Reflection/Resource

I found an article presenting the results of a study that compared teaching multiplication to 3rd graders using constructivist and traditionalist approaches. I was intrigued because the study involved 4 classes in 2 schools in a St. Louis area public school district (it didn't name which one though). The article only gave a few specific details on the lessons. It stated that the constructivist lessons were based on the three levels of representation by Bruner and the constructivist instructors used concrete materials first to introduce new concepts. The traditionalist approach involved teachers following the school district's mathematics curriculum and explaining procedures and students completed practice worksheets. By comparing the results of the pre- and post-tests the researcher found no statistical differences between the two groups of students in regards to their achievement of multiplication concepts and skills. Both groups improved their multiplication concepts and skills. I was surprised by these results but it was a small study involving only 71 students for 10 lessons. Would studying a larger group for a longer period show different results?
One thing that really stood out was a comment by the teacher using the constructivist approach. She felt that there were classroom management problems because the students were using concrete materials with which they were unfamiliar. She reported that the newness and change in routine casued the children to become more active than usual or desirable. I guess I question how a teacher could expect to just teach 10 lessons based on the constructivist approach and expect students to just "behave". The article in my previous post looked at constructivism as a culture, not just a fragmented collection of teaching techniques. Constructivist teachers need to immerse themselves in this culture. So is it beneficial for students to be exposed to constructivist based activities that are just inserted into a learning environment whenever a teacher feels like it or should constructivism be the classroom's culture?


Chung, I. (2004, Winter). A comparative assessment of constructivist and traditionalist approaches to establishing mathematical connections in learning multiplication. Education, 125(2), 27-278. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from Teacher Reference Center database.