Republic of the Philippines

BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY

City of Malolos, Bulacan
College of Education
A.Y. 2024 - 2025

Facilitating Learner - Centered Teaching

Module: “Understanding Bruner’s

Constructivism & Discovery Learning
Theory”

Prepared by: Ocampo, Erich Therese D.G.

EDUC 201
Course Professor: Cielito D.R. Santos, LPT
Bulacan State University
October, 2024
 Welcome to the module on Understanding Constructivism and Discovery Learning proposed by
Jerome Bruner. Bruner's contributions to educational psychology have left a long-lasting influence
on our understanding of teaching and learning. In his constructivist perspective, information is not
merely transferred but rather developed via interaction with the outside world, emphasizing the
active role of learners in creating their own understanding.

This module will explore the key principles of Bruner's constructivism, focusing on the idea that
learning is an active, inquiry-based process. We'll dive into discovery learning, one of Bruner's most
influential concepts, where learners engage in problem-solving and explore content in ways that
allow them to uncover knowledge on their own. By understanding these approaches, you will gain
insight into creating learning environments that foster deeper understanding, critical thinking, and
self-driven exploration.

By the end of this module, learners should be able to:

Define what is Bruner’s Constructivism and Discovery Learning.
Explain the role of active participation in learning.
Differentiate between the three modes of representation in Bruner’s theory.
Apply the principles of discovery learning in problem-solving activities.
Understand the concept of scaffolding and how it supports learning.

The following are the consisting parts in this module:

A pre-assessment test to measure students' prior

Test Your Knowledge
knowledge and understanding on a topic.

Ideas or information that is also connected to the topic.

Insights

Statements describing what students should achieve or be

Learning Objectives
able to do by the end of a lesson or course.

What You Need To Know All the information the students need to acquire.

2
 Learners state their ideas and what they have learned in
Reflection the discussion.

Test Your Knowledge

Instruction: Read the following questions and encircle the letter of the correct answer.
1. What is the main idea behind constructivism?
a.) Knowledge is passively received from teachers.
b.) Knowledge is actively constructed by learners based on their experiences.
c.) Learning happens best through memorization.
d.) Reality is identical for all learners.

2. Who is primarily associated with cognitive constructivism?

a.) Lev Vygotsky
b.) Jerome Bruner
c.) Jean Piaget
d.) Ernst von Glasersfeld

3. Which type of constructivism emphasizes societal and peer influence on learning?

a.) Cognitive constructivism
b.) Radical constructivism
c.) Social constructivism
d.) Scientific constructivism

4. Radical constructivism suggests that knowledge is...

a.) Discovered through experimentation.
b.) Constructed based on subjective interpretations.
c.) Fixed and unchangeable.
d.) Provided by teachers and experts.

5. In a constructivist classroom, the role of the teacher is to...

a.) Provide lectures and direct instruction.
b.) Facilitate and guide student learning.
c.) Give standardized tests frequently.
d.) Dictate all the rules and answers to students.

6. What is a key feature of a constructivist classroom?

a.) Large lecture-based teaching
b.) Teacher-centered learning
c.) Collaborative group work
d.) Strict adherence to textbooks

3
 7. Who developed the theory of radical constructivism?
a.) Jerome Bruner
b.) Jean Piaget
c.) Lev Vygotsky
d.) Ernst von Glasersfeld

8. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of constructivist classrooms?

a.) Interactive learning
b.) Focus on student questions
c.) Teacher as sole authority
d.) Small group work

9. Which of the following is a responsibility of teachers in a constructivist classroom?

a.) Delivering lectures and quizzes regularly
b.) Assessing the prior knowledge of students and building on it
c.) Ensuring students memorize facts and figures
d.) Focusing solely on individual learning

10. Constructivism emphasizes that learning is:

a.) Universal and identical for all students
b.) Based on memorization of information
c.) A process of constructing knowledge from personal experiences
d.) Solely dependent on teacher input

Insights

Jerome Bruner (1915–2016) was an influential American psychologist

whose work immensely transformed educational theory and practice. As a
Harvard graduate, he made important contributions to cognitive
psychology, claiming that learning is an active, productive process in which
students develop new information from what they already know. His
constructivist ideology, which strongly emphasized encouraging pupils to
solve problems and exercise critical thought, transformed instructional
strategies. He popularized discovery learning by encouraging students to
investigate, test, and understand ideas themselves.

Additionally, Bruner popularized discovery learning by encouraging students to investigate, test,

and understand ideas independently. This learner-centered methodology encourages independence,
comprehension, and retention. Throughout his career, Bruner had an impact on many areas,
including educational reform, language acquisition, and curriculum creation. The way that
educators perceive successful, student-driven learning is still influenced by his legacy.

4
 LESSON 1: Introduction to Constructivism

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the basic principles of constructivism.

2. Identify the different types of constructivism.
3. Apply constructivist theories in educational settings.
4. Analyze the benefits and challenges of constructivist classrooms.
5. Reflect on how constructivism shapes teaching strategies.

What You Need To Know

Constructivism is a significant learning theory that teachers use to help their students learn.
Constructivism focuses on the ideology that people actively construct their knowledge and that
reality is shaped by their experiences as learners. Learners use their previous knowledge as a
foundation and build on it with new things they learned. This makes every individual learning
experience unique to them.

Constructivism influences how all students learn, making it crucial for teachers to understand.
Teachers and instructors familiar with this learning theory recognize that each student contributes
something unique and special in class. The learning style of students can be affected by their
background and prior knowledge. Teachers can utilize the constructivist learning theory to help
students understand what they have already learned. Obtaining the necessary training and
credentials is crucial whether you want to work as an educator or are currently one. However, it is
also essential to deeply understand learning theories and how they affect you and your pupils.
Through this guide, you will learn more about constructivism and how it benefits you as an
educator.

Types of Constructivism:

There are various types of constructivism that teachers can use to effectively implement this theory
of learning;

Cognitive. Cognitive constructivism focuses on the ideology that learning needs to be

connected to the cognitive development of the learner. By establishing connections between

5
 new information and their prior knowledge, these methods help students acquire new
information, helping them adapt and modify their pre-existing knowledge to accommodate the
new information they learned. The research of Jean Piaget and his studies on children's
cognitive development is the source of cognitive constructivism.
Social. Social constructivism highlights that learning is a collaborative process. Knowledge is
built through people's interactions with one another, their culture, and society. Students build
their knowledge by creating their building blocks with the help of the information they obtain
from others. Lev Vygotsky, the proponent of social constructivism, says that it is closely
related to cognitive constructivism with the addition of societal and peer influence.
Radical. Radical constructivism differs greatly from cognitive and social constructivism. It
focuses on the notion that students and the knowledge they create only enable us to function
in our surroundings and nothing more. The idea is that knowledge is created and not acquired.
The things we bring to the table prevent us from having the truth, only the interpretations of
knowledge. Ernst von Glasersfeld formulated this theory in 1974.

Constructivism in Education

It is crucial to understand how teachers implement constructivism inside the classroom to create a
distinctive learning experience. In a constructivist classroom, the teacher's role is to foster a
collaborative environment where students are actively participating in their own education. Rather
than being actual instructors, teachers are more of the learning facilitators. Teachers must make an
effort to understand their student's prior knowledge and understandings before working to
incorporate knowledge. Teachers must also adjust and modify their lessons and teaching styles to
match their student's level of comprehension.

Constructivist classrooms focus on four main areas to be successful:

• Exchanged knowledge between teachers and students.
• Shared authority between teachers and students.
• Teachers serve as guides or facilitators.
• Learning groups consist of small numbers of students.

Constructivist classrooms differ greatly from normal classrooms in many aspects. Constructivist
classrooms are student-centered, building on what the students already know, focusing on
interactive learning, emphasizing student questions and interests, and highlighting group activities.
Teachers engage in communicating with students to help them construct their knowledge.

Constructivist classrooms usually have teachers assign small group work, engage students in
collaborative and interactive activities, and open communication about what students need in
order to reach their goals.

6
 Reflection

Explain the concept of constructivism in your own words. How can teachers apply constructivist
principles in the classroom to help students learn better? Provide at least two examples of
teaching strategies that encourage students to build their own understanding.

7
 Test Your Knowledge

Instruction: Read the following questions and encircle the letter of the correct answer.
1.What is the enactive mode of representation?
a) Action-based learning
b) Visual-based learning
c) Language-based learning
d) Sound-based learning

2. At what age does the iconic mode of representation primarily develop?

a) 0-1 year
b) 1-6 years
c) 7-12 years
d) Adolescence

3. Which of these modes involves using symbols, such as words or numbers, for learning?
a) Enactive
b) Iconic
c) Symbolic
d) None of the above

4. What type of tasks are primarily learned in the enactive mode?

a) Memorizing math formulas
b) Performing physical actions
c) Solving visual puzzles
d) Writing essays

5. According to Bruner, learning should progress from which mode to which?

a) Symbolic to enactive
b) Enactive to iconic to symbolic
c) Iconic to symbolic to enactive
d) Symbolic to iconic to enactive

6. In the iconic mode, knowledge is stored primarily as:

a) Symbols
b) Actions
c) Images
d) Written text

7. Bruner's spiral curriculum involves:

a) Learning each topic once at a basic level
b) Revisiting topics at increasing levels of complexity
c) Learning only through physical activities
d) Teaching only simple ideas
8
8. Which of the following best describes the symbolic mode?
a) Learning through touch
b) Learning through movement
c) Learning through language and symbols
d) Learning through images

9. Bruner’s theory contrasts with Piaget’s stage theory because:

a) Bruner believed in rigid stages of development
b) Bruner argued children can learn any material at any age with proper instruction
c) Bruner thought only adults could understand symbolic thinking
d) Bruner opposed all forms of constructivism

10. What is one implication of Bruner’s theory for educators?

a) Teachers should match lessons to students' cognitive stages
b) Lessons should only involve physical activities
c) Education should focus on problem-solving and symbolic thinking
d) Students cannot understand complex topics at a young age

Insights

Jerome Bruner’s theory of Cognitive development proposes that learners process information in
three stages:
Enactive (action-based)
Iconic (image-based)
Symbolic (language-based)

Bruner emphasizes the importance of moving through these stages to promote deep
understanding. His spiral curriculum advocates revisiting complex ideas over time, building upon
earlier, simpler representations to encourage problem-solving and independent learning.

Each mode builds upon the previous one, helping learners progressively develop more complex
ways of understanding. This approach is fundamental to constructivism, emphasizing that students
should move from physical actions to abstract thinking as they mature. Bruner's theory suggests
learners can grasp any subject if it is taught in a structured, age-appropriate manner.

9
 LESSON 2: Modes of Representation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Understand the three modes of representation:

2. Recognize the role of each mode in learning processes:
3. Analyze the educational implications of the modes of representation:

What You Need To Know

Bruner’s Three Modes Of Representation

Modes of representation are how knowledge and information are preserved and encoded in
memory. The modes of representation are interconnected and only loosely sequential as they
"translate" into each other, as opposed to discrete age-related stages (like Piaget). Bruner (1966)
was concerned with how various modes of thinking (or representation) arrange and portray
knowledge.

In his research on the cognitive development of children, Jerome Bruner proposed three modes of
representation:
a. Enactive representation (action-based)
b. Iconic representation (image-based)
c. Symbolic representation (language-based)

1. Enactive Mode (0-1 year)

The primary method by which knowledge is stored in the enactive mode is through motor
reactions. During the first year of life, this modality is used (matching with Piaget's sensorimotor
stage). Infants learn by doing, instead of internal representation, which is the basis of thinking
because thinking is entirely reliant on physical acts.

Physical action-based information is encoded and then stored in our memory. As an example
of movement as muscle memory, an infant could be able to recall how to shake a rattle.
Furthermore, this is not exclusive to kids. Many individuals are capable of doing a wide range of
motor tasks that they would find challenging to explain in iconic (image) or symbolic (word)
form, such as typing, stitching a shirt, or driving a lawnmower.

10
 2. Iconic Mode: Ages 1-6
In the mind, information is stored as sensory images, or icons, most often visual ones that
resemble pictures. Some claim this is conscious, while others claim they do not experience it.
This might be helpful to explain why visual aids like diagrams or pictures tend to be beneficial
while studying a new subject. Utilizing other mental representations, or icons, such as hearing,
smell, or touch, is another foundation of thinking.

3. Symbolic Mode: Ages 7 above

This is the last stage of development. Knowledge is mainly stored as language, mathematical
symbols, or other symbol systems at the symbolic stage. Around six or seven years old, or Piaget's
concrete operational stage, is when this mode is adopted. Knowledge is mainly stored as words,
mathematical symbols, or other symbol systems, such as musical notation, in the symbolic stage.

Unlike actions or images, which have a set relationship to that which they represent, symbols are
flexible and can be altered, arranged, classified, and so on. This freedom allows the user to be
creative without being limited. These are different from icons, according to Bruner's taxonomy, in
that the symbols are "arbitrary." For instance, the word "beauty" is an arbitrary designation for
the concept of beauty, having no more inherent beauty than any other word.

The Importance of Language

The enhanced ability to deal with abstract concepts is dependent on language. According to
Bruner, language has the power to encode inputs and release a person from the constraints of
merely processing appearances, allowing for advanced but adaptable cognition. The limitations of
the "here & now" idea can be lifted by using words, which can also help the thoughts they
represent develop. According to Bruner, an infant's intellectual capacities are essentially the same
as an adult’s, and they begin to solve problems actively and intelligently at birth.

Implications for Education

The goal of education should be to develop self-sufficient learners (learning to learn).

According to Bruner (1961), education should focus on developing a child's critical thinking
and problem-solving abilities so that they can be applied in a variety of contexts rather than
merely imparting facts. More specifically, pupils should learn to think symbolically through their
education. Bruner's book The Process of Education was released in 1960. Bruner's text centered on
the central idea that children are active learners who create their knowledge.

11
Readiness

Bruner (1960) opposed Piaget’s notion of readiness. He argued that schools waste time trying to
match the complexity of subject material to a child’s cognitive stage of development.

This means students are held back by teachers as certain topics are deemed too difficult to
understand and must be taught when the teacher believes the child has reached the appropriate
stage of cognitive maturity.

The Spiral Curriculum

Bruner (1960) takes a different tack and contends that children may comprehend complex
information at any age:

Bruner explained how the spiral curriculum concept made this possible. This required
organizing the material so that difficult concepts could be taught at a basic level initially and
then at a degree of complexity later on.

The underlying concept behind this is that students should go over specific concepts repeatedly
throughout their educational journey, each time deepening their comprehension and
necessitating increasingly complex cognitive techniques (and so increasing the sophistication
of their understanding). As a result, subjects would be taught at progressively harder levels
(hence the spiral comparison).

According to Bruner, children can express themselves in more sophisticated ways as they get
older, which is essentially how they think, and the spiral curriculum should take this into account;

Initially, children learn better using an enactive mode of representation (i.e. they learn better
through “doing things” such as physical and manual tasks) – for instance, the concept of t
addition might be first taught by asking the child to combine piles of beads and counting the
results.

As they grow older – and more familiar with subject content – pupils become more confident
in using an iconic mode of representation; they can perform tasks by imagining concrete
pictures in their heads. As the child becomes more confident with addition, they should be able
to imagine the beads to complete additions (without physically needing to manipulate the
piles).

12
 Finally, students become capable of more abstract, symbolic modes of representation; without
the need for either physical manipulation or mental imagery. Consequently, at this point, the
student should have little problem with completing a series of written calculations which are
higher than is possible by “imagining beads”.

Reflection

How do Bruner's three modes of representation (enactive, iconic, and symbolic) influence your
approach to teaching and learning, and how can you apply this understanding to create more
effective learning experiences for your students?

13
 Test Your Knowledge

Instruction: Read the following questions and encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. What is the main concept behind discovery learning?

a) Memorizing facts
b) Rote learning
c) Discovering relationships between information
d) Teacher-centered instruction

2. In discovery learning, students are encouraged to:

a) Repeat what the teacher says
b) Copy from textbooks
c) Organize and categorize information themselves
d) Listen passively
3. Which of the following best describes the teacher’s role in discovery learning?
a) Facilitating the learning process
b) Encouraging rote memorization
c) Providing final answers
d) Directly organizing information for students
4. What type of learning does discovery learning promote?
a) Active learning
b) Passive learning
c) Listening-based learning
d) Observation only
5. Which theory emphasizes that students build their own understanding through discovery?
a) Behaviorism
b) Classical conditioning
c) Discovery learning
d) Operant conditioning
6. Bruner’s spiral curriculum involves:
a) Learning facts by rote
b) Moving quickly from one topic to another
c) Memorizing information only once
d) Revisiting topics at increasing complexity

14
7. According to Bruner, students learning odd and even numbers should:
a) Memorize the definitions
b) Discover the difference through problem-solving activities
c) Be given the answers by the teacher
d) Only focus on memorization techniques
8. Discovery learning helps develop which skill?
a) Ability to memorize quickly
b) Writing essays
c) Critical thinking and problem-solving
d) Speaking fluently
9. Which of the following would Bruner likely argue is unnecessary for discovery learning?
a) Students memorizing historical facts
b) Teacher guidance
c) Organizing lessons for students to discover relationships
d) Active learning tasks
10. What is a key benefit of discovery learning, according to Bruner?
a) Students can easily memorize content
b) The teacher does all the organizing of information
c) It develops independent problem-solving abilities
d) Learning happens through listening only

LESSON 3: Discovery Learning

Learning Objectives

1. Define discovery learning and explain its core principles.

2. Describe how discovery learning encourages active engagement in learning tasks.
3. Identify the role of the teacher in facilitating discovery learning.
4. Compare rote learning with discovery-based learning.
5. Apply the spiral curriculum in designing lessons that encourage discovery learning.

15
 What You Need To Know

Discovery Learning Theory

Bruner (1960) developed the concept of Discovery Learning – arguing that students should
“not be presented with the subject matter in its final form, but rather are required to organize it
themselves…[requiring them] to discover for themselves relationships that exist among items of
information”. He proposes that learners construct their knowledge and do this by organizing and
categorizing information using a coding system. He believed that the most effective way to
develop a coding system is to discover it rather than being told by the teacher.

The concept of discovery learning implies that students construct their knowledge for
themselves (also known as a constructivist approach). The result is an extremely active form of
learning, in which the students are always engaged in tasks, finding patterns or solving puzzles –
and in which they constantly need to exercise their existing schemata, reorganizing and amending
these concepts to address the challenges of the task.

The role of the teacher should not be to teach information by rote learning, but instead to
facilitate the learning process. This means that a good teacher will design lessons that help
students discover the relationship between bits of information. To do this a teacher must give
students the information they need, but without organizing for them. The use of the spiral
curriculum can aid the process of discovery learning. In teaching a particular concept, the teacher
should present the set of instances that will best help learners develop an appropriate model of
the concept. The teacher should also model the inquiry process. Bruner would likely not contend
that all learning should be through discovery. For example, having children “discover” the names
of the U.S. Presidents or important dates in history seems pointless.

Bruner’s theory is probably clearest when illustrated with practical examples. For instance, a
teacher’s instinctive response to helping a primary school child understand the concept of odd and
even numbers would be to explain the difference to them. However, Bruner would argue that
understanding of this concept would be much more genuine if the child discovered the difference
for themselves; for instance, by playing a game in which they had to share various numbers of
beads fairly between themselves and their friend.

Discovery is not just an instructional technique, but an important learning outcome in itself.
Schools should help learners develop their own ability to find the “recurrent regularities” in their
environment. Bruner would likely not contend that all learning should be through discovery. For
example, it seems pointless to have children “discover” the names of the U.S. Presidents, or
important dates in history.
16
 Reflection

How do Bruner's three modes of representation (enactive, iconic, and symbolic) influence your
approach to teaching and learning, and how can you apply this understanding to create more
effective learning experiences for your students?

Test Your Knowledge II

Write on the space provided for what is being describe in the following questions:

1. Who developed the concept of Discovery Learning?

2. What is the primary method through which students construct
knowledge in Discovery Learning?
3. What term describes a teacher's role in facilitating Discovery Learning?
4. What type of learning does Bruner argue against in Discovery Learning?
5. In what year was "The Process of Education" published?
6. What is the opposite of Discovery Learning?
7. What key element does Discovery Learning promote?
8. What does Bruner believe should be discovered rather than taught?
9. What is the primary outcome of Discovery Learning?
10. Which curriculum approach does Bruner advocate?

17
 Test Your Knowledge

Instruction: Read the following questions and encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. What is the primary purpose of scaffolding in learning?

a) To provide answers to students
b) To facilitate learning through structured support
c) To reduce the need for teachers
d) To encourage rote memorization
2. Who proposed the six core functions of scaffolding?
a) Jean Piaget
b) Jerome Bruner
c) Lev Vygotsky
d) Albert Bandura
3. What does the term "recruitment" refer to in the context of scaffolding?
a) Ensuring the task is interesting to the student
b) Recruiting more teachers
c) Allowing freedom in learning
d) Making tasks more difficult
4. Which function of scaffolding involves breaking a task into sub-aims?
a) Recruitment
b) Direction Maintenance
c) Frustration Control
d) Marking Critical Features
5. Bruner's view of cognitive development emphasizes the role of which factor?
a) Genetics
b) Age
c) Education and adult instruction
d) Societal expectations
6. How does Bruner’s scaffolding theory relate to Vygotsky's zone of proximal development?
a) They are completely unrelated
b) They both emphasize the role of peers
c) They focus on the importance of social interactions in learning
d) They contradict each other
7. In Bruner's theory, language is crucial for which aspect of development?
a) Physical skills
b) Cognitive development
c) Emotional intelligence
d) Social behavior
18
8. What is the main criticism of Piaget’s approach in relation to Bruner's scaffolding theory?
a) Piaget focuses too much on social interaction
b) Piaget emphasizes stages too rigidly
c) Piaget undervalues language
d) Piaget ignores the role of teachers

9. Which of the following best describes the guided discovery learning approach?
a) Teacher-centered instruction
b) Learning through direct instruction
c) Active learning with teacher support
d) Passive observation

10. What is a significant outcome of effective scaffolding in education?

a) Decreased student engagement
b) Increased dependence on the teacher
c) Enhanced student autonomy and understanding
d) Focus on rote memorization

11. What is the primary role of a teacher in scaffolding?

a) To provide information directly
b) To facilitate the learning process
c) To assess students only
d) To give grades

LESSON 4: Scaffolding Theory

Learning Objectives

1. Define scaffolding and its importance in the learning process.

2. Identify the six core functions of scaffolding as outlined by Bruner.
3. Compare Bruner’s scaffolding approach with Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development.
4. Explain the role of language in cognitive development according to Bruner.
5. Describe how teachers can implement effective scaffolding strategies in the classroom.

19
 What You Need To Know

Scaffolding Theory

On the surface, Bruner’s emphasis on the learner discovering subject content for themselves
seemingly absolves the teacher of a great deal of work. In practice, however, his model requires
the teacher to be actively involved in lessons; providing cognitive scaffolding which will facilitate
learning on the part of the student.

On the one hand, this involves the selection and design of appropriate stimulus materials and
activities that the student can understand and complete – however, Bruner also advocates that the
teacher should circulate the classroom and work with individual students, performing six core
“functions” (Wood, Bruner, and Ross: 1976):

Recruitment: ensuring that the student is interested in the task, and understands what is
required of them.
Reducing degrees of freedom: helping the student make sense of the material by eliminating
irrelevant directions and thus reducing the “trial and error” aspect of learning.
Direction Maintenance: ensuring that the learner is on-task and interest is maintained – often
by breaking the ultimate aim of the task into “sub-aims” that are more readily understood
and achieved.
Marking critical features: highlighting relevant concepts or processes and pointing out errors.
Frustration Control: stopping students from “giving up” on the task.
Demonstration: providing models for imitation or possible (partial solution).

In this context, Bruner’s model might be better described as guided discovery learning; as the
teacher is vital in ensuring that the acquisition of new concepts and processes is successful.

Bruner And Vygotsky

Both Bruner and Vygotsky emphasize a child’s environment, especially the social
environment, more than Piaget did. Both agree that adults should play an active role in assisting
the child’s learning. Bruner, like Vygotsky, emphasized the social nature of learning, citing that
other people should help a child develop skills through the process of scaffolding.

Scaffolding refers to the steps taken to reduce the degrees of freedom in carrying out some
task so that the child can concentrate on the difficult skill she is in the process of acquiring
(Bruner, 1978, p. 19). He was especially interested in the characteristics of people whom he
considered to have achieved their potential as individuals.

20
 The term scaffolding first appeared in the literature when Wood, Bruner, and Ross described
how tutors” interacted with a preschooler to help them solve a block reconstruction problem
(Wood et al., 1976). The concept of scaffolding is very similar to Vygotsky’s notion of the zone of
proximal development, and it’s not uncommon for the terms to be used interchangeably.
Scaffolding involves helpful, structured interaction between an adult and a child to help the child
achieve a specific goal.

The purpose of the support is to allow the child to achieve higher levels of development by:

Simplifying the task or idea.

Motivating and encouraging the child.
Highlighting important task elements or errors.
Giving models that can be imitated.

Bruner And Piaget

There are similarities between Piaget and Bruner, but a significant difference is that Bruner’s
modes are not related in terms of which presupposes the one that precedes it. While sometimes
one mode may dominate in usage, they coexist.

Bruner states that the level of intellectual development determines the extent to which the child
has been given appropriate instruction together with practice or experience. So the right way of
presentation and explanation will enable a child to grasp a concept usually only understood by an
adult. His theory stresses the role of education and the adult.

Although Bruner proposes stages of cognitive development, he doesn’t see them as

representing different separate modes of thought at different points of development (like Piaget).
Instead, he sees a gradual development of cognitive skills and techniques into more integrated
“adult” cognitive techniques.

Bruner views symbolic representation as crucial for cognitive development, and since language
is our primary means of symbolizing the world, he attaches great importance to language in
determining cognitive development.

21
 Reflection

How can the concept of scaffolding enhance your understanding of the learning process, and in
what ways do you think it can be effectively implemented in your own educational practices?

22
References:

What is constructivism? (2022, October 24). Western Governors University.

https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-constructivism2005.html

Simply Psychology. (2024, February 1). Jerome Bruner Theory of Cognitive Development &
Constructivism. https://www.simplypsychology.org/bruner.html

b
c 10. spiral curriculum c c c
c 9. understanding a b b
b 8. concepts c c c
b 7. engagement b b d
c 6. direct learning d c c
c 5. 1960 c b b
b 4. Rote learning a b b
a 3. facilitator a c c
b 2. discovery c b c
b 1. Jerome Bruner c a b
L4 L3 L1 L2
Answer Key:

23