Manifestations of Epistemological Theses of Constructivism in the Science and Technology Programs of Turkish Elementary Education

Abstract

This article explores if there are manifestations of epistemological theses of constructivism, one of the stated theoretical pillars on which the curricula were based, in the elementary education curricula prepared and viewed as an educational paradigm change by Turkish Ministry of Education. The exploration was carried out by identifying the reflections of von Glasersfeld’s radical constructivism in Fen ve Teknoloji Dersi (6, 7 ve 8. Sınıflar) Öğretim Programı (Science and Technology Course (6, 7 and 8th Grades) Curriculum) (2006) in virtue of its relevance both to the curriculum and to the ministry’s stated paradigm change intention. It has been found that the effect of radical constructivism on the issues of theory choice is highly evident while on the issue of the relation of theory to reality less evident. But the program is clearly positivistic regarding the aim of science, the relation of scientific theories or models to reality, the truth of scientific knowledge, scientific progress, theory choice, and the status of science in relation to non-scientific traditions. Therefore, the constructivism of the curriculum is, in Glasersfeld’in sense, “trivial” and falls far short of the aim of paradigm change.