LEARNING AS KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION

by

Dewi Widowati

09301244034

Mathematics Education (C)

I.                   INTRODUCTION

Learning as knowledge construction knowledge constructed in the minds of students. Knowledge is built (constructed) while learners organize experiences which consists of mental structures or schemata, schemata are already available to him. Constructivism is the foundation of thinking, that knowledge is constructed by humans which result gradually expanded through the context limited. Knowledge is not a set of facts, concepts, or rules that are ready to be picked up and remembered. As a people we must construct its and give real meaning through experience. Knowledge is built in the mind of a process of assimilation and accommodation in accordance with its schemata. In the process of assimilation of one's cognitive structures and uses existing capabilities to adapt to problems or new information coming from the environment. While in the process of accommodation is the process of formation of new schemata or modify the existing structure to cognitive structure can absorb new information at hand. Discrepancy of one's own cognitive structures with new information imbalance faced (disquibrium) in cognitive structure. In conditions like these people realize that their way of thinking contrary to the events around it, he will attempt to reorganize the cognitive structures to fit the new information that it faces.

II.                   LEARNING AS KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION

Teacher as facilitator and mediator

The teacher as the facilitator will have direct consequences as a designer model, coach and mentor. In addition, as a facilitator, specifically the role of teacher in learning is as expert learner, manager, and mediator. As an expert learners, teachers are expected to have a deep understanding of learning materials, provide sufficient time for students, providing the problem and alternative solutions, monitoring the process of teaching and learning. It is difficult to change strategies when students reach the goal, trying to reach the goal of cognitive, metacognitive, affective, andpsychomotor students. As a manager, a teacher is obliged to monitor students' learning outcomes and the problems facing them, monitor classroom discipline and interpersonal relationships, and monitor the correct use of time in completing the task. In this case, the teacher acts as an expert teacher to make a decision about the content, selection of cognitive process to activate prior knowledge and grouping students. As a mediator, teacher guides intercede between students, helping students to formulate questions or construct a visual representation of a problem, guiding the students develop a positive attitude toward learning, concentration, linking new information with prior knowledge, and explain how to associate the ideas of the students, modeling the thinking process by showing students the critical thinking involved.

Sources of alternative conceptions

Previous learning, from reading books or textbooks they read, and from the fact that they may encounter in everyday life, the results of the initial process of assimilation of knowledge and experience, students should generally do not attend class with an empty head, but they have brought a number of experiences or ideas that formed earlier, when they interact with their environment. Alternative conceptions arise due to several factors, namely: the students have learned earlier from the experience of everyday life, lack of motivation, teachers are not competent enough, more priority than the content of the concepts, the textbooks that contain errors, using everyday language, the same cultural language with reference to scholarly but contain different meanings in different cultures. 

The properties of alternative conceptions

Students to think and conceptualize a new natural phenomenon, which they encountered in science, the more distinct than that accepted by the scientific community, try to address them more difficult than to recognize it. Because the alternative conceptions obtained by the students as a result of the assimilation of previous knowledge and experience, students are reluctant to reveal their alternative conceptions. This means that the concept of right and understood will give effect to a better understanding. Because the first step depends on the experience and hypothesis, the possibility of concepts that appear to be different from those accepted by the scientific community. Conception is usually called misconceptions, pre-concept, an alternative framework, or the concept of children. These terms have similar meanings indicates that there is dynamic competition in the cognitive system in which the most powerful concepts dominate. This means that if an alternative conception of science beyond the one in this dynamic process, it affects the understanding or the next structure. Ideas or ideas that have been previously owned by the student is referred to by preconceptions or alternative conceptions. This alternative conception is often a misconception. The facts show that alternative conceptions of students are very resistant to change. Therefore, an alternative conception is seen as a starting point for further studies, much research has been conducted on various subjects of discussion such as, force, motion, energy, power, effort, heat, temperature, mass, weight and so on.

Methods of conceptual change as a solution alternative conceptions students

Teachers should apply the conceptual changes in learning strategies to overcome students' alternative conceptions. The theory of conceptual change is one of the methods to bridge the gap between the knowledge of everyday phenomena and concepts in science right.

Several methods of conceptual change

Generally, to achieve conceptual change used several methods of conceptual change, such as text-laden conceptual change text, analogy, worksheets, cognitive conflict, and concept maps. For further research, an example of conceptual change text-laden suggested as a model for improving alternative conceptions being targeted.

Conventional learning models

Learning that is regular (conventional learning model), meaning that the selection of approaches, strategies, methods are less variable. Teaching-learning process tends to start with an orientation and presentation of information relating to the concepts that students will learn, giving examples of questions, followed by giving the test gives some characteristics of conventional learning, namely: (1) students are passive recipients of information, (2) Students learn individually, (3) learning is very abstract and theoretical, (4) formula which is beyond the student must be explained, received, memorized, and training, (5) students passively receive formula or rule (reading, listening, taking notes, and memorizing) without contributing ideas in the learning process, (6) skills developed on the basis of these exercises, ( 7) the teacher is the determinant of the course of the learning process, (8) learning outcomes measured by the test, (9) do not pay attention to the learning experience of students.

As a result of just choosing one conceptual change method

The experience in real activity is more effective than conceptual change texts. Although the use of analogical reasoning or model that is efficient in the teaching of science, but most teachers do not use it as often as possible and tend to ignore the benefits. Even if they try to exploit through the method of analogy, often occurs in an unplanned way. In addition, relevant literature states that use only one method of conceptual change may be boring for students. Thus, it can prevent the achievement of effective results. The cognitive conflict may be the cause of reducing the confidence of students, although it has many advantages to achieve conceptual change. The same thing, if techniques such as text-laden conceptual change, analogy, worksheet (LKS), etc.. Often the process is done individually by students, students can get bored. Therefore, only use one technique, may have little hope of achieving effective results. Moreover, despite the fact that conceptual change text is effective in improving student’s alternative conceptions, directly or experiential learning activities directly can be more effective.

5E Model

Because the activity of teaching can be viewed as a conceptual phase of decomposition, it can be assumed that the application of conceptual change through 5E model can fully reduce student’s alternative conceptions. This model is implemented in stages of learning that helps students learn to run with the corresponding sequence in connecting prior knowledge with new concepts. 5E Model is a popular version of constructivism, because each "E" contains part of the process that helps students learn to run with the corresponding sequence in connecting prior knowledge with new concepts, this model consists from: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. The phases of learning in the 5E model, as follows :

1.             Engagement / involvement

To access prior knowledge of students, teachers having students engage in a new concept by means of short activities or questions that show anomalies and stimulate the release of the initial knowledge. Activity or thought the question to make a connection between prior knowledge and experience of the current study, so that teachers can organize students' thinking toward the learning outcomes of the activity.

2.             Exploration / assessment

Students complete a lab activity or group discussions or role playing or analogy that allows them to exploit their own prior knowledge to generate new ideas, questions assessment, forecasting and implementation of a tentative inquiry.

3.             Explanation / description

This phase required of teachers for further exploration, it also gives teachers the opportunity to directly introduce a concept, process or expertise.Furthermore, the students expressed their understanding of the concept or the right path and the affirmation of knowledge that is not true. Furthermore, the teacher guides them to hold more in-depth understanding, which is the most important part of this phase.

4.             Elaboration / degradability

To examine student conceptual understanding and skills, students are trying to expand new structural knowledge to maintain and expand the understanding, more information, and expertise. Also, they can apply their understanding of the concept for additional activities.

5.             Evaluation / evaluation

This phase of educating students understanding and ability to access them and provide opportunities for teachers to evaluate how student progress toward educational goals.

III.                   CONCLUSION

Knowledge is built (constructed) while learners organize experiences which consists of mental structures or schemata, schemata are already available to him. Knowledge is not a set of facts, concepts, or rules that are ready to be picked up and remembered. As a people we must construct its and give real meaning through experience. The experience in real activity is more effective than conceptual change texts. Teachers should apply the conceptual changes in learning strategies to overcome student’s alternative conceptions. 5E Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation) helps students learn to run with the corresponding sequence in connecting prior knowledge with new concepts.