Learning Theory Essay - Analysis of Constructivism Theory

The essay is concerned with the essential analysis of learning theories. The selected learning theory for the purpose is Constructivism theory proposed by Piaget. The theory is reviewed in order to find the importance of its contribution to learning, its significant limitations if any and its application in the learning environment of the classroom.

Running head: LEARNING THEORY ESSAY
LEARNING THEORY ESSAY
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Author Note

1LEARNING THEORY ESSAY
The essay is concerned with the essential analysis of learning theories. The selected
learning theory for the purpose is Constructivism theory proposed by Piaget. The theory is
reviewed in order to find the importance of its contribution to learning, its significant limitations
if any and its application in the learning environment of the classroom. The various aspects of
the theory have been analyzed to understand its significance in the learning environments that are
present across various academic institutions and other related educational settings. The theory is
greatly focused towards individual development. Hence, the main concepts related to the
constructivism theory need to be analyzed in view of the newer conceptualizations of education
and learning. Also, the contributions of this theory in regards to development of learning are
discussed. Some important limitations that affect the theory and then analyzed. Subsequently, the
application of the theory in various learning environments have been discussed.
The main concept of constructivism theory concerns learning as an active and
constructive process. According to the theory people tend to create personal subjective
representations of the real and objective things they learn. Each person has a subjective outlook
in regards to whatever is learnt. According to Bada and Olusegun (2015) the theory is essentially
a student-centered learning approach that facilitates effective individual learning. Humans
construct their knowledge in accordance of their gathered experiences. According to the theory
of cognitive development of individuals take place through four essential stages. The stages are
sensorimotor, preoperational stage, concrete or operational stage and formal operational stage.
These changes take place through various age phases of life. Sensorimotor phase is from birth to
age2, Preoperational from 2 to 7 years, Operational stage from 7 to 11 years and formal
operational from 12 and above (Duit, 2016). The concepts of this theory are related to
philosophical, psychological, sociological and educational factors that influence human learning.

2LEARNING THEORY ESSAY
Fosnot and Perry (1996) are of the opinion that constructivism is based on the principles of deep
understanding of knowledge and cognitive development. According to Siegler (2016)
constructivism is greatly based on the learning and understanding levels of children. The
understanding can increase further to develop even higher levels of knowledge gathering. In
essence the theory is based on the subjective conception of ideas. People develop essential
learning tendencies dependent on how much they can understand what they are learning. The
constructivist approach helps learners to develop their own perspectives in relation to the
knowledge that they gather. The theory proposed by Piaget is divided into two significant parts.
One part deals with what learners, especially children, can or cannot understand. The other part
deals with theory of development that is concerned with the cognitive development of the
learners. It has to be considered that the theory is essentially focused towards the learning of
children as they are the most important learners group. The learning that children develop helps
them to cope with the more complex learning requirements of the next phases of their lives
(Smith, 2017). Through the constructivist approach more importance is given to how children
experience knowledge. The approach demands active involvement, democratic environment,
interactive activities and encouragement for learner’s autonomy.
The concept of assimilation and accommodation is applicable greatly to the theory of
Piaget. Assimilation is the gathering of knowledge when the learner perceives a new idea from
the external environment. Accommodation refers to the processing of the knowledge. Thus, for
learners it not only becomes important to gather knowledge but also reshape it. The same can be
enhanced through the constructivist application of teaching and learning. The traditional
teaching and learning approaches have many identified flaws that new age educationalists
believe can be rectified through the application of constructivist ideas of education. According to

3LEARNING THEORY ESSAY
the views of Juvova et al. (2015) constructivist views have affected training and preconceptions
of teachers and their teaching outlooks. It can be said that constructivism has affected new age
teachers and generally accepted teaching principles. Various teacher training curriculums now
consider the development of skills such as motivational, empathetic, psychological and
transactional and communication oriented traits among the teachers. Educational institutions are
focusing more on the holistic development of their students. Thus, they are focusing more on
implementing teaching techniques that strongly consider constructivist educational outlook.
Duit (2016) opines that constructivism has deeply influenced the modern standards for
science educators. Its usage in science education has contributed to the growth of better learning
abilities among science students. In science classes across the more reputed institutions students
have to construct their own knowledge development over the already established scientific
concepts. According to Henson (2015) constructivist theories are being widely put into practice
across the various institutions for developing curriculums. It is the new face of educational
reform that is causing teachers to change their mindsets in regards to teaching and education. The
most important effect of constructivism can be seen in the development of more interactive
classrooms. The development of constructive ideas among teachers are helping them to
understand the needs and requirements of the students in better and more effective ways. It has
contributed greatly towards the development of positive student-teacher relationships.
A major limitation is the structural issues that arise with the use of constructivism. A
more personalized approach towards education is taken by teachers that does not rely on grading.
The lack of grading eventually limits the quantitative representation of student data. This makes
the prospects of understanding the actual learning of the students difficult for the teachers.
Hence, it can be said that there is a significant limitation concerning the effective implementation

4LEARNING THEORY ESSAY
of constructivism across the various learning environments (Anderson, 2016). Another
significant limitation that greatly affect constructivist approaches is the lack of resources for
implementing constructivism. Learning settings that cater to a large number of students face
great difficulty in the implementation of techniques aimed towards individual student
development. The problem discussed above becomes even more profound under these
circumstances. Additionally, some students greatly required structured learning systems to be
able to generate essential learning. However, this is not available through constructivist
approaches. In these cases the learning of the student is actually hampered. The approach also
requires teachers to form personalized study courses aimed to develop learnings based on what is
already known by the students. This causes some of the students to fall behind in their studies.
Many students get frustrated in constructive learning settings due to their inability to form
essential relationships between what they already know and what they learn subsequently. There
are many significant advantages of constructive approaches but their implementation as absolute
learning systems can pose serious issues related to learning and development. Hence, it can be
said that structural learning is important for the greater development of students. Constructivism
can rather be used to make the structure more learner friendly. It is important to consider the
controlled environments within which education is possible. Thus, the systematic
implementation of constructivist approaches can be utilized for better student development only
if certain essential criteria concerning structural feasibility are considered.
The theory is applied in environments where more personalized learning is required
among the students. For example- this is used many times to guide students with special learning
needs or excessive learning difficulties. Constructivism is being applied significantly across new
age classrooms. Teachers are being trained to provide more emphasis towards the development

5LEARNING THEORY ESSAY
of the personal learning concepts among students. The theory is being especially used in learning
curriculums where a greater portion is dedicated to practical learning exercises (Land, Jonassen
& Jonassen, 2014). Learning and development of individuals are more important in this case.
Moreover, online application of constructivism is growing with the growth of online courses. In
these courses there are almost little to no direct interactions between the students and teachers.
Hence, the constructive approach is taken wherein teachers often try to develop the intrinsic
personal learning abilities of the students. Resources like video tutorials are used to empower the
students towards better learning (Smith, 2017).
The advent of social media and its continuous growth has also led to the better
implementation of this approach. Teacher student interactions are taking place in these internet
platforms through which learning is being enhanced (Schrader, 2015). Reciprocal peer teaching
is an approach of constructive learning where roles of both the teacher and the learner are
alternatively taken by the students. This is an approach that is taken to develop the leadership,
communication and cooperative aspects among the students. Problem based learning is another
such system in which a number of carefully devised problems are provided to students. Students
have to explore the various solutions from what they have learned. Inquiry oriented learning is
another related learning approach in which the students learn through investigation of the various
scenarios that are connected with the study. Anchored instruction is a similar approach where the
instructor introduce a theme that has to be explored further by the students. This way students
learn to define, explore and identify the problems that are related to their field of study (Henson,
2015).
The implications of the study point towards the fact that constructivism is more suited to
meet the modern learning requirements of students. The proponents of modern learning consider

6LEARNING THEORY ESSAY
this as an essential learning approach. The analysis have helped to determine that constructivism
as an approach has the ability to greatly affect the learning needs of students in positive ways. It
has also brought forward the significant issues in relation to the structuring of constructivist
learning curriculums. The philosophy of constructivism proposed by Piaget is focused towards
the intrinsic development of individuals. Hence, more emphasis should be given towards its
evolution within the teaching and learning setting.

7LEARNING THEORY ESSAY
References
Anderson, T. (2016). Theories for learning with emerging technologies. Emergence and
innovation in digital learning: Foundations and applications, 35-50.
Bada, S. O., & Olusegun, S. (2015). Constructivism learning theory: A paradigm for teaching
and learning. Journal of Research & Method in Education, 5(6), 66-70.
Duit, R. (2016). The constructivist view in science education–what it has to offer and what
should not be expected from it. Investigaçôes em ensino de ciências, 1(1), 40-75.
Fosnot, C. T., & Perry, R. S. (1996). Constructivism: A psychological theory of
learning. Constructivism: Theory, perspectives, and practice, 2, 8-33.
Henson, K. T. (2015). Curriculum planning: Integrating multiculturalism, constructivism, and
education reform. Waveland Press.
Juvova, A., Chudy, S., Neumeister, P., Plischke, J., & Kvintova, J. (2015). Reflection of
constructivist theories in current educational practice. Universal Journal of Educational
Research, 3(5), 345-349.
Land, S., Jonassen, D. H., & Jonassen, D. (2014). Theoretical foundations of learning
environments. Routledge.
Schrader, D. E. (2015). Constructivism and learning in the age of social media: Changing minds
and learning communities. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2015(144), 23-35.
Smith, L. (2017). Necessary knowledge: Piagetian perspectives on constructivism. Routledge.
Siegler, R. (2016). Cognitive development in childhood.