Constructivist Instruction, Didactic Instruction, and Their Relations to Students’ Motivation and Learning Strategies

• In Event: Instructional Impacts on Student Learning and Motivation

Abstract

This study investigated how constructivist and didactic instruction was related to student’s motivational beliefs, use of cognitive processing strategies, self-regulation and social regulation in Mathematics classrooms, using a sample of 3758 Grade 9 students from 114 classrooms in 39 secondary schools in Singapore. Results of hierarchical linear modeling showed differential cross-level relations. After controlling for students’ prior achievement, constructivist instruction was a significant positive predictor of students’ elaboration, organization and critical thinking, self-efficacy, task importance and interest, peer learning, adaptability and meta-cognitive self-regulation. Didactic instruction proved a significant negative predictor for students’ elaboration. The findings underscore the importance of constructivist instruction in promoting student motivation in learning.

Authors

• Youyan Nie, National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University

• Shun Lau, University of Hong Kong

• Indra Alam Syah Bin Aziz