Constructivism. Theory, Perspectives, and Practice.

The 13 essays in this book examine the theory of constructivism in relation to teaching and learning. The first section provides an account of the epistemological, psychological, and sociocultural research that serves as the theoretical basis of constructivism, and includes the following chapters: "Introduction: Aspects of Constructivism" (Ernst von Glasersfeld), "Constructivism: A Psychological Theory of Learning" (Catherine Twomey Fosnot), and "Where Is the Mind? A Coordination of Sociocultural and Cognitive Constructivist Perspectives" (Paul Cobb). The second section features chapters by scholars from various disciplines in five chapters: "A Constructivist Perspective on Teaching and Learning Science" (Candace Julyan and Eleanor Duckworth); "A Constructivist Perspective on Teaching and Learning Mathematics" (Deborah Schifter); "A Constructivist Perspective on Teaching and Learning in the Language Arts" (June S. Gould); "A Constructivist Perspective on the Role of the Sociomoral Atmosphere in Promoting Children's Development" (Rheta DeVries and Betty Zan); and "A Constructivist Perspective on Teaching and Learning in the Arts" (Maxine Greene). In the last section, teachers describe how they apply their constructivist perspective to classroom practice in four chapters: "Is the Algorithm All There Is?" (Jill Bodner Lester); "A First-Year Teacher Implements a Literature-Based/Whole Language Program in Fourth-Fifth Grade" (Susan Cowey); "The Project Approach in Reggio Emilia" (George Forman); "Teaching Introductory Physics to College Students" (Dewey I. Dykstra, Jr.); and "Teachers Construct Constructivism: The Center for Constructivist Teaching/Teacher Preparation Project" (Catherine Twomey Fosnot). (Individual chapters contain references.) (PB)