Constructivist Model

Article 1: Constructivist Model For this assignment I will examine the article title “Constructivist mathematics education for students with mild mental retardation (MMR).” To begin, it is important to note that children with (MMR) often have mathematics learning difficulties and need special attention to acquire basic mathematic skills (Kroesbergen, 2005). These students cannot automatically retrieve basic facts; they have to rely on strategies (Kroesbergen, 2005). The study examined constructivist mathematics intervention for students with mild mental retardation (MMR). The study compared constructivist instruction to direct instruction. The comparison was focused on multiplication learning. A total of 69 students (48 boys and 21 girls) from elementary schools for special education participated in the study (Kroesbergen, 2005). Participants were able to count and add to 100 and they scored below the 50% level on a test of multiplication facts (Kroesbergen, 2005). Students were given one of two kinds of mathematics intervention, guided (constructivist model) or directed instruction (Kroesbergen, 2005). The constructivist instruction method focused on the students ' own productions and constructions. This is because constructivists believe that students learn best when they actively participate in the learning process (Bewer, 2007). In this model teachers do not pass on mathematics knowledge in small and meaningless parts, instead students have to play a role in the construction of their own knowledge (Kroesbergen, 2005). The teachers were responsible for creating experiences that engage their students and encourage them to discover new knowledge (Kroesbergen, 2005). By working together and discussing possible solutions to a problem with one another, students develop problem-solving strategies, which they must explain and justify to one another (Kroesbergen, 2005).
Direct instruction model is explicit teaching (Kroesbergen, 2005). This lesson

References: Brewer, J. A. (2007). Early Childhood Education; Preschool Through Primary Grades. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Kroesbergen, E., & van Luit, J. (2005, February). Constructivist mathematics education for students with mild mental retardation. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 20(1), 107-116. Retrieved August 15, 2009, doi:10.1080/0885625042000319115