On The Application Of Constructivist Learning Theory In The Middle School Task--Based Teaching

By introducing the Task-Based Learning (TBL) and Constructivist Learning Theory, this thesis aims to illustrate the relations between them to help middle school English teachers to know more about Constructivist Learning Theory and guidance to TBL in the middle school, and proposes that automatically using Constructivist Learning Theory in practicing TBL is the key to the success of a new round of English teaching reform in the middle school in China as well as use of TBL.In the New Basic English Course Standard, TBL is the only required method .First, in it a new student-centered teaching idea is required to follow. Second, the task and the teaching aim should be reconsidered. The task should be natural to the learning environment, and helpful to the students' learning, co-operating and constructing meaning in their study. Teaching aims are not used for the teachers' convenience but for deciding the knowledge level and structure to help find meaningful topics for constructing meaning. In different teaching stages, tasks and teaching aims should accordingly be different. All these ideas come from Constructivist Learning Theory. The Constructivist Learning Theory has proposed a series of views, such as view of knowledge, view of study, view of the student, view of the relationship between the students and the teachers, and learning environment. Besides, it has probed the question of teaching models and teaching methods. So it is necessary to study Constructivist Learning Theory to perform TBL well.In the beginning part the author analyzes the relationship between the TBL and Constructivist Learning Theory, emphasizing that the Constructivist Learning Theory is the theoretical basis of TBL. By analyzing the lack of Constructivist Learning Theory in middle school teachers, the author concludes that it is necessary for teachers to grasp the theory.Next the author tries to illustrate what the TBL is, with the analysis of the theoretical and practical background of TBL from its relationship with Communicative Approach, and English teaching reform tendency as well as relevant linguistic theories.Judging from the contents of TBL, the author reaffirms that it is the key of understanding TBL to grasp the task and TBL, the structure of the task, design of the task and teaching aims and practice of TBL teaching. However, there lacks something in TBL theory, for it just tells you what and how to perform the method so that a teacher can easily make mistakes in teaching. So it is necessary to find some theory to explain the method .That theory is Constructivist Learning Theory.Constructivist Learning Theory can offer this kind of theoretical guidance to TBL only because of its perfectness and matureness in theory. On one hand, it has absorbed some great educators' fine thoughts, such as Duway, Vygotsky and Piaget; besides it has been put forward by reforming traditional teaching to meet the requirements of modern education. Correctness of its theory has proved to be true by teaching practice.The author believes that the series of views raised in the Constructivist Learning Theory should be the basis and principles for modern education, including TBL teaching. With the firm structure of four components: the teacher, the students, course books and media in teaching, Constructivist Learning Theory has shown its student-centered teaching model and relevant mature specific teaching models: scaffolding instruction, anchored instruction and Random access instruction. These all offer guidance to TBL teaching.Teaching designing is very important in teaching theories. Constructivist Learning Theory is superior to traditional teaching theories because of its unique teaching designing conception. Both teaching aims and meaning construction are combined in constructivist designing.Reforming traditional teaching and multimedia technology explain why Constructivist Learning Theory is popular.In the end, the author proposed four pieces of advice in the application of Constructivist Learning Theory in TBL teaching, by thinking of the four parts of...