International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 2017, X (X), X -X
© 2017 International Online Journal of Educational Sciences (IOJES) is a publication of Educational Researches and Publications Association (ERPA)
www.iojes.net
International Online Journal of Educational Sciences
ISSN: 1309-2707
Constructivist Practice in the Curriculum and Instruction: the Views of
Lecturers in the Field*
Mine Çeliköz
1
and Yavuz Erişen
2
1
Necmettin Erbakan University, Kemal Akman Vocational School, Konya, Turkey
2
Yildiz Technical University, Faculty of Education, Istanbul, Turkey
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Article History:
Received 14.02.2017
Received in revised form
01.04.2017
Accepted 01.04.2017
Available online
03.04.2017
In the present study, views of lecturers teaching in the field of Curriculum and Instruction for the
faculties of education are analyzed considering that they have experience and are in charge of teacher
training mission in the Turkish education system. Thus, the study aims to investigate the views of
faculty members on their own constructivist views and their practice in education faculties and
general practice in the national education. The survey model is used in the study and the population
of the research includes the teaching members in the field of curriculum and instruction in Turkey.
There are 340 teaching members in this field in Turkey and they are not many in number. Thus, the
entire population had to be reached. However, the number of faculty members that can be reached
has been 112, corresponding to 33% of the population. As the data collection tool, a classification type
of control list (questionnaire) consisting of 26 items related to constructivism practice was used. Since
the population is wide and includes all the faculty members in the field around the country, the
advantages of using online software was taken into consideration and the data was collected online
as access was easy by the participants willing to respond. When findings obtained are discussed with
all its components, it is seen that faculty members are not able to fully implement constructivism but
trying to include some characteristics of it. In addition, according, the practice of constructivism
continues to diminish in the other fields other than the field of Curriculum and Instruction field. In
other words, the effect of constructivism on other faculty members and other faculty applications
other than the department and on general practices of national education continues to decrease.
© 2017 IOJES. All rights reserved
Keywords:
1
Constructivism, Curriculum and Instruction, Constructivist Practice, Faculty Members
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Constructivism, which emerged as an alternative to traditional and experimental approaches, and
which is one of the most controversial topics in the field of education since the middle of the 20th century, still
remains a hidden concept that embraces different ways of understanding and practice. While constructivism
is discussed as a learning theory, knowledge theory, education theory, pedagogical ethics, political theory,
worldview, thinking theory, personal information theory, scientific knowledge theory, program development
theory and philosophical theory in Turkey, it is often explained as philosophy, paradigm, understanding,
model, approach and theory and used with these concepts.
Although it continues to be used in different meanings and with different concepts, educational
programs have been revised and put into practice in Turkey by the Ministry of National Education (MNE)
since 2005-2006 academic years. However, educational programs have been constantly criticized by different
* This research is part of a doctoral dissertation made by the first author under the advice of a second author
1
Corresponding author’s addressDZ Necmettin Erbakan University, Kemal Akman Vocational School, Konya, Turkey
Telephone: +90 2123834879
Fax: +90 2123434808
e-mail: mcelikoz25@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15345/iojes.2017.03.012