Teachers’ Constructivist and Ethical Beliefs

Teachers’ approaches and beliefs are key determinants of teachers’ practice. This study was designed to examine whether two aspects of Irish primary teacher beliefs are associated, their views on constructivist practices and their views on two ethical dimensions (idealism and relativism). The views of a sample of 35 teachers were assessed using the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) and the Ethical Position Questionnaire (EPQ). Significant relationships were found between ethical position and scores on dimensions on the CLES. For example, idealistic teachers valued uncertainty and student negotiation more than teachers with high relativist scores. The results are discussed in the context of continuing professional development and future research.

‘Post-truth’ schooling and marketized education: explaining the decline in Sweden's school quality

The Swedish school system suffers from profound problems with teacher recruitment and retention, knowledge decline, and grade inflation. Absenteeism is high, and psychiatric disorders have risen sharply among Swedish pupils. In this pioneering analysis of the consequences of combining institutionalized social constructivism with an extensive marketization of education, we suggest that these problems are to no small extent a result of an unlikely combination of a postmodern view of truth and knowledge, the ensuing pedagogy of child-centered discovery, and market principles. We show how the stipulated view of truth and knowledge and the design of the system impacts on the incentives for the various agents involved: pupils, parents, teachers, principals, school owners, the municipality, the central government, and, ultimately, the general public. Our study implies that caution is necessary for countries that have a tradition of social-constructivist practices in their education systems and are considering implementing or expanding market-based school reforms.

Constructivism in the Pedagogical Practices of the University Faculty

The present research is aimed at assessing the extent to which university teachers employ student-centered learning, independent learners, higher order thinking, usability in real world and a conducive learning environment. Demographic differences like gender, age, experience and position differences in teachers’ usage of constructivist practices are explored. Six dimensions of the constructivist practices questionnaire are sorted through the use of exploratory factor analysis. It is identified that many teachers use the constructivist pedagogical practices at a moderate level. No significant difference is found in the use of constructivist practices of gender and experience strata, while significant difference is present in the constructivist practices of teachers in age and position strata.

Creating Disequilibrium

The purpose of this chapter is to explore how intentional course design and instructional methods used during pre-service learning can build confidence in pre-service teachers, as well as prepare students for real-world experiences and the realities of what being a teacher in today's classroom entails. The chapter will critically examine frameworks used and, in addition, incorporate the perspectives and experiences of the university instructor and pre-service teachers participating in a social studies methods course applying constructivist practices and learner-centered instruction while also addressing the question, How can teachers learn to create effective classroom communities that engage learners in productive, rich, critically based, learning experiences?

The Relationship between a Business Simulator, Constructivist Practices, and Motivation toward Developing Business Intelligence Skills

Developing Business Intelligence (BI) has been a top priority for enterprise executives in recent years. To meet these demands, universities need to prepare students to work with BI in enterprise settings. In this study, we considered a business simulator that offers students opportunities to apply BI and make top-management decisions in a system used by real-world professionals. The simulation-based instruction can be effective only if students are not discouraged by the difficulty of using the BI computer system and comprehending the complex BI subjects. Constructivist practices embedded in the business simulation are investigated to understand their potentials for helping the students to overcome the perceived difficulty. Consequently, it would enable instructors to more efficiently use the simulator by providing insights on its pedagogical practices. Our findings showed that the constructivist practices such as collaboration and subject integration positively influence active learning and meaningful learning respectively. In turn, both active learning and meaningful learning positively influence business intelligence motivational behavior. These findings can be further used to develop a robust learning environment in BI classes.

Using Mobile Devices Selectively

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a useful framework for thinking about the integration of mobile devices into classroom practices and pedagogy. By offering a portrait of different constructivist practices and learning environments, drawing connections between theory and methods, the chapter provides teacher educators, as a well practicing teachers, with a series of theoretical considerations. These considerations, coupled with individual learning objectives, mark an avenue for novice technology users to begin the complex process of pedagogical decision-making, including the use of mobile devices into their teaching and learning. The authors offer this conceptual chapter in the hope that readers can glean a sense of how philosophical and theoretical orientations of teachers both prohibit and enable spaces for mobile learning. Moreover, they believe that when theoretical orientations of teaching do not allow space for mobile learning to take place, or do not support best practices of the use of mobile devices, the benefits may remain unrealized.

Using Mobile Devices Selectively

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a useful framework for thinking about the integration of mobile devices into classroom practices and pedagogy. By offering a portrait of different constructivist practices and learning environments, drawing connections between theory and methods, the chapter provides teacher educators, as a well practicing teachers, with a series of theoretical considerations. These considerations, coupled with individual learning objectives, mark an avenue for novice technology users to begin the complex process of pedagogical decision-making, including the use of mobile devices into their teaching and learning. The authors offer this conceptual chapter in the hope that readers can glean a sense of how philosophical and theoretical orientations of teachers both prohibit and enable spaces for mobile learning. Moreover, they believe that when theoretical orientations of teaching do not allow space for mobile learning to take place, or do not support best practices of the use of mobile devices, the benefits may remain unrealized.