Exploring Constructivism: A Reflective Essay on Learning Theory

This essay delves into the theory of constructivism, a learning approach that emphasizes the student's active role in knowledge construction through logical and conceptual thinking. It highlights the importance of students understanding concepts independently, with teachers facilitating engagement rather than direct instruction. The essay provides a reflective example from the author's teaching experience, where a student's critical thinking challenged and ultimately changed the author's perspective on a legal case. This experience illustrates the core principles of constructivism, including assimilation, accommodation, and equilibrium, demonstrating how new insights can be integrated and reshape existing understanding. The author concludes by emphasizing the transformative potential of constructivism in both teaching and learning.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY 1
Psychology
Name
Institution

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Theory of Constructivism
Constructivism is among the theories of learning that focusses on the student’s logical and
conceptual thinking and places the student as the main source of knowledge. In the theory, the
students are meant to come to understanding of concepts by themselves as the teacher’s main
responsibility is to engage the students in the learning activity (Fosnot, 2013). Students are meant
to participate in the learning of the concept and understand on their own and not through the
teacher “spoon feeding them” (David, 2015). Constructivism argues that students will produce
knowledge or meaning based on their past experiences and critical or logical thinking and can be
assimilated by new or changing environment in their thinking and accommodate a new concept
based on the assimilation (Steffe & Gale, 2012). The central point between the assimilation of
ideas and accommodation of the same idea deduced by the very student on their own is what
entails constructivism equilibrium (Bourgeois, 2009.
Reflective Example
In one of my classes, I literally experienced the fruits of constructivism. For about five years,
I have been teaching law student on the concept of critical and logical thinking and its
application as a philosophy. I always use case examples to bring up discussions with the students
since that is the best way, I teach law; constructivism. I always have my stand in the discussion
as a teacher and would give an approval for what I think is right according to the logic of the
students. This time we were discussing on a case.
The case that we were discussing on was about an employee of an electricity distribution
company who actually had dug holes preparing to burry poles and install electricity for a certain
household. Even before the next morning set in, charges were placed against the practitioner, by
a teacher who had his legs broken due to one of the holes by the roadside. It happened that the

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teacher was from a bar at midnight, partially drunk and the homestead that was to be installed
with electricity was his.
The issue to be discussed was whether it was fair for the teacher to place charges at the
electricity practitioner and what would be the possible judgment.
Critically, everybody was saying that it was not the electricity practitioner’s responsibility to
assure safety due to the wholes since he could not stay or make an announcement to the whole
community that there was a hole at that place. Others /were saying the teacher drunk
irresponsibly and that it wasn’t worthy reporting.
One of the students was however, against all of us, me included. His argument was that it was
justified reporting and the electricity practitioner was to be sued for negligence of
professionality. His argument was that it was a professional mandate that all holes should be
covered and a signal post placed as a warning. Therefore, the electricity professional was
responsible.
This is the time I was wowed by the critical thinking and constructivism application of
knowledge. And truly it was right since it actually complied with the law. This changed the
judgement I had for the five years I had been teaching since my stand had been that it was not the
electricity professional’s responsibility. I changed my judgement that day just because of the
student’s was of critical thinking and application of law.
Conclusion
In this case, as the teacher, I got assimilated by the student’s judgement and changed my
thinking as well as judgment on the case. By accommodating his judgement and dropping the
one I had held upon for five years, I demonstrated the aspect of constructivism accommodation.

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The equilibrium comes in the way I understood the logic of the application of the law in the right
way.

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Reference
Bourgeois, E. (2009). Piaget's Constructivism and Adult Learning. The Routledge International
Handbook of Learning, vol 24(2), 23-25.
David, L. (2015). Constructivism. Retrieved from https://www.learning-
theories.com/constructivism.html
Fosnot, C. (2013). Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives, and Practice, Second Edition. New
York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Steffe, P., & Gale, J. (2012). Constructivism in Education. London, England: Routledge.