Are "Other People's Children" constructivist learners too?

   As scientists study learning, they are realizing that a
   constructivist model reflects their best understanding
   of the brain's natural way of making sense of the
   world. (Abbot & Ryan, p. 67, italics added)

   A constructivist approach captures thinking in
   action, so responses may sound tentative, muddled
   or fragmented. (McKeown & Beck, p. 27; italics
   added)

   The ability to think-to be a lifelong learner and
   integrator of new knowledge is based upon the ability
   to ask and consider questions. (Richetti & Sheerin,
   p. 58; italics added)

   In constructivist learning, each individual structures
   his or her own knowledge of the world in a
   unique pattern ... in a subjective way. (Feldman,
   1994, in Abbot & Ryan, p. 67; italics added)

Though these statements eloquently express a powerful view of child-centered learning, many CLD students are not oriented to this center. This is an example of the "silenced dialogue" in which a universalized pedagogical theory has been extolled without considering its applicability to CLD students. We must understand that the values animating the aforementioned statements are intimately linked to a particular cultural worldview that privileges the individual.

In Table 1, we contrast a set of cultural beliefs that support Constructivism with a set of beliefs that we have come to understand from working with Cambodian-American students, educators, and families in our local Western Massachusetts community. We believe the cultural beliefs that support constructivism are widely held by educators in our local middle class community; combining dominant culture norms and the specific beliefs of progressive educators.

Although we fully recognize the complexity and diversity of cultural beliefs within any community, here we are interested in highlighting cultural tensions inherent in the educational experiences of Cambodian-American students in our schools.

Considering the clear cultural mismatch between these two belief systems, it is not surprising that Cambodian-American students in our local school often struggle with the learning dynamics of even well-run constructivist classrooms. CLD students can unintentionally be disempowered in classrooms in which the learning dynamics are based on universalized pedagogy, in spite of a teacher's belief in equity. For example, we have found that most of our Cambodian-American students, nearly all of whom are English proficient, do not generally profit from a learning dynamic based on the free exchange of student ideas. They rarely volunteer their opinions or critique another's, do not expect to learn academics from peers, and certainly defer to their teachers' opinions and those of students with higher social and/or academic status. Moreover, these behaviors may contribute to a negative perception of these students' academic, social, or cognitive abilities. However, our experience suggests that many of these behaviors represent how students are enacting their culture's view of the ideal learner, operating within their culture's best practices.