Making Meaning of Constructivism: A Longitudinal Study of Beginning History Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices

• In Event: Teacher Education and Teacher Professional Development in the Social Studies

Abstract

This longitudinal interpretative case study examined the constructivist beliefs and related practices of four secondary history teachers from their teacher preparation through their first year in the classroom. The results of this study showed that issues of historical content knowledge and classroom control were major barriers for the implementation of constructivist-oriented practices. However, contrary to some previous studies, learning to teach in transmission-oriented contexts did not result in the diminishing of the teachers’ constructivist beliefs and in some ways affirmed their constructivist beliefs. Third, the teachers expressed that a lack of practical tools hindered their ability to better and more frequently use constructivist-oriented practices in their classroom.

Author

• Christopher C. Martell, Boston University