when the control is under

teacher’s hand.

• Opportunities

It practices the students’ independence and responsibility in gaining and forming

ideas.

• Threats

The students sometime do not know what to do and they do not understand a

concept clearly, so the achievement of the learning process may failed.

3.3 SWOT Analysis toward the main idea: “The teacher’s role is as facilitator and

assistant.”

• Strengths

The learners can get some help from the teacher during the process of constructing

the knowledge

• Weaknesses

The role of the teacher seems to be minimum during the process of teaching and

learning.

• Opportunities

The learners will be more agressive and active in gaining further information, thus

they will get better understanding about the knowledge.

• Threats

The existence of teacher will not much needed.

3.4 SWOT Analysis toward the main idea: “Learning is a process-oriented.”

• Strengths

It motivate the learners to do their best during the learning process.

• Weaknesses

It will be difficult to decide the learner’s individual assessment because during the

process of learning, a learner always interact with each other learners that are also

involved in the process of learning.

• Opportunities

The learners feel eunthusiast to follow the process of learning.

• Threats

There may no any respect or eunthusiasm in following an individual test because

result is not quiet important anymore.

3.5 SWOT Analysis toward the main idea: “The curriculum is based on social

formation.”

• Strengths

The adaptation to society’s need will be easier.

• Weaknesses

Social formation can be changed anytime, it will affect badly to the consistency of

the curriculum.

• Opportunities

The output of the learning process may be useful for the society.

• Threats

There no any standard curriculum that can be used for long terms.

3.6 SWOT Analysis toward the main idea: “Democratic and cooperative learning

should be prioritized.”

• Strengths

The learners can have more chances to be listened.

• Weaknesses

There will be many thoughts which may lead to bias.

• Opportunities

The democratic atmosphere in a cooperative setting allows to tell their thoughts

bravely.

• Threats

Bias information regarding to a concept of the knowledge.

3.7 SWOT Analysis toward the main idea: “Emphasis on social sciences and process.”

• Strengths

Learner is guided to a systematic structure of knowledge.

• Weaknesses

The inconsistency of the social process leads to inconsistency of the concept that

is created by learners.

• Opportunities

The knowledge is updated anytime according to the rate and route of the social

science and process.

• Threats

Results of tests are not quite important anymore.

IV. Implication of Constructivism to Teaching and Learning Process

Constructivism is as one of the learning theories besides behavorism,

cognitivism, etc. There will be a question about how constructivism impacts learning.

Here are what Jacqueline and Martin Brooks said about the impacts of constructivism

toward learning.

1. Curriculum

Constructivism calls for the elimination of a standardized curriculum. Instead, it

promotes using curricula customized to the students’ prior knowledge. Also, it

emphasizes hands-on problem solving. COMPETENCY-BASED CURRICULUM

(CBC) is the appropriate one to be employed.

2. Instruction

Under the concept of constructivism, educator focuses on making connections

between facts and fostering new understanding in students. Instructors tailor their

teaching strategies to students responses and encourage students to analyze interpret,

and predict information. Teachers also rely heavily on open-ended questions and

promote extensive dialogue among students.

3. Assessment

Constructivism calls for the elimination of grades and standardized testing. Instead,

assessment becomes part of the learning process so that students play a larger role in

judging their own progress. The application of classroom assessment and authentic

assessment are recommended according to the principles of constructivism.

References:Basuki, Markus. 2010. Aliran-aliran Dalam Filsafat Ilmu: Filsafat Konstruktivisme.

http://cor-amorem.blogspot.com/2010/01/filsafat-konstruktivisme.html. downloaded on October, 2011.

Mudyahardjo Redja. 1998. Pengantar Pendidikan: Sebuah Studi Awal Tentang Dasar-dasar Pendidikan pada Umumnya dan Pendidikan di Indonesia. Rajawali Pers. Jakarta

Suparno, Paul. 1997. Filsafat Konstruktivisme Dalam Pendidikan. Yogyakarta: Kanisius.

----------. - . Idealism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idealism. Retrieved on January 26, 2012.

----------. -. Educational Philosophy. http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html. Retrieved on January 26, 2012.

Constructivism as the Philosophy of Education

By:

Ni Luh Gede Dian Pondika Cahyaningsih

NIM. 1129011088

Language Study Program

Concentration: English

Post-Graduate Program

Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha

Denpasar

2012