CONSTRUCTIVISM: A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER

CHRISTIAN R. BASILIO

Constructivism is one of the most effective teaching strategies I have utilized in teaching science concepts for about five years. It allows my students to construct their understanding of the concepts by relating them to previous knowledge they have learned. The constructivist approach will enable students to play an active role in the learning process. When students are involved in learning, they better understand and appreciate the lesson. Moreover, they can reflect more on what they are learning. These scenarios allow students to improve their learning retention. Some of the activities I do as a science teacher to maximize the benefits of constructivism are performing experiments, problem-solving, and collaborative activities that involve sharing one's understanding of the concepts. When we instruct our students to solve real-life problems, they discover how they learn. This feature of constructivism allows students to become ready to navigate the real world. This also allows them to solve that problem quickly when they reencounter it. Indeed, constructivism is very helpful in making students learn. However, based on my experience, constructivism has its disadvantages too. One of these is the planning of the lesson and instructional activities. Presenting the lesson in the context of constructivism requires careful planning and research. The activities that will be included in the lesson should allow the students to become active. Moreover, this is also time-consuming. Sometimes, more instructional time is needed for the students to present their output. Furthermore, students in one classroom also have different abilities and readiness for learning. Some can work independently, and some need extra guidance from the teacher. Indeed, constructivism is a powerful tool that we can use to improve the educative process. However, we can only maximize its potential if we use it accordingly.

-oOo

The author is Teacher III at Tinajero National High School-Annex Sta. Lucia Resettlement, Magalang, Pampanga