What are the three constructivist perspectives on learning?
– Psychological/Individual Constructivism – “Psychological constructivists are concerned with how individuals build up certain elements of their cognitive or emotional apparatus, (p. 345). Sometimes called individual constructivists, they are concerned with an individual’s knowledge, beliefs, self-concepts, and identity (p. 345). Piaget’s take on constructivism had to do with how an individual built meaning. A person’s thoughts determined how meaning was developed. Piaget’s constructivism is also known as “first wave constructivism,” (p. 345). The extremists of individual constructivism believe that an individuals perceptions and beliefs about the world are the only meaning constructed by an individual because he has no way of knowing the meaning another individual has developed. – Vygotsky’s social constructivism – Second wave constructivism is concerned with social learning. For example, a child in Mexico is taught Spanish by his parents, while a child in France is taught French. “On
