The overarching theory behind social constructivism is that people are able to learn more when learning

as part of a group due to the social interactions that take place. Also, that people are willing to take
more risks with their learning when supported in a social learning environment. Individuals can check
their own understandings of their knowledge and express their own ideas confidently when in a social
learning setting as opposed to a formal learning environment. Furthermore, Clara (2017) claims that
children do not learn as individuals they learn through social interaction with others.

There are five key areas of the social constructivism learning theory: active, constructive, authentic,
cooperative and intentional. The lessons in this forward planning document focus mainly on two areas
active and cooperative. The activities outlined in the FPD are all cooperative group work. I chose this so
the students can actively work together, to produce items of work that will be created from a
combination of what they have learnt in class and they can “fill the gaps” in the areas they did not
understand.

The second lesson has two groups working on the same project without them being aware of the fact.
Then they have to team up and combine the groups and discuss the pros and cons of each piece of work
to create one final piece of work. This will test some of the students in the group and will develop some
of their social skills. As the groups talk about their own work the students in the other group will be
learning through the social interaction of the discussion. This is the basis of social constructivism,
students will gain content knowledge at the same time develop their social skills.

Clarà, M. (2017). How instruction influences conceptual development: Vygotsky's theory

revisited. Educational Psychologist, 52(1), 50-62. doi:10.1080/00461520.2016.1221765