Most teachers are continuously aiming for students’ increased achievement by trying different strategies or approaches in teaching Araling Panlipunan, to stay away from using too much traditional methods. They also find ways to improve their teaching styles and not too much with the authoritative styles in teaching the said subject.
Constructivist teaching is based on the belief that learning occurs as learners are actively involved in a process of meaning and knowledge construction as opposed to passively receiving information, such as Question and Answer method. As the name suggests, in constructivism teaching, learners are the makers of meaning and knowledge.
This approach is based on the theories of John Dewey and Jean Piaget’s Child Development which states that education must engage with and enlarge experience and the exploration of thinking and reflection associated with the role of educators. Simply put, their theories suggest that all knowledge is constructed from a base of prior knowledge. Children are not a blank slate and knowledge cannot be imparted without the child making sense of it according to his or her current conceptions. In short, children learn best when they are allowed to construct a personal understanding based on experiencing and reflecting on those experiences. The theories of Dewey and Piaget are now popularly known as Progressive Education.
A good example of a lesson in Araling Panlipunan using Constructivist teaching appropriate for the love month (February) and for the International Women’s Month (March) is the topic focused on the relationship of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal with different women. This lesson can be taught using constructivist way wherein teacher can mediate learning rather than directly teaching the class. Students begin by recalling their knowledge of all the women who had relationship with Dr. Rizal, like Josephine Bracken, Leonor Rivera, Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Valenzuela, Consuelo Ortega Y Rey, Seiko Usui Gertrude Beckett, and Suzanne Jacobi. Students may use what they learned in their previous Araling Panlipunan classes about the life and love of our national hero.
Different activities may be utilized in this method like Web Quest, Problem Solving and Cooperative Learning.
Using different approaches like the Constructivist strategy, may help students to learn better. Teacher must continue to be more creative and persevering in providing students with additional knowledge by upgrading their line of work.
By: Nancy S. Estrella|Teacher II|Bataan National High School| Balanga City, Bataan
