A Dichotomy of Necessary Behaviors and Implementation of Constructivism in Urban Schools

Abstract

Classrooms are expected to be environments that are conducive for knowledge construction. Educators are admonished that students should be engaged in learning and collaborating in a respectful learning community. To facilitate this process, an accommodating structure must be established in the classroom. In this paper I will argue that behaviorism and constructivism are not polar opposites. In public, urban classrooms, portions of each theoretical framework are needed to ease the imbalance that takes place in learning, while propelling students toward constructing meaning based on the sum of their experiences.