SME 6014 – TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS

INDIVUDUAL ASSIGNMENT

Design a process of teaching using constructivist approach for the following problems:

Box A Box B

10

10
10

10

Two gift boxes wrapped with ribbons are shown above. Box A is a cube of side-length 10 cm.
Box B is a cylinder with height and diameter 10 cm each. How would you teach your students to
answer the question? Which box needs the longer ribbon?

CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH

Constructivism is a theory of knowledge (epistemology) that argues that humans generate

knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During
infancy, it is an interaction between their experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns.
Piaget called these systems of knowledge schemata. Piaget's theory of constructivist learning has
had wide ranging impact on learning theories and teaching methods in education and is an
underlying theme of many education reform movements. Research support for constructivist
teaching techniques has been mixed, with some research supporting these techniques and other
research contradicting those results.
Constructivism approach of teaching in teaching mathematics is one of a major concerned in
ICSS. This method enable students to solve problems, construct their own knowledge and
concepts and meaningful learning. Constructivism can be described as a learning process that
explains how knowledge is acquired and structured in the mine of an individual. However, the
knowledge should not be transmitted, but constructed by the learner themselves based on their
ability and experience/previous knowledge. In order to implement this approach the teacher
should encourage and allow students to construct knowledge through problem solving,
exploration and conjecture. Teacher also should encourage students to work in group and also
always making discussion.

According to the social constructivist approach, teacher will be the instructor or facilitator and
have to adapt to the role of facilitators and not as a teachers. During constructivist approach
lesson, teacher will need to plan the strategy in order to implement the approach. Teacher needs
to identify the actions that represent the knowledge or skill that need to be constructed by the
students. Teacher also will provide the activity that would make the construction a reality and
also provides the manipulative materials that are required to carry out the activity. After that,
teacher will only facilitate by helping the student to develop their own knowledge but not giving
the direct way to obtain or giving the answer to the students.

TEACHING PLAN

In order to teach student to solve the question, teacher need to provide an activity that will help
students to construct their own knowledge based on their prior knowledge. This activity need to
be perfectly plan and effectively conduct so that the students can develop their own knowledge
very easily.

From the activity plan below we can see that, teacher will helps as a facilitator by providing and
activity and helping the students to construct their own knowledge without given the solution of
the way of doing directly to the students.
 Strategy/Method/
Step / time Contents Teaching and Learning Activities Teaching skill/
Teaching Aids/
Teacher’s Role Student’s Role
Value

Set Induction Prior Knowledge - Teacher asks the students about the - Students answer to the teacher Teaching Aid:
(±5 minutes) - Form 1 - Chapter 11 area of squares, circles and cubes question. - PowerPoint
Perimeter & Area based on their previous knowledge. - LCD Projector
- Form 1 – Chapter 12 Technique:
Solid Geometry I - Teacher also asks the students - Students answer to the teacher - Questioning
- Form 2 – Chapter 10 about layout of cubes, cuboids & question.
Circles solid geometry.

Activity Group Activity - Teacher asks the students to form a - Students form the group of five Teaching Aid:
(±10 minutes) - Five person per group. group of five. people. - Model
- Model of cubes and cylinder. - Teacher provides students with - Worksheet
- Worksheet. models of cube and cylinder. Method:
- Cooperative
Content - Teacher asks the students to find - Students find the layout for Approach:
Layout of cube. the layout for each model. each model. Constructivist
Layout of cylinder. Technique:
Discussion

Discussion Construct Knowledge
(±10 minutes) - Worksheet
- Group Discussion
Surface Area of Cube
Area for each square x no of
faces.
- Teacher then asks the student to - Students find the area for each
find the area for each of the layout layout.
they get.
- Teacher asks the students to answer - Students answer the Teaching Aid:
the worksheet given. worksheet given. - Model
- Worksheet
Method:
- From the activity, teacher asks the - Students relate the surface - Cooperative
students to relate the surface area of area of layout for each model Approach:
layout for each model with the with the surface area for each Constructivist
surface area for each solid geometry. solid geometry. Technique:
Discussion
 Surface Area of Cylinder
Area of rectangle + (2 x Area of
circle)
(Height x Perimeter of Circle) + (2
x Area of circle)
Summary Summary
(±5 minutes. Surface area of cube
(6 x Length x Width)
Surface area of cylinder
(height x 2πr) + (2 x πr2)
- Teacher asks the student to
construct knowledge about the
surface area of cube and cylinder and
make generalization.
- Teacher asks the student to make
conclusions about surface area of the
cube and cylinder.
- Teacher asks the students to make
summary for today lesson.
- Students construct their
knowledge about the surface
area of cube and cylinder and
make generalization.
- Students make conclusions Technique:
about surface area of the cube Discussion
and cylinder.
- Students make summary for
today lesson.