SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHING AND LEARNING

Social constructivist perspectives focus on the interdependence of soc ial and individual processes in the co-construction of knowledge. Afte r the impetus for understanding the influence of social and cultural f actors on cognition is reviewed, mechanisms hypothesized to account fo r seaming from this perspective are identified, drawing from Piagetian and Vygotskian accounts. The empirical research reviewed illustrates (a) the application of institutional analyses to investigate schooling as a cultural process, (b) the application of interpersonal analyses to examine how interactions promote cognition and learning, and (c) di scursive analyses examining and manipulating the patterns and opportun ities in instructional conversation. The review concludes with a discu ssion of the application of this perspective to selected contemporary issues, including: acquiring expertise across domains, assessment, edu cational equity, and educational reform.