Deck 4: Constructivism in Elementary Science Education

Question 1

Which of the following is/are characteristics of constructivist teaching?

A) Students interact with materials.
B) The teacher engages in meaningful conversations with the students about the activity being pursued.
C) The teacher uses the learning cycle method or a close equivalent.
D) Students change the directions of their inquiries from time to time.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Answer 1

E

Question 2

If teachers are to help students resolve their cognitive disequilibrations, which of the following are necessary for the teacher to have?

A) The right answer
B) As much knowledge of the content as possible
C) Awareness of currently accepted scientific theory concerning the situation that gave rise to the disequilibration
D) Understanding why the students have developed a cognitive disequilibration
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Answer 2

E

Question 3

is meant by cognitive disequilibration?

A) People have a hard time understanding what they experienced.
B) People have a hard time making sense out of something they experienced.
C) People recognize the occurrence as something they have never seen before.
D) People wonder how the occurrence could have happened.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Answer 3

E

Question 4

W According to Vygotskian theory, teachers must provide what in their teaching?

A) Scaffolding
B) Teaching that is neither too easy nor too difficult for the student
C) The opportunity for the students to discuss the topic of the lesson with other students
D) The opportunity for the students to discuss the topic of the lesson with the teacher
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 5

In Piagetian theory, when people encounter experiences that they cannot connect with experiences they have already encountered, the new experiences may be stored in a schema that the person connects with familiar information through a process called

A) Assimilation
B) Accommodation
C) Equilibration
D) Disequilibration

Question 6

W In the constructivist view, the conceptualizations students construct are

A) Neither right nor wrong.
B) Representative of their best thinking.
C) The result of their explorations.
D) The result of teacher guidance.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 7

A core belief of the constructivist science teacher is that

A) Students must learn the basic truths of science.
B) Students must manipulate materials and find out things for themselves.
C) Students must construct their own meanings through combining new experiences with knowledge they already possess.
D) Students must listen carefully to the teacher.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 8

In the constructivist view, students are encouraged to construct which of the following?

A) Right conceptualizations
B) The teacher's conceptualizations
C) Their own conceptualizations
D) The conceptualizations of their group
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 9

W Piaget encouraged people to resolve their cognitive disequilibrations by forming

A) New schemata.
B) Enlarged schemata.
C) More cognitive disequilibrations.
D) Cognitive equilibrations.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 10

W In Piagetian theory, when people encounter experiences similar to those they have already experienced, the new experience may be stored in an existing schema through a process called

A) Assimilation.
B) Accommodation.
C) Equilibration.
D) Disequilibration.

Question 11

What main idea did Vygotsky espouse about learning?

A) Learning is a social endeavor.
B) Learning happens only when the students talk with other people.
C) Learning cannot happen in very young children because their minds haven't developed enough yet.
D) Learning can only happen within a zone of proximal development.

Question 12

The text suggests that teachers might consider generate cognitive disequilibrations when teaching science. Why would this technique be useful?

A) It fosters thinking.
B) It requires students to find a solution.
C) It results in an expanded experiential base.
D) It enables teachers to see students' thought processes.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 13

Why are discrepant events useful in science education?

A) They compel the students to find an explanation.
B) They compel the students to examine their prior conceptions.
C) They help students enlarge their knowledge base.
D) They encourage students to modify their prior conceptualizations.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 14

teaching techniques does a constructivist science teacher employ?

A) Providing exploratory activities
B) Asking students to explain what they are doing in their exploratory activities and why they are doing it
C) Asking students questions about their conclusions
D) Encouraging students to continue their explorations in directions their curiosity and interest take them
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 15

What does the period of a pendulum depend on?

A) The length of the string
B) The weight of the bob
C) The height from which the bob is dropped
D) The thickness of the string
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 16

What is the role of the teacher in a constructivist science classroom?

A) Introduce the topic to be studied.
B) Suggest ways of exploring the topic.
C) Assist each of the students in their explorations.
D) Ask students questions to help them clarify their thinking.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 17

Which is a discrepant event?

A) Something unexpected happens.
B) Something unusual happens.
C) Something happens that you have not seen before.
D) Something happens in an irregular sequence of events.

Question 18

W In the constructivist view, the conceptualizations students construct are valid if the conceptualizations

A) Accurately predict further occurrences of the same phenomenon.
B) Adequately explain what happened.
C) Use the input of other people.
D) Use information found in reference materials.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 19

happens when you drop a heavy ball and a light ball from the same height at the same time?

A) The light ball hits the floor first.
B) The heavy ball hits the floor first.
C) Both balls hit the floor at the same time.
D) No prediction can be made because something different happens every time you do it.

Question 20

According to Piaget, people store knowledge in the form of

A) Schemata.
B) Equilibrations.
C) Disequilibrations.
D) Curiosities.

Question 21

A teacher provides students with a table of the U.S. population census figures for every ten years since the census-taking began, asks the students to plot the numbers on a graph, and then estimate what the U.S. population will be in 10, 20, and 30 years from now. What stage of cognitive development is the teacher accommodating?

A) Sensory-motor
B) Preoperational
C) Concrete operational
D) Formal operational
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 22

W In what stage of cognitive development would students be most likely to think in terms of abstract concepts?

A) Sensory-motor
B) Preoperational
C) Concrete operational
D) Formal operational

Question 23

W A science teacher provides groups of students with several 1½-volt batteries, battery holders, 1½ - and 3-volt light bulbs, light bulb holders, and wire. The teacher asks the students to use the equipment to make an electrical circuit that contains three light bulbs, two of which remain lit when a third one is disconnected. The teacher asks the students to draw a schematic representation of the circuit. What stage of cognitive development is the teacher accommodating?

A) Sensory-motor
B) Preoperational
C) Concrete operational
D) Formal operational
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 24

A science teacher wants to teach a constructivist lesson on levers. Which of the following activities might she select?

A) Pass out materials, give directions on how to use the materials, and ask children to investigate and come up with different ways of using levers.
B) Pass out materials, give directions on how to use the materials, and provide step-by-step instructions for doing the activity
C) Pass out materials, give directions on how to use the materials, and have children follow directions on a hand out.
D) Pass out materials, give directions on how to use the materials, and provide minimal directions; let children do what they want to do to satisfy the objective of the activity.

Question 25

In what range of grade levels should a teacher limit the students' science experiences to hands-on manipulations?

A) Pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade
B) 3rd - 4th grade
C) 5th - 6th grade
D) Middle grades
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 26

W What stage of cognitive development is characterized by egocentricism, difficulty in understanding conservation, and difficulty in reversing?

A) Sensory-motor
B) Preoperational
C) Concrete operational
D) Formal operational

Question 27

Why might an early childhood science teacher teach a unit on dinosaurs even though there are no dinosaurs for the children to see?

A) It is in the curriculum.
B) Children are fascinated by dinosaurs.
C) Children like to learn big words like the names of dinosaurs.
D) A unit on dinosaurs can stimulate children's imagination and creativity.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 28

What stage of cognitive development is characterized by the need of people to manipulate materials, their ability to reverse their thinking, and their need to experience things through the use of their senses?

A) Sensory-motor
B) Preoperational
C) Concrete operational
D) Formal operational

Question 29

W Which is an example of correlational reasoning?

A) Estimating your likelihood of winning the lottery
B) Finding the number of ways the dependent variables in an experiment can be combined to provide the most conclusive results
C) Categorizing the variables in an experiment into those that can be manipulated and those that cannot be manipulated
D) Finding the extent to which two variables in an experiment are associated with each other
E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 30

W Why might an elementary science teacher teach a unit on the solar system even though there is nothing about the solar system for the students to manipulate?

A) It is in the curriculum.
B) It fosters the process of model building.
C) It fosters inferential thinking.
D) It is fun.
E) All of the above
F) None of the above