An Epistemologic Glance at the Constructivist Approach : Constructivist Learning in Dewey, Piaget, and Montessori

Abstract

What people gain through sensation and cognition make up the individuals’ experiences and knowledge. Individuals benefit from previous experiences when resolving problems. Knowledge is constructed from the meanings one attributes to nature and the environment. In theories, it means that constructers depend on observation and when directly translated, the theory has the meaning of observation. In other words, we construct our own reality with those belonging to our social circle. For us, there is the world and we can’t disregard that; however, the relationship between us and the outside world is a joining as materialistic and structural as in a social environment. In this article, while the foundation of constructivism is being thoroughly analysed, Vico’s ideas in the 18th century and the neurobiological studies of scientific knowledge have been utilized. In light of constructivist learning, Dewey’s opinion on “Experience and Education”, Piaget’s cognitive schema theory in “cognitive development”, and Montessori’s ideas on “Decentring the Teacher” have been examined. Finally, the ideas of the three names on constructivist learning have been interpreted.