I find it amusing that somebody should show such unrestrained and
indiscriminate support for constructivism in science education given
for some of the highly dubious material that passes for
constructivism at least here in the US and especially among chemical
educators.

Some of the authors in question even go as far as to claim that they
support relativism, thinking that it represents a new and enlightened
philosophical view by contrast with the "evils" of inductivism and
positivism.

Specific details and references available on request.


regards,

eric scerri






>In 2000 I taught in East Anglia. Having come from NZ
>where constructivists have captured the nation's curriculum (or at
>least made constructivist science teaching possible), I found the
>English system completely traditional.
>
>I taught GCSE Biology and Physics and felt that I was part of a
>conveyor belt designed to force a bunch of facts into kids' heads. I
>rarely carried out with the students a holistic, real science
>investigation.
>
>Does constructivist science education exist in the UK? Is
>Cambridge producing constructivist teachers and, if yes, do they
>step into staff rooms where some old wizened soul takes them
>aside and say "Forget all that stuff you learnt at Cambridge.
>Welcome to the real world"?
>
>England felt like that.
>
>Regards
>John Cruden
>
>
>
>
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--


Dr. Eric Scerri ,
UCLA,
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
607 Charles E. Young Drive East,
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569
USA

E-mail : scerri@...
tel: 310 206 7443
fax: 310 206 2061
Web Page: http://www.chem.ucla.edu/dept/Faculty/scerri/index.html

Editor of Foundations of Chemistry
http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/1386-4238

Also see International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry
http://www.georgetown.edu/earleyj/ISPC.html