Class discussion

Class Discussion and Mutual Learning

Rosnani Hashim

Institute of Education, International Islamic University Malaysia

Another way students become teachers in constructivist classrooms is through discussion. Class discussions are a central component of constructivism since the focus is on the process of learning instead of the product. It is not important whether the students get the right answer, what is important is how their thinking evolves. For example, the math strategy, math talk, is one in which students are given a word problem and asked to solve it. Then, through a class discussion, the students are encouraged to share and explain their solutions to the problem and justify their reasoning. The children are able to “gain greater understanding and ownership of mathematical concepts as they develop and express their own ideas”. Since there are numerous ways to solve any given problem, the students become each other's teachers as they discuss not only their own logic but also the faults of their peers’ logic. This process is so effective because “hearing and analyzing others’ approaches can supply one with new perspectives; and frequent exposure to different approaches engenders flexible thinking.”