Lesson 3: Constructivist Theory in Teaching Mathematics in the Primary Grades

The mathematics curriculum is not simply a list of competencies. It is logically arranged and organized. For the teachers' reference, content standards, performance standards, and the learning competencies are explicitly stated. See an example below.

Contents Content Standards Performance

Standards LEARNING

COM PETENCY

The learner... The learner...

f Grade 1 FIRST QUARTER The learner...

Numbers and demonstrates 1. is able to recognize, 1. visualizes and Number Sense understanding of represent, and represents numbers whole numbers up to order whole from 0 to 100 using a 100, ordinal numbers numbers up to 100 variety of materials; up to 10th, money and money up to up to phplOO and php 100 in various fractions V i and forms and contexts; and 2. counts the number

2. is able to recognize, and represent ordinal numbers up to 10th, in various forms and contexts.

of objects in a given set by ones and tens; and 3. identifies the number that is one more or one less from a given number.

The content standards are broad descriptions of what the students should learn. The performance standards outline what the students should be able to do once the concepts and skills are taught. The learning competencies are logically arranged objectives that must be aimed in classroom instruction for the students to achieve the required content and performance standards.

The Philippines' mathematicscurriculumframeworkputcriticalthinkingand problemsolving skills as the goals in learning and teaching mathematics. This is the goal across levels in each topic of mathematics contents. The important principles in teaching and learning mathematics such as reflective learning; active and student- centered teaching/learning; communications allowing the learners to articulate their understanding or express their thoughts; making connections is so important that prior learning/prerequisite

Experience

In Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, students in the primary grades fall under the second stage—the preoperational stage. Children in this stage begin to think symbolically as they use words and pictures to represent real objects. However, they still tend to think about concepts in very concrete manner.

Now study the curriculum of Grades 1 to 3. Do you think the mentioned cognitive characteristics of children in the preoperational stage were considered in the content standards of Grades 1 to 3 mathematics? Explain your thoughts.

Assess

A lot of teachers in the field are confused about the difference between content standards, performance standards, and learning competencies. It is important that you understand them and their importance as they serve as the skeleton of the mathematics curriculum.

In your own understanding, explain the differences between content standards, performance standards, and learning competencies. What is the importance of each?

We can truly comprehend our own curriculum when we get a clear picture of :thers' curricula. This is the context of comparative studies in education. The following activity will challenge you to study other countries' curricula in order to better understand the Philippines' mathematics curriculum.

Read about the mathematics curriculum of the Philippines, Singapore, and United States. Compare and contrast the curricula of the three countries in terms of the five content areas.

Content Area

Numbers and Number Sense

Measurement

Geometry

Patterns and Algebra

Statistics and Probability

Philippines Singapore United States

Harness

In every math lesson, the teacher must keep three things in mind—(1) what is to be learned, (2) where the students are coming from, and (3) where the students are

going with what they will learn. The following activity will help you develop the skill of mapping every competency you teach. This will be part of the learning portfolio which you will compile at the end of this module.

Choose three learning competencies in Grade 2. In each competency, find the prerequisite competencies in Grade 1 and the competencies in Grade 3 wherein your chosen Grade 2 competency is a prerequisite of.

Prerequisite Grade 1 Competency Grade 2 Competency Future Grade 3 Competency

S u m m a r y

The Philippines' mathematics curriculum under the K-12 program promotes critical thinking and creativity. Moreover, content standards, performance standards, and learning competencies are explicitly stated to guide teachers in developing their lessons.

O b j e c t i v e s

• Demonstrate understanding and appreciation of the constructivist learning theory

• Determine how the constructivist learning theory is applied in teaching mathematics in the early grades

Intro du ctio n

The constructivist learning theory states that learning is an active process of creating meaning from different experiences. In other words, students learn best by trying to make sense of something on their own with the teacher as a guide. DepEd (2016) specifically noted constructivist theory as the backbone of the curriculum. According to DepEd, knowledge is constructed when the learner is able to draw ideas from his/her own experiences and connect them to new ideas.

In this lesson, you will learn about the constructivist learning theory and how it is applied in teaching mathematics in the primary grades.

Think

Constructivism was conceptualized by educational theorist Jean Piaget. Do you remember him from your psychology classes? Piaget believed that young children learn by doing, constructing knowledge from experiences rather than from adults telling them about their world. According to Piaget, and others who practice what is known as constructivist education, the method most likely to truly educate students is the one in which they experience their world. Constructivism is appropriately so applied in teaching mathematics since math is a cumulative, vertically structured discipline. One learns new math by building on the math that has been previously learned.

Brooks & Brooks (1993) listed the following characteristics of constructivist teaching.

1. Constructivist teachers invite student questions and ideas.

2. Constructivist teachers accept and encourage students' invented ideas.