Structure and Dissonance in a Constructivist Environment
In my dialogue with teachers, a frequent topic is the frustration that students experience when they have such control over their learning. They are so used to being spoon-fed; as soon as they are challenged, they want to either give up or move on to something easier. How do teachers deal with this?
By nature, a constructivist classroom gives students control over their learning. But as teachers, we must be very careful to structure learning and help guide our students when they encounter those moments of dissonance. Part of what learning encompasses is challenging already held beliefs about something. If we as teachers structure a lesson or unit well, we allow students to begin with what is familiar to them; what their knowledge or understanding is on the particular subject. We then structure questions that guide the student into confirming their assumptions or, more frequently, challenging them.
For most students, this is where the dissonance occurs - their previous held understandings need to be revised, and they don’t always want to do that. It requires thinking and questioning of the highest degree. It requires perseverence. If our students don’t naturally thirst after this challenge, or are not use to it at all, we will hear groans - this is too hard, this is boring. As teachers, we need to guide them in ways that teach them how to navigate through these times of intellectual dissonance. We need to remind them that it’s natural and should be expected when learning.
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