Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies: Home

Abstract:
Recent developments in education have extolled the importance of constructivism as a theoretical basis for curriculum development and implementation. A major theme in constructivist theory is that learning is an active process, whereby learners learn best by constructing new ideas and building new knowledge based upon current and past knowledge. Thus, constructivism suggests that learning is more effective when learners are actively engaged in the learning process rather than attempting to receive knowledge passively. This paper discusses constructivism learning theory as a paradigm for teaching and learning and how it encourages learners to learn by doing, through collaboration, inquiry and reflection. The paper then suggests how constructivist principles can be incorporated into the teaching of secondary school Accounting by discussing various constructivist teaching and learning strategies and their practical adaptations in the planning and teaching of Accounting lessons. The paper concludes by recommending that Accounting teachers should receive extensive training and professional development on how to teach using constructivist methods.

Keywords: constructivism; collaborative learning; reflective learning; enquiry based learning; case studies; games and simulations

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