Constructivist Learning Theory
The learning theory of Constructivism evolved from the extensive study of cognitive
development (i.e., how thinking and knowledge develop with age) by Swiss psychologist Jean
Piaget and the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky. Their study of cognitive development
provided the foundation for the psychological theory of constructivism. Constructivists believe
that children develop knowledge through active participation in their learning. However, Piaget
believed that cognitive development was a product of the mind “achieved through observation
and experimentation whereas Vygotsky viewed it as a social process, achieved through
interaction with more knowledgeable members of the culture” (Rummel, 2008, p. 80). Piaget
referred to his work as “cognitive” constructivism (Chambliss, 1996). Piaget’s theory was
comprised of two major elements “ages” and “stages.” According to Piaget, “these elements help
to predict what children can and cannot understand at different ages.” (Rummel, 2008, p. 80). It
is the theory of development that is the major foundation for cognitive constructivist approaches
to teaching and learning