Which group holds that learners construct their own understanding?

Which group holds that learners construct their own understanding?

• A. Behaviorists
• B. Cognitivists
• C. Humanists
• D. Constructivists

Answer: (D)

Constructivism holds that learners actively construct their own understanding rather than passively receive information. They draw on prior knowledge, interpret new ideas through their existing mental models, and revise those models as they encounter evidence, guided by questions, problems, and social dialogue. This leads to instruction that is inquiry-based, collaborative, and exploratory, with teachers providing scaffolding to support the learner's meaning-making. For contrast, behaviorists see learning as a change in observable behavior produced by conditioning; cognitivists focus on how information is processed and stored in memory; humanists emphasize personal growth and motivation—yet the distinctive emphasis of constructivism is the active, self-driven construction of knowledge.

Constructivism holds that learners actively construct their own understanding rather than passively receive information. They draw on prior knowledge, interpret new ideas through their existing mental models, and revise those models as they encounter evidence, guided by questions, problems, and social dialogue. This leads to instruction that is inquiry-based, collaborative, and exploratory, with teachers providing scaffolding to support the learner's meaning-making. For contrast, behaviorists see learning as a change in observable behavior produced by conditioning; cognitivists focus on how information is processed and stored in memory; humanists emphasize personal growth and motivation—yet the distinctive emphasis of constructivism is the active, self-driven construction of knowledge.