American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Perhaps one of the most powerful influences on students’ success in the classroom is the teaching method implemented by the instructor. This paper discusses the constructivist approach, how it has been criticized, and the subsequent evolution of the constructionist approach. Constructivism is most closely associated with the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) whose epistemological theory is considered one of the most influential constructivist theories in education. In the wake of Piaget, his student Seymour Papert put forth the more developed concept of constructionism. This paper discusses how learners construct knowledge on schemas of prior knowledge through the lenses of both constructivism and constructionism, posits critiques that assess the constructivist approach, summarizes how proponents of constructivism respond to those critiques, and outlines key components of constructivism. Although both constructivism and constructionism have supporters and opponents, further research is needed on the effectiveness of constructivist and constructionist teaching methodologies to ensure which approach is most effective for educational learning environments.