Abstract
Classroom interactions between a teacher and students in a constructivist elementary science classroom are described and analyzed. The study took place in a fifth grade classroom taught by a teacher of ten year’s experience. The teacher’s understanding of constructivism was analyzed from the interactions with students using qualitative non-participant observations in two forty-minute lessons dealing with a unit on carbon dioxide. In the classes, students were challenged to prove the gas bubbles in soda are carbon dioxide.
The observations showed that the teacher was able to encourage students to express their own opinion and to explore their investigation by providing a free, safe, and comfortable environment; was able to stimulate students’ thinking by asking appropriate questions; and was able to facilitate students’ conceptual growth by providing opportunities for students to debate, defend, and discuss their opinions.
| Keywords: | constructivist approach; classroom interaction; teaching strategy; learning environment; action research |
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