What is better? Constructivism or Behaviourism.

Nowadays the ways of teaching have been changing and students too, for this
simple reason, have arisen theories about how teachers teaches their students and
what is the role of the student in the classroom.
In the following essay I will focus on two theories of classroom teaching and that
clearly describe the role of the student and the role of the teacher in the classroom;
besides, I will give my respective arguments why- in these days where children
every time are forming an independent thought because, they have easy access to
different tools of knowledge- the constructivism theory is more effective than
behavioural theory.
First of all, behaviourism is a philosophy based on the proposition that all things
which organisms do (including acting, thinking and feeling) can and should be
regarded as behaviours. In education, behaviourist approaches emphasize
changing behaviour through rewarding correct performance.
The behaviourist belief that knowledge exists outside of people and independently
of them, and that the major goal of a good education is to instill in students an
accepted body of information and skills previously established by others.
On the other hand, constructivist teaching states that human learning it is always
an internal construction, because this may not be meaningful if its concepts do not
match nor are inserted into the previous concepts of students. More so, in the
constructivist teaching, whose purpose is precisely to facilitate and maximize the
internal process of the student with a view to their development.
Skinner states in his behaviourist theory that programmed learning, where the
teacher delivers content in an explicit way, students acquire factual knowledge
based on repetition, but repetition does not guarantee that they will assimilate this
new behaviour (content); moreover, unknown when it will apply these previously
acquired knowledge.

However, constructivism holds that each student build their own knowledge
supported by the conceptual structure of ideas and preconceptions that the teacher
previously delivered, this causes the student to apply the new concept to concrete
situations and another concepts related to the structure cognitive in order to
expand their transfer.
The teacher in the behaviourist theory is an active subject of the learning process,
because it is the person who designs all learning goals as well as exercises and
activities designed to repetition and memorization for performing the correct
behaviour, based on a system of punishments and rewards.
In contrast, in the constructivist theory the teacher is a mediator between
knowledge and student learning, is a professional who thinks critically reflective in
their practice, make decisions and solve problems relevant to the context of its
class. The most important thing is that the teacher promotes meaningful learning,
that make sense and are functional for students. The constructivist teacher avoids
take over the word and become in a simply transmitter of information, but tries to
become a facilitator where the student is the protagonist.
In the theory of behaviourist learning the student is a taxable person who should fill
out new content and it should work based on repetition to memorize and repeat the
behaviour (content) required by the teacher.
Whereas, constructivist theory states that learning activities should be performed
by assimilation of new knowledge to foregoing schemes, which in turn are built
from the new data. This causes the student is not a taxable person, nor knowledge
is the product of the environment, but rather construct their own knowledge from
interaction that occurring among students, their environment and the mediator
which in this case is The teacher.
As we can see the constructivist model encourages students to think independently
and significantly understand their world. The school must promote the cognitive
development of students according to the needs and interests of the latter. The

teacher must structure interesting and meaningful experiences to promote such

development. The important thing is not the learning content but the development
and strengthening of the mental structures of knowledge and learning.
It is not about stored content but to engage in a dynamic process of knowledge to
develop cognitive skills through models of discovery and troubleshooting. The
purpose of education within this educational model is to generate comprehension,
independence of thought and consequently creative people.
Otherwise, it is important to note that the process of applying these principles
constructivist education still is utopian because in schools, still persists education
traditionalist who does not understand the importance of students in the classroom.

Written by Mara Beln Quezada C.