On The Teaching Belief Of Radical Constructivism

The new curriculum reform started, many scholars gave their investigations and assessments on problems existing in school education in China. They showed the strong of sense of anti-scientism, anti-essentialism and anti-rationalism, which are main characters of radical constructivism. The teaching beliefs of radical constructivism did shed a positive light on how to resolve the problems in traditional education system, such as setting up the constructive principle of recognition and showing the initiative of human recognition; investigating into the traditional teaching hypothesis and therefore accelerating the shift of teaching methods; showing the developing character of teaching and learning; disclosing the nonstructural character and uncertainty during the process of getting knowledge.However, due to its limitations, such as subjectivity, absolute negativity, the teaching belief of radical constructivism ignored the certainty and objectivity of knowledge, debased the fundamentality of knowledge and the status of teaching materials as well, which laid too much emphasis on "individual construction", considered that knowledge cannot be taught by teachers and bringed down the status of teachers. According to radical constructivism, in which investigative study is overemphasized, significative language accepting study should be refused, and accepting study is considered the same as mechanical study and passive study. It denies the rationality and value of "Teaching—Accepting" teaching method and replaces "Knowledge Teaching" with "Investigative Study". The purpose of getting knowledge, according to radical constructivism, is to "be helpful", to help one survive instead of exploring and mastering the truth. Educational reform cannot be carried out without necessary conditions. It isn't an easy problem which can be resolved by directly adopting a foreign theory, but a systematical reform concerning all the aspects in and outside the education system. The right way is to, with the Marxism educational principles as guide and on the base of China's actual educational situations, discard the falsity and preserve the essence of the teaching belief of radical constructivism, to "construct" a harmonious education system which can accelerate the all-around development of the students.