Traditional and contemporary pedagogical approaches

3. Constructivism

The modern pedagogical approach is based on the understanding of education as an active, dynamic and reflective process that relies on scientifically based learning theories. While the traditional teaching model was based on behaviorist principles that emphasized the transfer and reproduction of knowledge, modern approaches are developing under the influence of constructivist and post-constructivist theoretical frameworks. Theories such as constructivism, connectivism and social constructivism emphasize the importance of the active role of students in the learning process, independent discovery of meaning and creation of new knowledge through experience, collaboration and reflection. These concepts direct modern teaching towards the development of critical thinking, self-regulated learning and the ability to connect different sources of knowledge, especially in a digital and online context. The teacher takes on the role of a mentor and facilitator who shapes a stimulating educational environment, directs the processes of research and reflection and encourages students to actively participate and take responsibility for their own progress. Modern teaching strategies such as problem-based and project-based learning are developed on the theoretical foundations of constructivism and connectivism, which connect theoretical knowledge with practical situations and enable the development of competences necessary for lifelong learning and professional activity.

Although different directions have been developed over time within the constructivist paradigm, which is attributed to thinkers such as J. Dewey, J. Piaget, L. Vygotski and J. Bruner, it as a whole nurtures the idea of the student as an individual who expands and elaborates his knowledge in a constructive process - constructive insofar as new information is integrated into existing knowledge. In doing so, not only has the existing structure of knowledge changed, but also the new information acquires additional qualities through this "fitting".

In other words, learning is described within such starting points as a constant process of expanding and (re)organizing one's own knowledge. Constructivism introduces a new quality into theories of learning and cognition that have traditionally been dominated by the communicative metaphor. It implied that some body of knowledge, located outside the individual and contained, for example, in a textbook or lecture, was to be transferred to the student. If such communication was not successful, the error was attributed to the message (e.g. the way in which the knowledge of a particular message was organized), the source of the message (inadequacy of the textbook) or the recipient (e.g. the level of the student's prior knowledge). A new and alternative interpretation of the learning process, namely constructivism, interprets that teaching is not a process in which knowledge is communicated, but a constant and active process of knowledge construction.

Thus, the basic principles of constructivism predict that knowledge is not received passively through the senses or communication, but is constructed by an active, thinking object. Knowledge is an organized experiential world of the subject, not an objective ontological reality; it is individual, flexible and constantly changing. From this definition arise recommendations for the design of educational processes that, instead of the traditional paradigm of teaching, i.e. the mediation of knowledge, require the learner to question, verify, reject or modify his or her constructs of reality.

The aim is for students to select and process information as independently as possible, create hypotheses and make decisions. Within the framework of such perception, they independently discover principles and laws in the content they are learning. The teacher's role changes: he or she should first introduce students to a new area and help them discover how they can acquire new knowledge most easily and effectively, and over time, make them independent so that they learn how to learn on their own (learning to learn). According to constructivist principles, learning should involve students' independent work on problems related to the material they need to master, i.e. they should solve more complex tasks related to the real world, use case analyses, work on projects, etc.

Examples of the constructivist approach in teaching

Example 1. – Study of medicine: problem-based learning (PBL)

A small team of students is given a description of a patient and, by activating prior knowledge, formulates what they know and what they need to investigate. This is followed by independent and team study of sources, creation of a concept map and discussion with guided questioning. It ends with a short reflection on how the new knowledge was constructed and how to apply it in a clinical decision.

Example 2. – Study of computing: project-based learning (PjBL)

Students design and develop an IoT (Internet of Things) prototype for a real user. They iteratively test the solution, keep a learning journal, plan work on the kanban board and regularly perform peer evaluation. Knowledge is created through design, trial and error, and public product demonstration.

Example 3. - Study of the social-humanistic direction: social annotation and inquiry

In a digital environment, students jointly record and comment on primary sources (eg text, map, artifact) and compare perspectives and jointly define success criteria. From these notes, they develop interpretations and mini-case studies, which they then present, and revise based on feedback. The emphasis is on joint construction of meaning and metacognition.