Social Constructivism
Social constructivism is one of the theories of knowledge that derive from the list of behaviourism, social learning, constructivism and social constructivism (Yilmzas 2008, pg. 161). Social Constructivism is concerned with enabling individuals to learn through interaction, collaboration and experiences (Rogers 2012, pg. 175). Vygotski, the founder of social constructivism, believed that social interaction is important because learning is based on student interaction with others in the class and the critical thinking process. (Powell 2009, pg. 243). The three major aspects of social constructivism are: (Howell 2010, pg. 23).
- Social interaction
- Learning from an individual who has a better understanding e.g. a teacher or another peer
- All learning occurs within the “Zone of Proximal Development” which is a learners ability to understand and perform a task without the help and supervision of someone else
In the classroom, student discussions are associated with the learning theory of social constructivism. When students collaborate with other peers, they follow the three major aspects of social constructivism by interacting with others, learning from those who have knowledge on the topic and understanding the topic as an individual. According to Watson, social constructivism in the classroom encourages the interaction of pupils, peer initiative to lead group discussions, sharing resources and understandings of the topic and informing the teacher of group conclusions. (2001, pg. 143-144). Using ICT such as IWBs and wikis encourage group and class collaboration which allow the students to learn through social constructivism. An example of social constructivism in the classroom is giving a webquest to students to work on in groups. A webquest (discovery mission) is where the teacher starts the students along a path before the students take the lead role in researching and self-learning the topic (O’Shea & Kidd 2013, pg. 1). Rogers states “learners should be enabled to construct their own meanings and understandings within the academic or profession field” (2012, pg. 175). I believe it is important that teachers enable students to use social constructivism as a learning theory. However, it is equally important that other learning theories are practiced so that class discussions are alternatively lead by peers and the teacher. By doing so, the students can learn to interpret and understand information from the teacher in addition to collaborating with peers in a social constructivist setting. Social constructivism is an important learning tool for 21st century learning environments. It teaches students how to lead discussion and interact with peers. These are important skills to learn for the workforce.
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Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ICT: Digital Pedagogies for Collaboration and Creativity. Victoria: Oxford University Press
O'Shea, P & Kidd, J. (2013). DiscoveryMissions: An Educational Tool for Web 2.0. R. McBride & M. Searson (Eds.) Retrieved from <https://www.editlib.org.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/p/48744>
Powell, K & Kalina, C.J (2009). Cognitive and Social Constructivism: Developing Tools for an Effective Classroom. Retrieved from
Rogers, G. (2012). Applying Theory to Educational Research. Adams, J & Cochrane, M (Eds.) Oxford: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Watson, J. (2001). Social Constructivism in the Classroom. Retrieved from
Yilmaz, K. (2008). Constructivism: Its Theoretical Underpinnings, Variations and Implications for Classroom Instruction. Retrieved from