This paper examines the relationship among behaviorism, constructivism and Socratic pedagogy. Specifically, it asks if a Socratic educator can be a constructivist or a behaviorist. In the first part of the paper, each learning theory, as it relates to the Socratic project, is explained. In the last section, the question of whether or not a…

In the present study we attempt to incorporate the philosophical dialogue about physical reality into the instructional process of quantum mechanics. Taking into account that both scientific realism and constructivism represent, on the basis of a rather broad spectrum, prevalent philosophical currents in the domain of science education, the…

The theory of dialogism, developed by the Russian linguist Mikhail Bakhtin (1895-1975) with regard to literature and everyday communication, can be used to improve the teaching of science. Some of Bakhtin's conceptual instruments are helpful in analysing the teaching process, and it is interesting to compare them with former ideas about teaching…

This paper documents some of the "bad press" that Positivism has received in science education; it delineates the varied, and sometimes contradictory, ways in which educationalists characterize positivism; it indicates that Constructive shares the same philosophical commitments as the instrumentalist tradition in positivism; and it suggests that…

This study provides an in-depth analysis of children's use of a taught mental calculation strategy. Three children (aged eight to nine years) who demonstrated contrasting spontaneous calculation approaches, were interviewed following the direct instruction of a calculation strategy. Their responses are explored in relation to constructivist and…

Purpose: This paper aims to define the need for a route modelling language in e-learning, identifying requirements and candidate languages, before providing a recommended approach. Design/methodology/approach: Several sources of requirements are drawn from the literature then used to review available approaches to route modelling. The best…

In this article, the author clarifies formative learning and assessment for persons who are seeking additional ideas for courses, degree programs, or personal career goals. This scholarly review uses published literature to clarify differences between formative and summative assessment and to outline developmental issues that guide constructivist…

This is a descriptive self-study of my experience participating in IRA's Diagnostic Teaching Project in Tanzania. The paper describes the teacher educators with whom I worked, their responses to IRA's curriculum, and what I learned about Tanzanian people, culture and education. Data are derived from a Likert survey, an open-item questionnaire, and…

The Somali Bantu, arriving in the United States after many years in Kenyan refugee camps, face significant barriers to successful integration into American society. Those responsible for managing initial resettlement at the local level were not prepared to provide appropriate assistance to this group. The arrival of the Somali Bantu highlighted…

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce an enterprise-wide Web 2.0 learning support platform--SNAP, developed at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. Design/methodology/approach: Pointing to the evolution of the social web, the paper discusses the potential for the development of e-learning platforms that employ constructivist, connectivist,…

To understand the student experience on social software, the research aims to explore the disruptive nature and opportunity of social networking for higher education. Taking four universities, the research: (1) identifies the distinction between the students' current usage of social software; (2) reports on the students' experience on…

The new concepts and technologies of Web 2.0 attract researches in a variety of fields including education, business and knowledge management. However, while the Web 2.0 potential in the education discipline has been widely studied, in the management discipline the Web 2.0 business value has not been fully acknowledged. This research suggests an…

This paper builds on a case study on e-learning in Sri Lanka with focus on students underlying beliefs about how one learns. E-learning programs are most often set up with the assumption that students should think, act and learn independently and with underlying values of constructivism and learner-centred learning. For students used to…

This paper contributes to research on the scholarship of teaching in the physical education/sport studies fields by examining the responses of study abroad students from overseas studying in Australia to a unit of study in sport studies that placed the interpretation of experience as the centre of the learning process. It draws on research…

In this study, pupils' constructions of some concepts related to biodiversity like classifying living things, variation in living things and ecosystem elements, and the concept of life were investigated in the light of constructivist theory of learning. For this purpose, a biological diversity conceptual understanding test formed by a series of…