Full Description
This book brings together leading scholars and teacher educators to examine how constructivist learning theories can meaningfully guide teacher preparation for today's complex, evolving, and ever-changing educational landscapes. Moving beyond abstract ideals, contributors explore the theoretical foundations of constructivism alongside concrete examples of how teacher educators bring these principles to life in their teaching, mentoring, and community-based work.
Chapters are organized into three parts: Theoretical Foundations, Constructivism in Action, and Beyond the Classroom. Each part offers rich frameworks, practical strategies, and reflective insights for designing transformative learning experiences. Through topics such as relational pedagogy, reflective practice, community engagement and hybrid learning, this volume illustrates how constructivist approaches foster agency, connection, and deep, authentic understanding.
Ideal for teacher educators, graduate students, curriculum leaders, and professional development providers, this book thoughtfully connects theory with lived practice by showcasing research informed examples of constructivism at work in teacher education. It invites all who prepare teachers to reimagine teacher education as a space where curiosity is nurtured, reflection is central, and a lasting love of learning can thrive.
Contents
Part 1: Theoretical Foundations 1. Cultivating Constructivist Pedagogies: Challenges and Opportunities for Teacher Educators 2. Developing as Constructivist Teacher Educators: A Process, Not an Endpoint 3. Disrupting the Theory to Practice Divide: Constructivist Learning for Future Early Educators 4. Constructivism's Roots in a Universal Design for Learning Teacher Education Program: Integrating SEL and AI Part 2: Constructivism in Action 5. Blueprints, Building Blocks, and Training Wheels: Constructivist Tools for Teacher Educators 6. Constructing Classroom Community: The Roles of Professional Learning Communities, Choice, and Reflective Practices 7. A Social Constructivist Protocol for Student Work Analysis 8. Safety, Interest, and Agency in the Teacher Education Classroom 9. The Play-Creativity Connection: Constructive Play Provocations for Early Childhood 10. Facilitating Learner Interactions: Using Constructivist Practices in Remote Synchronous Teacher Education Programs 11. Leveraging Field Experience with Content Courses to Create Constructivist Experiences in Early Childhood Teacher Education Part 3: Beyond the Classroom 12. Constructing Knowledge Through Collaborative Learning: Utilizing Communities of Practice to Support the Development of Pre-service Teachers 13. From Campus to Classroom: Teacher Candidates Bringing Community-Based Learning Theory to Life 14. Preservice Teachers' Constructivist Learning Experiences in a University-Based Mathematics Clinic for Rural Students 15. Leaning On Each Other To Create an Interdisciplinary Approach: Integrating Literacy, Bilingual Education, and STEM Practices 16. Setting Intentions: Big Ideas in Constructivist Curriculum
