According to Hadley (2014), social constructivism theory is a learning theory related to the social-cultural theory. The theory holds that learning does not happen through discovery or invention but rather through interactions with people and the immediate environment_ knowledge is created or made. For instance, language acquisition is perceived as constructed as the child interact with peers, parents and the environment, the child develops speech. There must be existing knowledge that serves as a basis for the development of new ideas or new skills
Social constructivism theory has been employed in health and technology. A student who pursues health sciences will be in a position to use social constructivism theory directly or indirectly to acquire knowledge and skills (Weatherford and Burt, 2018). Through interacting with the instructor and the peers in tutorials, the student develops knowledge he never had before. For example, in a surgery class, the instructor may choose to use a video to explain the practical part of the surgery. Through the primary theoretical knowledge, the student will use the video to develop his own practice. In case, the specimen is a frog which is to be dissected, the student will be able to learn from other peers who are performing the same task. The lesson becomes a success because of the collaborative nature of all the parties involved something that would not have happened if the student was all alone. It would be difficult identifying the features of a live frog and dissect it accordingly.
Weatherford and Burt (2018) maintain that use of audiovisual technological sources like videos can help medical students acquire information. It is a great way to make the learned theory an experience to the students. The students can be instructed to do what they saw or experienced in the video to make them interact with their peers and the environment. The teacher can lead the students using suggestions and leave the students to solve the problem on their own.
The internet can be used to explore information through the various search engines (Weatherford " Burt, 2018). It has varied options and the learner has to critically think and focus on the one that is answering the research question he or she has. The information is provided by the search engine but the decision on the best option is made by the student. Through the already existent knowledge of the student, he /she will be able to test the relevancy of the data provided.
Data generated by a computer can be subjected to discussions for further analysis and interpretation in peer discussions. In technology, the computer is interactive. It gives room for the students to unearth the required knowledge. The computer can be viewed as the knowledge base. The software in the computer is collaborative (Weatherford " Burt, 2018). Computer programmes can be used to challenge the mind to think about a solution to a problem. For instance, a student may explore the computer programme of Microsoft Excel to carry out computations on statistics on the prevalence of hypertension to the aged. After feeding the computer with numerical data, it generates the data in order to give processed information like the median, average, and mode. The software works as an inquiry tool for the student to generate a problem-solving approach which can help in medical research.
Race and racism is a social construct. As we grow we identify with our skin color and classify ourselves with our heritage. As we grow, some ideas are imposed on us through socializing with our environment and culture; we develop a sense of the superior race. This mentality controls our cognitive and we form an identity unawares.
The blacks are attributed to bad qualities and poor moral standards (Culp, 2017). If a white officer comes across a black man in a serious disagreement with a white man, the officer will jump to conclusion that the black person is offending the white man. This behavior formation is the result of the people and the environment that shaped his judgment. Today, it is easy to know whether a person is a racist or not. Scientists have developed a tool called Implicit Association Test (I.A.T) which claims to measure peoples' racial biases. Unconscious actions are the best tool for measurement.
Since the time of slave trade and colonialism, people have been ranked according to the color of their skin (Culp, 2017). It determined which school you would go to and up to which level; the job you will have; the area of residence; who to marry and your social status. The social structures, in turn, affect the way we view and relate to others. The distinctions in skin color and facial features have made people construct racial lines which generalize individuals’ abilities like intelligence and prevalence to certain diseases. Other than perceiving individual qualities we end up categorizing people in terms of color and worse still pin inferior qualities on them as a group. This viewpoint deconstructs the fact that every human being is special and has qualities that distinguish him/her from every other person.
For ages, white races have taken the superior position all over the world. White skin gave one an automatic top rank. Culp (2017) highlights that during the Second World War, blacks were involved in the Bulge war with the Germans, and the whites were given remuneration and offered grants for further education while the blacks continued rummaging in ignorance and poverty. The white’s domination and superiority saw to the exploration of most coloreds’ states. They eroded their rich culture branding it primitive. According to Culp, they established their system of government in those countries disregarding that the communities had powerful leadership that existed as empires and dynasties for example, the Marinid Dynasty of Morocco.
When we look at power in terms of gender we out rightly think about men as presidents, head of institutions and head of the smallest basic unit of a society-family. Although gender is biological, the power accorded to men is not biological and therefore a social construct.
In some societies, women would be literally be divorced if they did not bare a son. A man with girls only becomes the laughing stock of a community. A son is a symbol of power and especially in African states where boys inherit their parent’s property. The man receives some privileges just because he is a man and not necessarily his leadership qualities or intelligence. The reality of wife battering is born out of this construct: the man is superior and powerful to a woman. Children are brought up knowing that their father is everything associated with power and greatness even when the father is a drunkard who barely maintains himself.
A Woman is perceived as a weaker sex (James-Hassan, 2016). A woman who bears children out of wedlock is seen as unbearable and lacks good morals; she is in some cases referred to as a prostitute. On the other hand, a man who bears children out of wedlock is revered and given a better status in the society as compared to the woman. In some settings, women themselves confess that they cannot vote for a woman inferior to them. The ideas imposed on people in a society affect the viewpoint of people as individuals. We have very few powerful women in charge of states and they are known the world over like Queen Elizabeth. Feminism and patriarchy come to play whereby the later is vastly practiced even in the world today.
Disability is another socially constructed idea that limits the disabled. Privileges like education, and rising to power with a disability is slim. The disabled are given an inferior label as compared to the one presumed as without disabilities. The disabled person is seen as an unnecessary burden to the society. This creates inequalities as their impairments become the ticket to their suppression. They are marginalized and few privileges are hard to come by. This is the reason many states are enacting laws to incorporate people with disabilities, minority groups, and women in their government of the day through nominations (James-Hassan, 2016).
In conclusion, social constructivism contributes to eighty percent of our actions. Our knowledge is based on the culture of the people that surround us. Knowledge is thus inferred from the history of our ancestors and only developed to an extent where it fits our daily requirements.
References
Culp, B. (2017). “Illegitimate” Bodies in Legitimate Times: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Movement: National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education 26th Delphine Hanna Commemorative Lecture 2017. Quest, 69(2), 143-156.
Hadley, D. L. (2014). A Case Study of Learners in a Collaborative Post-Secondary Program: Experiences of Lifelong Learning and Social Constructivism (Doctoral dissertation, University of Calgary).
James-Hassan, M. J. (2016). Cultivating Culturally Fluent Leaders for the Future of Kinesiology: 2016 NAKHE Hally Beth Poindexter Young Scholar Award. Quest, 68(2), 159-169.
Weatherford, G. M., " Burt, D. J. (2018). Social Technology in the Kinesiology Classroom: Requisites, Risks, and Recommendations. International Journal of Kinesiology in Higher Education, 2(1), 23-30.
