Dewey’s Transactional Constructivism

Abstract

Constructivism is very influential in education. However, its underlying ideas and assumptions have not yet been critically analysed sufficiently. In this paper, I argue that John Dewey’s analyses of the transaction of organism and environment can be read as an account of the construction processes that lie beneath all human activity. Dewey’s work anticipates, if it does not explicitly articulate, much of what is important and interesting about constructivist epistemology and constructivist pedagogy. The paper is devoted to a reconstruction of the formulation of this transactional constructivism, and to an analysis of its consequences for a constructivist understanding of communication and education.

Taylorism and the logic of learning outcomes

“…6. Here it might be assumed that contemporary constructivism has refuted this position but, at the ground, most constructivist paradigms still hold a foundationalist epistemology (see Garrison, 1995;Phillips, 1995;Vanderstraeten, 2002). 7.…”

Emerging mechanisms of educational interaction

“…How can these basic uncertainties be controlled in the interaction? With the increase of social complexity in modern society, the range of alternative patterns of behaviour for each actor and thus the possibility that no appropriate social relationship is established also augments (Vanderstraeten, 2002). It is, in my view, against this background that the function of education needs to be seen and assessed.…”

Volume 13 Issue 10 Complete Issue

“…Current research on legal education specifies the importance of the constructivism philosophy (Vanderstraeten, 2002) and humanism principles application, competence-based approach (Sturm & Guinier, 2007), learner-centered interactive training (Barton & Westwood, 2011).…”