Role of Constructivism in Teaching-Learning: A Theoretical Perspective

The National Curriculum Framework 2005 has talked in a great length about learning and knowledge. It advocates situating the entire gamut of our perception and understanding on the process learning and knowledge in a different paradigm. The NCF recognizes the need to recognize the child as a natural and active learner, and knowledge as the outcome of the child’s own activity. Thus, the teaching-learning plans need to nurture and build on his active and creative capabilities- his inherent interest in making meaning, in relating to the world in real ways through acting on it and creating and relating to other humans. This is a dramatic departure from the factory-model education of the past. It means a new way of understanding the concept of “knowledge”, and a new definition of the “educated person” is required. A new approach to teaching will provide to study different disciplines as exploratory, dynamic, evolving subjects rather than as a rigid, absolute, closed body of laws, theories and theroms to be memorized. Constructivist Pedagogy is abandonment of textbook-driven, teacher-centered, paper and pencil schooling. How many teacher educators are familiar with this approach? Aren’t most teachers today freezing, and showing laxity by using the same old, boring and routine style of memorize and delivery? Thus, the paper endeavors to evaluate their changing roles and contributions of Constructivist Pedagogy in the teaching-learning process.