Determination of Teacher Characteristics That Support Constructivist Learning Environments

Yıl 2016, Cilt: 16 Sayı: 63, 0 - 0, 15.04.2016

Bulent Aydogdu , Tugba Selanık Ay

Öz

Problem Statement: Exploring the variables that affect teachers’ teaching
approaches in learning environments is crucial to determining their
response to new trends. Their teaching and learning characteristics set the
success level of the new reforms. In addition, monitoring the usage of
constructivist pedagogies and giving feedback about them are other
crucial aims of this research.
Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to identify the
characteristics of primary school teachers that helped them prepare
constructivist learning environments.
Method: The data were collected through the Constructivist Learning
Environment Questionnaire (CLEQ) and a modified version of Draw a
Classroom Teacher Test Checklist (DACTT-C), which is a modified
version of the Draw a Science Teacher Test Checklist (DASTT-C). The
sample of the study was 115 primary school teachers from schools in
Afyon, Turkey. Convenience sampling was used as a sampling strategy.
Findings: The results of the study showed that the gender of primary
school teachers was not a factor in determining the constructivist
characteristics of the primary school, and less experienced primary school
teachers were more willing to use constructivist principles in their primary
school. The primary school teachers’ drawings were analyzed
qualitatively. There were 15 missing drawings in the survey, so
researchers scored and evaluated only 100 drawings. Only eight primary
school teachers’ drawings (8%) reflected a student-centered teaching style;
56% had both student and teacher-centered characteristics; and 36% were
teacher-centered. Two of the eight student-centered drawings belonged to
males and four of the eight drawings belonged to teachers with 0 to 5 

years of experience. Three of the eight student-centered drawings belonged to teachers with a master’s degree and five belonged to teachers with a bachelor degree.
Conclusion and Recommendations: Primary school teachers who had graduate degrees were more open to using constructivist characteristics in teaching and learning. Females and less experienced primary school teachers had a higher tendency to draw student-centered instructional characteristics. Turkish teachers are mostly in a transition process from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered instruction. The Ministry of National Education should promote collaboration between senior and novice teachers. Primary school teachers should be supported with pre-service and in-service training programs during the transition process of teacher-centered teaching to a student-centered teaching style. For further research, primary school teachers’ perceptions about constructivist learning environments should be observed in the primary school environment.
Keywords: constructivist learning environments, primary school teachers, teacher characteristics, draw a classroom teacher test checklist, primary school drawings.